Kakheti – Vashlovani and Lagodekhi Protected Areas (2007)

The present reference book deals with the customs and traditions of the gateway communities of Vashlovani and Lagodekhi Protected Areas founded under the auspices of the law passed by the Parliament of Georgia in 2003 with facilitation of “Georgia’s Protected Areas Development Project” supported by the World Bank and Global Environment Facility.

PREFACE

Creation of protected areas will promote revitalization of historical-cultural traditions of the unity of the nature and the human, preservation of everyday customs and habits and development of tourism in this beautiful corner of Georgia.

Acquainting with the traditional rituals and customs and habits described in the present reference book will help the tourists visiting Eastern Georgia and namely, Kakheti, easily establish contacts with the local people, adapt to a foreign cultural environment and at least partly fill the expected informational vacuum.

Some of the traditions described in the present reference book have been lost by now; others have been faded and are being forgotten. However, most of those traditions are still remembered and followed by the local residents. Consideration of these traditions as a whole unity will help a visitor understand some outlines of the traditional culture of Kakheti and namely, Dedoplistskaro and Lagodekhi Region, Vashlovani and Lagodekhi Protected Areas’ adjacent territories, and consider the changes in the transformed environment.

Editors:
Avtandil Arabuli – Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor
Marina Metreveli – Doctor of Economics, Professor, Expert in Tourism

Consultants:
Tinatin Gudushauri – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor
Teimuraz Gvimradze – Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor
Giorgi Natroshvili – Specialist in interpretation of Vashlovan Portected Areas

Photos by:
Avtandil Metreveli, Zaal Oragvelidze

Translators:
Eka Kikvadze, Thea Dolidze