The first-ever Nordic Days were held on June 8 and 9 in Fabrika to share the culture and democratic practices held in Nordic countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, with the Georgian public.
The event, the first of its kind in the South Caucasus, was conceptualized to showcase Nordic values, concepts, and approaches to various aspects of culture, to see the differences and share best practices with Georgian people. One of the goals was to see what could be adopted in sustainability, democracy, urban development, film, cooking, and more. Communication Officer of the Royal Danish Embassy, Anna Sarkisyan said the event showed the growing collaboration of the Nordic countries and Georgia.
“It was recently that all four Nordic countries are present in Georgia, so this was a kick-off; the cooperation between the Nordics and here,” said Sarkisyan.
The Nordic Days were packed tight with panel discussions, talks, film screenings with directors, games, and activities.
One of the more popular events was a panel discussion about corporate sustainability with representatives from Nordic companies operating in Georgia. They spoke about their experiences, what they do in the country, and the sustainability projects they are currently working on.
Sarkisyan said they implemented culturally entertaining elements as well such as performances by the Danther Jazz Trio, a Georgian-Danish jazz band, and the ‘Nordic Corner,’ where attendees could learn about the concept of leisure by seeing how people in these countries prefer to spend their time with loved ones. Each day wrapped up with Danish movies that were presented in correlation with the Danish Cultural Institute that recently opened in Georgia. Also, to align even more with principals from these countries, there was a coffee hour meet-and-greet where guests could engage in conversation with the Nordic ambassadors.
“Everybody who has a question, who wants to approach the ambassadors, can go and talk to them. This is also a Nordic value, that people are very open and want to share,” Sarkisyan told us.
Although several things create a country’s culture, one of the major elements is its cuisine. Anna Kikabidze owns a Swedish café, Fika, in Tbilisi, which opened in December 2023. She is half Kazak, half Georgian, but grew up in Sweden after her parents fled Georgia in the 1990s in search of a country with a democratic society. After living in different countries over the last eight years, she moved back to where she was born, Tbilisi.
“I always said to myself, I was born in Georgia, and I want to die in Georgia,” said Kikabidze. “I always planned on buying a house here when I was a pensioner, but then I thought, why not go earlier?”
Upon her arrival in Georgia, she realized there weren’t any Swedish or Scandinavian businesses, not even the popular retail company, Ikea. She saw this as an opportunity and jumped on it, opening her café 19 days after she received the keys to the building.
“As a foreigner, I don’t speak Georgian, unfortunately, and I have not been involved in the culture here because I grew up as a Swede,” Kikabidze explained. “So, I thought, what can I contribute to Georgia, and for me the richest thing I have is being a Swedish person, bringing the culture of Sweden, the values, and the cuisine.”
One thing that Nordic countries are known for is sustainability. Kikabidze said her café is working on implementing more practices, but one that they currently do is reuse leftover food. Each morning, they bake cinnamon buns, a staple dessert in Sweden, and the ones left over the following day are turned into crackers. This prevents food waste, while also ensuring there are fresh products daily.
Kikadze said that being a part of Nordic Days allowed her to introduce a piece of Europe and Sweden to the Georgian public. Since she is one of the few Swedish businesses in Tbilisi, she works closely with the embassy and participates in as many events as possible to showcase her culture. She said she’s glad to see Georgia taking small strides toward sustainable practices such as recycling, since it’s a traditional concept in Nordic countries.
Norway and Sweden have established embassies in Tbilisi, and Denmark recently opened theirs covering Georgia and Armenia. Finland, however, doesn’t have one, but the Ambassador of Finland, Kirsti Narinen, also participated in the event, highlighting its importance.
“Cooperation leads to greater benefits than any country can obtain individually. Our shared values have made the Nordic countries among the most prosperous, free, and happiest countries in the world. Now we are sharing our experience with Georgia,” Narinen wrote in a press release.
Moving forward, Sarkisyan hopes the event will continue every year, and expand to other countries in the South Caucasus.
By Shelbi R. Ankiewicz
