Planet Earth. Tusheti – a corner of wild nature untouched by civilization

Imagine the picture: at the foot of a hill, blown by the winds, there is a tiny wooden hut. The smoke from her chimney smoothly spreads along the slope, on which lambs graze carelessly. Inside the hut, a large iron cauldron, already worn from centuries of use, stands in a swirling swirl of flame. As bubbles begin to form within it, mountain barley and wild hops fuse together to create the intoxicatingly sweet yet tart and cloudy ale known as aluda.

Every year a group of men gather around this cauldron. All instructions are distributed by the “shulta”. This is a person specially chosen by the village to fulfill the duties of a minister of this sanctuary. The joint preparation of aluda in preparation for the upcoming festival is considered a sacred rite of their informal brotherhood.

Soon, this special drink will be used to mark the start of the two-week Atnigenob festival, which takes place in the northeastern region of Georgia called Tusheti. Here they perform a pagan ritual of sacrificing a ram, worship shrines, participate in folk dances and wild horse races.

Tucked away behind the mountains that separate Georgia from its Chechen and Dagestan neighbors, this region can only be reached by a long, narrow gravel road that stretches 3 kilometers above the gorges.

This secluded place is a real natural treasure.hidden from prying eyes on the edge of Europe.

Due to heavy snowfalls in winter, the tourist season is short and the region is only open to the public for about 4-5 months of the year. Nevertheless, for those who like to open new horizons, this is an ideal place.

Tusheti is famous for its breathtaking landscapes and ancient traditions, in particular, folk crafts. Due to the long-standing custom of grazing sheep and goats, wool items are especially popular here, mainly comfortable knitted slippers and carpets with intricate geometric patterns.

Already in October, only local residents remain in Tusheti. They are preparing for a long and harsh winter alone with the wild, which completely isolates them from the outside world. Irakli Khvedaguridze is the only doctor in all 52 villages in Tusheti who, at the age of 80, relies solely on his wits, a horse and a pair of reliable home-made skis to get to the sick person at any time of the year.

Melanie Hamilton.

Source – CNN

Translation – Daniil Prilepsky “Moscow Truth”