Anthropology professor Ketevan Gurchian gave a public talk at Binghamton University on November 18, entitled “Creeping dead and adopted graves: what cemeteries do in Tbilisi”.

How did death-related practices and ideas about the afterlife shape cemeteries and their influence on urban life in Tbilisi? This talk explores how cemeteries act as both gardens and non-gardens — green, open spaces that resist public use while straddling the boundary between public and private realms. It first addresses how cemeteries have resisted restructuring over the past two centuries, emphasizing how their materiality goes beyond mere physical matter. It then examines how cemetery design, architecture, plants, and caring practices reflect cultural beliefs about the afterlife, serving as home replacements for migrants and refugees.