Weaving a future: Reviving Georgia's Silk Tradition (Part 1)
For centuries, silk provided income for rural families across Georgia. After 25 years of stagnation, a small but determined group of women is working to bring it back. At the centre of this effort is Nunu Nakhutsrishvili and her lifelong commitment to the revival of the silk industry.
Georgian silk and the women reviving it
Silk has been part of Georgia's history for more than 1,500 years. Historical records trace sericulture back to the fifth century. During the Soviet period, it became one of the country's major rural industries. At its peak in the 1960s, around 100’000 households raised silkworms, producing about 4’000 tons of cocoons each year and providing an important source of income for rural families.
Nunu Nakhutsrishvili grew up in one of the many Kakhetian families involved in sericulture. Raising silkworms was part of everyday life. Following the family tradition, she studied at the Agricultural Institute in Tbilisi before joining the Akhmeta district silk drying facility, RAIABRESHUMI. She started as a laboratory assistant and became a senior agronomist in 1971.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, so did Georgia's silk industry. Factories closed, the value chain broke down, and sericulture almost disappeared. But Nunu never stopped believing that silk could once again create opportunities for rural households. Now 79, she continues to train local women in silkworm rearing and helps them access courses and workshops on silk craftmanship. Through the Georgian Silk Association, which she co-founded with the support of the Alliances Caucasus Project (ALCP2), she also promotes their products.
“Reviving Georgian sericulture means bringing an important tradition back to our region,” she says. “It creates additional income for rural families, opens opportunities for women and helps develop local tourism.”
Silkworms are raised close to the household which allows women to combine it with other daily responsibilities. For many rural women, who often have limited access to stable paid employment, selling cocoons or creating artisanal crafts provides an independent source of income. It enables them to contribute to the household economy and gain greater financial independence.
The Georgian Silk Association also gives women a platform to work together, share knowledge, develop joint initiatives and play a more active role in their communities.
When the industry began to collapse in the 1990s, many silk facilities were abandoned, privatized or demolished. Thanks to Nunu's determination, however, the cocoon collection and drying facility in the village of Atskuri survived. Today, it is the last remaining facility of its kind in Georgia and serves as a meeting place for silk farmers. It regularly hosts festivals, exhibitions and fairs where local producers showcase and sell their handmade silk products.
“Georgia’s Own Silk Road”
Reviving sericulture required rebuilding an entire value chain that had almost disappeared. That’s when ALCP2 stepped in.
The programme helped rebuild the value chain by supporting the establishment of the Georgian Silk Association, introducing disease-resistant silkworm eggs, developing practical rearing guidelines, training farmers and providing essential equipment. It also supports businesses developing new silk products for the domestic market, helping create demand for Georgian silk.
“Today, the Georgian Silk Association has 40 members from across Georgia, including 34 active silkworm farmers. Members come from Akhaltsikhe, Chokhatauri, Gori, Mtskheta, Tbilisi, Sagarejo, Telavi and Akhmeta - that's why I call it Georgia's own Silk Road,” Nunu says. “Interest continues to grow, with more people wanting to learn silkworm rearing, natural dyeing, weaving and other traditional silk-making skills.”
The number of silkworm producers increased from 14 families and one public school in 2025 to 31 families and three public schools in 2026. Production expanded geographically from three regions and Tbilisi to eight regions, producing an average of 100 kg raw silk. More than half (53%) of the producers retained their cocoons to experiment with value-added products such as silk thread, silk paper, pillows, and decorative items for household use or sale, while the remaining 47% sold their cocoons.
Challenges remain. Georgia still imports silkworm eggs from Bulgaria while rebuilding its own production capacity. Research centres in Tbilisi and Tsilkani continue to preserve local silkworm breeds, but restoring the sector's technical capacity will take time.
For Nunu, however, the future is full of promise. After more than five decades dedicated to preserving Georgia's silk tradition, she is seeing that lifelong commitment begin to bear fruit.
The ALCP2 is implemented by Mercy Corps Georgia with financial support from Switzerland, Austria and Sweden.