SOCIETY

Saturday Night Fever: Etseri, Svaneti

BLOG BY TONY HANMER

Saturday Night Fever, mostly because of the recent local elections held across Georgia on Saturday October 4. Here in our village, too, there were several men vying for government positions, and the winner this time was one of my former colleagues, one of the teachers at our school, whom I’ve known for all of my two decades in Georgia.

The next time he visited our shop, I took the opportunity to congratulate him in person, for both his political victory and the general return to school, leaving the hated and really ineffi cient online lessons hopefully for good. Then I asked him about the most pressing problem of our village at this moment.

Our water supply, which comes from a spring several kilometers above the village, has been quite erratic this year, for reasons rather mysterious to me and insuffi ciently explained. Heavy rains apparently blocked the main pipe with leaves and other washed-in debris: understood. Each such blockage means that someone must walk up to the source and clear it. I have never done this yet, and hope to join such a blockade simply to participate and learn what is needed in case I must do it alone sometime.

Other times of water cutoff, however, seem to have been quite unconnected with very wet weather. They are at least an inconvenience to all (I check with the neighbors at each occurrence to determine if the problem is ours alone or more widespread, and the latter it always is). At worst, if we would have had guests in the guest house, they would have been a major embarrassment, although so far, mercifully, the two events have not coincided: partly because both cutoffs and guests have been less than common since the latter began trickling in this last May.

It seems that somewhere upstream from us on the pipeline, access points are available, from which anyone can just… turn off the water to a whole hamlet, maybe to increase its pressure to their own area. They never seem to turn it down, however, only all the way off. There are never any explanations or warnings or arguments or even culprits, just the sudden complete loss of our H2O.

Now, as we do always have a 250 L water container full in our downstairs bathroom and a 6 L bottle full of water specifi cally to drink, our situation is rarely dire. But the whole upstairs ends up with nothing, and we have just a plastic container just to fl ush the toilet or wash our hands with, which we can institute for each of our 5 bathrooms separately as needed. Anyone needing a shower can have a bucketful heated up to pour over themselves. But that’s it. The dishes generally sit unwashed; ditto the laundry, although we CAN run the washing machine entirely by bucket too.

Anyone wanting to settle a score (such thoughts are unfortunately too common in my head at the dry times) has this easy means at their disposal. I can’t point a fi nger at anyone at all, specifi cally, except those with whom we currently have very strained or even completely nonexistent relationships due to: chronic ignoring of their debt in the shop, being caught stealing from the shop (currently only a single example), or trying repeatedly to buy things when falling-down drunk.

Anyone else with a grudge against us is more than likely simply green with envy at our business prosperity: a less rare occurrence than anyone would like, it manifests in village hall meetings when all the old grievances from decades past are trotted out and lovingly rehashed. I hate to have such thoughts about my neighbors near and far, and try to suppress them when they arise, with varying degrees of success. We don’t at all mind the idea of anyone competing with our guest house, shop or any other venture, and just want the whole village to fl ourish in both income and local spending.

But I made it known to my new local government representative that if anyone is hell-bent on causing chaos, turning off the water in winter, when pipes might well freeze until spring, is a very simple way out. Then we will simply leave, house by house or en masse, as the Svans have done in past hard times, and said local government will be kings of nothing. A commission is designated to appear by the middle of this month to check out the water woes, which means that they can indeed be solved before frost sets in. We will see.

Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/ groups/SvanetiRenaissance/ He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

Living History in Georgia

BY MICHAEL GODWIN

In many parts of Europe and the United States, men and women from all backgrounds are often seen spending their weekends marching, making camp, drilling with uniforms and weapons, even fi ghting on open fi elds. These are not members of the standing army, but rather volunteers dedicated to the preservation of history through imitation. Wearing uniforms that are carefully tailored to mirror the chosen historical military unit, they march and conduct military drills and in some instances even simulate battle.

The reenactment of historical battles is nothing new. The Romans staged mock battles in their amphitheaters and coliseums, often with live combat; Medieval crowds looked on in amazement as “armies” collided on a parade fi eld to replicate the Roman and Greek battles of yesteryear. Now, volunteers spend their own resources to honor those who served their country in years past. Through an exorbitant amount of research, they are able to recreate the uniforms and equipment that warriors from history’s armies wore. The arms are also often either the same from the preferred period, or recreations.

In the United States, some of these historical demonstrations are done through the United States Department of the Interior’s National Park Service with special attention paid to the soldiers and civilians that were involved or affected by the American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865) and the American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783). Members of these volunteer units also partake in private events that simulate force-on-force combat complete with infantry, artillery, and even cavalry elements.

As a means with which to embrace their ancestors, regional history, or simply leave the home on the weekend, these volunteers draw from virtually every background. And as shown by the large crowds these displays draw, their performances are highly regarded by both young and old, many of whom are passionate about their nation’s, region’s, state’s, or even city’s history, seeing this as an honor to their locale. The Georgian’s passion for their culture, history, and unique regions of the nation make it fertile ground for a similar community of volunteers.

Already present in some small Georgian towns and villages, some groups have taken to traditional dances and displays of swordsmanship or horse riding prowess on special cultural dates. Additionally, Georgia is well known for its traditional ballet performances, such as those performed by the renowned Sukhishvilebi, whose combination of artistic choreography and links to the history of the country make it a treasured hallmark.

However, there is something at the center of living history that differentiates it from the more artistic and performative examples currently in place. In many of these living history communities, there lies a sense of historical accuracy and attention to the details of the arms and equipment being employed in the demonstration. It is not uncommon for members of living history or historical reenactment groups, often modeled after a specifi c military unit, to spend countless hours online and in libraries doing research. This research centers around uniform types and construction, signifi cant dates for their unit, notable members, and tactics used.

With Georgia’s extensive timeline and colorful history, having a healthy community of volunteers willing to preserve this through a similar commitment to accuracy is important. In conjunction with the resources and research already done by the Georgian National Museum, volunteers have access to a wide breadth of information and historical artifacts. Ongoing research and archeology projects offer an opportunity for the community and the researchers to come together to discover and preserve this jewel of Georgian culture.

Just as it is often done in the United States and much of Europe, these volunteer communities generally center around certain historical people, locations, or military units of a particular time period. Working together, these volunteers assist each other in organizing special events and in building a reputation of being a cultural icon as well as a trusted historical authority. In addition, these groups often take part in government events such as special holiday celebrations, memorial events, and even opening ceremonies for sports or political events.

The use of traditional practices and the classic dueling seen in much of the mountainous regions of Georgia give an excellent starting point for local prospective volunteers. Youth programs aimed at rekindling a sense of national pride and historical literacy give a platform for volunteers to share their knowledge and demonstrations. With Georgia’s virtually innumerable amount of castles and ancient or medieval structures still present, this provides abundant locales for historical events and fairs to take place.

Historical preservation is something to which every community should be bound. That history is not only what makes the community what it is, but also can be a rudder to help steer them to where they will go. With a community of like-minded volunteers, working with schools and museums, Georgia enshrines its unique and expansive history. In doing this, it inspires a sense of unity and a positive national identity that is crucial to the health and welfare of the country.

Khevsurs, in Georgian ხევსურეთი, with their traditional arms and armor gather for a photo displaying their martial prowess as mountain soldiers. Source: Photographer unknown