Svaneti- the historical mountainous region of the North-West of Georgia. Alpine valley in the upper reaches of the river Enguri. Svaneti borders on Abkhazia and Kabardino-Balkaria. The territory of Svaneti occupies only 4.5% of the entire territory of Georgia.

Svaneti, one of the highest mountainous regions of Georgia, on the border with Russia (Kabordino-Balkaria), the mountains reach more than 5,000 meters and are covered with glaciers.

Svaneti, The land of peace and tranquility”, as the Georgian king Saurmag called it in 253 BC, who evicted his recalcitrant subjects here. Svaneti is a symbol of proud love of freedom. Svaneti, a tiny country, a world of glaciers, narrow valleys, wild streams.

You can get to Upper Svaneti only through passes or through the narrow gorge of the Inguri River. In Upper Svaneti they say this: « A bad road is one from which the traveler will surely fall, and his body cannot be found. The good road is the one from which the traveler falls, but his corpse can be found and buried. And the beautiful road is the one from which the traveler may not fall».

Only in 1937, when a highway was laid along it , the Svans saw the wheel for the first time, before that all the cargo was transported here in a pack or on a sleigh with the help of bulls.

Upper Svaneti is known for its architectural treasures and picturesque landscapes. Residential towers, built mainly in the 9th-12th centuries, stand out. Ancient stone Orthodox churches have also been preserved.
The absolute height of the parietal part of the Caucasus - Svaneti - is 4125 m, the maximum is 5068 m (Shkhara), the minimum is 3168 m (Donguzorinsky transition). In this section of the Caucasus, there are up to twenty passes of varying degrees of difficulty, which descend from the northern side to the side of the Russian Federation. The height of the passes reaches 3160 m. Some of them are suitable for sapalne (measure of wine) transport, the majority is intended for pedestrians, and some are accessible only to climbers.

Upper Svaneti is not only a country generally separated from the whole world, but also within its valleys with villages are separated from each other by mountain ranges and are connected only through passes that are not passable due to snow nine months a year. In Kamchatka Chukotka, at the very end of the world, the Chukchi and Koryaks have more opportunities to communicate with each other and with the outside world than the inhabitants of Svanetia. They can come in winter on deer and dogs for holidays, fairs, visit cultural centers. In Svaneti, before the advent of aviation, in winter it was impossible to penetrate into the neighboring gorge without the risk of dying in an avalanche ..

Live in Svaneti Svans. Until 1930, the Svans were considered a separate people, but later they were considered simply Georgians.

Svaneti is the only place where the secret of extraction from the rivers of golden sand has been preserved among the Svans to this day.

Today it is not known exactly how many Svans live in Georgia, according to some sources 14,000 people, according to others 30,000 people. Usvanov has his own unwritten language, which still has 4 diolects and several groups of adverbs. All Svans are also fluent in the Georgian language, although the Svanet language is so unlike Georgian that Georgians from other regions do not even understand it at all.

The Svan language lives in parallel with Georgian. Georgian is read and studied, and Svan is spoken in the family and sung songs. Most Svans now use three different languages ​​in this way - Svan, Georgian and Russian.

All Svaneti surnames end in = ani=. For example: Khergiani, Kipiani, Charkivani, Golovani, Ioseliani...

The history of the Svan people dates back several millennia. The Svans never had serfdom, and the nobility was conditional. The Svans have never waged wars of conquest, this is evidenced by historical facts, one of which is the construction in the old days of watch and defensive towers, called "Svan towers". Since ancient times, the Svans have traditionally been fond of creating paintings made of copper, bronze and gold. Famous Svan blacksmiths, masons and wood carvers made dishes and various household equipment from silver, copper, clay and wood, as well as Svan hats - national Svan headdress and unique "kanzi" from turi horns.

Beekeeping was traditional for the Svans - an ancient occupation of many peoples, also widespread in the mountainous regions of Western Georgia. But the most respected and revered professions for Svans are hunting and mountaineering.. The Svans were and remain professional hunters and climbers. Hunting for Svans is actually equivalent to economic activity, and mountaineering is the national sport of Svanetia.

All Svans are Orthodox . But they also have their own national holidays, such as the holiday Lamproba. This holiday is celebrated in February 10 weeks before Easter and they sing the valor of a Svanetian man, youth, boy in front of enemies. The main hero of the holiday, St. Martyr George the Victorious. The main events of the holiday are associated with the commemoration of ancestors, kindling fires, torchlight processions and a festive meal.

On the day of Lamprob, as many torches are lit in the houses of Svaneti as there are men in the family. And if there is a pregnant woman in the house, then a torch is lit in honor of the child she is carrying, because it can be a boy! The torch is made from a single tree trunk, the top of which is split into several parts.

