Stunning scenery, iconic landmarks and the unique traditions of the UNESCO-listed Georgian village Ushguli in the mountainous Svaneti region are in focus of an article in the leading British newspaper and online media outlet, the Independent.

Author Nick Redmayne writes that "Georgia’s on everyone’s minds at the moment and especially its capital city of Tbilisi, which is reigning as the hot ‘new’ city break”. But the journalist says that one place tourists rarely visit is Svaneti and its village of Ushguli.

Tough and taciturn, speaking an archaic Georgian dialect and practising a version of Orthodox Christianity owing much to earlier beliefs, Svan cultural identity is distinct. Isolated by an annual six-month winter, until the early 2000s Svaneti remained a lawless place; blood feuds and banditry were widespread. Georgians even ridicule Svans as unsophisticated (although, sensibly, they do it quietly)”, the article reads.

Redmayne wrote that the area has been abandoned by many of its former residents, but new flights are bringing in tourists and are giving community a new lease on life.

"Stymied by its remote location, Ushguli had long endured a terminal decline, as harsh conditions combined with instability to drive depopulation. However, as Georgia has emerged from post-Soviet chaos, security has returned to Georgia, including Svaneti”, read the article.

Photo by Nick Redmayne

Read the full story here: independent.co.uk

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