Dusheti to Get Major Rehab
Dusheti, a municipality in Georgia’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, has been slotted for a major revival. The main town of municipality, Dusheti, is located about an hour north of Tbilisi, with a population of 6,167 people as of the 2014 census. The municipality as a whole has a population of close to 26,000. It has limited tourist infrastructure, but its location is ideal for tourism, halfway between Tbilisi and Kazbegi or the Gudauri ski resort, near Bazaleti Lake and the striking combination of the Ananuri Fortress and Zhinvali Reservoir, and is set into a beautiful mountain backdrop along the Dushetiskhevi (Dusheti Valley) River. The municipality has a long history, including as an agriculture and light industry center during Soviet times and as home to German prisoners in the 19th century.
On Tuesday, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure and Vice Prime Minister Maia Tskitishvili, Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Governor Shalva Kereselidze, the Majoritarian MP, and self-government representatives attended a ceremony in Dusheti to celebrate the opening of a public park that had been renovated by the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. The project was financed by the World Bank at a cost of more than 2.7 million GEL ($1,005,586). The renovation included installing new runoff drains, planting green bushes, trees, and flowers, repaving walkways throughout the park, and repairing fountains. Within the project, work was also done to repair the roof of the Church of St. Nicholas, located in the park. Local construction workers and tradespeople were hired to complete the renovation project.
At the ceremony, Tskitishvili spoke to the assembled crowd, thanking them for their involvement in the project’s successful implementation. “Dusheti has a very long history and even greater development potential. I believe that this area will regain its role and function as a tourist destination. For this purpose, the Municipal Development Fund, with the support of the World Bank, plans to rehabilitate Dusheti’s historic center and more than 40 historic homes. The agreement was signed today. This and all other rehabilitation projects include an economic component, small hotels, cafes, infrastructure, that will be attractive to local and foreign tourists [who want to stay] in restored homes. In addition, we are working on improving the water supply and road infrastructure in the region. We plan to fully rehabilitate the Mutso Gorge [in Khevsureti], schools, kindergartens, outpatient medical facilities and sports facilities,” said the minister. The Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure plans to spend approximately 150 million GEL ($55.9 mln) in Mtskheta-Mtianeti in 2019, on projects that Tskitishvili says “will provide additional income for the local population.”
The rehabilitation of Dusheti’s central streets and historical houses will begin next spring. It will target buildings with cultural heritage status constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries, restoring them to their original style.
By Samantha Guthrie
Image source: Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure