The World Abaza Congress and lecturer of the Abkhaz Language Department of the Abkhazian State University Inna Dzhugelia summed up the results of the first stage of the joint project "Ирӡтәым".
The WAC completed the first stage of the joint project of the WAC and ASU lecturer Inna Dzhugelia "Ирӡтәым" ("something that cannot be lost" in Russian), within the framework of which 10 lectures were held for 400 students in 13 schools of the Gudauta district. The final lecture for more than 60 schoolchildren of the Gudauta district was organized in the historical glade of Lykhnashta. The lecture was conducted by a member of the Supreme Council of the WAC, ethnologist Marina Bartsyts and historian Ruslan Gozhba.
The project is aimed at educating children in the moral and ethical standards of "Apsuara" and maintaining in them a love for the traditions and customs of their people. The first stage of the project consisted of 10 lectures cycle with the following topics: "Abkhazian court: traditions and customs", "Issues of the mentality of ethics and the moral and ethnic code of the Abkhazians – Apsuara", "Ritual songs and their using", "People’s diplomacy of Abkhazians", "History of the Abkhazian national dance", "Equestrian traditions of the Abkhazians", "History of Abkhazia at the end of the 20th beginning of the 21st century".
The project was launched in test mode in March 2023. Well-known Abkhazian historians, linguists, ethnographers and ethnologists were involved in its implementation.
Inna Dzhugelia, the author of the "Ирӡтәым" project, noted that "only by reviving our own traditions and customs can we survive in a dynamic world."
"To preserve one's identity in today's dynamic world is possible only by reviving one's own traditions and customs. We have no right to lose what makes us Abkhazians: first of all, our language, our moral and ethnic code "Apsuara", our culture and rich history. Everything is interconnected. If we lose one of them, we lose everything else," she said.
The beginning of the project was preceded by a big work on the preparation of topics, the selection of speakers and distribution to schools.
Inna Dzhugelia noted that when organizing the project, the priority was the maximum involvement of schoolchildren in the project.
"You hear about our culture, traditions and customs from your teachers, at home or just in everyday life. However, hearing from professors, people who have devoted their lives to studying the history of our people, is certainly important for all students," said Dzhugelia.
From the part of the Congress, the project was supervised by Esma Kvitsinia, specialist of the WAC Department for Youth Development and Physical Education. She shared her successes and immediate plans to continue the project.
"Each lecture was received with great interest. The free format of their holding allowed listeners to get involved in conversation and debate. We receive pleasant feedback and requests for lectures in other villages and regions of Abkhazia. Such interest among our citizens definitely motivates us to continue the project next year," she said.
"Ирӡтәым" is a joint project of the World Abaza Congress and Associate Professor of the Abkhaz Language Department of ASU Inna Dzhugelia. The project is aimed at popularizing the moral and ethnic code of Abkhazians - Apsuara, reviving the traditions and customs of the Abaza people.
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