Main Content

Home in Ruins: Place Attchement in Post-industrial Cities in the Caucasus (CCC8)

Post-industrial cities in the Caucasus often face difficult conditions. After the end of the leading industrial plant the towns are dilapidated, the unemployment is high and the regular supply of water or electricity difficult. However, most of the residents of towns continue to live in their hometowns and are hesitant to move away.

The aim of our student research project was to research life in land-scapes and legacies of industrial ruination: Why people call in the context of difficult employment possibilities and physical degradation these places ‘home’? Why do they consider it worth living there? Why do they still attach great values to their communities in these dilapidated towns?

Another core aim of Caucasus Conflict Culture (CCC) is to engender the experience of working together in multi-national teams: 20 students from the three South Caucasus countries and Germany will be introduced to the practice of fieldwork, anthropological methodology and the organization of a research project.

Chiatura, Tbilisi, Borjomi (Georgien) 24.08.-04.09.2019
Funding: DAAD
Coordination: Dr. Stéphane Voell, Prof. Dr. Ernst Halbmayer