A procession of men with burning torches is heading towards the church with songs in the Svan language. A large bonfire of torches is built in the churchyard, and tables are set there. All night before the first rays of the sun, the Svans read prayers to St. George and raise toasts.

Svans, in the mountains, feel free and independent. They are very courageous by nature. Constant risk factors - landslides, breccia flows, frequent landslides, very severe cold winters and many other difficulties, require great endurance, vigilance, insight, attention and courage from the highlanders.

The war was not only between individual villages, but also between houses. It was enough to say an offensive word or kick a dog to get a bullet in the forehead. And then the men climbed into the towers. They took women and children there, smoked meat carcasses, ammunition, filled wooden bottles in the towers with water. The towers have access to the house, which was also a fortress. Instead of windows in Svan houses, there are narrow loopholes, and the houses themselves are built of stone - you can’t set fire to it.

Svan residential building called Machubi was a tall two-story building. The first floor was used for housing and a barn for cattle, on the second floor there was a hayloft. The house was heated by a hearth-fireplace of a design characteristic of Svan architecture, and food was cooked here. As a rule, the house was attached (attached) to a 3-4 storey watchtower. The size of the family ranged from thirty people and more, sometimes reaching one hundred.. Such large residential complexes have survived to this day. In the Mulakhi community, the courtyard of the Kaldani family is surrounded by a three-meter fortress wall. In the courtyard to this day there are one well-preserved and one dilapidated tower. There is also a church with unique icons, crosses and holy relics.

The main part of the Svan residential building is the tower. It is a stand-alone four-sided (5x5m) square, tall building. The tower is a multifaceted stone tower resembling a pyramid, the height of which can reach 25 meters. The tower has four or five floors. In the upper part there is a window space, the internal dimensions of which are larger than the outer opening, which contributes to a greater view of the area and increases its defensive ability. The tower was built on a slope, and its edge was always directed to this slope. The orientation of the tower, designed to observe the terrain, a massive hemisphere at its base, are a guarantee of its stability during natural disasters (landslides, floods, snow avalanches, etc.).

Since ancient times, a peculiar democratic form of government has been introduced in Svaneti: the head of the community (temi) - Mahvishi- elected at the general meeting. All sane persons of both sexes who had reached the age of 20 had the right to participate in the meeting. The chosen Mahvshi stood out for his wisdom, degree, justice and spiritual purity. He was a preacher of the Christian religion and morality. In peacetime, he was also a judge, and in wartime he led the army (Lashkari), that is, he was the commander in chief. During the alarm (general gathering), a joint meeting of the community was held - Congress Heavy where all issues were decided by majority vote. The most important problems of Heavy, both internal and those that arose outside of it, were considered. The aggravation of relations with neighbors, readiness for upcoming wars, defense strategy, the needs of large churches, construction issues (fortifications, bridges, roads) and the participation of community members in all this were discussed. The congress also dealt with legal issues - it approved the norms and forms of punishment. In the legal hierarchy, the Congress was considered the highest authority. He did not report to anyone. His decisions were final and non-negotiable..

In Svaneti, fertile lands were the property of specific individuals, and all members of the community had the right to use meadows, fields and forests. In addition, there were so-called. icon forest and land that were used for church needs and religious holidays.

Each civil or criminal case was considered by a local court, which included judges - mediators. In Svaneti they were called “Morvali”. Both sides in the litigation chose judges from the family clan, but an outsider could also be involved. “Morvali” listened attentively to everyone. The process of discussion, negotiations were long and could drag on for years. This continued until the matter was brought to full clarity and accuracy. Before the holy icon, an oath was given to be honest and just. After the oath, no one doubted the objectivity of the verdict, and “Morvali” made a decision, which in most cases was final and did not require revision. During the announcement of the verdict, the judge took a stone and plunged it deep into the ground, which meant the end of the case. Cases often ended in reconciliation. The court was fair and enjoyed universal respect. If the guilt of the offender was proven, he was expelled from his society, and the house could be set on fire. Sometimes death sentences were handed down.

In the last week of Great Lent, the so-called. Horiemma. The head of the family prayed, took two iron bars and, striking them against each other, expelled dark forces (kaji) from the house, then went out into the courtyard and fired a gun to frighten evil spirits. For all family members on the right hands, for cattle on the horns, and also on the plow, the mistress of the house wound black threads. This ritual protected people from the evil eye, kept livestock and tools.
During a drought, women threw bones into the nearest lake and, spending days and nights in prayer, asked God for abundant rain. In some communities, men carried the icons of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary (Our Lady), washed them in the river and asked in hymns to save the earth from drought.

