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by photographer Gia Chkhatarashvili
FiftyCrows International Fund for Documentary Photography
2004 Central Asia and the Caucasus competition
Category 1: Regional Winner
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Image of
©2004 Gia Chkhatarashvili |
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Photographer's Statement
Nestled 2,300 meters high in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia is Ushguli, a
village of three hundred Svanetian people that dates back more than 2,000
years. Its severe location at an altitude higher than any other settlement
in Europe isolates Ushguli from the rest of modernizing Georgia, and as a
result, many Svanetian religious and cultural traditions have remained
virtually intact. In recent years, however, economic pressures have been
forcing more and more young Svans into cities and now the future longevity
of one of Georgia’s oldest tribes is fading. Based on a ten year
relationship with the community, Chkhatarashvili has produced a lasting
vision of village life in "Ushguli: A Village at a Crossroad". These tender
portraits trace Ushguli’s close communal ethic, its devoted relationship to
the land, and the uniquely hybrid religious rites that make Svanetian
identity a symbol of all that is at stake in these times of tremendous
socio-political change in Georgia.
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The Parliament of Georgia
Official website of the Parliament of Georgia. Contains various reference material, including a page on the Svaneti Province
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Description and reports on this isolated area of the Caucasus, chosen as a world heritage site in 1996 for the exceptional landscape that has been preserved to a remarkable degree in its original medieval appearance. |
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Cultures On The Edge
is an online magazine founded by world-renown author Wade Davis and professional photographer Chris Rainier. It’s focus is to open dialogue and increasing global awareness about unique segments of humanity and indigenous populations. |
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NGO Red Book
A comprehensive book describing language groups, tribes, and dialects. It is a source for information about the peoples of the Caucasus and Turkey. |
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Language family maps for many regions in Central Asia and the Caucasus |
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Crucible of the Gods
National Geographic article about blood sacrifice rituals in isolated areas of Turkey and Georgia. Article includes a detailed downloadable map and many photos. |
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Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry by Peter Nasmyth
(Palgrave Macmillan, 1998. ISBN: 031221524X)
This book is the first comprehensive cultural and historical introduction to modern Georgia. It covers the country region by region, taking the form of a literary journey through the transition from Soviet Georgia to the modern independent nation state. |
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Salt For Svanetia, 1930
Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, 1930 silent film
Salt for Svanetia is an avant-garde ethnographic treasure that documents with visual bravado the harsh conditions of life in the isolated mountain village of Ushkul. Often compared to Buñuel's Land Without Bread, Salt is a starkly rendered homage to the resourcefulness and determination of the Svan and their transformation as Soviet road builders arrive to connect them with the rest of the world. |
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Country Profile: Georgia |
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