Caucasus - Black Sea coast

But the Eastern Caucasus is usually left outside attention of tourists. Meanwhile, the area with its treeless, sun-scorched planes, overgrown with wild forest deep canyons, black, are composed of shale or haired snow peaks, the area populated by distinct peoples of different language groups that have retained some features of ancient culture, is extremely interesting for tourists. Mountainous villages in Dagestan, and Tusheti Khevsurs-Democracy situated high on the slopes above the forest, amid the chaos of mountain ranges. Crowded houses are built on top of each other so that the flat roof of the lower court is for the top. Located on opposite slopes of the gorges of the village connected to each other just a thin ribbon bridge, re-cast at a height of several tens of meters above the rapids of mountain rivers, roaring at the bottom of the abyss. Resting in the blue sky, towering menacingly over auls monumental tower - mute witnesses of the past. Khevsureti located in the western part of the Eastern Caucasus and occupies the highlands between the Grozny area to the north and the Georgian Military Highway to the west and south, forming the northern outskirts of the Georgian SSR. Main Caucasian ridge divides Hevsu-retiyu into two parts - north and south. North is located in the upper reaches of Assa and Argun, and south - in the pool Hevsurskoy Aragvi. North Khevsureti bounded on the east, snow, or Pirikitelskim, ridge, over which stands a series of sharp peaks, blindingly radiant with eternal snows. This ridge encircles the west and north adjacent to Khevsuretia ethnic region of Georgia - Tusheti. In the middle line of the ridge, his bend, rises the highest point of the Eastern Caucasus - top Tebulos-MTA (4,494 m). East of this peak is different - Diklos-MTA (4275 m). Part of the ridge between Tebulos-MTA and the main Caucasian ridge has a height lower than the segment from Tebulos-MTA to Diklos-MTA, and is called Atsuntskim ridge. Within Khevsureti are also, in addition to several small, two powerful spur to the snow-arrays: Mahis, Magali (3984 m) and Chauhi (about 4000 m). "Khevsureti" translates as "Land of gorges. And indeed, there is no broad lowlands and plateaus. Ridges have steep slopes and narrow valleys, and cropland have to clear steep slopes. Followed by deep gorges parallel or perpendicular. Meadows here are luxurious. The lower mountain slopes are covered with forests, especially in South Khevsureti. Oak, maple, birch, aspen, pear, apple and pine, and underbrush, thickets of blackberry, raspberry, viburnum and hips, is forest vegetation of this mountainous country. Khevsurs are an ethnic group of Georgians, who speak the same dialect of the Georgian language. Here is kept relatively isolated, archaic cultural type. This is due to isolation of the Hev-Suret from Georgia and other neighboring areas, as possible ways in the "Land of Gorges through mountain passes or long valley with no roads in the winter, seven or eight months, completely closed, and the last country rarely visited in the summer. Prior to the establishment of Soviet power in Khevsureti was a kind of traditional socio-economic structure. Political dependence Khevsurs of Georgia (Kakheti), as well as neighboring Tushino and Pshavs, was reduced in the Middle Ages to pay tribute. In fact, ethnic mountainous eastern Georgia preserved nearly complete independence. In this connection, Khevsurs, Pshavs and Tushin remained archaic forms of social life. Here long and hard held patriarchal clan system. Preserved remnants of an even more archaic relations dating back to the era of maternal-tribal system. Among them include a free position of women, which were absolutely no other highland peoples of the Caucasus. And in the family and in public life, women enjoyed relative freedom and was almost equal to men. Khevsureti divided into a large number of neighboring communities. At the center of each of them on or near each village there were religious and economic construction, the sanctuary, Hati (obschegruzinskoe word meaning temple or an icon), which was the place sacrifices and accomplishments of community rituals. This suggests that Khevsurs an official Christianity is actually hiding at all other forms of pre-Christian beliefs and worship - generic (ancestor worship) and community character. Hevsurskoe society consisted of community members and the theocratic leadership. At its head stood the high priest - "hutsesi" and the priest-prophet - "Kadaga. Each "Hati" was the owner of various property-land, livestock and others - whose proceeds went to the device of public rituals, feasts, sacrifices. When "Hati" was a hereditary priest - "huts" with his assistants, "yes Stuhr", "Dekanozov", etc. The priests exercised great influence throughout the community life. Up to XX century. Domestic Khevsurs remain many vestiges of the patriarchal: the blood feud, the rites of fraternity and posestrimstva, exogamy (the custom of prohibiting marriage within the same social group, gender) and others. Khevsurs live in small villages. Houses of stone, usually double-decker. Meet with the third floor, representing the public year-old superstructure, which serves as the winter barn, terrace-houses are located on mountain slopes. In the past, for protection against attacks its neighbors, especially in the remote northern parts of Khevsureti, the villages strengthened by thick walls, guard towers with pyramidal roofs and covered