Svan national cap

A Svan woman always shared all the difficulties and joys with a man, she was always there - both during plowing, sowing, and especially during harvesting. Therefore, a sickle was always given as a dowry to the bride, as a symbol of grain harvesting.

Severe nature and way of life brought up the Svans as hardworking, courageous and hardy people. Therefore, at the labor exchange in Georgia, the Svan worker and his work were paid twice.

Cuisine of Svaneti. On the Svan table you can see first of all khachapuri - cakes with meat or cheese. Suluguni is salty cheese. Meat. Lamb, veal and pork. A small pig, baked whole, often appears on the festive table. Cold appetizer of chicken - satsivi - with spicy seasoning. Svan salt mixed with pepper and fragrant crushed herbs. Occasionally they make shurpa, that is, meat broth, spicy, sometimes with potatoes. Almost every day they eat matsoni - sour milk, something like curdled milk. There are honey and nuts on the table. . Svanetian salt is known throughout Georgia,consists of table salt, tsitsak (pepper) and various aromatic herbs. Dishes prepared with this salt are distinguished by a special aroma, spiciness and are unusually tasty. Svan salt is also used separately.
All Svaneti dishes are made from local natural products, so they are very fragrant and environmentally friendly.

But there is no wine in the national cuisine in Svaneti, and all because the grapes in that part of Georgia do not survive, and therefore the wine is imported from other regions. Svans traditionally drink vodka, fruit or honey . The main attribute of the feast - mineral water , extracted from numerous sources with which the land of Svaneti is so rich.

The Svans maintained their tribal system for a long time. Quite recently, tribal relations were still alive here in their integrity. One genus included about thirty houses, only they were not called houses, but "smoke" - smoke, hearth, pantry, household. There were usually two hundred or three hundred relatives in the family. The settlement of the former family was called the "village".

For three years, on their piece of land, the Svens fought against Soviet power.For the first time, Soviet power won here in 1921. But a small group of party members led by S. Naveriani had to retreat under the onslaught of counter-revolutionary forces. A detachment of the Red Army, sent to suppress the counter-revolution, perishes together with its commander Prokhorov in the Inguri gorge, where an ambush was set up.The final victory comes in 1924, when the Svans they shoot the last Svan princes Dadeshkeliani, destroy their castle in Mazeri and restore Soviet power throughout Upper Svaneti. Its center becomes a revolutionary hearth - a small town Mestia .

Only from 1917 to 1924, before the establishment of Soviet power in Upper Svaneti, 600 men died from blood feuds here. For seven years - 600 men of Svaneti, 600 shepherds, plowmen, fathers, brothers! Almost a hundred people a year were carried away at this time by blood feuds. And there were years in the history of Svaneti when these terrible numbers were even higher.

War, strife, blood feuds were a heavy burden on a small proud people, they were a terrible misfortune. Obviously, it is from here in Svaneti that the custom of wearing such a long mourning originates. After all, if about a hundred people died only from “litsvri” per year, the Svans, who had a very wide relationship, simply never took off their black clothes, they did not have time to finish one mourning, as another began..

Wearing a national costume is no longer customary in Svaneti. The tradition is dead . This can only be regretted. And earlier Svan could always be distinguished By round felt hat.

In the Caucasus, the Svans have never been a rich people, but have always been considered the proudest and most hospitable people..
Svans respect elders. If a person enters the room, older than those present, everyone stands up.

Svans are slow, reserved and polite. They will never hurt a person. The Svan language is distinguished by the absence of swear words.. The strongest curse among the Svans is the word “fool.

Svan churches are very small, but there are up to 60 of them in the village. People come to light candles.

Christianity came to Svaneti late, only in the 9th century, and until the 19th century, priests were rarely here

There are no cities in Svaneti. Settlement Mestia is the administrative capital. 2600 people live here. Wherein Mestia has an airport.

In Georgia, they say: “Whoever has not been to Svaneti has not seen Georgia!”

Svaneti (Svaneti) - the most beautiful and picturesque alpine region, located on the southern side of the main Caucasian ridge. Includes 2 districts: Mestia (Upper Svaneti) and Lentekhi (Lower Svaneti). It is in Upper Svaneti that the highest settlement in Europe is located - the village of Ushguli (Ushguli) approx. 2500 m above sea level. Svaneti is part of Colchis. According to Greek mythology, the Argonauts followed Jason to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece. Virgin nature, high mountains and proud towers create an indescribable feeling. The Inguri, Kodori and Tskhenistsqali rivers are formed here. This ancient, unique land has retained its originality to the present day, one of which is the construction of watch and defensive towers in the old days, called "Svan towers".

