Georgia
Georgia: A border in my backyard
Clément Girardot is a freelance writer focusing on international reporting, especially from the South Caucasus and Turkey. His work has appeared in various publications, including the Guardian, Al Jazeera, Le Monde and Wired.
“In our free time, we would go for a swim in the Ksani river or take a walk in the mountains,” kindergarten teacher Mariam Javakhishvili said, recalling her childhood in the Georgian village of Odzisi.
Despite its peaceful rural setting, nestled in a bucolic valley 30 kilometers from Tbilisi’s northern suburbs, Odzisi has been deeply impacted by the conflict over the disputed territory of South Ossetia.
“Now, I wonder how I could let my kids go there,” she said.
A former autonomous region of the Soviet Republic of Georgia, South Ossetia declared its independence in 1992, after a ceasefire ended the conflict between Ossetian separatists and Georgia. However, the situation remained unstable and the dispute flared once more in 2008, when Moscow crushed the Georgian army and unilaterally recognized both South Ossetia’s and Abkhazia’s sovereignty as breakaway territories.
Observers now like to describe the state of this conflict as “frozen,” but for the villagers there, it is anything but. Russian forces have been actively demarcating the “international borders” of their client states, which roughly encompasses about 18 percent of Georgia’s land mass. And this process, known as “borderization,” has cost Odzisi, as well as other impacted villages, a large part of its population and economic activity.
According to resident Marika Khunashvili, “600 people are registered here for elections, but only half are left,” as locals have primarily moved to Tbilisi, as well as various other countries across Europe, to find work.
Just a few hundred meters north of the town, now stand a row of imposing barbed-wire fences, impeding any movement toward the upper valley — except for the few inhabitants holding crossing permits.
And across the river, the Georgian settlement of Akhmaji appears almost completely deserted, many of its houses windowless and abandoned, but for a large, looming military base where Russian border guards are stationed around the clock.
Life under control
Stretching from Odzisi in the east to the mountainous regions of Upper Imereti and Racha in the west, borderization has so far directly impacted 34 Georgian villages. Its primary impact has been the loss of access to agricultural lands, pastures and woodlands, as well as water sources for irrigation and, in some cases, even cemeteries and holy places.
In the village of Khurvaleti, just a short drive from Odzisi, Nora Batonisashvili and her son Gia lost their fecund orchard full of cherry, plum, apple and apricot trees when a group of Russian soldiers came and built a barbed wire fence across it in March 2019.
“The garden behind the house is occupied by Russians. We only have a small piece of land in front of our house to grow some vegetables. We even had to move the toilet shed to the other side [of the house],” she said.
Khurvaleti is now almost completely encircled with barbed wire. One house was even entirely cut off from the rest of the village in 2011 and, after refusing to move out, its owner Data Vanishvili became a symbol of the resistance, receiving a posthumous medal of honor from Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili when he died in 2021.
“My grandmother Valia still lives in the house,” his grandson Malkhaz Vanishvili said. “I go to see her once a month under a police escort. I bring her bottles of water. She owns two cows and gives me some cheese over the barbed wire.”
Malkhaz used to live in the house as well, but he eventually had to seek refuge on the Georgian side, after being arrested several times by South Ossetian and Russian security forces for informally crossing the “border” to Khurvaleti and bigger cities like Gori and Tbilisi.
“One time, they kept me in a small and cold room. The South Ossetian KGB beat me and made me insult Georgians in the Ossetian language. I am afraid to cross again in case they catch me,” he said.
International organizations refer to this new “border” as the “administrative boundary line,” but Georgian authorities call it the “occupation line.” And anyone who trespasses or gets close to it can be arrested, detained and fined — even when straying where there’s no fence.
For local communities, this increased isolation — as well as the economic toll of borderization — is also increasingly accompanied by a feeling of anxiety and precariousness, which is only exacerbated by the sophisticated surveillance system Russian border guards have built over the years. “Since they installed jamming stations in several places, people not only lost their mobile connection, but they are also having problems receiving TV and radio signals,” said Olesya Vartanyan, an analyst for the Crisis Group.
Communities torn apart
Also sitting very close to the boundary line is Tskhinvali, the de facto capital of South Ossetia. And since 2008, the city’s 30,000 inhabitants have been watching the agricultural lands around them slowly turn into Russian military bases.
