Tsageri

Zageri (Georgian ცაგერი ) is a city in the Georgian region of Racha - Letschchumi and Niederswanetien. It is the administrative seat of the homonymous municipality and Zageri with about 1800 inhabitants ( 2009), the smallest town in Georgia.

Location

The place is located in the north-central part of Georgia almost 200 kilometers in a straight line north- west of the state capital, Tbilisi, and about 35 kilometers north- west of the regional capital Ambrolauri on the right bank of the Zcheniszqali, a right Rioni Creek. The town is surrounded by mountains that rise south to just over 1000 m above sea level, in the northwest-trending mountain range Egirissi - up to 3174 m ( Zikuri, 15 kilometers northwest of Zageri ).

History

Already in the Middle Ages was Zageri seat of an existing until today eparchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church of the Apostles. . Historian and geographer Wachuschti, son of King Vakhtang VI Georgian, praised the old configured with outstanding domed church frescoes of Zageri early 18th century " built excellent" as; However, it was considerably remodeled in the late 19th century, the frescoes were lost.

Politically, the village belonged to the historical province Letschchumi ( originally called Takweri ), which was assumed in the time of the united Georgian feudal state from the 11th to 15th centuries in succession the Prince of Svaneti and Racha. After the disintegration of the united kingdom Zageri belonged with Letschchumi from 1455 to the Kingdom of Imereti before it first de facto became independent under the local noble family Tschikowani and 1714 united by family ties to the house of Dadiani Mingrelien with this principality.

1857 came Zageri with the Principality of Samegrelo the Russian Empire, was incorporated into the province Kutais and received the ( Russian ) city rights as the administrative headquarters of the Ujesds Letschchumi, which also included parts of Svaneti except the old province.

In the Soviet period Zageri had as an administrative center of a founded 1930 Rajons the Georgian SSR the status of an urban-type settlement before it once again became a city in 1968. In the years around 1960, the population Zageris grew temporarily to more than double than in the surroundings at Zcheniszqali and at a few kilometers east flowing Ladschanuri reservoirs were built with associated hydropower plants, the location served as a logistics center and housing development for the builders.

Note: 1897-2002 census data, in 2009 calculation

Culture and sights

In Zageri the Assumption Cathedral, the main church of the Eparchy of Zageri and Lentechi the Georgian Orthodox Church, as well as the Maximus Confessor Monastery and Church in which is located the grave of the Greek monk and theologian stand. He died in exile on August 13, 662 in the fort Schemarion (or Schemarum ), which is similar to a version of the later fortress near Muri Ziche Zageri. The town also has a local history museum. A few miles away in the village Bardnala some of our featured as a museum birthplace of the poet Lado Asatiani is ( 1917-1943 ).

Economy and infrastructure

In Zageri there are companies in the food industry.

The town lies on the road, starting, runs from Kutaisi on Zqaltubo where the nearest station is in Zcheniszqali Valley and further runs after Niederswanetien with its main town, Lentechi. In Zageri a cross connection by Orbeli in the valley of Ladschanuri branches, the further down follows this up to along the Rioni running Ossetic military road and is the shortest in the southern parts of the region with its capital Ambrolauri.

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Candide Tscharkwiani ( კანდიდ ჩარკვიანი, 1907-1994 ), party and economic functionary, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR ( 1938-1952 )
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