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Ministry
for Internal Affairs of Russian Federation repeatedly officially warned citizens
of Russia against visiting Georgia, where “lately cases of hostage taking,
including foreigners by Chechen combatants and their accomplices became more
frequent..” Earlier on December
in 200, Russia in unilateral order implemented visa regime on border with
Georgia, because, as they say, the aid to the same “Chechen separatists”
comes form territory of this state. Our
special correspondent has visited Georgia and in his way saw this Caucasian
country.
In
Soviet times, solar Georgia was blessed country. Legends and anecdotes were said
about wealth of its dwellers. And Georgians themselves were proud (to not say boasted)
their prosperity. Today,
independent Georgia is poverty-ridden country in which major population lives
half-starving and without job. Many
houses of Old Tbilisi present a sorry spectacle-most real decrepit.
Workers of budgetary spheres receive pennies –40-50 laries for one
month (2 lari is 1$). Teachers and
doctors receive their salary 2-3 times a year.
Even workers of State’s Security for many months live without salary!
But elders live most difficult in Georgia.
Sum of one-month pension is only 11 lari!
Tbilisi’s elders receive these pennies more or less regularly.
But provincial pensioners only dream about them.
Prices for food in Georgia are almost same as in Russia.
And sometimes higher.
Only
brewing is actively developing in Georgia.
10 years ago local beer immediately caused emetic reflex.
Today, concern “Kazbagi”, creation of local employer Topadze
manufactures great amber colored beer that is drank even in wine-mak9ing
Kakheti! Workers of “Kazbegi” earn quite good money-200-250 lari
in one month.
Caucasians
like very much milk products. Traditional Georgian table cannot be imagined
without slat cheese and Khachipuri, (khachi-cottage cheese; puri-bread).
Matsoni (thick sour milk) is part of daily food of Georgian people.
Some Tbilisi dwellers even acquire cattle to provide themselves with milk.
They keep cattle in garages together with cars that are not used –prices
for oil in Georgia are two times higher than in Russia!
However, there are considerably fewer beggars in Tbilisi than in Piter.
On evening several smudgy girls (probably Gypsy or Khurdi) earn by
singing in local metro. Sometimes
elders with stretched hands pass through coaches. I didn’t meet any flotsam and jetsam in Georgia capital at
all! Tbilisi underground’s are
cleaner and don’t have toilet smell as Piter underground’s.
Christianity and viticulture
Georgia
is the only country in the world where Christian tradition interweaves with
viticulture (in right sense of this word!).
Legend tells, “Enlightening of Georgia Nino took two twinges of vine
and tied them with her plaints.
Cross-turned
out wings of which were slightly bended. It
was called Ninosdjvari (cross of Nino) or Vazisdjvari (wine cross).
Ancient Georgian Orthodox Temples: Svetitskhaveli, Samtavisi, Ikalto,
Zarzma, Bedia, Gelati, Nikortsminda, Vadzia are decorated with pictures of vine.
Even,
comparatively not long ago, 150 wagons with wine were send to Russia from
winemaking Kakheti, (province of east of Georgia), everyday.
After collapse of Soviet Union this flow stopped.
I was in Kakheti village Shilda that is in Alazani Valley.
Earlier Shilda had its own
wine factory. Today, it reminds
decoration for old films. Electricity
in the village is switched on only from 20 till 24 o’clock in evening and from
5 till 7o’clock in morning. There
is no gas. Only few acquire
gas-cylinders. Others save on
everything they can and cook on bonfire.
Dwellers
of the village continue to grow grapes but without any hope to sell it on autumn.
Although, price for one kilogram of grapes in Kakheti is very small-30
tetri for one kilogram. Enterprising
peasants unite into small relative collections and form farms of cattle breeding.
“We have to work very hard. Because
cattle needs constant care. But
earned money are not enough for live,” young, solidly built farmer Dato
bitterly lamented.
Mafia
is immortal?
On
summer, local television talked very much about governmental struggle with
corruption. And indeed, practically
all issues in the republic are solved with bribes.
For example, to place your child to medical Institute, (doctor’s
profession was always prestige in Georgia); you have to lay down 5-7 thousand
dollars.
I
talked with many people that belonged to most different social categories:
doctors, teachers, cinemas, engineers’, and farms workers.
Many Georgians treat Shevardnadze critically.
“Fox”,
say Georgians about former member of Political Bureau of the Central Committee
of S.C.P.U. Almost everyone is
concerned that president’s family is occupied with most profitable affairs in
the republic. Even some officers of
local states security consider that Shevardnadze is ” enemy of the nation.”
“Members of Shevardnadze’s clan take credits abroad and spend them on
themselves.
They
plunder everything! Built for themselves palaces.
