New Sociocultural Environment and Cultural Memory: The Everyday Life of Migrants Resettled from Ajara in Tsalka

Abstract

The article examines the everyday life of resettlers from Adjara in Tsalka Municipality through the lens of cultural memory and new sociocultural environments. The study is based on an individual ethnological field expedition conducted in August 2025, including 20 in-depth interviews with residents across several villages. The analysis draws upon Halbwach’s theory of collective memory and acculturation theories. The findings demonstrate that cultural memory in a new environment both preserves traditions - practices, family customs, and culinary heritage-and transforms through intercultural interaction. Issues of land ownership, economic adaptation, and interethnic marriages play a significant role in shaping identity and integration processes. Generational differences are evident: older generations remain strongly connected to agriculture and land-based livelihoods, while younger generations increasingly associate their future with urban centers. The research argues that Tsalka represents a hybrid cultural space in which Ajarian cultural memory coexists and interacts with Svan, Greek, and Armenian social practices.