The Georgian villages to the town’s north were all destroyed following the expulsion of their inhabitants, but to its south still stands Nikozi — a village that used to have strong ties with Tskhinvali. Children would walk the short distance to attend school there every day during the Soviet period, and farmers would go to the city to sell their products until the 2000s. But no longer — not with more barbed wire and a row of cameras blocking the way.
“We have land near the borderline where we used to grow wheat and corn, but we don’t go there since 2008 — it isn’t worth risking being arrested,” said Mevludi Chulukhadze, a resident of Nikozi. “A lot of lands are abandoned like this, and the water isn’t sufficient either. My father cried when he saw our dried vineyard. There isn’t enough infrastructure for village life here, and the government does not care about us,” he added.
“My sister lives in Tskhinvali; she is married to an Ossetian. We call each other twice a year, but we haven’t been able to meet in person since the war,” said Pelagia Gvaradze, a mother-of-six who is also married to an ethnic Ossetian. The family used to live in Achabeti, a Georgian hamlet north of Tskhinvali.
“People are all scattered in different places now. There was recently a funeral of a relative where we met someone from Achabeti for the first time,” she said. Funerals of close relatives are one of the few instances where Georgians are still allowed enter South Ossetia. “It hurts to know that everything is destroyed and that we lost these villages,” she added.
Many in Nikozi have relatives in Tskhinvali too, but they haven’t been able to see them in years. The de facto South Ossetian authorities are very strict when it comes to issuing crossing permits, making it difficult for families to reunite and any trade to be conducted.
Territorial dispute in the forest
But for officials and villagers alike, it’s not always clear where exactly the “new border” is.
South Ossetian and Russian authorities base their territorial claims on old Soviet maps, which aren’t precise. Meanwhile, like most of the international community, Georgian authorities don’t recognize South Ossetia as a political entity and refuse to communicate or agree on the “border’s” precise delineation.
Unsurprisingly, disputes have thus arisen, with Tbilisi accusing Russia of grabbing additional territories that were never part of South Ossetia. And the biggest disagreement so far occurred in August 2019, in the forest between the Georgian village of Chorchana and the Ossetian settlement of Tsnelisi.
The argument had started when Georgia built a police observation post on the edge of the forest, just as South Ossetian authorities were planning to take over the area. And in retaliation, South Ossetia built a rival observation post in the middle of the forest that was previously under Tbilisi’s control. Fortunately, the dispute didn’t escalate into open confrontation — though it came close.
But to put more pressure on Georgian authorities to withdraw their post, the South Ossetian leadership closed all official crossing points between the two territories. “We became isolated,” said Valida, who lives in Chorchana. “We have only one spring and the water is dirty. We have no running water, and the internet provider stopped its services in our area.”
The border crossings were only reopened last summer.
Perevi, the dead end
“We waited two years and three months to be reunited,” said Maia Nikolaishvili. She had moved from Karzmani to Sachkhere with her husband and three daughters when the crossing points were closed, but their son Bachiki had to stay behind to look after the family’s house and cattle.
Maia works at the public school in Perevi as an art teacher, and feeling homesick, she spent months meticulously reproducing every detail of her village — including her house — on canvas. “I made this painting because I missed Karzmani, and it also relieved my pain,” she said.
Despite being fully inhabited by ethnic Georgians, Karzmani has been incorporated into South Ossetia since 2008, as it belonged to the municipality of Java (South Ossetia) during the Soviet period.
Entrepreneur Gia Bakradze lives in a house close to the river there, and sees Russian soldiers patrolling along the stream daily. “We are a small family, we are resistant, we [stare down] the Russians. But our government is doing [the opposite],” he said. His hope is for the government to make Georgia a more attractive country to attract people from South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
“Borderization is the signature of Russia. They’re afraid of contact between people, like in East Germany. They don’t want us to find common ground. But if people wanted to reunite, then Russians would be harmless,” said the entrepreneur who has family and friends still living in South Ossetia.
But this is still a faraway prospect, as the trauma and pains from the conflicts with Georgia remain fresh. And until resolved, Perevi, Khurvaleti and the many towns like them, will most likely remain a dead end. So, for now, all Georgians can do is gaze toward the snowy mountains and remember where they once used to swim, walk and graze their cattle, carefree.
