The Georgian Military Road - history and modernity. Status, traffic, weather, passes and location on the map of the Georgian Military Road

The Georgian Military Road has an exact length of 192 kilometers. In 1799, according to the date from the directories, an uninterrupted message was established on it. The kilometrage is marked along the entire road. If you prefer to go on foot or by bus, you will be able to see the white pillars with signs. On each side are kilometers from Tbilisi and Ordzhonikidze. Here, the Georgian Military Road begins, the map of which is available in guidebooks.

General information

The Georgian Military Road (pictured below) runs through four administrative districts of the country: Tbilisi, Dusheti, Kazbek and Mtskheta. The composition of the population of these areas refers to such ethnographic regions as Mtiuleti, Kartli and Mohevi. The main occupations of local residents are farming and cattle breeding. Now in the most large-scale settlements there are small enterprises that deal with the processing of mineral raw materials and agricultural products.

Modern parameters

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 1,400 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 through steep rocks and gorges, rushes up to the Cross Pass. The Georgian Military Road hangs over the Aragvi Valley, the beginning of the Mletskiy Descent. Then it expands and becomes more spacious. On the roadside you can see the open even spaces, dotted with gardens and gardens. Then to the left, then to the right, different settlements flash. Next, the ancient capital of Georgia , Metzha, will meet. Having made the crossing over the Kura, the travelers get to Tbilisi. Picturesque nature, majestic mountains - all this allows us to survey the Military-Georgian road today. The weather here is changeable, on a clear day you can see all the beauty of the area.

Historical background

Since ancient times the way through the Aragvi and Terek valleys was known. In ancient chronicles, there are references to this road. In the essay on Iberia, the Greek historian Strabo wrote of it as a dangerous and difficult mountain path. To the travelers who dared to go this route, there was a risky journey. It was necessary to climb up the paths, so narrow that it was impossible for them to disperse freely to two people. The fortress is located in the Daryal Gorge, in the most inaccessible and narrow zone. This place became known as "the gates of Georgia". Confirmation of that is in the annals. They say that nomadic tribes from the north side regularly raided. For this reason, by the decree of one of the Georgian kings, the narrowest part of the Darubal gorge was laid with stones. Later, a fortress was erected on one of the high rocks. The wooden gate, bound with iron, was hung on the granite rocks beside it. "Darius" in the translation from Persian means "gates of Alans". Even at the beginning of our era Alans settled in Ciscaucasia. They waged incessant wars with the Iberians, who were based in Georgia, for possessing a mountain pass. This is evidenced by historical records. The inhabitants call the gorge the Aragvi gate. The ruins of an ancient fortress, once of defensive importance, have survived to this day. The Georgian military road runs among the picturesque species today. On the way, you can admire part of the eastern wall, which is called "Tamara Castle".

Development

The significance that the Military-Georgian road had had increased with the passage of time. During the feudal heyday of the country, its role as a trade route has increased noticeably. In the 18th century, Russian-Georgian relations became closer, with the subsequent formation of a military alliance. Then the next stage of the development of the route began. During the reign of Catherine II, the Russian military were sent to Georgia, while during the Russo-Turkish clashes Georgian soldiers took part in the struggle against the Turks in the Transcaucasus. At this stage, the track was difficult to navigate in all respects. The path along it was associated with heavy work and a great waste of time. For example, in 1799 the Russian detachment under the command of General Lazarev overcame the distance from Vladikavkaz to Tiflis for more than 30 days.

Importance

After the formation of the union of the two countries, the Georgian Military Road became even more strategic. At that time it was called "Daryalskaya". 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 fortress included a watchtower and a barracks room in which the garrison was located. Near the road were taverns, where weary travelers could eat and rest before heading again a long way. Military fortifications, called redoubts, gave the name to the settlement of Redant. To the south was built Dzheharovskaya fortress. Its ruins also survived to the present day. In the first half of the 19th century, another fortification was built in the Daryal Gorge, intended for the military garrison. The interior has completely disappeared, while the walls are still standing. Before the village of Dusheti the road was brought in 1859. Four years later its official opening took place. Then it got its current name instead of the old one.

