Over the course of the past decade, a variety of controversial perceptions have surrounded the Pankisi Gorge (valley in the northeastern part of Republic of Georgia, located at the foothills of the Great Caucasus and bordering the Republic of Chechnya). Since the early 1990s, the area has been perceived as a hub for training of extremist groups. These perceptions stem from the fact that large portion of the population is comprised of Muslims. News reports speak of radical Islam, arm deals, and shipment of underage boys to fight in Syria.
It is noteworthy that, before my visit to Pankisi Gorge, I, too, had perceived the area as an extremely dangerous place. But what I discovered there upon arrival was an eye-opening experience that completely changed my views about the region. I was astonished by the kindness, wisdom, hospitality, and general beauty of the Kist people residing there. There might be only few cases of encountering such peace-loving and tolerant people that I can recall. The goal from the very first day of my trip was to document the dynamics of raw, current life in the Pankisi Gorge.
Two things struck me as I walked my way through the villages. The first was dramatic influence of mass media on collective thinking, and how detrimental the media's obsession with “terrorism” may be for the lives of ordinary people. Pankisi residents represent an “ordinary” population, like any other, although they are now forced to carry the label of "terrorists" due to the individual incidents, and, most importantly, due to the spirit of sensationalism, which is a tendency in majority of the news reports today. The insufficient media coverage of the region truly affects Pankisi population, and, at the same time, misleads general public resulting in false perceptions. The second subject of surprise was notably deep spirituality of the people of Pankisi—not in a strictly religious sense, but in the way they are connected to the nature around them, and the deeply rooted traditions of their community. Paradoxically, I felt as if I had found the real Georgian soul being kept alive there—in this place, isolated from the rest of the country, with Georgians living all around it.
As mentioned above, the people, their philosophy of life, their traditions, and customs are uniquely peaceful—full of love and tolerance. My project aims to make the Georgian and international audiences look beyond the headlines and think about the individuals behind the established labels, with the aim of [gradually] diminishing the myth of danger associated with the Gorge.
Pankisi Valley has become a symbol of the paradoxical modern way of perceiving the world around us: obsessed with the images we construct in our heads, we fail to see the extraordinary reality of the ordinary people in front of us.
Evenings Locals hang out near Alazani. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Mari floating and dreaming in Alazani River. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Chechen girls posing for photo at public School. Many families cannot
afford to send their children to the
university, so local schools remain the
main place for education. Duisi Village.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Gaurgashvili Family gathering. Birkiani
Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Shepherd flock his sheep. Khalatsani Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
The folk ensemble "Daimokhkan Aaznash", which means “Native Tunesâ€. Established by 76-year-old Makvala (Badi) Margoshvili. Women chanting – Nazmi for peace in Georgia and the world. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Eva wearing traditional Kist dress. Village Duisi. Pankisi Gorge. 2018
Winners of the horse race. Traditionally
horse-racing is held to honor the name of
the deceased man.Jokolo Village.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Preparation for the wedding ceremony. Jokolo Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
The room interior of Margoshvili family house. Village Duisi. Pankisi Gorge. 2015
Melsi 26-year-old with her children. Having obtained Master degree in International Relations and Regional Research strives to improve quality of life in the region. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Children having fun in Alazani River after
a hot summer day. River Alazani - the
central feature of life in the valley.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
17-year-old Marisabel Margoshvili, who wants to be a Judge in order to protect rights
of minorities. Village Birkiani. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Usually boys at a young age
head off to the mountains to herd
sheep.Due to lack of job opportunities in
the remote villages, shepherding is the
only source of income for most families.
Zuris Gori. Pankisi Gorge.
Georgia. 2015
17-year-old Mari. She wants to study psychology at Tbilisi State University. Omalo Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Evenings Locals hang out near Alazani. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Mari floating and dreaming in Alazani River. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Chechen girls posing for photo at public School. Many families cannot
afford to send their children to the
university, so local schools remain the
main place for education. Duisi Village.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Gaurgashvili Family gathering. Birkiani
Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Shepherd flock his sheep. Khalatsani Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
The folk ensemble "Daimokhkan Aaznash", which means “Native Tunesâ€. Established by 76-year-old Makvala (Badi) Margoshvili. Women chanting – Nazmi for peace in Georgia and the world. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Eva wearing traditional Kist dress. Village Duisi. Pankisi Gorge. 2018
Winners of the horse race. Traditionally
horse-racing is held to honor the name of
the deceased man.Jokolo Village.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Preparation for the wedding ceremony. Jokolo Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
The room interior of Margoshvili family house. Village Duisi. Pankisi Gorge. 2015
Melsi 26-year-old with her children. Having obtained Master degree in International Relations and Regional Research strives to improve quality of life in the region. Duisi Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Children having fun in Alazani River after
a hot summer day. River Alazani - the
central feature of life in the valley.
Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
17-year-old Marisabel Margoshvili, who wants to be a Judge in order to protect rights
of minorities. Village Birkiani. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015
Usually boys at a young age
head off to the mountains to herd
sheep.Due to lack of job opportunities in
the remote villages, shepherding is the
only source of income for most families.
Zuris Gori. Pankisi Gorge.
Georgia. 2015
17-year-old Mari. She wants to study psychology at Tbilisi State University. Omalo Village. Pankisi Gorge. Georgia. 2015