An update from Georgia

Our funding proposal to ALIPH for the restoration of a medieval tower in Georgia contains the sentence: “The climatic conditions will be a key consideration for this project.”  Well, we weren’t wrong there.

Climate change impacts so much of our work.  And the mountains of Georgia are no exception.  Late this spring, landslides caused by extreme rainfall, washed away the road leading to the project site.

However, in spite of these difficult conditions, a small team was able to travel to Akhiele last month. And these experienced volunteers, mobilised by our Polish INTO members, have done some important survey work.  They also maximised their time by being interviewed by a TV Arte documentary team.

The Polish team included experts from a leading university, in Georgia for pleasure but nonetheless with a long history in historic building management. They reported new cracks in the building, possibly as a result of the long winter.  A team from the National Trust for Georgia will travel to Akhiele in August to assess whether plans for next year’s working holidays need to change.

The scaffolding has now reached the site and will be kept there over winter, to minimise the risk of delays next season.

Our project, funded by the ALIPH Foundation and working in partnership with Union REMPART and the National Trust for Georgia, seeks to stabilise and restore the Tsiskarauli Tower.

This 16th-17th Century defensive tower in the Georgian highlands was damaged by a missile during the 2001 Chechen War.  The project is working with the local community to use the tower as a focal point for sustainable eco-tourism and to tell the story of border conflict in the region.

This summer, activity has focussed on documentation with the aim of creating 3D models to record the current condition and ward against future deterioration.  And not just at the Tsiskarauli Tower but at other sites across the Arkhoti Valley in Georgia, where our volunteers have been warmly welcomed.  They have also been able to transport much needed scaffolding to the tower which will be used by the teams next year.