Georgian Folk Dance

Kartuli - The dance Kartuli many times reminds the audience of a wedding . Kartuli is a truly romantic dance. It is performed by a dance couple and incorporates the softness and gracefulness of a woman and dignity and love of a man. It shows that even in love, men uphold their respect and manners by not touching the woman and maintaining a certain distance from her. The man focuses his eyes on his partner as if she were the only woman in the whole world. He keeps his upper body motionless at all times. The woman keeps her eyes downcast at all times and glides on the rough floor as a swan on the smooth surface of a lake. The utmost skill, which is necessary to perform Kartuli, has earned the dance a reputation of one of the most difficult dances. There have been only a few great performers of Kartuli. Some of these are Nino Ramishvili, Iliko Sukhishvi

li, Iamze Dolaberidze and Pridon Sulaberidze.

 

                                                                                       

Acharuli has also originated in the region of Achara. It is where the dance gets its name from. Acharuli is distinguished from other dances with its colorful costumes and the playful mood that simple but definite movements of both men and women create on stage. The dance is characterized with graceful, soft, and playful flirtation between the males and females. Unlike Kartuli, the relationship between men and women in this dance is more informal and lighthearted. Acharuli instills the sense of happiness in both the dancer and the audience.

Mtiuluri - is also a mountain dance. Similar to Khevsuruli, Mtiuluri is also based on competition. However, in this dance, the competition is mainly between two groups of young men. It is more like a celebration of skill and art. At first, groups compete in performing complicated movements. Then, we see the girl’s dance, which is followed by an individual dancer's performance of amazing "tricks" on their knees and toes. At the end, everyone dances a beautiful finale. This dance truly reminds us of a festival in the mountains.

Mkhedruli dance The word "Mkhedari" means cavalryman and the Mkhedruli is, therefore, a cavalryman's dance. The dance begins in a raging tempo, becoming more and more violent. The legs of the cavalryman imitate the fast movements of the horse, while their body and arm movements impersonate the battle with enemy.

RACHA

RACHA

       RACHA  is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia’s current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region as the municipalities of Oni and Ambrolauri.

Culture and traditions:

       Its people are known for their dedication to work, love for wine, and ability to sing. They still maintain ancient traditions of vineyards and winemaking, just as they were described in ancient Greek and Roman writing. During the 19th century, wine bottled in Racha was presented at famous European exhibitions and wine bottlers won prizes which can still be found in local museums. As many as 60 local species of grape vines were cultivated here, including Alexandrouli, Usakhelouri, Mujuretuli, Tsolikouri, Tetra and Ojaleshi. The most popular is Khvanchkara wine, made from grapes that can only grow on the rich lands of Khvanchkara village. The population of Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti is known for viticulture, bee-keeping, production of dairy products, cattle-breeding and horticulture, as well as carpentry and singing. Racha, like most of Georgia, is known for its hospitality. Carpenters of Racha are famous throughout Georgia. One of the biggest contributions they have made to Georgian art is the “Sakvartskhuli,” the chair used by the head of the family. It had three legs and a semi-circular back. Traditionally the back of the chair is decorated with symbolic engravings. In the regions outside of the capital, tourists can watch - and even participate in the process of making traditional crafts. Racha is known for its wood craftsmanship.

              Traditionally, the people from Racha are known for their “measured” slowness and were even featured in a famous Georgian movie called “The Fastest People in the World.” Some of the special dishes and food of Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti include: beans, lori (ham), lobiani (spiced bean stuffed bread, baked or fried), khachapuri (baked cheese stuffed bread), satsivi (chicken in a spiced walnut sauce), gomi (Georgian style grits usually served with cheese), mchadi (fried corn bread usually served with cheese), Georgian cheese (usually soft, salty and homemade), matsoni (fresh homemade yogurt), and pkhali (fresh spinach ground with walnuts and spices). There are also several different dishes with fish, chicken, veal, vegetables, honey, chiri (dried fruit), and jam. A well-known dish called “Shkmeruli” (chicken in garlic sauce) comes from the village of Shkmeri in Racha. Most of the dishes are prepared in clay

pots and adorned for serving. 

