Imagine living in this place ... during winter
This fortified village looks straight out of "Game of Thrones" and has been around for more than 1,000 years. It may look inviting when things are green, but the nasty weather -- among other things -- has driven people away, and the few who remain talked about what life is like there.
By
Monica Danielle, AccuWeather Managing Editor
Published Oct 5, 2021 12:46 PM EDT
|
Updated Oct 5, 2021 2:25 PM EDT
High in the magnificent mountains of Georgia's Khevsureti region in Eastern Europe lies an ancient village reminiscent of a scene straight out of the popular HBO drama series Game of Thrones. While no dragons have been spotted flying about, much like the beloved series, there is a legend that includes awaiting a chosen one to come.
According to the Georgian Journal, local lore has it that the ancient fortress village of Mutso was established in the 10th century by five brothers who built it right into the mountains at an elevation of about 5,250 feet or close to a mile high. Integrating the craggy landscape fortified the settlement for centuries and helped it become the strongest outpost in northern Georgia, controlling the roads and protecting the state border for centuries.
Legend also maintains that a treasure guarded by villagers over the centuries is still hidden high in the mountains, awaiting the "chosen one."
Aluda Daiauri, a member of one of few families who live in Mutso today, told Ruptly that fortresses in the mountains were erected as defensive structures, and people settled nearby "in order to more successfully repel the enemy." Daiauri family members are descendants of the first inhabitants of the fortress and are one of the few families who still have not left their native land.
"It was a strategic place, the enemy troops fought and attacked. Fortifications were built in the rocks, so we lived in fortresses," Daiauri told Ruptly. He noted the houses in the fortified village were usually built on three floors with the top floor being used as both living quarters and a lookout post.
While the remote, rocky terrain helped protect the medieval village, a dearth of fertile land, an unforgiving climate and inadequate infrastructure all contributed to a gradual population decline that persisted through the middle of the 20th-century, according to Europa Nostra. And the lack of electricity and means for communication have made life there even more difficult in the modern world.
Throughout Soviet Georgia, villages began emptying for the same basic reasons. Unemployment, poor infrastructure, a punishing climate and a lack of water and electricity drove people out during the second half of the 20th century. People moved in droves from these mountain villages to burgeoning cities, a trend that was heavily promoted by the government, according to a 2019 report by JAMnews, a media outlet that focuses on the portion of eastern Europe known as the Caucuses.
Fortified Village of Mutso, Georgia. (National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia via Flickr.com/EuropaNostra)
While Mutso was almost completely abandoned nearly a century ago, the old dwellings and strongholds have been maintained. In 2014, the Georgian government initiated a sweeping project to rehabilitate the settlement, an effort that locals, including the Daiauri family, hope will attract tourists and create jobs.
Eldar Daiauri returned to his native village of Mutso six years ago and, in an attempt to attract tourists to the village, helped his family open a hotel.
“I myself am a student at Tbilisi State University and I think that this will be an example for others to return to their native land,” Mariam Daiauri told Ruptly. She acknowledges that, tourism aside, the remote area has little to attract people full-time. Many locals spend only summers there and retreat to the city for the winter.
The region is often socked in by snow during the wintertime, according to AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. Snow depth can range from near a foot (30 cm) to more than 3 feet (100 cm) in the area. Higher elevations can be buried by even more snow, with snow depths reaching close to 6.5 feet (2 m). And winter’s harshest weather can usher in temperatures as low as 18 below zero F to 31 below zero F (28 below zero C to 35 below zero C).
Perhaps the harsh weather there has caused some to have a bleak outlook about the place.
“Unfortunately, neither for women nor for men, there are no ideal conditions for a fulfilling life, for example, to spend a whole year here, although this is not impossible," Mariam Daiauri told Ruptly. Still, she remains hopeful, especially in light of the renovation project underway. "I believe that the situation is not hopeless.”
Mariam's cousin, 10-year-old Keti, also lives in Mutso and travels to the nearby village of Shatili for school. She told Ruptly journalists that she has been sad after a friend of hers recently finished her studies and left. Keti explained it's difficult to make it to school in the winter when roads are blocked by snow so she would often stay in Shatili during the school season because the school is the only one within 30 miles. According to JAMnews, in 2019 the building was renovated but school principal Makvala Daiauri said students would not be able to study chemistry, math and physics because the teachers couldn't stand the harsh winter and quit.
