Georgian communities in Turkey

[Martin Demant Frederiksen]

This is a request rather than a proposal for discussion: I've been working in Georgia for some years and am considering setting up a second fieldsite in Turkey in relation to a Georgian community either in Istanbul or another city on the Black Sea coast. Do any of you know of - or have contacts in - any such communities that you could share with me?

Sincerely

Martin

[Nino Amiridze]

There are people working on Cheveburebis kartuli (language of the Georgian diaspora in Turkey) at the Batumi University, Georgia. There is a monograph by Shushana Putkaradze on the Cheveburebi Georgian.

There is a web page http://www.chveneburi.net, where you will find links to the communities.

I checked the Georgian page:
http://www.chveneburi.net/ka/

Good luck.

[Martin Demant Frederiksen]

Nino, thanks for your suggestions they were very helpful!
Martin

[Nino Amiridze]

Martin,

you are welcome.

Here is a link to several short movies recorded in Turkey by a Kutaisi TV company (June 2009):

http://video.rionitv.com/category.php?cat=1

The films are about Georgian communities in Turkey. The team included some of the Kutaisi university professors (linguists, ethnographers).

I watched all the videos. I must admit, some parts of the movies are not so attractive, namely, the recordings at several municipalities of the Turkish provinces. You will hear too many repetitions of the same ideas (of mutual respect as well as introductions) during those official scenes. Otherwise, the conversations with the local Georgians in various provinces are worth watching.

Oh, the main thing, all the videos are in Georgian. The TV company was planning to translate the material in Turkish. If you need a Turkish copy, you could email one of the organizers and participant of the expedition, Prof. Dr. Tariel Putkaradze ([e-mail]).

Best,
Nino

Martin Demant Frederiksen said:

Nino, thanks for your suggestions they were very helpful!
Martin