The Svans: Between Tradition and Modern World | SLICE TRAVEL | FULL DOC

[Music] there is a wondrous province in Northern Georgia situated in the mountains of the central Caucasus sanadi home of the San people the people born into this ancient culture have lived far away from civilization for [Music] centuries [Music] some 80 families live in the Mountain Village of Uli the picturesque medieval Community is 500 km away from Georgia's capital TI balisi at an altitude of about 2,500 m whatever soil can be found is Barren a lot of manual work is necessary to rest the bare minimum needed live from it being aan goes together with being strong it also means being someone who has weathered a lot of hardship in life our ancestors have had to Bear a lot of misery and constantly battled against it weans are strong industrious and loyal being aan means a lot to me it is autumn in Sven the inhabitants of this secluded Mountain Valley are preparing for a long harsh winter it comes with a Vengeance every year and completely cuts off this mountainous region from the outside world for 6 months to survive in this inhospitable world the swans have set firm rules the man is the Undisputed head of the family the woman's realm is the house and her [Music] children in the winter when the road is closed it's impossible to get to a doctor and I really worry about the children especially since in winter it's easier to catch something this is when I start thinking about taking the children and moving away from here it's very unusual for Sans to leave their home as a matter of fact their Cult of the Dead keeps them virtually fettered to this soil this cult determines their entire life the Sans believe that the souls of the deceased live on and look after the well-being of the living when it begins to rain in sanetti people know the winter is just around the corner chopping fire wood is one of the essential jobs before winter sets today I have to help my cousin the axe has to be really sharp to make the job easier we want to chop another 10 cubic meters of wood which is about 10 sled loads Gad has been married to Nani for 11 years she comes from a neighboring Village the NAD are one of the most respectable families in usuli we must be finished before the rain gets stronger hurry [Music] up it seems that the invention of the wheel has still not reached this area in the central Caucasus just as thousand thousand of years before Sans transport heavy loads by means of traditional ox-drawn sleds across the rough [Music] terrain vegetation grows sparsely on the steep slopes of the mountain range at the tree line there are no more conifers only birch trees we try to fa as Little Timber as possible but we need the firewood who knows what the future will bring proverb of us says preserve the forest and think of your children when you cut down a tree this is a father's Duty the people in the mountain Villages of sanetti live almost exclusively from agriculture their work has remained unchanged for centuries while the men are out in the forest or in the fields women see to the livestock and the household to live in usuli one must be prepared to sacrifice a lot of things and work hard at least 12 hours a day 7 days a week and that includes all family members ancient Greek historians and geographers mention the swans and described them as a tribe of Warriors Sans have always resisted slavery and fought against foreign suppressors the stone Towers from the 11th and 12th centuries bear witness to this in times of war or longlasting blood feuds these towers offered a family protection from their enemies an extended family could barricade itself inside a tower for months even today nearly every house in the village has its own Old Tower but nowadays they serve a different purpose got here are our food supplies for the winter stewed fruit Obin carrots and peppers and here is the meat dried and cured for the winter the cheese is kept in barrels and brine the salt water preserves it for the whole winter the salt is in this sack it makes the cheese go hard whatever supplies are Superfluous to the family's needs are sold on the markets in the nearby Villages especially the cheese sanan cheese is considered a delicacy well beyond Georgia's borders it's made by hand from fresh cow's milk following a traditional recipe without any additives [Music] The Men return from cutting down trees a swan proverb says if a family doesn't have enough good wood for the fire the man is a disgrace to his family therefore the two men see to it that they bring enough Wood home all Heating and cooking in the winter is done with wood there is a power line up to the mountains but electricity is often cut off so having sufficient firewood for the winter is [Music] vital wood is also needed for distilling schnaps Sans like their alcohol so as not to be left without in the winter they dissolve old bread in water and ferment it by adding yeast The Brew is then distilled traditionally swans must have enough schnaps in the house not only for themselves but also for guests and for the deceased we're not done with the winter preparations yet we have the hay but we need wood from the forest I must take the potatoes to the market to sell with the money from the potatoes we can buy other supplies for the winter the drinking of alcohol in spetti follows some set rules one of them is toasting to Georgia to a good future for our country to our family our people and our land peace for the country and the whole world and may our country always be victorious to Georgia our blessed country I wish that the future brings joy and that it always remains United I wish our people happiness and all the best for us the new Brew seems tasty but will it be enough to last the winter for Nani narzi at home it's time to make breakfast for her five children the standing of a swan family is connected with the number of children it has especially male ones children are the most important thing in life they are both a challenge and a huge responsibility I live for my children not long ago I was in mestia the provincial capital and saw that progress is finding its way in I hope that the situation will soon change here in usuli too and that my children will live in better conditions than I have that they will have better life than we did it goes without saying that the children go to school School attendance is compulsory for 9 years in usuli conditions in the small community school are ideal there is one teacher for every three or four children although Sans speak their own language the lessons are taught in Georgian sanuri the local language has no written [Music] form the curriculum covers grades 1 to 12 but in a school as small as this teachers have to [Music] improvise there are not many children in the village so I have to teach two classes together it's a bit difficult because of the different ages and material the two younger children are learning the alphabet and the older boy is doing math I must say that children here are noticeably smarter than those in the city unfortunately though there are fewer courses here than in larger schools so for example we have no foreign language or dance lessons living in usuli means living in a spectacular but at the same time unforgiving natural environment up here at an altitude of over 2,000 M the harbingers of winter arrive after a short sunny fell in Autumn it's time for hay [Music] making so far I've got 130 loads of hay for my 13 cattle it should be enough we've been lucky with the weather I've got to make some more hay then I'll take a break but afterwards I must also chop wood for the winter once all the work's been done I can relax and wait for the winter to come and then I'll just sit by the stove eating and drinking before he can relax L narad must go up to the Highland pasture one last time the path is long and arduous hello B where are you going I'm going up to my father come I'll take you with me the 11-year-old boy would have to struggle for more than 1 kilometer up that Steep Hill he's taking some food to his father who will be working on the Highland pasture all day the slopes are Steep and the men can only harvest the hay with a hand held [Music] side the meal consists of the traditional kapuri bread filled with cheese or meat did you not have school today how did you climb up here lot took me with him how sled was it not too heavy no garazi believes that his only son will take over the farm one day I don't think he would go away he can't do that because the graves of our forefathers are here our family church is here too that's the reason why I stayed when I was young I wanted to move away but soon things will change here modern technology will reach us for example a hay mowing machine the street to the next town mestia will be asphalted then the tourists will start coming so there's much to be said for staying here just like most Sans garazi invests his hopes in a better future but for now he has to continue working hard to make a living on the mountain the op ating principle here is collective effort teamwork only those who integrate into this Collective and its traditional rules can survive in the mountains a profit oriented farming scheme would probably destroy this old and established culture without the help of one another the people in usuli would be at risk only as a community can they Brave the inhospitable conditions Hi how are you fine how can I help my side is wrecked the shaft is bent could we fix [Music] it as long as they hold out the simple tools are mended and repaired over and over again there's simply not enough money for new acquisitions Gia's neighbor has set up a small Forge in his Tower using a blower and burning wood and a lot of wood shavings his fire reaches a temperature high enough to mold [Music] iron time to play after school not for the children in the village every afternoon B and Mariam must go up the mountain to the meadows where every family has its own small field did they're on the slopes that catch more sunlight we always pick the potatoes for our family I always dig over the soil first and I pick the potatoes my brother makes hay too yes but I am not allowed to use the [Music] size as is the case in most agricultural societies the swans consider it a blessing to have many children as usual boys are preferable they have to learn to help with things from an early age while girls are schooled in how to run a [Music] household the children help me both in the house and out in the fields when I have to work they also cook our [Applause] meals they do everything exactly as I tell them and their cooking is good Independence is highly valued in sanetti in contrast to agricultural Societies in Central Europe in which every village has its Tradesmen Sans repair everything themselves in usuli there are no Carpenters or blacksmiths manual and technical skills are passed on from generation to generation that looks great in two days I have to Community work again let's see how many sides we'll break then bye now see you soon excavations revealed that the first Sans settled in this area during the 3rd Century [Music] BC the high peaks of the Caucasus may have offered them protection from a ressor but at the same time cut them off from the outside world only seldom does garazi leave his Mountain Village but his son needs to see the doctor and the nearest place is mestia the provincial capital Gia is the proud owner of a car he'd been saving for years before he could afford to buy one his work as a tourist guide and chauffeur in the summer brings in extra income the trip to mestia takes about 3 hours despite the distance being a mere 44 km the narrow road was built in 1937 it's passable only during the summer months Gia and his son are headed for the local hospital the hospital serves some 14,000 people from the entire region it was constructed in 1926 and is undergoing complete renovation at the moment ILO jabarti is a trained surgeon but he also looks after the younger patients there are some problems with the spine which is a little bit curved this is close to the first stage of scoliosis he must stand upright regularly open your mouth please are your ears hurting he's a healthy child but he should learn to stand straight he has to eat more fruit and vegetables for vitamins but otherwise everything is normal thyroid disease is the most common medical condition in sanetti and in the whole of Georgia too thyroid complaints due to iodine deficiency there is too little iodine in our water and in our food and this results in a hypofunction of the thyroid it's hard to imagine that this will become a modern hospital anytime soon but the doctor is optimistic this will be the anesthesia room where patients will be given their anesthetic before the operation and this here will be the new operating room one day is that the father takes the doctor's advice very seriously and buys a lot of fruit and vegetables for the winter they are vital for the children's nutrition the vitamin Rich produce does not grow in sanetti though they come from George's Lins it certainly is a problem as the doctor said that the children don't get enough vitamins over the winter we always have plenty of cheese and meat but it's not enough for a balanced nutrition 47-year-old Gia knows that the issue of his children's unbalanced diet is not easy to solve he hopes that one day they'll be able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in usuli before returning to the mountains father and son visit the hospital doctor at his home he is a distant relative and it is courtesy to pay him a visit in return sanan cust dictate that the host offers the guests food in abundance usually kapuri the santian cheese bread a prayer before dinner swans are deeply religious every family has its own ornate holy pictures icons have special powers they can settle enmities and antagonism between people and prevent them from sinning icons can reconcile quarreling families or tribes people are afraid to lie in front of an icon that's why people will never break their vow if they've sworn on an icon icons are a gift from God a short distance from the town of mestia Lies lurka the National Shrine of the swans it is a small church built during the 11th century in honor of St quercus and St Julieta Martyrs at the time of the persecution of Christians the church is guarded by 63-year-old Saul gulani having the reputation of being very trustworthy he was chosen to hold the key to the church inside the church some extraordinary icons are stored a massive silver studded cross from the 11th century ad dominates the tiny space the icons are very important to us swans without them we cannot exist it hasn't always been easy to protect those valuable items from our enemies the people from my Village especially defended them many times in the past many of the icons were made here in sanetti because we had many skilled silver Smiths a lot of the icons are Unique Treasures skillfully forged and chiseled from gold and silver this is the famous shalani icon from Byzantium wrapped in a plastic foil to protect and Preserve OB erve it the impressive wall paintings were created in 1111 ad the extraordinary craftsmanship is immediately apparent it is obvious why lerka is also known as santi's Treasure Chest santi's remoteness has led to some religious peculiarities Sans maintain a distinct Cult of the Dead they firmly believe that the souls of the deceased regularly return to the living Crosses by the side of the road in memory of accident victims are always