Tower People: The Last Medieval Society That Still Exists | The Svans

There is a wondrous province in northern Georgia, situated in the mountains of the central Caucasus, Svaneti, home of the Svan people. The people born into this ancient culture have lived far away from civilization for centuries. Some 80 families live in the mountain village of Oshkuli. The picturesque medieval community is 500 kilometers away from Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. At an altitude of about 2,500 meters, whatever soil can be found is barren. A lot of manual work is necessary to wrest the bare minimum needed to live from it. Being a Svan goes together with being strong. It also means being someone who has weathered a lot of hardship in life. Our ancestors have had to bear a lot of misery and constantly battled against it. We Svans are strong, industrious and loyal. Being a Svan means a lot to me. It is autumn in Svaneti. The inhabitants of this secluded mountain valley are preparing for a long, harsh winter. It comes with a vengeance every year, and completely cuts off this mountainous region from the outside world for six months. To survive in this inhospitable world, the Svans have set firm rules. The man is the undisputed head of the family. The woman's realm is the house and her children. In the winter, when the road is closed, it's impossible to get to a doctor. And I really worry about the children, especially since in winter it's easier to catch something. This is when I start thinking about taking the children and moving away from here. It's very unusual for Svans to leave their home. As a matter of fact, their cult of the dead keeps them virtually fettered to this soil. This cult determines their entire life. The Svans believe that the souls of the deceased live on, and look after the well-being of the living. When it begins to rain in Svaneti, people know the winter is just around the corner. Chopping firewood is one of the essential jobs before winter sets. Today I have to help my cousin. The axe has to be really sharp to make the job easier. We want to chop another 10 cubic meters of wood, which is about 10 sled loads. Gia Niziradze has been married to Nani for 11 years. She comes from a neighboring village. The Niziradze are one of the most respectable families in Ushguli. We must be finished before the rain gets stronger. Hurry up! It seems that the invention of the wheel has still not reached this area in the central Caucasus. Just as thousands of years before, Svans transport heavy loads by means of traditional axe-drawn sleds across the rough terrain. Vegetation grows sparsely on the steep slopes of the mountain range. At the tree line, there are no more conifers, only birch trees. We try to fell as little timber as possible, but we need the firewood. Who knows what the future will bring? Proverb of us says, preserve the forest and think of your children when you cut down a tree. This is a father's duty. The people in the mountain villages of Svaneti live almost exclusively from agriculture. Their work has remained unchanged for centuries. While the men are out in the forest or in the fields, women see to the livestock and the household. To live in Ushguli, one must be prepared to sacrifice a lot of things and work hard, at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. And that includes all family members. Ancient Greek historians and geographers mention the Svans and describe them as a tribe of warriors. Svans have always resisted slavery and fought against foreign suppressors. The stone towers from the 11th and 12th centuries bear witness to this. In times of war or long-lasting blood feuds, these towers offered a family protection from their enemies. An extended family could barricade itself inside a tower for months. Even today, nearly every house in the village has its own old tower. But nowadays, they serve a different purpose. Here are our food supplies for the winter. Stewed fruit, aubergines, carrots and peppers. And here is the meat, dried and cured for the winter. The cheese is kept in barrels and brine. The salt water preserves it for the whole winter. The salt is in this sack. It makes the cheese go hard. Whatever supplies are superfluous to the family's needs are sold on the markets in the nearby villages, especially the cheese. Svanetian cheese is considered a delicacy well beyond Georgia's borders. It's made by hand from fresh cow's milk, following a traditional recipe without any additives. The men return from cutting down trees. A Svan proverb says, if a family doesn't have enough good wood for the fire, the man is a disgrace to his family. Therefore, the two men see to it that they bring enough wood home. All heating and cooking in the winter is done with wood. There is a power line up to the mountains. But electricity is often cut off. So having sufficient firewood for the winter is vital. Wood is also needed for distilling schnapps. Svans like their alcohol. So as not to be left without in the winter, they dissolve old bread in water and ferment it by adding yeast. The brew is then distilled. Traditionally, Svans must have enough schnapps in the house not only for themselves, but also for guests