According to JAMnews, a minibus from Tbilisi delivers passengers and supplies for the winter to Shatili. "In winter, the road almost entirely shuts down. In November, snowfall cuts Khevsureti from the rest of Georgia. No car can reach Shatili, and even a helicopter must wait for the weather to fly there. Nobody clears the road of snow until it melts in May."
Keti's uncle, Aluda Daiauri, is working on the restoration of Mutso by building his own house – with his own hands, the old-fashioned “dry way” – laying stones without using mortar. As noted by the Europa Nostra, local knowledge of the tradition of dry schist masonry was almost lost. The technique has been passed on to locals by Kisti craftsmen from the neighboring region and, as Europa Nostra puts it, "the local community [has been] empowered to care for their own heritage."
Aluda Daiauri said that in his childhood, 16 families lived in Mutso. As of late 2021, it was down to only four. One of them has never had electricity. The rest get power from an old hydroelectric power station. The electricity is enough only for lighting and sometimes for TV. There has never been internet in Mutso. To make a phone call, one must walk 10 miles to the village of Anatori where there is a signal.
Despite the harsh winters, locals are determined to see their ancient village updated with the needs of modern people. Nikoloz Antidze, head of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection told the Georgian Journal there is now a cafe in Mutso where tourists can relax and there are more plans for hotels and hostels. Additionally, he said a permanent communication system has also been arranged. Telephone masts have been installed and a hydropower plant and electric power system have also been regulated, he said.
“The safety of the visitors will be ensured. Arranging the walking trails and the special barriers is also planned. Additionally, we have here the museum-reserve, where three locals are employed. They will be responsible for ensuring safety of the visitors. Moreover, the special warning banners will be installed, for the safety of tourists,” Antidze explained.
As the buildings are adapted and basic infrastructure problems, such as lack of electricity and communications, have been resolved, families have slowly started to return. The project is making what was old new again, and some say it is setting the necessary precedent for further revival of the mountainous, historical settlements of Georgia.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Travel
Imagine living in this place ... during winter
This fortified village looks straight out of "Game of Thrones" and has been around for more than 1,000 years. It may look inviting when things are green, but the nasty weather -- among other things -- has driven people away, and the few who remain talked about what life is like there.
By Monica Danielle, AccuWeather Managing Editor
Published Oct 5, 2021 12:46 PM EDT | Updated Oct 5, 2021 2:25 PM EDT
High in the magnificent mountains of Georgia's Khevsureti region in Eastern Europe lies an ancient village reminiscent of a scene straight out of the popular HBO drama series Game of Thrones. While no dragons have been spotted flying about, much like the beloved series, there is a legend that includes awaiting a chosen one to come.
According to the Georgian Journal, local lore has it that the ancient fortress village of Mutso was established in the 10th century by five brothers who built it right into the mountains at an elevation of about 5,250 feet or close to a mile high. Integrating the craggy landscape fortified the settlement for centuries and helped it become the strongest outpost in northern Georgia, controlling the roads and protecting the state border for centuries.
Legend also maintains that a treasure guarded by villagers over the centuries is still hidden high in the mountains, awaiting the "chosen one."
Aluda Daiauri, a member of one of few families who live in Mutso today, told Ruptly that fortresses in the mountains were erected as defensive structures, and people settled nearby "in order to more successfully repel the enemy." Daiauri family members are descendants of the first inhabitants of the fortress and are one of the few families who still have not left their native land.
"It was a strategic place, the enemy troops fought and attacked. Fortifications were built in the rocks, so we lived in fortresses," Daiauri told Ruptly. He noted the houses in the fortified village were usually built on three floors with the top floor being used as both living quarters and a lookout post.
While the remote, rocky terrain helped protect the medieval village, a dearth of fertile land, an unforgiving climate and inadequate infrastructure all contributed to a gradual population decline that persisted through the middle of the 20th-century, according to Europa Nostra. And the lack of electricity and means for communication have made life there even more difficult in the modern world.
Throughout Soviet Georgia, villages began emptying for the same basic reasons. Unemployment, poor infrastructure, a punishing climate and a lack of water and electricity drove people out during the second half of the 20th century. People moved in droves from these mountain villages to burgeoning cities, a trend that was heavily promoted by the government, according to a 2019 report by JAMnews, a media outlet that focuses on the portion of eastern Europe known as the Caucuses.
Fortified Village of Mutso, Georgia. (National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia via Flickr.com/EuropaNostra)
While Mutso was almost completely abandoned nearly a century ago, the old dwellings and strongholds have been maintained. In 2014, the Georgian government initiated a sweeping project to rehabilitate the settlement, an effort that locals, including the Daiauri family, hope will attract tourists and create jobs.
Eldar Daiauri returned to his native village of Mutso six years ago and, in an attempt to attract tourists to the village, helped his family open a hotel.
“I myself am a student at Tbilisi State University and I think that this will be an example for others to return to their native land,” Mariam Daiauri told Ruptly. She acknowledges that, tourism aside, the remote area has little to attract people full-time. Many locals spend only summers there and retreat to the city for the winter.
The region is often socked in by snow during the wintertime, according to AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. Snow depth can range from near a foot (30 cm) to more than 3 feet (100 cm) in the area. Higher elevations can be buried by even more snow, with snow depths reaching close to 6.5 feet (2 m). And winter’s harshest weather can usher in temperatures as low as 18 below zero F to 31 below zero F (28 below zero C to 35 below zero C).
Perhaps the harsh weather there has caused some to have a bleak outlook about the place.
“Unfortunately, neither for women nor for men, there are no ideal conditions for a fulfilling life, for example, to spend a whole year here, although this is not impossible," Mariam Daiauri told Ruptly. Still, she remains hopeful, especially in light of the renovation project underway. "I believe that the situation is not hopeless.”
Mariam's cousin, 10-year-old Keti, also lives in Mutso and travels to the nearby village of Shatili for school. She told Ruptly journalists that she has been sad after a friend of hers recently finished her studies and left. Keti explained it's difficult to make it to school in the winter when roads are blocked by snow so she would often stay in Shatili during the school season because the school is the only one within 30 miles. According to JAMnews, in 2019 the building was renovated but school principal Makvala Daiauri said students would not be able to study chemistry, math and physics because the teachers couldn't stand the harsh winter and quit.
According to JAMnews, a minibus from Tbilisi delivers passengers and supplies for the winter to Shatili. "In winter, the road almost entirely shuts down. In November, snowfall cuts Khevsureti from the rest of Georgia. No car can reach Shatili, and even a helicopter must wait for the weather to fly there. Nobody clears the road of snow until it melts in May."
Keti's uncle, Aluda Daiauri, is working on the restoration of Mutso by building his own house – with his own hands, the old-fashioned “dry way” – laying stones without using mortar. As noted by the Europa Nostra, local knowledge of the tradition of dry schist masonry was almost lost. The technique has been passed on to locals by Kisti craftsmen from the neighboring region and, as Europa Nostra puts it, "the local community [has been] empowered to care for their own heritage."
Aluda Daiauri said that in his childhood, 16 families lived in Mutso. As of late 2021, it was down to only four. One of them has never had electricity. The rest get power from an old hydroelectric power station. The electricity is enough only for lighting and sometimes for TV. There has never been internet in Mutso. To make a phone call, one must walk 10 miles to the village of Anatori where there is a signal.
Despite the harsh winters, locals are determined to see their ancient village updated with the needs of modern people. Nikoloz Antidze, head of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection told the Georgian Journal there is now a cafe in Mutso where tourists can relax and there are more plans for hotels and hostels. Additionally, he said a permanent communication system has also been arranged. Telephone masts have been installed and a hydropower plant and electric power system have also been regulated, he said.
“The safety of the visitors will be ensured. Arranging the walking trails and the special barriers is also planned. Additionally, we have here the museum-reserve, where three locals are employed. They will be responsible for ensuring safety of the visitors. Moreover, the special warning banners will be installed, for the safety of tourists,” Antidze explained.
As the buildings are adapted and basic infrastructure problems, such as lack of electricity and communications, have been resolved, families have slowly started to return. The project is making what was old new again, and some say it is setting the necessary precedent for further revival of the mountainous, historical settlements of Georgia.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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