Who are the Svans

Some considered them Persians by origin; others claimed that they were from Mesopotamia and Syria; there were also those who proved the direct origin of the Svans from the ancient Romans. The basis for such hypotheses was certain similarities between the Svan and Persian languages, Syriac ornaments on ancient Svan jewelry, as well as some Italian elements in the ancient architecture of Svanetia. Now we know that the Svans are Kartvelians by origin, they belong to the family of the Caucasian or Japhetic peoples proper. The ancient inhabitants of the Caucasus, its aborigines, were called Japhetides. Svaneti is an organic part of Georgia. It is connected with it not only territorially, but to its entire history and centuries-old culture. Nevertheless, the Svan language is completely different from modern Georgian. The Svan language never had its own written language; Georgian writing was adopted. The Georgian language is taught in schools, and all books, magazines and newspapers are printed in it in Svaneti. The Svan language belongs to the Caucasian group of languages, to its southern group, but is separated by a separate Svan subgroup. In the nerpa subgroup of the South Caucasian languages ​​are Mingrelian and Chan, in the second, Kartvelian subgroup, Georgian with its various dialects (Khevsurian, Kartalian, Imeretian, Gurian, etc.), and in the third, apart, Svan. More than once I had to make sure that the Georgians with the dialects of the Kartvelian subgroup do not understand a word in Svan. The Svan language lives in parallel with Georgian. Georgian is read and studied, and Svan is spoken in the family and sung songs. Most Svans now use three different languages ​​in this way - Svan, Georgian and Russian.

The same applies to Mesopotamia and Persia, now it is known: the distant ancestors of the Kartvel once inhabited Asia Minor. Svanetia, like other parts of Georgia, from ancient times was in the closest cultural contact with Syria, Palestine and Northern Mesopotamia. With the spread of Christianity in Georgia, these ties became even stronger. With regard to ties with Italy, the case. is somewhat more complicated. The Romans were familiar with Svaneti already from the 1st century AD, when the Svans occupied a much larger territory. Scientists of Rome, historians and geographers, considered the Svans to be a powerful and warlike people, which even the Roman commanders had to reckon with. Even then, the Svans had a high culture and were well organized, firmly united by their tribal social system. It is possible that some kind of Italian influence penetrated into Svaneti and brought here architectural forms completely alien to other regions of the Caucasus. The battlements of the Svan towers are somewhat reminiscent of the Moscow Kremlin. It is known that the Kremlin walls were built in the 15th century by the Italians. There are watchtowers in the Caucasus and other places, in Ossetia, for example, but nowhere else can you find anything similar to the architectural forms of the Svan towers. Except in medieval Italy...

Kartvels appeared in Georgia 1000 years before our era, when they settled in Svaneti is still unknown for certain. However, in the Mestia Museum you can see objects found in Svaneti belonging to people not only of the Bronze Age, but also of the Stone Age.

The Svans are a small people. Currently, there are only about 18 thousand inhabitants in Upper Svaneti. Very interesting data on the sex ratio for 1931. Up to the age of 15, inclusive, men prevailed in Upper Svaneti at that time, and after 15 years, women. This is due to accidents in the mountains (during hunting, in avalanches, when crossing passes in mountain rivers), death during the civil war, as well as the result of a blood feud that flourished in 1917-1924. Luckily, this outbreak of litsvri was the last. The matured children have already balanced this terrible discrepancy. All Svans are fanatically hospitable. Now a lot of all kinds of people walk around Svaneti, and so far everyone finds shelter, shelter and food in Svan houses. Svans are slow, reserved and polite. They will never hurt a person. The Svan language is distinguished by the absence of swear words. The strongest curse among the Svans is the word "fool". (The rest are borrowed from other languages.) But the pride of the Svan could not bear this word either, often because of it enmity and even blood feud arose. Politeness is in the blood of a Svan, laid down by many generations. Respect for the elders, reverence for the elderly is elevated in Upper Svaneti into an unshakable law. Insane courage and courage coexist with a deep inner culture, tact and restraint in the character of the Svan.

Svaneti is one of the highest mountain regions of Georgia. It is located on the southern slopes of the central part of the Main Caucasian Range and on both sides of the Svaneti Range, in the northern part of Western Georgia. Zemo (Upper) Svaneti is located in the gorge of the Inguri River (at an altitude of 1000-2000 meters above sea level), and Kvemo (Lower) Svaneti is in the gorge of the Tskhenis-Tskali River (at an altitude of 600-1500 meters above sea level). In the southeast, Svaneti borders on Racha-Lechkhumi, in the west - on Abkhazia, in the south it adjoins Imereti and part of the territory of Samegrelo. In the north, the border of Svanetia runs along the Main Caucasian Range, on the other side of which are Karachay and Kabarda.

