Social media users in Abkhazia are sounding the alarm: the traditional harvest festival of Lykhnashta has turned into a food show. Video footage showing Russian tourists sweeping free food off the tables has sparked widespread outrage, verging on panic.
Lykhnashta is a traditional autumn harvest festival held in mid-October in a meadow of the same name in Abkhazia’s Gudauta district. Farmers showcase their produce and serve visitors traditional Abkhaz dishes. The festivities also feature folk celebrations, horse-riding competitions, archery and other traditional spectacles and activities.
The festival has a centuries-old history and holds great significance for Abkhaz people. However, in recent years, locals have increasingly complained that it has “mutated” into an all-you-can-eat buffet for greedy and ill-mannered tourists.
The authors of a popular blog about tourism say some travel agencies and unlicensed guides organise food tours on the day, advertising the food laid out on the tables as “free grub” without explaining the festival’s significance or the rules of behaviour to visitors.
As a result, tourists — mostly Russians, who make up the bulk of visitors to Abkhazia — sometimes do more than simply eat the food in unlimited quantities. They try to take as much as they can away with them, stuffing bags with anything they can reach and even stripping edible decorations from the displays.
Many locals now prefer to avoid the festival altogether rather than witness this disgraceful behaviour. Meanwhile, social media users are collectively trying to work out how to prevent the festival from being ruined for good. One proposal is to ban tourists from attending altogether.
ПProfessional event organiser Khibla Vozba believes such radical measures are unnecessary and that the problem lies not with the guests, but with the hosts. He says the festival has largely turned into a food event and that organisers need to restore its former, more culturally focused format.
“Why does the current format fail? Because if free food is the festival’s main attraction, it will draw people who come for the food. No amount of urging them to behave differently will change that. The structure needs to change.”
In his view, the emphasis should shift from food and hospitality to history. After all, the meadow where the festival takes place is a fascinating and sacred site where the Abkhaz people have gathered for centuries to discuss important issues collectively.
“I propose refocusing Lykhnashta on ethnography and history and turning it into Abkhazia’s biggest event, where visitors can discover our traditions, culture and rituals and learn about the people’s ancient history. Food will remain part of the festival, but it will no longer take centre stage,” Khibla Vozba writes.
In his view, the festival could centre on a theatrical performance featuring a historical re-enactment staged by professionals. Organisers could also offer something like an introduction to ethnography, explaining ancient customs and traditions.
Vozba acknowledges that this transformation will take more than a year and will not be easy, but believes it will be worth the effort.
“The first few years will bring resistance: both visitors and organisers will have to give up familiar habits. But the result will be an event that attracts a different audience, encourages different behaviour on site and projects a different image in the media. Lykhnashta will become a festival that people travel to Abkhazia for, including outside the summer season.”
He adds that each era has given the festival its own meaning, and that the task today is to restore Lykhnashta’s dignity and purpose.
The terminology, place names and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this website.
Abkhazia’s harvest festival