And common people have nothing to eat, I am mayor of States Security and
earn only 50$ (100 lari) for month. And
they pay it off with big delays!” local “Chekist” Kakha indignated when
talking with me. But how did
Shevardnadze win on elections of everybody hate him so much? More probably
Georgians were so tired of shocks and civil war that they just decided to vote
for stability.
Abkhazia
is our?
Many
people accuse Shevardnadze not only in economical crash through which Georgia is
undergoing now, but in
breaking down the republic too. In
particular, almost all Georgians are sure that Abkhazia was surrendered “It
was incomprehensible war! We could
straight away reach Psou (bordering river between Georgia and Russia-D.J.).
But stopped near Gudauti. Why?
Gagra was surrendered practically without battle.
And then we surrendered lacks to Russian soldiers in Sukhumi.
And in the next day Abkhazians and their allies with knowledge of
Russians launched and attack.
Grey
(Shevardnadze-D.J.) promised to die in Sukhumi.
But he was brought out of beleaguered governmental palace in regimentals
of Russian colonel,” told me Berdo, strong man 40 years old with enormous
cross on the chest, he fought in Abkhazia in complement of “Mkhedrion”.
The
problem of refugees is very sharply standing in Georgia.
They are about 200 thousand refugees.
Part of them is housed in Tbilisi’s once first class hotel “Iveria”
(the tall building is in the center of the capital, in Rustaveli Street).
Refugees must receive allowance-10lari for month.
However, even these crumbs don’t reach them. To somehow run through former dwellers of Abkhazia are
engaged in small trading. Some (why
hide a sin?) are filling criminal rows or at their risk and fear return to
native home. Now, there are 47
thousand Georgians living in Galski region of Abkhazia.
On beginning of July, new governmental minister of Georgia Gia
Arsenishvili (former prefect of Kakheti) met with leader of Abkhazia Vladislav
Ardzimba in Sukhumi. Two sides
signed declaration, which says that propaganda of armed settlement in Abkhazia
is criminal offence. Abkhazians did
not loose anything when signing this agreement.
You
shouldn’t be analytic with high forehead to understand that this document is
aimed against Georgian radical opposition, (first of all, against the so-called
“Zviadists”- supporters of Zviad Gamsakhurida), that for long time is
fighting for restoration of war in Abkhazia. Revanchist sentiments are strong enough in Georgia.
Thus, when entering Tbilisi I saw big transparent with
inscription,”Abkhazeti chveni.” (Abkhazia is our).
However,
even most aggressive “hawks” understand that 24-thausand Georgian army is
absolutely disabled. Soldiers are
starving and in anyway meager ration are plundered by commandment. Some selective, poor devils get to hospital with dystrophy, (I
saw reporting about them on TV). Boys’
lead to despair rob grocery shops and stores.
And they are not even punished for that. Authorities look through fingers at desertion.
On
November, head of base supply of Defense Ministry of Georgia Akiya Barbakadze
admitted that air and naval forces of the country practically have no reserves
of fuel and fuel will be enough
only for one an half days. There is no uniform and bedding is not enough.
Such army will loose on first clash with the enemy.
Supporters
of Gamsakhurida (most radical opposition of Shevardnadze) depend on their own
partisan formations. Mengreli
leader Akaki Eliava, leader of military launch in Senaki on October of 1998,
died on July in clash with policeman. His
detachments controlled region bordering with Abkhazia and very often crossed
Inguri. Exactly he could become
hero of new civil war in the republic. On
beginning of October, 12 supporters of Zviad Gamsakhurida escaped from
republic’s prison hospital. Well-known
Mengreli commander Loti Kabalia is among them.
Part of prisoners escaped through tunnels and part just went out through
main gates of the hospital. It is
no known where are now jail-breakers. It
cannot be excluded that they are hiding somewhere in mountain regions of
Abkhazia.
Russia is far, Chechnya near
In
early beginning of second Russian-Chechen war Russian politics declared, «Convoys
with arms for Chechen mujahideen pass through territory of Georgia.
Moscow asked Tbilisi to let Russian troops pass through territory of the
country to south Chechnya. But Tbilisi refused.
During last autumn relations of Georgia with Russia complicated even more.
Moscow openly accused Georgia in co-operation with combatants.
In January of 2001, Russian Ministry for Internal Affairs of Russian
federation officially warned citizens of Russia against visiting Georgia, where
lately cases of hostage taking, including foreigners by Chechen combatants and
their accomplices became for frequent».
Earlier,
on December of 2000, Russia in unilateral order implemented visa regime on
frontier with Georgia, «Georgian authorities don’t fight with terrorists»,
Sergey Yastrzhembsky stated then. He
called Pankisi Valley, where lies border between Chechnya and Georgia, “bandit
enclave, where Chechen terrorists and separatists control the situation.”
