Ketevan Gurchiani: How urban infrastructure reflects belief systems and the Soviet Legacy in Georgian Religious Practices

Studio Central and Eastern Europe

In this podcast, Albena Shkodrova, a historian at KU Leuven, speaks with Ketevan Gurchiani, a Georgian anthropologist from Ilia University in Tbilisi, about the concept of the city as an urban assemblage. Gurchiani shares her research insights into how the Soviet-era legacy of "camouflaging" and "doing as if" shapes contemporary religious practices in Georgia, fostering a perception of religious rules as flexible.
She also explores the complex entanglements between urban infrastructure, nature, and belief systems. Referring to the devastating 2015 flooding of the Vere River, Gurchiani recounts how the disaster raised ecological concerns alongside theological interpretations. Some viewed the flood as divine punishment for religious disrespect, citing the Soviet-era practice of channeling the river through pipes made from melted church bells.
Gurchiani discusses the concept of material porosity, where material objects absorb and retain ideas, which can later resurface with transformative force.

Ketevan Gurchiani participates in the project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine, led by KU Leuven and co-funded by the EU.