The population of Svanetia - the Svans - are Georgian highlanders, an ethnographic group of Georgians who speak Georgian and in everyday life the Svan languages ​​(the Svan language belongs to the Kartvelian languages ​​​​and has four dialects and a number of dialects). The Svans are an extremely colorful people. They have always been famous for their stateliness and courage. The Svans were considered the best warriors in Georgia. Even the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo wrote: “Svans are a powerful people and, I think, the most brave and courageous in general in the world. They are at peace with all neighboring peoples.” Pliny, Ptolemy, Appius, Eustathius of Thessalonius wrote about hospitable, enlightened and strong Svans.

The history of the proud, courageous and freedom-loving people of the Svans, who have preserved their language, has several millennia. He was never enslaved by enemies, maybe that's why the people who once inhabited the coastal strip of the Colchis lowland and present-day Abkhazia, after numerous wars, chose a free life in the mountains for themselves .. It is noteworthy that the Svans never had serfdom, and the nobility wore a conditional character. After all, every Svan is a person who does not accept domination over himself. The Svans have never waged aggressive wars, this is evidenced by historical facts, one of which is the construction of watch and defensive towers in the old days, called "Svan towers". Since ancient times, the Svans have traditionally been fond of creating paintings made of copper, bronze and gold. Well-known Svan blacksmiths, masons and wood carvers made dishes and various household equipment from silver, copper, clay and wood, as well as Svan hats - the national Svan headdress and unique "kanzi" from turi horns.

Beekeeping was traditional for the Svans - an ancient Georgian occupation, especially common in the mountainous regions of Western Georgia. But the most respected and revered professions for Svans are hunting and mountaineering. The Svans were and remain professional hunters and climbers. Hunting for Svans is in fact equivalent to economic activity, and mountaineering is the national sport of Svanetia. The Svan school of mountaineering gave many outstanding sportsmen. The most famous person in Svaneti is the mountaineer and rock climber - "Tiger of Rocks" - Mikhail Khergiani, who tragically died in the Italian Dolomites on the Su Alto wall in 1969. The conquerors of the peaks of Ushba, Tetnulda and Shkhara were the natives of Svanetia Gabliani, Japaridze, Gugava, Akhvlediani and many others. Svan was a Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain 3rd Rank Yaroslav Konstantinovich Ioseliani, who during the war years made more than a dozen military campaigns and torpedoed many enemy ships. Another well-known Svan is the famous film director Otar Ioseliani, who directed the films “Falling Leaves”, “There Lived a Song Thrush”, “Pastoral”, etc.

One of the most mountainous and inaccessible regions of Georgia is Svaneti. The first plane was seen there in the middle of the last century, and the first modern road was built four years ago. Why the Svans are respected and why they are feared - Kirill Mikhailov understood.

The Svans are a small mountain people who live on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Range in northwestern Georgia. According to the tradition that developed in Soviet times, the Svans are classified as Georgians, although they speak their own language, which is an independent branch in the Kartvelian language family.

Presumably, the Kartvelian language family broke up into the Georgian-Zan and Svan branches at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, so the Svans have reason to assert that they are a separate people, although all Svans speak Georgian, and their native language remains the lingua franca. According to various estimates, 30-35 thousand Svans now live in Georgia.

The history of this people can be traced from the sources from the time of Queen Tamara (end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century), although there are references to the Svans even among ancient authors. Thanks to several important factors - a common Christian faith, a common script - the culture of the Svans is largely shaped by Georgian culture and forms part of it. At the same time, the small mountain people living in relative isolation, unlike the Georgians, retained the tribal system, which still determines the national character.

Here is how Kornily Borozdin, who served as an official in the Tiflis province in the middle of the 19th century, describes the Svans in No. 4 of the Historical Bulletin for 1885: cloth resembling a Circassian - approx.

ed.), on thick hair, cut in a bracket, instead of caps, some small mugs of cloth were imposed, tied with laces under shaved chins; at the same time, such a headdress also served as a sling, from which the Svanetians throw stones with extraordinary dexterity. Shoes, reminiscent of ancient sandals, consisted of leather (kalaban) shoes with wool on top, tied with straps.

blood feud

Blood feud for the Svans has long become a tradition - the film "Svan" (2007), based on real events taking place in our time, clearly demonstrates this. For an hour and a half, people of different ages with violent passion kill each other. Georgians like to say that when the question was being decided whether to send this film to one of the European film festivals, the main argument against it was that if now the main thing for Georgia is to join the European Union, then after this film, membership in a united Europe will have to be forgotten.