passages. Villages of South Khevsureti in contact with ethnic Georgian province of Kartli, these fortifications were not. Ancient hevsurskoe housing affects sullenness. Instead of windows - the narrow hole in a thick wall, adapted for loopholes. In the housing gloom prevails. The walls and ceiling are smoked to perfection by centuries of smoke. The center-center with a traditional circuit for the boiler. Preserved ancient furniture - benches, beds, chests, a low table and three-legged stool - roughly put together, but it has an intricate carving. The same carving and openwork pripilovkoy decorated balconies, verandas, attached to dwellings. Khevsurs identity is especially true in the clothing. Characterized by severe men's and women's shirts from the dark woolen cloth, richly decorated with embroidery (except Khevsurs, the Caucasus, there are no other nationalities whose suit would ornamentirovku). On clothes, and partly on the arms can be seen as an ornamental crosses. This gave rise to some researchers argue that Khevsurs are descendants of the Crusaders, though remaining in the Caucasus, for such an assumption is really no reason. The basic economic lesson Khevsurs - raising cattle, sheep and crop farming (barley, oats, and occasionally wheat). Livestock products especially meant a lot in life Khevsurs: dairy and meat foods formed the basis of nutrition; been evolving from a wool carpet and cloth for clothing, ropes, leather was in shoes, coats, belts. On the side were bought only salt and objects made of metal. During the years of Soviet power in many villages built new office buildings, schools, clubs and hospitals. Wide scope was road construction in some parts of Khevsureti open the regular road traffic. The second decade of Soviet power there were already their teachers and doctors. Done much to eradicate illiteracy among the adult population. Since suitable for arable land and meadow Khevsureti limited space small, agricultural development is strongly inhibited. The Soviet government offered to resettle Khevsurs the plain. But the remaining slots in the generic way of life changed in many ways. Smoky seats replaced with iron stoves, utensils appeared in the economic and other factory aluminum cookware, clothing - modern fabrics, footwear. Table added to the imported food - sugar, biscuits, baked bread. In everyday life included many new items: iron beds, chairs, cabinets and other Healers have lost their patients, as patients seek the help of doctors, paramedics and midwives. In addition to stationary hospital in Barisaho in Khevsureti operate a mobile health clinic. Slight pre-revolutionary village Barisaho turned into a socialist city, shining with electric lights. In the new little white houses housed administrative offices, a boarding school, hospital, general store. Radio and telephone network Barisaho link with the outside world. On the part of the Georgian Military Road from Zhinvani to Barisaho at a distance of forty-six kilometers placed upon the highway. On future plans Barisaho scheduled major cultural construction. But now Barisaho with its picturesque landscape attracts thousands of people. On weekends Gorge Aragvi alive. It attracts nature lovers from Tbilisi and other cities in Georgia. Tusheti as Khevsureti, part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic and is surrounded by a ring of mountains, called Tushinsky Alps, with snow peaks and high passes. The mountain slopes are covered with Tusheti coniferous and deciduous forests, mountain streams of water flow into the river and Pirikitelskaya Tushinskaya and Tsiploa Alazan-Nease tskhali. Both Alazani merge and give rise to a full-flowing river in Dagestan - Andi Coys and Tsiploanis-Tsha-li downstream called Kakheti Alazani, or simply Alazani merges with chicken. Villages Tushino as Khevsurs are located on steep slopes and have the same type of construction and the same monumental tower. The latter also showed age-old struggle with the nomads and Muslim neighbors, invaded from the north via the passes Pirikitelskogo ridge and east - along the valley basin Andean Coys. With the outside world Tush were linked more than Khevsurs that is stronger than reflected on the peculiarities of their life: there was more borrowing, less archaic traits (for example, are not preserved archaic weapons like Khevsurs) and the weaker the remnants of the tribal system. Somewhat different economic structures and Tushino. In several places in Tusheti in the foreground were sheep instead of cattle ranching, as in Khevsureti. Clothing Tushino different uniform colors, and the preference for dark, even black color. Tushino pastures do not provide winter forage for cattle, so there appeared distant-pasture livestock type: in winter flocks with shepherds migrate to the vast steppes of the Caspian Sea. Now for the Tushino provided on the plain in Kakheti extensive area in the district Alvani and some Tushino family moved there permanently. Occupied area flowered gardens, covered with vineyards, corn and other crops. In the summer of Tushins with plain drove herds to graze on the alpine meadows of the mountain Tusheti. In Soviet times, is thriving economic and cultural life Tusheti. Its administrative center is a ten-year Omalo with a boarding school, hospital, radiopunkt, general store, library. In Tusheti there is a strong breeding farm. To the east of Tusheti, on the northern spurs of the Main Caucasian ridge, located Mountainous Dagestan - part of the