Georgia
Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Open as 20.5 Point Underdogs vs Georgia Bulldogs in Rivalry Matchup
After beating NC State on Thursday, Georgia Tech is now 7-4 heading into their Black Friday rivalry showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs. The Yellow Jackets have not beaten Georgia since 2016, but this could be the best chance that they have had to knock off the Bulldogs since then and if they were to win, they would put a big dent in the Bulldogs playoff hopes, though they would still have a chance to win the SEC.
It is going to be a big task for the Yellow Jackets though and at Fanduel Sportsbook, Georgia Tech is a 20.5 point underdog next Friday vs Georgia and the total is set at 54.5.
Georgia Tech played Georgia almost as well as anyone did last year. Georgia won 31-23, but the Yellow Jackets were an onside kick away from getting the ball back and having a chance to tie the game up. In 2022, Key had his alma mater within six points of the No. 1 Bulldogs (13-7) in the middle of the third quarter before Georgia finally pulled away. In each of the past two seasons, Key has had this team playing better against the Bulldogs since the last time the Yellow Jackets won in 2016. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, Georgia handled the Yellow Jackets with ease, but they have had to fight for the past two seasons to put Georgia Tech away.
It will be a tall task though. Despite their losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, Georgia has one of, if not the most talented roster in the country and has not lost a home game since being upset by South Carolina in 2019.
Will Georgia Tech’s two-quarterback system work against the Bulldogs? It worked to perfection against Miami, but not so much against NC State. True freshman Aaron Philo played well and led the game-winning drive, but going into Athens as a true freshman and beating Georgia is a tough ask. Can Georgia Tech run the ball? They were able to overcome a poor performance on the ground last night, but they usually lose when they don’t run the ball well. The defense played great at times last night, but had a really bad fourth quarter and nearly let the game slip away. When Georgia has lost this season, quarterback Carson Beck has been a big reason why. Can Tyler Santucci’s defense force Beck to make mistakes?
They might not be able to beat the Bulldogs in Athens to close the season out, but this is without a doubt the best chance that they have had since they last won the game in 2016. Georgia Tech has relished being in the underdog role with Key at the helm and he is looking to pull off his biggest win yet.
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Georgia
SEC title game scenarios: Auburn upset sets up Georgia vs. Texas-Texas A&M winner in Atlanta
Rival programs Texas and Texas A&M will meet next Saturday for the first time in 13 years and will have an SEC championship game berth on the line when they do.
The winner between the No. 3 Longhorns and No. 15 Aggies will clinch a berth in the SEC title game and will play No. 10 Georgia. The SEC office confirmed Saturday night that following Week 13’s results, the Bulldogs have clinched a spot in the conference title game for the fourth consecutive season.
That’s the unexpected outcome of a stunning day of upsets in the SEC, which saw Ole Miss and Alabama eliminated by taking a third loss, No. 11 Tennessee eliminated because of tiebreakers and Georgia clinch a spot after the new tiebreaker rules were examined.
Here’s a look at the top four teams in the standings heading into Week 14:
| Team | SEC record | Final SEC opponent |
|---|---|---|
|
6-1 |
at Texas A&M |
|
|
6-2 |
n/a |
|
|
5-2 |
Texas |
|
|
5-2 |
at Vanderbilt |
Breaking down the SEC scenarios
• If Texas wins next week, then it has the best record and No. 1 seed. Georgia would then be the second seed whether or not Tennessee wins against Vanderbilt, as Georgia owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Volunteers.
• If Texas A&M wins, it creates either a three-way or four-way tie for first place, depending on whether Tennessee wins. None of the first tiebreakers would appear to apply, so it would go to schedule strength. Texas A&M has that edge right now, and according to the SEC office calculations that would still hold after next week. Here is what they are after this weekend’s games:
| Team | Opponents’ cumulative conference record |
|---|---|
|
28-30 |
|
|
26-32 |
|
|
26-35 |
|
|
23-36 |
But that would only clinch the first seed, and the tiebreaker process would go back to the beginning with the remaining three teams. In that case, Georgia would get the second seed, by virtue of having beaten Tennessee and Texas.
If Texas A&M wins but Tennessee loses, then Georgia still gets the spot via its head-to-head win over the Longhorns.
The bottom line: It’s complicated.
Here are the six SEC tiebreakers, in order:
- Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
- Record versus all common conference opponents among the tied teams
- Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent in the conference standings, and proceeding through the conference standings among the tied teams
- Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
- Capped relative total scoring margin versus all conference opponents among the tied teams
- Random draw of the tied teams
How Auburn upset the Aggies
Auburn receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith made a leaping catch in the middle of the end zone of a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Payton Thorne in the fourth overtime that proved to be the game winner. Texas A&M had a chance to match it, but Marcel Reed’s rollout pass to Amari Daniels was dropped. Auburn fans stormed the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium to celebrate the win, its first over a ranked team in the Hugh Freeze era.
