Tskhinvali, Administrative center in Shida Kartli, Georgia
Tskhinvali is an administrative division in the Shida Kartli region of Georgia, situated in a valley between forested slopes. The streets run partly irregular and connect different neighborhoods where single-story houses stand beside newer multi-story concrete buildings.
The settlement developed during medieval times as a trading post along a route through the mountains and grew over centuries into a regional center. In 2008 it became the site of armed confrontations that destroyed wide parts of the built environment and led to reconstruction efforts.
Residents here maintain Ossetian traditions through everyday customs visible in family circles and during celebrations, where music and handcraft play a role. In residential areas you can find small workshops where older techniques of metalworking and textile production continue.
Access requires special permits and adherence to specific travel protocols that must be arranged before arrival. Movement within the settlement is restricted by security measures, and some areas remain off-limits to visitors.
In some older neighborhoods you can see houses that still bear traces of bullets and shrapnel on outer walls, testifying to past fighting. Next to them stand freshly plastered buildings that highlight the contrast between destruction and reconstruction.
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