Editing Georgia (country) (section)

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Georgia (country)}}
[[File:Mokvi Gospels (Q-902), 1300.jpg|thumb|Medieval Georgian [[illuminated manuscript]] of [[Mokvi Gospels]], 13th century]]

Georgian culture evolved over thousands of years from its foundations in the [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Iberian]] and Colchian civilizations.<ref>Georgia : in the mountains of poetry 3rd rev. ed., Nasmyth, Peter</ref> Georgian culture enjoyed a [[Georgian Golden Age|renaissance and golden age]] of [[classical literature]], arts, philosophy, architecture and science in the 11th century.<ref>Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), ''Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts''. Peeters Publishers, {{ISBN|90-429-1318-5}}</ref> Georgian culture was influenced by [[Classical Greece]], the [[Roman Empire]], the [[Byzantine Empire]], the various [[History of Iran#Classical antiquity|Iranian empires]] (notably the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]], [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]], [[Sassanian Empire|Sassanian]], [[Safavid Empire|Safavid]], and [[Qajar Empire|Qajar]] empires),<ref>I. Gagoshidze "The Achaemenid influence in Iberia" Boreas 19. (1996)</ref><ref>[[Ehsan Yarshater|Yarshater, Ehsan]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wBIZAQAAIAAJ "Encyclopædia Iranica"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507035127/https://books.google.com/books?id=wBIZAQAAIAAJ |date=7 May 2016 }} Routledge & Keagan Paul, 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-933273-56-6}} pp 464–479</ref><ref>{{cite book |quote=(...) Iranian power and cultural influence dominated eastern Georgia until the coming of the Russians|title= Vagabond Life: The Caucasus Journals of George Kennan |first=Hans Dieter |last=Kennan|publisher= University of Washington Press |year=2013 |page=32 |display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>Willem Floor, Edmund Herzig. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2S_DxLGKw6IC&pg=PA494 ''Iran and the World in the Safavid Age''] I.B.Tauris, 15 September 2012 {{ISBN|1850439303}} p 494</ref> and later, since the 19th century, by the [[Russian Empire]] and the [[Soviet Union]].<ref name="Jones2003">{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Stephen |date=1 September 2003 |title=The role of cultural paradigms in Georgian foreign policy |journal=Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=83–110 |doi=10.1080/13523270300660019 |s2cid=154183255 |issn=1352-3279}}</ref>

This long history has provided a national narrative which encompasses the successful preservation of unique culture and identity in a consistent territory, despite external pressures. Christianity and the Georgian language are particularly important national identifiers.<ref name="Batiashvili2012">{{Cite book |last=Batiashvili |first=Nutsa |date=2012 |title=Memory and Political Change |pages=186–200 |editor-last=Assmann |editor-first=Aleida |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |doi=10.1057/9780230354241_11 |isbn=978-0-230-35424-1 |editor2-last=Shortt |editor2-first=Linda |chapter=The 'Myth' of the Self: The Georgian National Narrative and Quest for 'Georgianness' |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230354241_11}}</ref> These cultural, religious, and later political attributes are associated with a European and Western identity, based on a national perception of these attributes that contrasts with surrounding powers.<ref name="Jones2003"/><ref name="Batiashvili2012"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Beacháin |first1=Donnacha Ó |last2=Coene |first2=Frederik |date=November 2014 |title=Go West: Georgia's European identity and its role in domestic politics and foreign policy objectives |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nationalities-papers/article/abs/go-west-georgias-european-identity-and-its-role-in-domestic-politics-and-foreign-policy-objectives/AB309EDA6F4E1E4D25C97F00DCFF7973 |journal=Nationalities Papers |volume=42 |issue=6 |pages=923–941 |doi=10.1080/00905992.2014.953466 |s2cid=153586649 |issn=0090-5992}}</ref><ref name=carnegie21>{{cite web |url=https://carnegieeurope.eu/2021/04/06/georgia-s-unfinished-search-for-its-place-in-europe-pub-84253 |title=Georgia's Unfinished Search for Its Place in Europe |publisher=Carnegie Europe | date=6 April 2021 | access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref> This self-identity is stronger among the dominant ethnic Georgian population than in the country's minority groups.<ref name=carnegie21/>

Georgia is known for its [[folklore]], traditional music, dances, theatre, cinema, and art. Notable painters from the 20th century include [[Niko Pirosmani]], [[Lado Gudiashvili]], [[Elene Akhvlediani]]; notable ballet choreographers include [[George Balanchine]], [[Vakhtang Chabukiani]], and [[Nino Ananiashvili]]; notable poets include [[Galaktion Tabidze]], [[Lado Asatiani]], and [[Mukhran Machavariani]]; and notable theatre and film directors include [[Robert Sturua]], [[Tengiz Abuladze]], [[Georgi Daneliya|Giorgi Danelia]], and [[Otar Ioseliani]].<ref name="Lang David, Georgians" />