Dagestan ASSR. Dozens are located along and across the spurs of the Main Range, some of which exceed 4000 m above sea level, creating an intricate maze of mountains. The mountains of Dagestan are composed of shales and in the northern part of different sharp peaks and ridges. In the southern mountains are dulled, and combs easily passable. Continuous snow cover there, but the snow fills the grooves on the slopes, sliding down the length of stripes and spots, and forming a background of rocks wonderful lacy patterns. Gorges Mountainous Dagestan tortuous, narrow and deep and almost everywhere in the upper reaches are covered with dense snow fields, formed from the avalanche rolled down to the bottom of the gorge with steep slopes. In the upper deposits of the Samur snow is so powerful that often are safe to take a flock of animals, and a way to snowfields takes several hours. Some gorges are corridors with a strip of blue sky above and rocky or wooded walls at the sides. From the mountains flow down the set of flows that create strong and abundant rivers, inaccessible to the ford. Significant of them - Andean Koiso, Avar Koiso, Kazikumuhskoe Coys and Karakoysu. All four Coys merge and form deep river Su-lacquer flowing into the Caspian Sea. In the south-eastern Nagorno Dagestan is the largest river Samur, is born at the foot of arrays Dyulty-Dag (4131 m) and Guton (3,646 m). Samur also flows into the Caspian Sea. In the upper reaches of the Andean and Avar Coys mountains covered by dense forests dominated by conifers. In the middle and upper reaches of the Samurai and its tributaries forest is rare in small copses. But the mountains here - the land of boundless pastures and rich meadows. Everywhere on the slopes slowly creeping grayish-white patches of sheep flocks, the shepherds heard whistling, and the heavens are worn raptors. If the Caucasus - the most colorful ethnic composition of the region in the Soviet Union, the Dagestan region can be regarded as the most variegated ethnic composition on the Caucasus. In this small area there are at least thirty different nationalities. On linguistic grounds, the population of Dagestan is divided into three groups: Japhetic (Caucasian), Turkic and Iranian-speaking, but is dominated by people who speak the languages ??of the first group. In turn, the first group consists of four sub-language - Avar, Lak, Dargwa and Lezgian, and each of them - in several languages ??of small nations. Go to the Turkic group includes Kumyks, and to Iranian-speaking - Mountain Jews, or the results. Overlapping of language and diversity in Daghestan is so significant, that are often multilingual two neighboring villages or crew of four herders. Explained they are in Russian, which is the official language of Dagestan, is studied in schools and more or less clear to everyone Dagestanis. The extreme ethnic diversity of colors and raznoyazykost explained by natural and historical conditions of all, of the Caucasus, especially Dagestan. Occupying the isthmus between the Black and Caspian Seas and accounting, thus, a crossroads between Europe and Asia, the Caucasus has long served as a bridge between the Eastern European region and Asia Minor and Iran. At the same time, the very Caucasian ridge turned out to be barriers to communication on a broad front between the two parts of the world and leaving passageways for the movement of peoples only on the flanks, along the shores of the seas, especially along the Caspian Sea. Ethnic flows, which proceeded from ancient times both north and south, pushed the weaker groups of tribes and nations to the mountains and highlands in the gorge. Pressed to the Main Caucasian ridge, divided lateral spurs, tribes and groups of people found themselves isolated and maintained a closed position over the centuries and even millennia. And over the most accessible-invasion pathways for residents of remote mountain gorges steep erecting a fortress with towers, covered passages and thick walls around it. Towers and now stand somewhere as witnesses battle of antiquity. Material production, high mountain part of Dagestan was a peculiar combination of mountain, in the past, relatively primitive and very small in size, livestock farming and mining with a variety of handicraft and handicraft industries. Agriculture is one that could not be achieved until recently a significant development that the land suitable for processing in mountainous Dagestan, was extremely small. Therefore, the peasants had to work with incredible literally build their fields, which were arranged in the form of artificial bulk sites, terraces on the slopes of the mountains, separated from the bottom and lined with stones brought by suspending the ground. All of this hard labor is hard work sometimes was ashes as a result of landslide or flood, and had to start all over again. Lack of land in Dagestan's amazing. It is to him is a famous anecdote about Gorce, who during his field of work lost and then found that covered his cloak. Now it's land shortage is largely defeated: the inhabitants of the mountains have a new ground in the plain areas, or relocated from the mountains into the valleys. Agriculture still plays a minor role, and the basis for management of cattle. But in the past and it could not get a significant development because it is impossible to provide livestock forage for long periods of mountain winters. Dagestanis bred cattle, however, took a leading position and is now the sheep.