Svaneti

Coordinates: 42°54′59″N 43°00′41″E / 42.91639°N 43.01139°E / 42.91639; 43.01139
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Upper Svaneti
)
Svaneti
სვანეთი
Historical Region
The historic region of Svaneti in Georgia
The historic region of Svaneti in Georgia
Coordinates: 42°54′59″N 43°00′41″E / 42.91639°N 43.01139°E / 42.91639; 43.01139
Country Georgia
MkhareRacha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Abkhazia
CapitalMestia, Lentekhi
Area
 • Total5,776.4 km2 (2,230.3 sq mi)
Population
 • Total23,000
 • Density4.0/km2 (10/sq mi)
Upper Svaneti
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Chazhashi in 2016
LocationChazhashi
CriteriaCultural: iv, v
Reference709
Inscription1996 (20th Session)
Area1.06 ha
Buffer zone19.16 ha
Coordinates42°54′27″N 43°0′39″E / 42.90750°N 43.01083°E / 42.90750; 43.01083
Svaneti is located in Georgia
Svaneti
Location of Svaneti in Georgia
Svaneti is located in West and Central Asia
Svaneti
Svaneti (West and Central Asia)

Svaneti or Svanetia (Svan: შუ̂ან, ლემშუ̂ანიერა shwan, lemshwaniera, Suania in ancient sources; Georgian: სვანეთი Svaneti) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia. Running along the Greater Caucasus range, Svaneti is one of the most mountainous regions of Georgia. It is largely inhabited by the Svans, an ethnic subgroup of Georgians.

Geography

Svaneti is located in Georgia
Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti
Inguri River
Inguri River
Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti
Rioni River
Rioni River
Svaneti
Tskhenistsqali River
Tskhenistsqali River
Rioni River
Rioni River
Svaneti
Svaneti
Tbilisi
Tbilisi
class=notpageimage|
The two valleys of Svaneti

= Upper Svaneti = Lower Svaneti

= Kodori valley which also has a Svan population

Situated on the southern slopes of the central

Tetnuldi (4,974 m / 16,319 ft), Shota Rustaveli (4,960 m / 16,273 ft), Mount Ushba (4,710 m / 15,453 ft), Ailama (4,525 m / 14,842 ft), as well as Lalveri, Latsga
and others.

Svaneti has two parts corresponding to two inhabited valleys:

They are separated by the

Baksan north of the crest of the Caucasus. Writing in 1848, Bodenstedt said that Upper Svaneti could only be reached by a difficult footpath that was closed in winter.[1]

Landscape

View of the Caucasus Mountains in Svaneti.

The landscape of Svaneti is dominated by mountains that are separated by deep gorges. Most of the region which lies below 1,800 meters (5,904  ft) above sea level is covered by mixed and

pine and box. The zone which extends from 1,800 meters to roughly about 3,000 meters (5,904–9,840  ft) above sea level consists of alpine meadows and grasslands. Eternal snows and glaciers take over in areas that are over 3,000 meters above sea level. The region is notable for its glaciers and picturesque summits. Svaneti's signature peak is probably Mount Ushba which towers over the Inguri Gorge
and can be seen from many parts of the region.

Climate

The climate of Svaneti is humid and is influenced by the air masses coming in from the

avalanches
are a frequent occurrence. Snow cover may reach 5 meters (16.4 feet) in some areas. In general, the lowest regions of Svaneti (800–1200 meters / 2624–3936 feet above sea level) are characterized by long, warm summers and relatively cold and snowy winters. Middle altitudes (1200–1800 meters above sea level) experience relatively warm summers and cold winters. Areas above 2000 meters above sea level lie within a zone that experiences short, cool summers (less than 3 months) and long and cold winters. Large parts of Svaneti lie above 3000 meters (9840 feet) above sea level, a zone that does not have a real summer. Due to Svaneti's close proximity to the Black Sea, the region is spared from the extremely cold winter temperatures that are characteristic of high mountains.