and for the deceased. We're not done with the winter preparations yet. We have the hay, but we need wood from the forest. I must take the potatoes to the market to sell. With the money from the potatoes, we can buy other supplies for the winter. The drinking of alcohol in Svaneti follows some set rules. One of them is toasting. To Georgia, to a good future for our country, to our family, our people and our land, peace for the country and the whole world, and may our country always be victorious. To Georgia, our blessed country, I wish that the future brings joy and that it always remains united. I wish our people happiness and all the best for us. The new brew seems tasty, but will it be enough to last the winter? For Nani Nisaradze at home, it's time to make breakfast for her five children. The standing of a Svan family is connected with the number of children it has, especially male ones. Children are the most important thing in life. They are both a challenge and a huge responsibility. I live for my children. Not long ago, I was in Mestia, the provincial capital, and saw that progress is finding its way in. I hope that the situation will soon change here in Ushkuli too, and that my children will live in better conditions than I have, that they will have better life than we did. It goes without saying that the children go to school. School attendance is compulsory for nine years in Ushkuli. Conditions in the small community school are ideal. There is one teacher for every three or four children. Although Svans speak their own language, the lessons are taught in Georgian. Svanuri, the local language, has no written form. The curriculum covers grades one to twelve. But in a school as small as this, teachers have to improvise. There are not many children in the village, so I have to teach two classes together. It's a bit difficult because of the different ages and material. The two younger children are learning the alphabet, and the older boy is doing maths. I must say that children here are noticeably smarter than those in the city. Unfortunately, though, there are fewer courses here than in larger schools. So, for example, we have no foreign language or dance lessons. Living in Ushkuli means living in a spectacular, but at the same time unforgiving, natural environment. Up here, at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, the harbingers of winter arrive after a short sunny spell in autumn. It's time for haymaking. So far, I've got 130 loads of hay for my 13 cattle. It should be enough. We've been lucky with the weather. I've got to make some more hay, then I'll take a break. But afterwards, I must also chop wood for the winter. Once all the work's been done, I can relax and wait for the winter to come. And then I'll just sit by the stove, eating and drinking. Before he can relax, Lado Nisaradze must go up to the highland pasture one last time. The path is long and arduous. Hello, Beka, where are you going? I'm going up to my father. Come, I'll take you with me. The 11-year-old boy would have to struggle for more than one kilometer up that steep hill. He's taking some food to his father, who will be working on the highland pasture all day. The slopes are steep, and the men can only harvest the hay with a handheld scythe. The meal consists of the traditional kachapuri, bread filled with cheese or meat. Did you not have school today? How did you climb up here? Lado took me with him. How? Sled. Was it not too heavy? No. Gia Nisaradze believes that his only son will take over the farm one day. I don't think he would go away. He can't do that because the graves of our forefathers are here. Our family church is here too. That's the reason why I stayed. When I was young, I wanted to move away. But soon things will change here. Modern technology will reach us. For example, a hay mowing machine. The street to the next town, Mestia, will be asphalted. Then the tourists will start coming. So there's much to be said for staying here. Just like most Svans, Gia Nisaradze invests his hopes in a better future. But for now, he has to continue working hard to make a living on the mountain. The operating principle here is collective effort, teamwork. Only those who integrate into this collective and its traditional rules can survive in the mountains. A profit-oriented farming scheme would probably destroy this old and established culture. Without the help of one another, the people in Ushkuli would be at risk. Only as a community can they brave the inhospitable conditions. Hi, how are you? Fine, how can I help? My side is wrecked. The shaft is bent. Could we fix it? As long as they hold out, the simple tools are mended and repaired over and over again. There's simply not enough money for new acquisitions. Gia's neighbor has set up a small forge in his tower. Using a blower and burning wood and a lot of wood shavings, his fire reaches a temperature high enough to mold iron. Time to play after school. Not for the children in the village. Every afternoon, Beka and Mariam must go up the mountain to the meadows, where every family has its own small field. They're on the slopes that catch more sunlight. We always pick the potatoes for our family. I