Colonel Ivan Alekseevich Bartolomey in the "Notes" of the Caucasian Department of the Geographical Society in 1855 describes his trip to Svaneti: and the rumors of their ossified cruelty are exaggerated; I saw people before me in my childhood, almost primitive people, therefore, highly impressionable, inexorable in blood-revenge, but remembering and understanding the good; I noticed good nature, gaiety, gratitude in them ... "

In fact, rumors about the cruelty and savagery of the Svans are still circulating. Georgians like to say that on the slopes of Elbrus, the bodies of soldiers of the First Mountain Division of the Wehrmacht, better known by its emblem as "Edelweiss", are still preserved frozen into the ice. This division is also known for the fact that on August 21, 1942, its fighters hoisted Nazi flags on both peaks of Elbrus. So, in Georgia they say that it was allegedly the Svans who drove the mountain shooters from the heights of the Caucasus, killing many, but Soviet propaganda was silent about this, because the Svans killed other strangers who came to their mountains - communists with the same fury.

However, in German sources about the combat path of the Edelweiss division, serious losses inflicted by the Svans are not reported. There is a story on the Internet of one climber who, in a Svan village, was allowed to shoot from a perfectly preserved German Mauser 98k rifle, but most likely this is not a combat trophy: in early 1943, the division was hastily withdrawn from the front due to the threat of encirclement and sent to Greece. And part of the weapons and equipment had to be simply abandoned in the mountains.

Svan towers

One of the most famous symbols of Svaneti is the Svan towers. Most of them were built several centuries ago according to the same architectural plan: height up to 25 meters, base 5 by 5 meters, four or five floors with wooden ceilings, each floor has one narrow window, usually facing south, on the top floor there are several windows, but all of them are not adapted for archery or firearms. Until now, there are disputes about the purpose of the Svan towers: whether they are military or sentinel structures, or economic, but certainly not residential. To imagine how the Svans lived a century and a half ago, let us turn again to the memoirs of Kornily Borozdin: hermetically sealed. The soil here will not give birth to anything but rye, sometimes not ripening, from which smelly vodka (araki) is driven, and for three months the mountains are covered with grass, which at that time can feed a ram (herd of rams and sheep. - K. M. ) and cattle and then, except for a small amount of honey, game, foxes, small animals, there is nothing - literally nothing.

Three months have passed, the box has slammed shut, i.e., the snow has covered everything, and if people have not made provisions for the coming nine months, they will inevitably find themselves in a worse situation than those blocked in the fortress and driven to exhaustion by hunger; there you can, after all, run out to the enemy, but here you can’t run out anywhere. Consequently, one cannot exist without stocks, and where can one get them from, if not from neighbors, and, moreover, without giving anything for them for a very simple reason, since there is nothing to give of one's own. How, after that, to take from the neighbors, if not secretly and not by force? Call the free Svanets whatever sentimental nicknames you want, but, nevertheless, this does not interfere with the essence of their predatory profession at the expense of their neighbors: Karachay, Mingrelia, Princely Svanetia.

Judging by the conditions in which the Svans lived, the towers were primarily sentinel and signal: in case of danger, a fire was lit on the tower, then on the next, and so the whole gorge could quickly find out about the approach of the enemy. The towers are still a sign of the wealth and well-being of the clan, since they were mostly built near residential buildings, and not in the wilderness, and belong to families who try to preserve these structures.

Act one

Childhood...

Son, be friends with the Georgian guys, with the Azerbaijani, with the Armenians, but never go near the Svans..., Father said...

Why are they just like us...

Such, but not so... People They are very good, fair, honest - everyone would be like that... But the Svans do not forgive insults, and You are only seven years old... First you say, and then you think...

Georgia, military camp, military unit 61615, Soviet KGB troops, special government communications ... The central alley from the club, on both sides of the residential buildings - families of officers and ensigns are quartered here, between them - an officer hostel for bachelors ... 1986 ... Proudly along the alley a tall man is walking, strongly built, a huge dagger hangs on his belt ... There is a semblance of a backpack behind his back ... At the sight of his mother, children are hurriedly taken from the street ... A man walks with his son ... the boy is about eight years old, his head is held high ... A silent nod towards the military patrol (officer and two soldiers)… The officer answers with the same barely noticeable nod, intently escorts the Father and the Son to the borders of the unit… A man with a dagger passes between two posts on which barbed wire was once stretched and slowly leaves along the trodden path… Swan came to buy food…

Who are these Svans? Those who were feared even in parts of the KGB like fire?