History

A typical Svanetian tower
An 11th-century fresco of the Svan nobleman Mikael Chagiani from Adishi.

The Svans are usually identified with the Soanes mentioned by

Orthodox culture flourished particularly during the Georgian “golden age” under Queen Tamar
(r. 1184–1213), who was respected almost as a goddess by the Svanetians. The legend has it that the duchy was annually visited by Tamar. The Svans had been known as fierce warriors for centuries. Their inflatable war banner was named Lemi (Lion) because of its shape.

The marauding

disintegration of the Kingdom of Georgia in the 1460s, fighting broke out for controlling the province. Part of Upper Svanetia formed an independent principality under the Princes Dadeshkeliani, a branch of the Gelovani family, while Lower Svanetia, originally ruled by the Princes Gelovani, was temporarily usurped and subdued by the Mingrelian princes Dadiani. Facing serious internal conflict, Prince Tsioq’ Dadeshkeliani of Svanetia signed a treaty of protectorate with the Russian Empire on November 26, 1833. Difficult to access, the region retained significant autonomy until 1857, when Russia took advantage of the dynastic feud in Svanetia and effectively abolished the principality's autonomy. In 1875, the Russians toughened their rule by imposing additional taxes. Protests ensued, and Russia deployed troops against the province
. Despite having suffered heavy losses, the Russian army units eventually crushed the rebels burning their stronghold Khalde to the ground in 1876.

Part of the Russian governorate of Kutais, Svanetia was divided into two raions (districts) — Mestia (former Sethi) and Lentekhi — under the Soviet rule. The unsuccessful anti-Soviet Svaneti uprising took place in the region in 1921.

Mestia, c. 1890s

In 1987,

Tskaltubo, Khoni, Ozurgeti, and Lanchkhuti rayons).[3] The end of the Soviet Union and subsequent Georgian Civil War created severe socioeconomic problems in the region. While the Svanetian population resisted the unpleasant conditions of the high mountain environment they lived in for centuries, the increasing economic difficulties of the last two decades and frequent natural disasters — floods and landslides as of April 2005 ([1]) have brought about a strong tendency towards migration. The province became a safe haven for criminals threatening local residents and tourists. Large-scale anti-criminal operations carried out by the Georgian Special Forces as of March 2004 [4]
resulted in significant improvement of the situation.

Population

The historic region of Lower Svaneti in Georgia.

The Svans, the indigenous population of Svanetia, are an ethnic subgroup of the

Georgian Orthodox Christians, and were Christianized in the 4th-6th centuries. However, some remnants of old paganism have been maintained. Saint George (known as Jgëræg to the locals), a patron saint
of Georgia, is the most respected saint. The Svans have retained many of their old traditions, including blood revenge. Their families are small, and the husband is the head of his family.

Typically bilingual, they use both

South Caucasian
or Kartvelian language family.

Culture and tourism

Main article: Ushguli

Svanetia is known for its architectural treasures[

editorializing] With a high quantity of these unique houses and exceptional preservation of a medieval rural village, the community of Ushguli in Upper Svaneti was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.[5]

Svan songs and dances are notable cultural traditions. Svanetia boasts arguably the most archaic three-part polyphonic singing. Most of their songs are connected to round dances, are performed very loudly and are full of dissonant chords.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Friedrich Bodenstedt, Die Voelker Des Kaukasus..., 1848, page 69
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8
    .
  3. ^ Trier, Tom & Turashvili, Medea (2007): Resettlement of Ecologically Displaced Persons - Solution of a Problem or Creation of a New? Eco-Migration in Georgia 1981–2006. ECMI Monograph #6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ President Hails Anti-Crime Operation in Svaneti Civil Georgia, Tbilisi, 24 March 2004
  5. ^ "Upper Svaneti". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 Mar 2022.
  6. ^ Jordania, J. (2015). "Choral Singing in Human Culture and Evolution", Lambert Academic Publishers, Chapter "Traditional Polyphony in Svaneti", Pg. 120-123

External links

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