Welcome To Svaneti

Svaneti is one of the most beautiful side of Georgia. The central, 125 km part of  the west Caucasus starting from Kodori range and ending at the Pasi mountain is called Svanetian Caucasus. Svaneti which is highest region in Georgia settled by people, is located on its south slopes. Svaneti includes gorges of the rivers Inguri and Tskhenistsqali from their midstream to the headwaters. Upper Svaneti is presented by the district of Mestia. Which is a  small town and the administrative centre giving the name to the district. Lower Svaneti is likewise presented by

the administrative district of Lentekhi. 

        Svaneti harbours the major Caucasus peaks and the largest glaciers, the total area of which equals 300 sq. km. They hang over the Caucasus Mountains like an icy crown. The most important mountains are Tsurungala (4220 metres above the sea level), Ailama (4550 m.), Shkhara (5068 m.), Jangha (5060 m.), Gestola (4860 m.), Tikhtingen (4620 m.), Tetnuldi (4860 m.), Mazeri (4010 m.) and Chatini (4370 m.) that are neighboured by a well-known steep rock massif of twin-headed Ushba (4700 m.). Ushba is a paragon of a natural beauty and complexity among the Caucasus Mountains, similar to Matterhorn (4478 m.) in Alps.

            History of Museum of Svaneti counts almost one century.  After rehabilitation of the museum, exhibition halls were equipped in the modern way under the latest standards. There were created restoration laboratories and storages. Now museum has 6 permanent exposition halls. Visitors have amazing opportunity to travel inside the museum and see exponents discovered during archeological excavations and numismatic samples. Museum has special halls of Christian treasure, where visitors have opportunity to see IX-XVIII century masterpieces of world importance such as:  Icon of the Forty Sebastian Martyrs, Embroidered Byzantine Icon, Venetian Cross, jug donated by Queen Tamar, earliest remaining sample of illustrated manuscript- Adishi Gospels (897) and etcetera. The last exhibition hall in the museum is dedicated to the exponents of Georgian Ethnography.

The project of rehabilitation of The Museum of History and Ethnography of Svaneti was supported by Government of Georgia and different international organizations and funds, such as: The National Commission of UNESCO in Georgia, EU Twinning Program, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation/Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Smithsonian institution, US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Heritage Preservation and with the help of the Italian and Swiss embassies.

Mikheil Khergiani was Georgian alpinist. his museum is very significant, because there are alpinist's memorial things and different exhibits of life Svaneti icons, furniture, vessels, clothes, alpinist's implements also paintings and different publication about alpinism. 

Georgian cuisine is rich of many dishes characteristic to Svaneti, among them famous sulguni - kind of cheese, kaarz - cheese with mint boiled in milk, khachapuri - baked cheese in wheat bread, Pishvdar - cheese baked in corn bread, or Tchkut - baked cheese in millet bread, kubdari - stewed beef baked in wheat bread, sham - corn flour porridge with slices of sulguni cheese, tashmijab - cream of potatoes and cheese mixed with corn flour, chadi - a cornbread etc. There is also a wide range of pasties cooked with different stewed herbs inside. Svans like barley soup seasoned with garlic and pepper (Lutspek) and barley flour boiled in nettle soup (Kharshil). These soups are also very healthy food, they say that if one eats them at least ten times, he won't get sick during the whole year.

Almost all dishes are dressed with Svan salt - a regular table salt mixture with bits of ground red hot pepper and variety of spices. The dishes dressed with Svan salt have a very characteristic flavour and taste.

Another reason for specialty of Svaneti cuisine is that all dishes are cooked with local, natural products giving a unique taste and aroma to them.

It is impossible to grow grapes in Svaneti highland, that is why Svans have to buy wine in the low-land regions or distil vodka from local fruits or honey. An important attribute of Svans feast is mineral water from natural sources, which can be found all over the region.