Nagomari, Georgia. News from the Georgian Youth House.
Life at the House of Youth of Peace in Nagomari is developing rapidly, sometimes faster than we ourselves can fully grasp. From June to December 2025, the care of the house, the animals, and the garden was carried out by just three young people. This is not much, especially considering the scale of the tasks, yet it is precisely this closeness and shared responsibility that reveal the essence of the place. The house and its surrounding land have always been a place of encounter. Over recent months, friends, participants, and guests from Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, and Turkey have come to Nagomari. Together, we worked on a wide range of topics-from biodynamic agriculture to economics, from language learning to pedagogy. During the summer, a children’s camp took place, where young participants learned to interact with one another and with the farm.
This year, the house has been gradually equipped for everyday life: we installed a heating system and a bathroom, connected a permanent water supply, and continue repairs while caring for the surrounding space, tending to the cows, pruning walnut trees, and harvesting grapes. This work is demanding, yet it teaches responsibility, humility, and genuine cooperation. At times, enthusiasm meets exhaustion, or there is a lack of hands, time, or clarity in the distribution of roles. The most important lesson remains constant attentiveness to one another—in shared work, in conversation, in silence, and in moments of conflict.
At the same time, the work of the House of Youth of Peace extends beyond practical tasks. Another key focus has been the collection and sharing of personal stories from times of war-voices of people living on different sides of borders. This work is emotionally, ethically, and organizationally challenging, yet it opens the possibility for a culture of memory that connects. Dialogues and shared creative and practical work create a ground for healing, while also teaching us to acknowledge limitations. In this tension lies both our vulnerability and our potential.
We would like to thank the Software AG Foundation, the FGB Foundation, GLS Treuhand with the Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft, and the Evidenz Foundation for their financial support. We are always open to new encounters. Another youth gathering will take place in April.
Contact leo.smirnov.09@gmail.com and karpovaglafa@gmail.com
Translation Paula Boslau
Image Impressions from Nagomari. Source: private