supplied with fresh drinks the burial of the Dead is a moving ceremony a young man is taken to his grave in mestia the provincial capital over 1,000 relatives from all across Georgia have come to Bid Farewell The Wailing of the women and the mournful chanting of the men can be heard a long way away in cemeteries too Sans Place fresh drinks at the graves an offering to The Souls of their ancestors a custom from the Pagan pre-christian days claims the Orthodox clergy people believe that these Traditions are the traditions of their forefathers and for that reason they have to adhere to them to them disrespecting these traditions is an insult to their debt what the church asks of the people is not to forget about these old rituals and Customs but to refrain from practicing them as Orthodox Christians due to the geographical remoteness of Santi the official Orthodox Church did not manage to establish itself in this mountainous region for a long time therefore Services were conducted by lay priests what's more they used to take place outside the church because the interior was reserved for the deceased according to local belief the Georgian Orthodox Church is only gradually succeeding in introducing a proper liturgy in [Music] Santi weddings are major events in sanetti to honor this special day old men wear their traditional stiff felt [Music] hats the couple has invited some 300 guests to their [Applause] wedding the two families have chosen a figure of authority to be the tamata The Toast Master [Music] dear Nadia dear Jabba on the path from childhood to adulthood love has stormed your innocent naive Hearts I drink to that may your love rise to the highest clouds in the sky my precious May Virgin Mary's and Christ's blessing be upon you once the tomato has emptied his horn the other guests can drink too it is also his duty to watch that no one steps out of line during the ceremony I am leading the celebration tonight and have begun with the traditional San toast we drink first to God and to St George and then we propose the toasts that are customary in other parts of Georgia in the main however the wedding reception is about singing and dancing all night long the songs tell of Pride and honor but also of the great responsibility that a San newlywed Bears I wish us happiness and health success and many children certainly no less than 10 the Father of the Bride is not entirely happy he bemon the loss of Traditional Values I wish we could return to the old ways in the old days when a young man wanted to marry a girl a messenger would go to the girl's family to inform them about the groom's Financial standing and personality nowadays two young people just meet start dating and marry in a matter of days only to divorce again soon and I don't like that this is all however the Advent of Modern Life cannot be halted and the same is true for mestia the capital of the province the town situated at the foot of the mighty double Summit of usba resembles a vast construction site many of its roughly 3,000 inhabitants are converting their houses into small pensions the allures of Tourism are hard to withstand the Georgian State promotes the development of the region into a tourist area aiming mainly at hikers and skiers the first visitors are already here the airport's Runway has already been extended the terminal owes its futuristic shape to a berlin-based Architects firm the German Architects based their design on the traditional phenician [Music] Towers in their efforts to attract tourists swans Bank on the charm of a traditional family atmosphere 24-year-old Georgie japari is converting his parents' house into an inn Georgie went to school in Germany he speaks the language and has an idea about what his future guests will be [Music] like I think the tourists coming here will want to feel like they are staying with a family they want to see how we live what our everyday life is like I believe that festar hotels are out of place here this is Santi an old traditional province that has to be preserved tourism presents people here with an opportunity in 5 years time there will be more tourists here I think that by then everything will be much much prettier and better here too okay maybe not prettier it's always been pretty here but newer and better changes can also be good to a certain extent an increase in the tourist trade will change the traditional way of life of the Sans for good disputes have already Arisen because some families in mestia have not been awarded subsidies for renovating their houses the Council of Elders is convening to resolve this issue it's an institution that has existed here since ancient times the those local legal structures coincide with state law to this day and swans still prefer to observe their own rules rather than those of the state a council member has written a letter to the government on behalf of the entire Council the elders request that the grants for the house renovations in mestia are distributed fairly president this will go to the government they should judge for themselves how reasonable and logical the letter is what's important is that they listen to the voice of the people whether the demand