The Tigers (5-6, 2-5) raced out to a 21-0 second quarter lead behind their passing game. Thorne connected on four pass plays of 15 or more yards in the first quarter alone, including a 63-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman and a 60-yard completion to Lambert-Smith.
Texas A&M charged back with three touchdowns on its next four drives to tie the game at 21 with 7:57 to go in the third quarter. Aggies receiver Noah Thomas (five catches, 124 yards) accounted for two of those on touchdown catches of 14 and 73 yards in the third quarter.
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (130 rushing yards, three touchdowns) gave the Tigers a 28-21 lead, but Texas A&M responded with a Randy Bond field goal and an 8-yard Daniels touchdown run to take a 31-28 lead with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers penetrated inside A&M’s 10 in the final minute but settled for a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second overtime. By rule, teams must attempt alternating two-point conversion plays beginning in the third overtime. Both teams failed to convert theirs in the third overtime.
Looking ahead
Despite the loss, the Aggies still have a chance to make it to the SEC title game for the first time in school history. Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 but failed to win its division under Kevin Sumlin or Jimbo Fisher.
New coach Mike Elko has a chance to do something neither of his predecessors could, but it will require an upset of rival Texas. A loss will eliminate the Aggies from College Football Playoff contention since they’ll be ranked well outside the top 12.
The Longhorns visit Kyle Field next week, the first time since 2011 the rivals will meet and the 119th edition of the rivalry. Texas leads the all-time series 76-37-5 and won the last meeting 27-25 on a Justin Tucker field goal as time expired.
Earlier in the day, Georgia wasn’t considering the SEC championship a strong possibility, much less clinching a spot before the day was over. More of the discussion had been about whether it would be better to miss the game, rest and prepare for the first round of the Playoff, rather than risk a loss and drop further in the rankings.
“We haven’t really discussed it,” guard Tate Ratledge said. “If it falls into place, we’re going to do our best to go up there and do our best to win it. But if it doesn’t it doesn’t. Right now we’re just focused on (Georgia) Tech.”
(Photo: Michael Chang / Getty Images)
National Parks, a vital influence on the American culture have been around since 1872. And while many states in the U.S. benefit from the beauty and attractiveness of the attributes that make a national park a national park, not every state has that honor. There are twenty states that have yet to gain a title, however, it is not due to the lack of personality. Georgia is one such state.
Macon, Georgia is home to a historical park that contains over 17,000 years of historical artifacts. Ocmulgee Mounds is a beautiful grassy piece of land where a variety of Native American cultures have resided for thousands of years. The historic park is known for its cultural history and houses the only spiral staircase mound known to be existing in North America, and has several different nature trails and hikes.
Although the state of Georgia has 11 sites designated by the National Park Service, over 60 parks, and 17 historic sites, an official National Park has been in the works for over 90 years. This week, however, the Peach State took one step closer to having its first national park and preserve. The Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve Establishment Act passed through the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
Concerning the act, U.S. Rep and cosponsor on the bill, Austin Scott elaborates, “This is a bipartisan initiative that goes all the way back to 1934. The Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act would create a historic opportunity to protect important natural and cultural resources, protect hunting and fishing for generations to come, and bring economic opportunities to middle Georgia through the creation of Georgia’s first national park.”
This initiative has been a long time coming and the state is looking forward to highlighting the hidden cultural and ecological gems they have to offer on a nother level.
“Experts estimate the Ocmulgee River corridor is home to 32 mammal species, 170 species of birds, 26 amphibian species, 31 fish species and 35 reptile species.” Environment Georgia, an e
The Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve Establishment Act also takes a step to guaruntee the preservation of the natural life that resides in Macon. “Experts estimate the Ocmulgee River corridor is home to 32 mammal species, 170 species of birds, 26 amphibian species, 31 fish species and 35 reptile species,” environmentalist group, Environment Georgia stated in a release.
As well as preserving the wildlife of Ocmulgee Mounds, this next step in ensuring Georgia’s first National Park will bolster the local economy and allow tourists from across the U.S. to delve into the rich history and culture that Georgia has to offer.
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