Here is what the Great Soviet Encyclopedia says:

“... Svans, an ethnographic group of Georgians; live in the Mestia and Lentekhi regions of the Georgian SSR. The Svan tribes, who in ancient times occupied a vast territory on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus (see Svaneti) and partly on the northern slopes (mainly in the upper reaches of the Kuban River), together with the tribes of Karts and Megrelolazes (chans) formed the basis for the formation of the Georgian people. The Svans speak the Georgian language, in everyday life they also speak the Svan language. In the past, they were characterized by local features of culture and life (original forms of tower architecture, developed alpine economy, remnants of military democracy, etc.) ... "

Wikipedia is less verbose:

“... Svans live in the Mestia and Lentekhi regions in northwestern Georgia, united in the historical region of Svaneti (Svan Shwan), as well as in the Kodori Gorge of the Gulripsh region in Abkhazia. The number in Svaneti is about 60 thousand; in Abkhazia - 2 thousand people. The total number of about 80 thousand people ... "

Why were Svans tolerated in military camps, why were they allowed to walk around with cold weapons? The answer is simple - someone wise realized that if you started to oppress the Svans, it was hardly possible to have military personnel with families on the territory of Georgia ... Completely close the military camp, which had schools, a sanitary unit, several shops, a kindergarten, etc. it would have been impossible... Sooner or later there would have been casualties, and therefore an open conflict... Therefore, the Svans were treated with respect and fear... The Georgian politicians of the "Rose Revolution" did not adopt this tactic...

Conflict...

There are no indifferent or neutral opinions in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the North Caucasus. Either for or against ... Neutrality is inherent in the Slavic peoples, but not in the peoples of the Caucasus, although both the Slavs and the Caucasians are, for the most part, Christians ... One faith and such different opinions ...

1993 - The Abkhazian troops successfully repelled the attacks of the Georgian troops, but did not occupy the Kodori Gorge, moreover, they recognized this territory as neutral ... There were reasons for this and the Abkhazians knew them very well ... The Svans were not against their autonomy ...

In Svania, an armed formation is being created, called the "Hunter" - the leader of which is Emzar Kvitsiani ...

Emzar Bekmurazovich Kvitsiani was born on April 25, 1961 in the village of Chkhalta, Kodori region, Georgian SSR, in a Svan family (a nationality, an ethnographic group of Georgians living in the Kodori Gorge). Father - Bekmurza Kvitsiani, mother - Mariam Gurchiani. Kvitsiani has a sister, Nora...

In 1988, Kvitsiani graduated from the Economics Department of the Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute. Photo-1R According to other information, Kvitsiani received his higher agricultural education in Volgograd. In Soviet times, Kvitsiani was prosecuted three times - for hooliganism, theft and on suspicion of murder. The investigation in the last case was not completed due to the political upheavals associated with the collapse of the USSR ... (Data from the site http://www.lenta.ru/lib/14163606/)

Eduard Shevardnadze, in my opinion, the most experienced politician and diplomat, in order to avoid aggravating the situation in the region, appoints Emzar Kvitsiani as a political representative in Svaneti... DOB-2R Emzar Kvitsiani held this position until the Rose Revolution... With the coming to power of Mikhail Saakashvili Georgia is trying at any cost to subjugate Abkhazia, and with it Svania, to official Tbilisi... "Hunter" turns out to be outlawed, and what is important, the fighters of the detachment were left without a salary. Consequently, their families are without a piece of bread. Kvitsiani removed as political representative...

The Rose government appoints its ministers, local representatives, and so on. Civilized negotiations failed:

Saakashvili throws out a sharp and careless remark: "I will make the mother of the one who raises his hand against the Georgian state cry."

Kvitsiani did not remain in debt: “His swearing will cost the president dearly. If he wanted to remember my mother, he could come here on July 4, when she was buried. If they talk about our mothers, we will visit their mothers. The Svans did not forgive anyone for insulting their mother ".

For Gruzin, the remark thrown by Saakashvili is identical to a foul language, rudely insulting the interlocutor and his entire family ... The conflict turned out to be inevitable ...

Mikheil Saakashvili, instead of resolving the situation through negotiations, sends troops to Abkhazia... Significant forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of Georgia were sent to the Kodori Gorge, one of the columns was detained by Russian peacekeepers... after two hours of negotiations, the column was let through... DOB-1L

Put an end to the 1994 peace treaty...