An exceptional value during the Second World War

The Georgian Military Road played a big role during the Great Patriotic War. It was the shortest route connecting Transcaucasia and Ciscaucasia. Georgia was under the onslaught of the German fascist invaders. Soldiers defending Ordzhonikidze, stood to death. In the areas that adjoined the Military-Georgian road 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 river Urukh one of the lines was designated. The best formations of the German fascist invaders went here. After the military seized part of Maikop and the North Caucasus, they sought to reach the oilfields of Grozny, then break through to Baku, and from there along the Military Road to Georgia.

Prerequisites and reasons for joining

The St. George's treatise, concluded in the late 18th century, formalized the protectorate of Russia over the East Georgian state. In neighboring countries, such an agreement caused a wave of discontent. The Dagestan gangs, instigated by Turkey, often began to ravage raids. In 1795, the Persian wars took Tbilisi, plundered it and burnt it to the ground. The kingdom was under threat of complete annihilation. The decline in the population reached a critical level. The last Georgian king was forced to ask for help from the Russian government in order to save the state from fatal devastation and disappearance.

The final stage

In 1801, Georgia finally joined Russia. The manifesto was signed on September 12. In a similar situation, this was the only true solution for the country, because the people were threatened with enslavement by Persia and Turkey. At that time, the religious and cultural development of both states were the most similar, being on the same level. In addition, Russia possessed the necessary force that was able to create the necessary conditions for the development of the productive forces of the Georgian state and to unite the disparate territories.

Geographical aspects

The northern area of the route runs through the ethnographic territories of Khevi. This word in Georgian means "ravine". For this reason, the locals were called canyons or Mohovites. Now this area occupies a plot of more than 1000 square kilometers. It stretches from the village of Upper Lara to the Cross Pass itself. The population is about 9 thousand people. According to the administrative decree, Khevi belongs to the Kazbegsky district, which includes two Ossetian and four Georgian village Soviets. Kazbegi is the administrative center of the region. More recently, he managed to get the status of the city. In guidebooks ten years ago, Kazbegi is still designated as a village. The earliest settlements in this region were located in the gorge of Sno Gudashaur Aragvi and Terek. They arose long before the onset of our era. Several centuries ago, the Hevi district was incorporated into the Aragvi principality. Later it was transformed into an independent region and split into several territories. The championship among them belonged to the Edo district, centered on St. Stepan - the ancient name of the city of Kazbegi. It is associated with the name of a monk who once saved villagers from flooding.

Technical Breakthrough

In 1814 the movement along the Georgian Military Road became possible for wheeled vehicles. Later, a quick postal message was sent to connect Tiflis with St. Petersburg. Twenty years later, through this route, uninterrupted horse-mail communication was organized. Maintenance of a regular and safe passage required constant maintenance work. What was the Georgian Military Road at that time? The state of the pass was maintained at the proper level by local residents. Near him and in the Daryal canyon were particularly dangerous and difficult to overcome areas. In this place often occurred such phenomena as snowdrifts and landslides. To protect travelers crossing unreliable zones, it was necessary to build concrete galleries.

The famous steep

Directly behind the pass itself there is a very steep section of the road. This is the famous Mletskiy Descent. It takes more than 200 meters to the valley of the Aragvi River. The process of its construction began in the sixties of the last century. The project was ordered by BI Statkovsky. After the engineer returned from a business trip to Western Europe, he presented a plan for the reconstruction of the section of the road. The project was approved. Construction lasted for six years. Mletskiy descent was erected in very difficult and dangerous conditions. The builders had to overcome many obstacles to cut the steps in the rocks, on which it would be possible to confidently keep the balance and work. Nevertheless, the result is worthy of all praise. Mletskiy descent is an outstanding example of engineering art, striking smoothness of the road lines. At the very end of the descent is a source with a swimming pool.

Modern realities

Since 2006, on the Russian side, the Georgian Military Road has been closed for an indefinite period. The formal reason for the suspension of the transport connection was the reconstruction of the checkpoint. In fact, it was impossible to leave the Russian Federation to Georgia by road in a legal way. In 2010, the control post again began to function. For Armenia, opening the border and resuming the message is of great importance. The Georgian Military Road is opened again, and approximately one third of all the republic's cargoes can be transported by it.