The Georgian Military Highway has an exact length of 192 kilometers. In 1799, according to the date from the directories, an uninterrupted message was established on it. Kilometers are marked along the entire road. If you prefer to go on foot or by bus, you can see the white poles with signs. On each side, kilometers from Tbilisi and Ordzhonikidze are indicated. Here begins the Georgian Military Road, a map of which is available in guidebooks.
General information
The Georgian Military Highway (photo below) runs through four administrative regions of the country: Tbilisi, Dusheti, Kazbek and Mtskheta. The composition of the population of these regions belongs to such ethnographic regions as Mtiuleti, Kartli and Mohevi. The main occupations of local residents are agriculture and cattle breeding. Now in the most large-scale villages there are small enterprises that are engaged in the processing of mineral raw materials and agricultural products.
Modern options
The Georgian Military Road today is the shortest route from Ordzhonikidze to Tbilisi, or vice versa. 5 hours is the maximum time for which it can be overcome, in addition, it is most convenient. For comparison: the length of the railway is about 1400 kilometers, and to make such a trip, it may take up to 35 hours.
The route begins in the valley of the Terek River, then rises above it, passes over steep cliffs and gorges, rushes up to the Cross Pass. The Georgian Military Highway hangs over the Aragvi Valley, here the Mljet Descent begins. Then it expands and becomes more spacious. Along the roadsides, you can see open, flat spaces dotted with vegetable gardens and gardens. Different settlements flicker on the left or on the right. Next will meet the ancient capital of Georgia - Mtsekha. Having crossed the Kura River, travelers arrive in Tbilisi. Picturesque nature, majestic mountains - all this allows you to view the Georgian Military Road today. The weather here is changeable, on a clear day you can see all the beauty of the area.
Historical information
For a long time, a path was known that ran through the valleys of Aragvi and Terek. In ancient chronicles there is mention of this road. In a sketch about Iberia, the Greek historian Strabo wrote about it as a dangerous and difficult mountain path. Travelers who dared to go this route, had a risky journey. It was necessary to climb up the paths so narrow that it was impossible for two people to freely climb them. The fortress is located in the Darial Gorge, in the most inaccessible and narrow zone. This place became known as the "gate of Georgia." Confirmation of this is in the annals. They say that nomadic tribes from the northern side regularly raided. For this reason, by the decree of one of the Georgian kings, the narrowest part of the Darubal gorge was stoned. Later, a fortress was erected on one of the high cliffs. A wooden gate bound in iron was hung on granite rocks near it. "Darial" in translation from the Persian language means "the gates of the Alans." At the beginning of our era, the Alans settled in the Pre-Caucasus. They waged endless wars with the Iberians, who were based in Georgia, for owning a mountain passage. This is evidenced by historical records. Residents call the gorge Aragvi gates. The ruins of an ancient fortress, which once had a defensive significance, have survived to this day. The Georgian Military Road today lies among scenic views. On the way, you can admire the part of the eastern wall, which is called "Tamara Castle".
Development
The importance of the Georgian Military Highway has increased over time. During the feudal heyday of the country, its role as a trade route increased markedly. In the XVIII century, Russian-Georgian relations became closer, with the subsequent formation of a military alliance. Then the next stage of development of the route began. During the reign of Catherine II, domestic soldiers were sent to Georgia, while during the Russo-Turkish clashes, Georgian soldiers took part in the fight against the Turks in the territory of Transcaucasia. At this stage, the track was impassable in all respects. The path along it was associated with hard work and a great loss of time. For example, in 1799, the Russian detachment under the command of General Lazarev overcame the distance from Vladikavkaz to Tiflis in more than 30 days.
Importance
After the formation of the union of the two countries, the Georgian Military Highway acquired even greater strategic importance. At that time, it was called "Daryal". The process of its reconstruction began, which required quite a few means. To protect travelers throughout the road, military fortifications began to appear. The first redoubt was erected at the very beginning. The structure of the fortification included a watchtower and a barracks room, in which a security garrison was located. There were taverns near the road, where tired travelers could eat and relax before setting off on a long journey. The military fortifications, called the Redoubts, gave the name of the settlement of Redant. Dzhekharovskaya fortress was erected to the south. Its ruins are also preserved to this day. In the first half of the 19th century, another fortification was built in the Darial Gorge, intended for a military garrison. The interior has completely disappeared, while the walls are still standing. The road was brought to the village of Dusheti in 1859. Four years later, its official opening took place. Then she got her current name instead of the former.