=== Architecture and arts ===
[[File:Fortress of Khertvisi1 (edited).jpg|thumb|[[Khertvisi Fortress]], an example of [[medieval]] Georgian architecture]]
[[Architecture of Georgia (country)|Georgian architecture]] has been influenced by many civilizations. There are several [[architectural styles]] for [[castles]], [[tower]]s, [[fortifications]] and churches. The [[Upper Svaneti]] fortifications, and the castle town of [[Shatili]] in [[Khevsureti]], are some of the finest examples of medieval Georgian [[castle architecture]]. Other architectural features of Georgia include [[Rustavelis Gamziri|Rustaveli]] Avenue in Tbilisi and the [[Old Tbilisi|Old Town District]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

Georgian [[ecclesiastic]] art is one of the most notable aspects of Georgian [[Christian architecture]], which combines the classical [[dome]] style with the original [[basilica]] style, forming what is known as the Georgian cross-dome style. Cross-dome architecture developed in Georgia during the 9th century; before that, most Georgian churches were basilicas. Other examples of Georgian [[ecclesiastic]] architecture can be found outside Georgia: [[Bachkovo Monastery]] in Bulgaria (built in 1083 by the Georgian military commander Grigorii Bakuriani), [[Iviron monastery]] in Greece (built by Georgians in the 10th century), and the [[Monastery of the Cross]] in Jerusalem (built by Georgians in the 9th century). One of the most famous late 19th/early 20th century Georgian artists was [[primitivist]] painter [[Niko Pirosmani]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pirosmani.org/pirosmani/ |title=Niko Pirosmani – Short Biographical Information |publisher=Steele Communications |website=Niko Pirosmani |access-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228055000/http://www.pirosmani.org/pirosmani/ |archive-date=28 December 2016 }}</ref>

===Literature===
The [[Georgian language]], and the Classical Georgian literature of the poet [[Shota Rustaveli]], were revived in the 19th century after a long period of turmoil, laying the foundations of the [[Romanticism|romantics]] and novelists of the modern era such as [[Grigol Orbeliani]], [[Nikoloz Baratashvili]], [[Ilia Chavchavadze]], [[Akaki Tsereteli]], and [[Vazha-Pshavela]].<ref name="Lang David, Georgians">Lang David, Georgians.{{full citation needed|date=June 2022}}</ref> The Georgian language is written in three unique [[Georgian scripts|scripts]] which, according to traditional accounts, were invented by King [[Pharnavaz I of Iberia]] in the 3rd century BC.<ref>[[David Marshall Lang|Lang, David Marshall]]. ''Georgia''. p. 515.{{Request quotation|date=March 2012}}{{full citation needed|date=June 2022|reason=Might be Britannica source}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.101languages.net/georgian/writing_system.html|title=Georgian Alphabet|publisher=101languages.net|access-date=30 October 2012|archive-date=28 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028171137/http://www.101languages.net/georgian/writing_system.html}}</ref>

=== Media ===
{{Main|Mass media in Georgia (country)}}
Television, magazines, and newspapers in Georgia are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, [[subscription]], and other sales-related revenues. The [[Constitution of Georgia (country)|Constitution of Georgia]] guarantees freedom of speech.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} The media environment of Georgia remains the freest and most diverse in the [[South Caucasus]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.enpi-info.eu/eastportal/news/latest/38565/Media-freedom-in-Eastern-Partnership-countries:-Georgia-tops-list,-Ukraine-improves-position|title=Media freedom in Eastern Partnership countries: Georgia tops list, Ukraine improves position|date=29 September 2014|website=enpi-info.eu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194716/http://www.enpi-info.eu/eastportal/news/latest/38565/Media-freedom-in-Eastern-Partnership-countries%3A-Georgia-tops-list%2C-Ukraine-improves-position |archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> despite the long-term politicization and polarization affecting the sector. The political struggle for control over the public broadcaster has left it without a direction in 2014 too.<ref name=FH>[[Freedom House]], [https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2015/georgia Georgia 2015 Press Freedom report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210314/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2015/georgia |date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of Georgia (country)}}
Georgia has an ancient musical tradition, which is primarily known for its early development of [[polyphony]]. Georgian polyphony is based on three vocal parts, a unique tuning system based on perfect fifths, and a harmonic structure rich in parallel fifths and dissonances.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Three types of polyphony have developed in Georgia: a complex version in Svaneti, a dialogue over a bass background in the Kakheti region, and a three-part partially improvised version in western Georgia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Georgian Polyphonic Singing, "Chakrulo"|url=http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/?s=films_details&pg=33&id=1737|access-date=17 December 2016|work=UNESCO|date=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205180055/http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/?s=films_details&pg=33&id=1737|archive-date=5 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Georgian folk song "[[Chakrulo]]" was one of 27 musical compositions included on the [[Voyager Golden Record]]s that were sent into space on [[Voyager 2]] on 20 August 1977.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Untold Story of How "Chakrulo" Ended Up in Space|url=http://www.georgianjournal.ge/discover-georgia/28321-the-untold-story-of-how-chakrulo-ended-up-in-space.html|access-date=21 July 2016|work=Georgian Journal|date=25 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816081734/http://www.georgianjournal.ge/discover-georgia/28321-the-untold-story-of-how-chakrulo-ended-up-in-space.html|archive-date=16 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Georgian cuisine}}
[[File:Georgian cuisine banner 1.jpg|thumb|Rather than serving food in [[Course (food)|courses]], traditional ''supras'' often present all that a host has to offer.]]
[[Georgian cuisine]] and [[Georgian wine|wine]] have evolved through the centuries, adapting traditions in each era. One of the most unusual traditions of dining is [[Supra (feast)|supra]], or ''Georgian table'', which is also a way of socializing with friends and family. The head of ''supra'' is known as [[tamada]]. He also conducts the highly philosophical toasts, and makes sure that everyone is enjoying themselves. Various historical regions of Georgia are known for their particular dishes: for example, [[khinkali]] (meat dumplings), from eastern mountainous Georgia, and [[khachapuri]], mainly from [[Imereti]], [[Samegrelo]] and Adjara.<ref name="Tuskadze2017">{{cite book | author = Tiko Tuskadze | date = 13 July 2017 | title = Supra: A feast of Georgian cooking | publisher = Pavilion | isbn = 978-1-911595-45-8 | oclc = 992463647 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8FAmEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT10}}</ref>