always dig over the soil first. And I pick the potatoes. My brother makes hay too. Yes, but I am not allowed to use the scythe. As is the case in most agricultural societies, the Swans consider it a blessing to have many children. As usual, boys are preferable. They have to learn to help with things from an early age, while girls are schooled in how to run a household. The children help me both in the house and out in the field. When I have to work, they also cook our meals. They do everything exactly as I tell them, and their cooking is good. Independence is highly valued in Svaneti. In contrast to agricultural societies in Central Europe, in which every village has its tradesmen, Svans repair everything themselves. In Ushkuli, there are no carpenters or blacksmiths. Manual and technical skills are passed on from generation to generation. That looks great. In two days, I have to do community work again. Let's see how many scythes we'll break then. Bye now. See you soon. Excavations revealed that the first Svans settled in this area during the 3rd century BC. The high peaks of the Caucasus may have offered them protection from aggressors, but at the same time cut them off from the outside world. Only seldom does Gia Nishirati leave his mountain village. But his son needs to see the doctor, and the nearest place is Mestia, the provincial capital. Gia is the proud owner of a car. He'd been saving for years before he could afford to buy one. His work as a tourist guide and chauffeur in the summer brings in extra income. The trip to Mestia takes about three hours, despite the distance being a mere 44 kilometers. The narrow road was built in 1937. It's passable only during the summer months. Gia and his son are headed for the local hospital. The hospital serves some 14,000 people from the entire region. It was constructed in 1926 and is undergoing complete renovation at the moment. Iliko Jabiritsi is a trained surgeon, but he also looks after the younger patients. There are some problems with the spine, which is a little bit curved. This is close to the first stage of scoliosis. He must stand upright regularly. Open your mouth, please. Are your ears hurting? He's a healthy child, but he should learn to stand straight. He has to eat more fruit and vegetables for vitamins. But otherwise, everything is normal. Thyroid disease is the most common medical condition in Sfeneti and in the whole of Georgia, too. Thyroid complaints due to iodine deficiency. There is too little iodine in our water and in our food, and this results in a hypofunction of the thyroid. It's hard to imagine that this will become a modern hospital anytime soon, but the doctor is optimistic. This will be the anesthesia room, where patients will be given their anesthetic before the operation. And this here will be the new operating room one day. The father takes the doctor's advice very seriously and buys a lot of fruit and vegetables for the winter. They are vital for the children's nutrition. The vitamin-rich produce does not grow in Sfeneti, though. They come from Georgia's lowlands. It certainly is a problem, as the doctor said, that the children don't get enough vitamins. Over the winter, we always have plenty of cheese and meat, but it's not enough for a balanced nutrition. 47-year-old Gia knows that the issue of his children's unbalanced diet is not easy to solve. He hopes that one day they'll be able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in Ushguli. Before returning to the mountains, father and son visit the hospital doctor at his home. He is a distant relative, and it is courtesy to pay him a visit. In return, Sfenetian customs dictate that the host offers the guests food in abundance, usually khachapuri, the Sfenetian cheese bread. A prayer before dinner. Svans are deeply religious. Every family has its own ornate holy pictures. Icons have special powers. They can settle enmities and antagonism between people and prevent them from sinning. Icons can reconcile quarreling families or tribes. People are afraid to lie in front of an icon. That's why people will never break their vow if they've sworn on an icon. Icons are a gift from God. A short distance from the town of Mestia lies Ligurka, the national shrine of the Svans. It is a small church built during the 11th century in honor of Saint Quiricus and Saint Julieta, martyrs at the time of the persecution of Christians. The church is guarded by 63-year-old Saul Gulbani. Having the reputation of being very trustworthy, he was chosen to hold the key to the church. Inside the church, some extraordinary icons are stored. A massive silver-studded cross from the 11th century AD dominates the tiny space. The icons are very important to us Svans. Without them, we cannot exist. It hasn't always been easy to protect those valuable items from our enemies. The people from my village especially defended them many times in the past. Many of the icons were made here in Svaneti because we had many skilled silversmiths. A lot of the icons are unique treasures, skillfully forged and chiseled from gold and silver. This is the famous Shalyani icon from Byzantium, wrapped in a plastic foil to protect and preserve it. The impressive wall paintings were created in 1111 AD. The extraordinary craftsmanship is immediately apparent. It is obvious why Ligurka is also known as Svaneti's treasure chest. Svaneti's remoteness has led to some religious peculiarities. Svans maintain a distinct cult of the dead. They firmly believe that the souls of the deceased regularly return to the living. Crosses by the side of the road in memory of accident victims are always supplied with fresh drinks. The burial of the dead is a moving ceremony. A young man is taken to his grave in Mestia, the provincial capital. Over 1,000 relatives from all across Georgia have come to bid farewell. The wailing of the women and the mournful chanting of the men can be heard a long way away. In cemeteries too, Svans place fresh drinks at the graves, an offering to the souls of their ancestors. A custom from the pagan pre-Christian days claims the Orthodox clergy. People believe that these traditions are the traditions of their forefathers, and for that reason, they have to adhere to them. To them, disrespecting these traditions is an insult to their debt. What the Church asks of the people is not to forget about these old rituals and customs, but to refrain from practicing them as Orthodox Christians. Due to the geographical remoteness of Svaneti, the official Orthodox Church did not manage to establish itself in this mountainous region. For a long time, therefore, services were conducted by lay priests. What's more, they used to take place outside the Church because the interior was reserved for the deceased, according to local belief. The Georgian Orthodox Church is only gradually succeeding in introducing a proper liturgy in Svaneti. Weddings are major events in Svaneti. To honor this special day, old men wear their traditional stiff felt hats. The couple has invited some 300 guests to their wedding. The two families have chosen a figure of authority to be the tamada, the toastmaster. Dear Nadia, dear Jaba, On the path from childhood to adulthood, love has stormed your innocent, naive hearts. I drink to that. May your love rise to the highest clouds in the sky, my precious. May Virgin Mary's and Christ's blessing be upon you. Once the tamada has emptied his horn, the other guests can drink too. It is also his duty to watch that no one steps out of line during the ceremony. I am leading the celebration tonight and have begun with the traditional Svan toast. We drink first to God and to St. George, and then we propose the toasts that are customary in other parts of Georgia. In the main, however, the wedding reception is about singing and dancing all night long. The songs tell of pride and honor, but also of the great responsibility that a Svan newlywed bears. I wish us happiness and health, success and many children. Certainly no less than 10. The father of the bride is not entirely happy. He bemoans the loss of traditional values. I wish we could return to the old ways. In the old days, when a young man wanted to marry a girl, a messenger would go to the girl's family to inform them about the groom's financial standing and personality. Nowadays, two young people just meet, start dating and marry in a matter of days, only to divorce again soon. And I don't like that. However, the advent of modern life cannot be halted. And the same is true for Mestia, the capital of the province. The town, situated at the foot of the mighty double summit of Ushba, resembles a vast construction site. Many of its roughly 3,000 inhabitants are converting their houses into small pensions. The allures of tourism are hard to withstand. The Georgian state promotes the development of the region into a tourist area, aiming mainly at hikers and skiers. The first visitors are already here. The airport's runway has already been extended. The terminal owes its futuristic shape to a Berlin-based architects firm. The German architects based their design on the traditional Svanetian towers. In their efforts to attract tourists, Svans bank on the charm of a traditional family atmosphere. 24-year-old Giorgi Giapparizzi is converting his parents' house into an inn. Giorgi went to school in Germany. He speaks the language and has an idea about what his future guests will be like. I think the tourists coming here will want to feel like they are staying with a family. They want to see how we live, what our everyday life is like. I believe that five-star hotels are out of place here. This is Svaneti, an old traditional province that has to be preserved. Tourism presents people here with an opportunity. In five years' time, there will be more tourists here. I think that by then, everything will be much, much prettier and better here, too. OK, maybe not prettier. It's always been pretty here, but newer and better. Changes can also be good to a certain extent. An increase in the tourist trade will change the traditional way of life of the Svans for good. Disputes have already arisen because some families in Mestia have not been awarded subsidies for renovating their houses. The Council of Elders is convening to resolve this issue. It's an institution that has existed here since ancient times. Those local legal structures coincide with state law to