is fair and logical is not relevant this is how proper democracy should be the council say is still very influential in the case of capital offenses such as robbery or murder perpetrators may be judged and sentenced in a court of law but murder insetti is revenged with a blood Feud despite the fact that it is officially forbidden blood Revenge exists everywhere everyone whose child brother or father was murdered wants to avenge them people say it's very pronounced here but Vendetta exists everywhere not only in sanetti but here in sanetti this old tradition will exist [Music] forever sometimes even in sanetti prediction and Modern Life are not too far apart in a coffee shop in mestia a group of teenage students are having a going away party yet instead of pop music they play and dance to svan traditional music 20-year-old nah has just graduated from high school soon she will leave her home town for the big city of tibisi the country's capital where she will study law and economy I find it really hard I will definitely come back on at the next holiday leaving my home even though it's only for a certain period of time is not easy on the one hand I think it's very sad that nino is leaving our beautiful Santi and her friends but on the other I believe it's a good thing that she's found a purpose in her life and wants to study young swans wanting to pursue a higher education will inevitably have to leave the region they grew up [Applause] in but they all swear they will return to this unique Mountain world one [Music] day in usuli people are slowly getting into winter mode soon The Village at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level will be buried in snow for 6 months totally cut off from the outside [Music] world an Old Village custom at the beginning of the cold season is to slaugh and Ox then Jades have chosen a strong animal the highly respected family has its own little [Music] church this church is of great significance to the narza family it's been standing on this hill for centuries our ancestors woried and protected it everyone who visits us likes the fact that our family has its own church Sans have upheld their Pagan Traditions to this day in their prayers they commemorate the deceased and pray for the [Music] [Applause] living before the swans Slaughter the ox they consecrate the animal with candles made of beeswax it is an ancient ritual with its roots probably in the Old Testament then the ox is Led around the narzi Family Church three times another element of the old right slaughtering is also an archaic procedure oh in order to contain the 360 kilo Ox Gia needs help from the other men then he slits the animal's throat and they wait until it bleeds to death everyone has come to join in the feast relatives neighbors friends after all the weeks spent together harvesting up on the steep slopes it has become a tradition to also celebrate together the heart of the ox is cooked separately because it must be blessed in the church later the joints of meat that are not eaten immediately are cured and stored for the winter the cooking for the feast is done exclusively by the men another one of those santian [Music] Traditions the women bake kapuri the bread is filled with fresh innards feasts are Essential Elements of Life in sanetti they are days to celebrate with family and friends but also days of contemplation about the really important things in life I wish my children a good future a good life and that their living conditions are better than ours I wish the very best for them to me being a swan is associated with being very proud and dignified it's an honor to be a San and to be able to preserve the santian tradition Sans are considered people with very good qualities usuli is a free place I am proud to be a San and I will never cease to pray for [Music] sanetti all the food must be in the Family Church before the feast can begin the swans not only remember the dead in their prayers but in spirit also share their food with their [Applause] [Music] ancestors the heart and the liver represent the soul of the animal they are divided up and consumed inside the church an ancient WR from Pagan [Music] times spans honor nature the gods and their great victories against aggressors it would seem that nothing can change the inner fabric of this archaic community and yet the Advent of modernity is [Applause] Unstoppable [Music] young people leave their Mountain Home and tourists have started to discover sanadi its people and its extraordinary [Music] nature but swans believe that the dream of a good life can only be fulfilled if they succeed in preserving the old traditions and values which their ancestors have handed down to [Music] them

Channel: SLICE Travel

Views: 335,701

Keywords: wide, widedocs, journey, documentary, voyage, discoveries, full documentary, free documentary, eco guide, travel, around the world, road trip, green trip, Svans, Svaneti, Georgia, Georgian Mountains, tradition, modernity, identity, culture preservation, mountain life, medieval culture, cultural heritage, change and tradition

Id: ixwZQfiUWvo

Length: 42min 49sec (2569 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 13 2024