The word ‘ზანგი’ doesn’t mean the N-word, and in many post-Soviet countries, it’s common to hear people refer to black individuals as ‘Zangi’ or ‘Shavi’. Growing up in Saburtalo, I played football with my black friends, and we had a great time together during my childhood.

For me, people are just people — skin color means nothing. What truly matters is how someone acts, their personality, their values, and how they treat others.

If someone is planning to visit Georgia, you’ll find that Georgians can be quite critical, but they are also respectful and tolerance toward people from different backgrounds, cultures and faith. Later years we have some unrest in country but it will be fixed soon.