Kolkhoba

Kolkhoba (Georgian and Laz: კოლხობა) is an annual festival held each year at the end of August or the beginning of September in the southwestern part of Adjara, an autonomous republic of Georgia. Finding its roots in ancient folklore, the modern celebration of the festival dates back to 1978, at a time when Soviet authorities sought to encourage Laz nationalism.

While the origin of Kolkhoba is directly linked with the ancient Laz traditions linked with the Black Sea, the holiday has now become almost exclusively a commemoration of the myth of the Argonauts. While public festivals are organized by the Adjarian government, critics have pointed out in recent years that the celebration had lost its original focus on Laz folklore.