The Member of the Georgian Parliament, Gela Samkharauli, participated in the conference, which was held in the Georgian Parliament on the topic “The Bread of Our Being: Georgian Wheat Culture, Tradition and Identity” on December 26, 2025, Friday.
Notably, the conference was dedicated to the submission of the intangible cultural heritage of Georgian wheat culture to UNESCO.
The event was opened by Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, who noted, “this recognition is an opportunity to reflect once again on our identity — who we were, who we are, and who we can be in the future; and that heritage should not only be preserved, but must be preserved alive and used to pass on to future generations.” He also stressed the responsibility that comes with this recognition.
Gela Samkharauli gave a speech at the event in which he spoke about the key power of achieving this international importance and the new possibilities of the future.
Participants of the conference:
- Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Nino Tsilosani,
- Minister of Environment and Agriculture David Songulashvili,
- Bishop David,
- Abba Alaverdeli,
- Chairman of the Culture Committee Giorgi Gabunia.
A panel discussion was held within the conference – “Georgian wheat culture: from tradition to science and legal protection”, where we discussed the unique endemic varieties of Georgian wheat, ethnographic aspects, the role of farmers, the UNESCO nomination process, and the perspectives of geographical celebrations and legal protection of local production.
Folklore compositions were performed, a thematic video was shown, a UNESCO-nominated film was also shown, and an exhibition of Georgian wheat products was held.
It was a special honor for me to award those people who, with their professionalism and dedication, made a significant contribution to bringing Georgian wheat culture to Nuskha on behalf of UNESCO.
This day once again confirms that Georgian wheat is not only our past – it is a living part of our identity and one of the pillars of our future.