this day. And Svans still prefer to observe their own rules rather than those of the state. A council member has written a letter to the government on behalf of the entire council. The elders request that the grants for the house renovations in Mestia are distributed fairly. This will go to the government. They should judge for themselves how reasonable and logical the letter is. What's important is that they listen to the voice of the people. Whether the demand is fair and logical is not relevant. This is how proper democracy should be. The council, say, is still very influential in the case of capital offences such as robbery or murder. Perpetrators may be judged and sentenced in a court of law. But murder in Svaneti is revenged with a blood feud, despite the fact that it is officially forbidden. Blood revenge exists everywhere. Everyone whose child, brother or father was murdered wants to avenge them. People say it's very pronounced here. But vendetta exists everywhere, not only in Svaneti. But here in Svaneti, this old tradition will exist forever. Sometimes, even in Svaneti, prediction and modern life are not too far apart. In a coffee shop in Mestia, a group of teenage students are having a going-away party. Yet instead of pop music, they play and dance to Svanetian traditional music. Twenty-year-old Nina has just graduated from high school. Soon, she will leave her hometown for the big city of Tbilisi, the country's capital, where she will study law and economy. I find it really hard. I will definitely come back on at the next holiday. Leaving my home, even though it's only for a certain period of time, is not easy. On the one hand, I think it's very sad that Nina is leaving our beautiful Svaneti and her friends. But on the other, I believe it's a good thing that she's found a purpose in her life and wants to study. Young Svans wanting to pursue a higher education will inevitably have to leave the region they grew up in. But they all swear they will return to this unique mountain world one day. In Ushguli, people are slowly getting into winter mode. Soon, the village at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level will be buried in snow for six months, totally cut off from the outside world. An old village custom at the beginning of the cold season is to slaughter an ox. The Njidjaradzes have chosen a strong animal. The highly respected family has its own little church. This church is of great significance to the Njidjaradze family. It's been standing on this hill for centuries. Our ancestors worshipped and protected it. Everyone who visits us likes the fact that our family has its own church. Svans have upheld their pagan traditions to this day. In their prayers, they commemorate the deceased and pray for the living. Amen! Before the Svans slaughter the ox, they consecrate the animal with candles made of beeswax. It is an ancient ritual with its roots probably in the Old Testament. Then the ox is led around the Njidjaradze family church three times, another element of the old rite. Slaughtering is also an archaic procedure. In order to contain the 360 kilo ox, Gia needs help from the other men. Then he slits the animal's throat and they wait until it bleeds to death. Everyone has come to join in the feast, relatives, neighbors, friends. After all the weeks spent together harvesting up on the steep slopes, it has become a tradition to also celebrate together. The heart of the ox is cooked separately because it must be blessed in the church later. The joints of meat that are not eaten immediately are cured and stored for the winter. The cooking for the feast is done exclusively by the men, another one of those Svanetian traditions. The women bake khachapuri. The bread is filled with fresh innards. Feasts are essential elements of life in Svaneti. They are days to celebrate with family and friends, but also days of contemplation about the really important things in life. I wish my children a good future, a good life, and that their living conditions are better than ours. I wish the very best for them. To me, being a Svan is associated with being very proud and dignified. It's an honor to be a Svan and to be able to preserve the Svanetian tradition. Svans are considered people with very good qualities. Ushguli is a free place. I am proud to be a Svan, and I will never cease to pray for Svaneti. All the food must be blessed in the family church before the feast can begin. The Svans not only remember the dead in their prayers, but in spirit also share their food with their ancestors. The heart and the liver represent the soul of the animal. They are divided up and consumed inside the church, an ancient rite from pagan times. Svans honor nature, the gods, and their great victories against aggressors. It would seem that nothing can change the inner fabric of this archaic community. And yet the advent of modernity is unstoppable. Young people leave their mountain home, and tourists have started to discover Svaneti, its people, and its extraordinary nature. But Svans believe that the dream of a good life can only be fulfilled if they succeed in preserving the old traditions and values which their ancestors have handed down to them.