Here are the demands of Emzar Kvitsiani, under which the conflict could move from a political channel to a personal offense and be resolved by two men in other ways:

1. Dismiss Interior and Defense Ministers Vano Merabishvili and Irakli Okruashvili.

2. Restore the functioning of the "Monadire" ("Hunter") unit in the Kodori Gorge

3. Stop the persecution of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

4. Stop accusing refugees from Abkhazia of betrayal.

5. Punish those who ordered the murder of 27-year-old Sandro Girgvliani and other victims of the death squads.

Action two

Why did Leonid Kuchma learn Ukrainian?

As you know, any ruler must communicate with his people in the state language, for reasons of high-quality transmission of information and paying tribute to the traditions of the people and language. For ten years in Ukraine, the president was a man who was very difficult to talk with the people entrusted to him because of his lack of confident knowledge of the state language ... Russian, which Leonid Danilovich spoke much better than Ukrainian, contrary to the statements of nationalist organizations, is understood by everyone . In any case, the main meaning can be disassembled, as well as other related languages ​​of the Slavic group.

During the four years of living in Georgia, at a primary school age, I was able to learn only two words, and even then I doubt the correct pronunciation ... But Georgian children knew at least two languages ​​​​from an early age - their native Georgian and Russian ... Russian was with a funny accent, but there was mutual understanding , in my opinion, even better than Ukrainians with Russians ... I remember very well the programs of Georgian television, which in the GSSR occupied most of the air of two channels - the third was Ostankino ... I couldn’t understand anything on the Georgian channel, no matter how hard I tried ... Although in everyday communication, Georgians intuitively understood speech ...

Apparently, in modern Georgia, in addition to the Russian language, English has also begun to be intensively studied. The President of Georgia freely, violating all diplomatic rules of etiquette, without an interpreter, speaks in English with the world community. Everyone is touched - oh, well done, how well he knows English ... The president likes laudatory odes and he decided to speak English with Georgians, they say, you will understand, and whoever does not understand - let him teach! ..

Now let's project the situation to Ukraine. For ten years, Leonid Danilovich, conquering his ignorance in the sphere of Ukrainian language proficiency, tried to communicate with the people in the state language. Even in the Eastern regions of Ukraine, where, it would seem, they will understand anyway, we hear the terrible surzhik of the president ...

Kuchma knew that if he started speaking Russian, they would not tolerate this and the days of his presidency would be numbered...

Kuchma knew that speaking Russian from the presidential rostrum is a gross disrespect for the inhabitants of Ukraine, and all regions.

Kuchma knew that they would not understand him either in Western Ukraine or in Eastern ...

The action is final

Photo-4L And so, why did Mikheil Saakashvili decide to just spit on his people, ethnic traditions and address the Georgians in English at a difficult moment for them? The president knows the Georgian language perfectly, as well as, perhaps, several other languages ​​(as I mentioned, Georgians are very good at foreign languages) ... Moreover, with great difficulty, but Abkhazians, Ossetians, Svans and other national minorities would understand it little Georgia... There is only one conclusion - the appeal should have been understood without translation errors by English-speaking countries... Here is a vivid example of Mikheil Saakashvili's puppetry...

Epilogue…

The concept of friendship among Georgians differs in many ways from a similar word among the Slavic peoples. These people are not able to betray a friend - they simply do not have such an ethnic option ... People are different among Georgians too - some have more civilized European views on friendship, others have the traditions of their ancestors ...

To have a friend among Georgians is to have strong support, to have a Georgian enemy... it is better not to consider such a prospect...

Let's go back to the Svans... In simple terms, the Svans are highlanders, a harsh people who honor and respect traditions to the smallest detail. The Svans are still cultivating blood feud in their concepts. Although this people belong to Orthodoxy, the Svans do not forget pagan traditions either. Friendship and enmity among this people until the end of life. The Svans have a very sharply developed self-esteem ... It was the Svans - mountaineers and rock climbers from birth - that formed the backbone of the Soviet units that defeated the German mountain rangers from the Edelweiss and Tyrol divisions during the Second World War, who did not let the Nazis in Transcaucasia. The Svans are still armed not only with Kalashnikovs and grenade launchers, but also with captured Schmeisers.

How this military-political conflict will be unleashed - time will tell, but in Georgia, apparently, not everyone was warned by caring parents that one should be careful with the Svans ... An insult in the Caucasus can cost a lot!

P.S. When a truck was taking me with my mother to the Tbilisi airport in order to leave this magnificent country for many years, majestic landscapes blurred in my eyes, a beautiful mountain landscape ... blurred from tears because. I understood that it would not be very soon, and perhaps never, I would not see this wonderful country ... A dream still lives in me to this day - to return to Georgia ...