According
to Yastrzhembsk’s words, Chechen reconnaissance school is working in Akhmeta
region of Kakheti. Informational
center of Chechen mujahideen is acting in Tbilisi itself.
Moscow wanted to impose Tbilisi to mutual battle actions in Akhmeta
region, where 6 villages of Chechen-Kist are located and where about 7 thousands
refugees form Chechnya settled down. However,
Tbilisi again did not submit to the pressure.
Shevardnadze categorically refused from “mutual with Russia” force
actions. In his opinion,
“performance of punitive actions by Russian troops on territory of Georgia
would lead to serious clashes and bloodshed.”
He
denounced implementation of visa regime. Russians acted at least oddly when left
to dwellers of south Ossetia and Abkhazia passage without visa, that means to
those provinces, which want to separate form Georgia, Shevardnadze stated.
Later, Georgian president will recognize presence of Chechen combatants
in Akhmeta region. In his words,
lately a group of Kists that fought in Chechnya against Russian army returned
home.
«Georgia
is not able to control actions of its every citizen», Shevardnadze remarked and
reminded that Russian politics said the same about those citizens of Russia,
which fought in Abkhazia. Shevardnadze called reports about presence of “bases
and reconnaissance schools of terrorists” in Pankisi deliberate disinformation.
Georgia came to nothing more than placing checkpoints in Akhmeta region.
Some
Georgian politics are not against of playing on “Chechen issue.”
Thus, according to reports of “Kavkaz-Center” chairman of
parliamentary subcommittee of connection with nations of Caucasus Vahtang
Shamiladze lately appealed to Georgian authorities with offer to raise ultimatum
to “Chechen combatants” that are in Pankisi Valley so that they
“conciseness will leave territory of Georgia.”
Otherwise, sooner or later, Russia will start to bomb Pankisi and “
this will be failure for the whole country.”
According to Shevardnadze’s opinion, Tbilisi must actively co-operate
with Akhmad Kadyrov’s administration. And
one of the organizers to overthrow Zviyad Gamsahurdia, former commander of
Georgian national guards Tengiz Kitovani, who is by the way suspected in
relations with Russian secret services, openly calls to “put an end to Chechen
preponderance.” And what about common people of Georgia?
They
are offended on Chechens because Chechens fought on Abkhazian side. Berdo told
me that he “took to prison 7 Chechen combatants,” on Abkhazian war.
One old woman, refuge from Abkhazia, with whom I talked in “Iveria”
boiled with indignation when spoke, “They played football with heads of
Georgian people in Gagra! And threw
their bodies on aryk and on a fence near wrote “Georgian meat for sale”.
Do you think that such things can be forgiven, bicho?!..”
It is unknown if those people were Chechens or not. And if such was in
reality.
War
always gives rise to most unbelievable myths.
It is possible that Kazakhs or Ossetia men entertained in such way.
But the fact remains-Chechens fought against Georgians!
Shamil Basayev commanded detachment and even married Abkhazian girl
during that war. However, majority of Georgians do not feel enmity to refugees
form Chechnya. “It is not in our
traditions to show the door to guests!” dwellers of Sakartvelo say.
To not break low of mountains Georgia refuses to give out to Russia
Chechens that with bullet wounds get to Tbilisi hospitals.
There
are people in Georgia, which are entirely at one with Chechens. In beginning of
January, independent Georgian television company
«Rustavi-Ori» showed exclusive interview with Shamil Basayev, who, if
to judge from video, is somewhere in mountainous region of Chechnya. Sympathy
with Chechens is most strong in midst of Tbilisi intelligentsia.
Georgian intellectuals consider that if Chechens will win, Russia would
refuse from claims on Caucasus.
“Chechens
did that, what we didn’t manage to do in Abkhazia. They won Russia.
If our combatants were as disciplined as Chechens Abkhazia would be our.
Chechnya is fighting now for independence of whole Caucasus.
If it will loose Russia will thrust further.
Again situation in Samengrello, (south Ossetia-D.J), in Abkhazia, in
South Georgia, where are many Armenian people, would aggravate.
We must help Chechens,” former animated cartoon artists David considers.
Dwellers
of Samengrello are also loyal with Chechens.
Mengrells remember that leader of Ichkeria Dzhohar Dudaev gave refuge to
their persecuted countryman Zviyad Gamsahurdia.
Leaders of Chechen resistance in order to enlist the support of Georgians
are now in anyway stressing out their respect to the country.
Aslan
Maskhadov even issued an order about criminal responsibility of Ichkerian
citizens for committed crimes in Georgia. «Premeditate murders, people
kidnapping, robber will be» punished by death», Chechen president assures.
Later, Shamil Basayev also stated, Friendly neighborly relationships of Chechens
and Georgians go back into deep history, at times when conception «Russia”
did not exist».
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