=== Wine ===
{{Main|Georgian wine}}
[[File:Rkatsiteli iveriuli.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Rkatsiteli]] ''[[kvevri]]'' wine in a glass. Wine-making is a traditional component of the Georgian economy.]]
Georgia is [[History of wine|one of the oldest wine-producing countries]] in the world. Archaeology indicates that fertile valleys and slopes in and around Georgia have been home to [[grapevine]] cultivation and [[neolithic]] wine production ({{lang-ka|ღვინო}}, ''ɣvino'') for millennia.<ref name="Vinologue">{{citation |author=Miquel Hudin |author2=Daria Kholodolina|title=Georgia: A guide to the cradle of wine |url=http://www.vinologue.com/books/georgia/ |page=300|year=2017|publisher=[[Vinologue]]|isbn=978-1-941598-05-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Traditional winemaking in Georgia – the oldest wine in the world |date=3 February 2014 |website=cycloscope |url=http://cycloscope.weebly.com/blog/traditional-winemaking-in-georgia-the-oldest-wine-in-the-world |access-date=2015-04-15  |archive-date=2015-04-15 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150415080208/http://cycloscope.weebly.com/blog/traditional-winemaking-in-georgia-the-oldest-wine-in-the-world}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Unearthing Georgia's wine heritage |first=Ivan |last=Watson |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/20/georgia.wine.heritage/ |access-date=21 February 2018 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=29 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429114827/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/20/georgia.wine.heritage/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfnp|Spilling|Wong|2008|p=128}} Local traditions associated with wine are entwined with its national identity.<ref name="Vinologue" /> In 2013, [[UNESCO]] added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the [[Kvevri]] clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.<ref name="Vinologue" /><ref name="ich.unesco.org">{{Cite web|title=UNESCO – Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists|access-date=2019-09-09 |website=ich.unesco.org}}</ref>

Georgia's moderate climate and moist air, influenced by the [[Black Sea]], provide the best conditions for vine cultivation. The soil in vineyards is so intensively cultivated that the grapevines grow up the trunks of fruit trees, eventually hanging down along the fruit when they ripen. This method of cultivation is called ''maglari''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Georgian feast: the vibrant culture and savory food of the Republic of Georgia |last1= Goldstein |first1= Darra |year=1958 |publisher= University of California Press |location= US|isbn= 0-520-21929-5 |page=4 }}</ref> Among the best-known Georgian wine regions are [[Kakheti]] (further divided into the micro-regions of [[Telavi]] and [[Kvareli]]), [[Kartli]], [[Imereti]], [[Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti]], [[Adjara]] and Abkhazia.

Georgian wine has been a contentious issue in recent relationships with Russia. [[Georgia–Russia relations|Political tensions with Russia]] have contributed to the 2006 [[2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines|Russian embargo]] of Georgian wine, Russia claimed Georgia produced [[counterfeit]] wine. It was an "official" reason, but the instability of economic relations with Russia is well known, as they use the economic ties for political purposes.<ref name="rferl 1076202">{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1076202.html|title=Position Unchanged On Russian WTO Negotiations|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=2 February 2012 |access-date=21 February 2018}}</ref> Counterfeiting problems stem from mislabelling by foreign producers and falsified "Georgian Wine" labels on wines produced outside of Georgia and imported into Russia under the auspices of being Georgian produced.<ref name="rferl 1076202" /> The shipment of counterfeit wine has been primarily channelled through [[Government of Russia|Russian]] managed customs checkpoints in Russian-occupied Georgian territories Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where no inspection and regulation occurs.<ref name="rferl 1076202" />

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sport in Georgia (country)}}
[[File:Georgia-Italy Rugby match.jpg|thumb|[[Georgia national rugby union team|Georgia]] playing [[Italy national rugby union team|Italy]] at rugby in the [[Adjarabet Arena]] in Batumi]]
The most popular sports in Georgia are [[association football|football]], basketball, [[rugby union]], [[wrestling]], judo, and [[Olympic weightlifting|weightlifting]]. Rugby is considered Georgia's national sport.<ref>[https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/444784 Claude Saurel: "Georgia's rugby revolution is only just starting"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006084323/https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/444784 |date=6 October 2021 }}, [[Rugby World Cup]], 30 August 2019</ref> Historically, Georgia has been famous for its physical education; the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] were fascinated with Georgians' physical qualities after seeing the training techniques of ancient [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Iberia]].<ref>Romans erected the statue of the Iberian King Pharsman after he demonstrated Georgian training methods during his visit to Rome; [[Cassius Dio]], ''Roman History'', LXIX, 15.3</ref> Wrestling remains a historically important sport of Georgia, and some historians think that the [[Greco-Roman wrestling|Greco-Roman style of wrestling]] incorporates many Georgian elements.<ref>Williams, Douglas. ''Georgia in my Heart'', 1999.</ref>

Within Georgia, one of the most popularized styles of wrestling is the Kakhetian style. There were a number of other styles in the past that are not as widely used today. For example, the [[Khevsureti]] region of Georgia has three styles of wrestling. Other popular sports in 19th century Georgia were [[polo]], and [[Lelo burti|Lelo]], a traditional Georgian game very similar to [[rugby football|rugby]].<ref name=Completerugby>Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Complete Book of Rugby'' (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 {{ISBN|1-86200-013-1}}) p67</ref>

The first and only race circuit in the Caucasian region is located in Georgia. [[Rustavi International Motorpark]] originally built in 1978, was re-opened in 2012 after total reconstruction<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=45318&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=0 |title=Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company |publisher=Rustavi2.com |date=29 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501161314/http://rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=45318&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=0 |archive-date=1 May 2013 }}</ref> costing $20&nbsp;million. The track satisfies the [[FIA]] Grade 2 requirements and currently hosts the [[Legends car racing]] series and Formula Alfa competitions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1tv.ge/news-view/37425/en |title=Georgian National Broadcaster |publisher=1tv.ge |date=30 April 2012 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic|fix-attempted=yes}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Basketball was always one of the notable sports in Georgia, and Georgia had a few very famous [[Soviet Union national basketball team|Soviet Union national team]] members, such as [[Otar Korkia]], [[Mikheil Korkia]], [[Zurab Sakandelidze]] and [[Levan Moseshvili]]. [[BC Dinamo Tbilisi|Dinamo Tbilisi]] won the prestigious [[EuroLeague]] competition in [[1961–62 FIBA European Champions Cup|1962]]. Georgia has had five players in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]: [[Vladimir Stepania]], [[Jake Tsakalidis]], [[Nikoloz Tskitishvili]], [[Tornike Shengelia]] and former [[Golden State Warriors]] centre [[Zaza Pachulia]]. Other notable basketball players include the two time EuroLeague champion [[Giorgi Shermadini]] and EuroLeague players [[Manuchar Markoishvili]] and [[Viktor Sanikidze]]. The sport is regaining its popularity in the country recently, and the [[Georgia national basketball team]] has qualified for the [[EuroBasket]] tournament five consecutive times since its first appearance in 2011.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

There are a number of world-class Georgian MMA fighters. [[Ilia Topuria]], [[Merab Dvalishvili]], [[Giga Chikadze]] and [[Roman Dolidze]] are highly ranked fighters currently signed with the [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]].

Georgian athletes have won a total of 40 Olympic medals, mostly in wrestling, judo and weightlifting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.olympedia.org/countries/GEO|title=Olympedia – Georgia (GEO)|website=olympedia.org}}</ref> Competitive bodybuilding sanctioned by the European [[International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness|IFBB]] is also popular in the country.<ref>{{cite web | last=Grech | first=Kevin | title=Photos & Results: 2022 IFBB Georgia Grand Prix | website=Evolution of Bodybuilding | date=18 June 2022 | url=https://www.evolutionofbodybuilding.net/photos-results-2022-ifbb-georgia-grand-prix/ | access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref>