CNN reportage about Svaneti and its old traditions

“Preserving Georgias Ancient traditions” – is CNN video reportage about Svaneti and its wonders.

Based on CNN we introduce the most beautiful side of Georgia Svaneti. Svaneti is the highest inhabited area in the Caucaasus. During the Soviet rule Svaneti was divided into two districts, Mestia and Lentekhi.

In 1987 avalanches destroyed several homes and killed seventy people, mostly school children.In the aftermath the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Councilof Ministers of the Soviet Union passed a decree to resettle some 2,500 families to districts of eastern Georgia.

Despite invasions and the rest of its problems Svaneti has managed to save its old traditions and pass them down to younger generations. It also has a rich religious-art heritage of its own and many tiny village churches boast frescoes up to 1000 years old. People there speak their own language and live mainly from farming cattle and pigs. Today one of the main sources of income is tourism.

Svaneti’s emblem is the koshki a defensive stone tower these have always played a special role in Georgian history. They have kept the use of defending the Svan people from their enemies. Richard Baerug, told us about his first impressions of Svaneti.

“I was told about Svaneti and that it was like been close to heaven been there, so I wanted to go there one day” says Richard.

Six years later he’s still there and he is the owner of The Grand Hotel Ushba located in the shadow of Mount Ushba itself.

“The traditional dishes of Svaneti are truly delicious, such as kubdari pies, chvishdari and tashmujabi, which are made with cheese cooked inside maize bread. The traditional folk music of the region is the oldest polyphonic music in the world.” He adds.“Traditionally we always had a big family and everybody was singing” – says the musician VakhtangPilpani.

“We didn’t have face book, we didn’t have TV or newspapers for us dance and music was our face book. It’s a big problem when modern life is encroaching and it’s difficult to keep old traditions” – added Vakhtanng.

There are still people who are trying to keep the old traditions alive despite the arrival of modern life.

Here you can see CNN video reportage.

Nina Ioseliani