Identity Narratives of Megrelians in Georgia Since the Dissolution of the USSR

Abstract The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how Megrelians perceive their identity and the way in which this identity relates to the wider Georgian identity. Megrelians, a sub-ethnic Georgian group, primarily inhabit the West Georgian region of Samegrelo and the Gali region in Abkhazia. Based on field research conducted in October 2022, the study reveals that Megrelians identify as a community connected through language, history, traditions, and regional ties. Their distinction from Georgians is understood regionally rather than ethnically, making the two identities complementary and overlapping, rather than mutually exclusive. Efforts to separate Megrelians from Georgians are widely seen by informants as part of a historical Russian divide and rule strategy. This perception has been heightened by the conflicts of the 1990s and the ongoing war in Ukraine, reinforcing a strong sense of belonging to the broader Georgian identity.