Exceptional value during the Second World War
The Georgian Military Road played a big role during the Great Patriotic War. It was the shortest path connecting Transcaucasia and Ciscaucasia. Georgia was under the onslaught of Nazi invaders. The soldiers who defended Ordzhonikidze stood to death. In the areas adjacent to the Georgian Military Highway from the west and north, the most bloody and fierce battles were fought. In these places, a heroic battle was fought over the territory of the Caucasus. On the southern bank of the Terek and the Urukh River, one of the borders was designated. The best formations of the Nazi invaders went here. After the military captured part of Maykop and the North Caucasus, they sought to get to the oil fields of Grozny, then break through to Baku, and from there along the Military Road to Georgia.
Prerequisites and motives for joining
The St. George Treaty, concluded at the end of the 18th century, issued a protectorate of Russia over the East Georgian state. In neighboring countries, such an agreement caused a wave of discontent. The Dagestani gangs, incited by Turkey, often began to organize devastating raids. In 1795, Persian wars captured Tbilisi, plundered it and burned it to the ground. The kingdom was in danger of total annihilation. The decline in population has reached a critical point. The last Georgian tsar was forced to ask for help from the Russian government in order to save the state from fatal devastation and disappearance.
Final stage
In 1801, Georgia finally joined Russia. A manifesto on this was signed on September 12th. In such a situation, this was the only right decision for the country, since the people were threatened with enslavement by Persia and Turkey. At that time, the religious and cultural development of both states were most similar, being on the same level. In addition, Russia possessed the necessary strength that was able to create the necessary conditions for the development of the productive forces of the Georgian state and unite disparate territories.
Geographic aspects
The northern region of the route runs through the ethnographic territories of Heavy. This word in translation from the Georgian language means "ravine". For this reason, the locals were called gorges or Mohevets. Now this area occupies an area of more than 1000 square kilometers. It stretches from the village of Verkhny Lara to the Cross Pass itself. The population is about 9 thousand people. According to the administrative decree, Heavy belongs to the Kazbegi region, which includes two Ossetian and four Georgian village councils. Kazbegi is the administrative center of the region. More recently, he managed to get the status of a city. In guides ten years ago, Kazbegi is still designated as a village. The earliest settlements in this region were located in the Sno Gudashaur Aragvi and Terek gorges. They arose long before the advent of our era. Several centuries ago, the district of Heavy was included in the Aragvi Principality. Later, it transformed into an independent region and split into several territories. The championship among them belonged to the Edo district, the center of which was St. Stepan - this is the ancient name of the city of Kazbegi. It is connected with the name of the monk who once saved the villagers from the flood.
Technical breakthrough
In 1814, movement along the Georgian Military Highway became possible for wheeled vehicles. Later, a quick mail service was organized that connected Tiflis with St. Petersburg. Twenty years later, uninterrupted horse-mail service was organized using this path. Maintaining regular and safe travel required ongoing repairs. What was the Georgian Military Road at that time? The condition of the pass was upheld by local residents. Particularly dangerous and difficult to overcome areas were located near it and in the Darial gorge. In this place, phenomena such as snowdrifts and landslides often occurred. To protect travelers crossing unreliable areas, it was necessary to build concrete galleries.
Famous steep
Right behind the pass there is a very steep section of the road. This is the famous Mljet descent. It goes more than 200 meters into the valley of the Aragvi River. The process of its construction began in the sixties of the last century. Lead the project obliged B.I. Statkovsky. After the engineer returned from a business trip to Western Europe, he presented a plan for the reconstruction of the transit section of the road. The project has been approved. Construction lasted for six years. Mljetsky descent was built in very difficult and dangerous conditions. Builders had to overcome many obstacles in order to cut down the steps in the rocks, on which one could confidently maintain balance and work. Nevertheless, the result is worthy of all praise. Mljetsky descent is an outstanding example of engineering art, striking the smoothness of the lines of the road. At the very end of the descent there is a source with a pool.
Modern realities
Since 2006, the Georgian Military Highway has been closed by Russia for an indefinite period. The formal reason for the suspension of transport was the reconstruction of the checkpoint. In fact, it was impossible to travel legally from the Russian Federation to Georgia by road. In 2010, the control post began to function again. For Armenia, opening the border and resuming communication is of great importance. The Georgian Military Highway is reopened, and about a third of all the republic’s cargo can be transported along it.