Georgia 2013, Socialist Realism
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Category: Caucasus
Tbilisi, Georgia, March 16, 2013
The last time I was in Tbilisi, in November, I watched the progression of autumn as trees turned, leaves fell and the winds grew cold. I am watching the reverse this March. I snowed on and off the first week I was here and I could see snow sticking on the hills above Tbilisi. The weather has turned, it is in the 60s, sunny and the green lace and blossoms are beginning to appear on those same trees. I had a cold much of the first week so I went to work went home and didn’t have many adventures. I’m … Continue reading Tbilisi, Georgia, March 16, 2013
Gudauri Ski Area, Georgia.
Friday was a holiday in Georgia, International Women’s Day. The Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, GIPA the University where I’m doing some work, takes the holiday for a ski excursion to Gudauri. ( გუდაური in the Georgian alphabet, the word looks beautiful, I hope your computer can decipher it.) The busses gathered at 8 AM at the Radisson Hotel on Rose Revolution Square, on the other end of Rustaveli Street from where I am staying on Freedom Square. I was not sure how long a walk it would be. I’ve walked it many times but never without interruption. Rustaveli Street … Continue reading Gudauri Ski Area, Georgia.
Georgian Military Road
The Georgian Military Road, an ancient trade route over the Greater Caucasus Mountains. Pliny wrote of it. In 1799 Russian Tsar Alexander I ordered the road paved and the rivers bridged as the Russian Empire annexed Georgia and moved further into Armenia. The road was “completed” (If such a road is ever completed) in 1817. It is one of the highest paved highways in Europe. There are watchtowers along the route as it travels river valleys and switchbacks up mountain sides. The road passes the Zhinvali River Dam and we had one cigarette break the Ananuri Fortress-Monastery which was a … Continue reading Georgian Military Road
Rustaveli Avenue on International Women’s Day
For the text to explain these pictures please see the post on Gudauri Ski Area. Continue reading Rustaveli Avenue on International Women’s Day
Travel from Sitka to Tbilisi.
March 3, 2013, Tbilisi, Georgia Historically travel has always been arduous. But for a brief period, for a certain social class, travel was glamorous. “Getting there is half the fun” Cunard crowed in mid-century ads. Flying, jet setting had a certain cache. Super Graphics from the airports in early 70’s had fashionable young people in shades and Italian designer cloths smiling as they walked to planes. Today, at SeaTac there is the graphic of a cartoon character, sweating, lugging a suitcase, looking completely harried. It’s an honest, and funny, presentation of flying today and brought more than a few chuckles. … Continue reading Travel from Sitka to Tbilisi.
Yerevan, Armenia
Yerevan, Armenia does not have an official market but the regular street markets take on a festive air at Christmas time. Here are some pictures from 2006. I love the fur hats and Santa selling luxury automobiles. We almost … Continue reading Yerevan, Armenia
Batumi, Georgia
Sept 21, 2012, Batumi , Georgia, Batumi, Georgia is what Wildwood; New Jersey would be if Wildwood were built in the LED era rather than the neon era. At its most outlandish it is a combination of the fantasies of Georgian President Misha Saakashvili and Donald Trump. At its best it is a fine old Black Sea town with wrought iron balconies reminiscent of New Orleans interspersed with Turkish shop houses and pencil thin minarets. Batumi is a border town between Georgia and Turkey. It’s been governed by both, as well as the Russians, Soviets, Byzantines, and a host of … Continue reading Batumi, Georgia
Tbilisi Opera House
Breaking News. The Opera House, newly restored, opens on Sept 16, 2013 for its 162nd season. I will miss it, I leave Tbilisi on Sept 14. In a 2004 letter I wrote: “The Opera House looks like it came from the tails of Scheherazade, which have probably been preformed there many times.” In 2005 I wrote: “On Thursday Lika took me to the Opera. It was the opening production of the season, which meant, in Georgia, the opera is Abesalom and Eteri (Esther) by Zakaria Paliashvilli. It is kind of the Georgian national opera.” “The plot is sufficiently operatic; a … Continue reading Tbilisi Opera House
Rose Revolution Square, A Transformation.
Rose Revolution Square is still under re-construction. It had two anchors, The Hotel Iveria and the reviewing stand for Mayday parades. One is gone and the other utterly transformed. In 2004 I wrote: “Georgia has some of the screwiest modern Socialist Realism on the planet, including a massive, several story high multi arched reviewing stand for May Day parades that looks like what Le Cobisier would build if he had a commission from McDonald’s. Locals playfully call it ‘Andropov’s Ears.’ Andropov’s Ears is where President Saakashvili reviewed the troops last week and made his saber rattling speech on Adjara.” Andropov’s … Continue reading Rose Revolution Square, A Transformation.
Ubisi Monastery, Georgia
Geguti Monastery
Georgia Road Trip, 2004.
In 2004 I did an evaluation of the Georgian Media Program. I got the chance to travel all across the country. Here are some pictures from Georgia in 2004. Continue reading Georgia Road Trip, 2004.
Stalin
This is a paragraph from a 2004 letter. The markets no longer have Stalin icons. I have not found Stalin Vodka in recent visits and the Stalin statue in Gori was torn down after the war with Russia, although I … Continue reading Stalin