One of the best experiences I’ve had during my time in Georgia was a trip to the northern city of Kazbegi. Kazbegi has the famous Gergeti Trinity Church which is situated on a mountain top with another range of mountains in the background. When I Googled Georgia before coming, the iconic photo of the church against the background of mountains appears.
I’m glad we got to go on this excursion. I’ve always wanted to Kazbegi but it always seemed as though the church was located in a remote and not easily-accessible area of the country. However, the photos which seemingly showed a remote and inaccessible area atop a mountain were more than slightly misleading. In fact, Kazbegi and the church are very accessible places and there is a well-maintained road that goes up the mountain.
Originally, we intended to climb up to the church in true adventurer style. However, the morning we were due to go up the mountain it was very rainy, and quite cold. We had not quite accounted for the 50-degree weather alongside rain and as such we adjusted our plans to take a taxi up to the church instead.
The drive up to the church was stunning. When we first arrived in Kazbegi we were able to mountains in the distance; those tall and craggy grey mountains for which the Caucasus is known but the fog prevented us from seeing much beyond that. However, as we drove up the switchback roads to Gergeti Trinity Church we started to see glimpses of a very tall and imposing mountain range much closer than we originally thought. In fact, as the car climbed higher, we realized that there was an entire range of mountains of approximately 16,000ft that had been completely hidden by the fog when we arrived! How such a tall and imposing range of mountains could be hidden by fog and clouds is baffling to me, but as we got closer to the church it was jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Part of the allure of the Caucasus is its mountains. These mountains are so large, rocky, sharp, and dangerous that when you look at them, you seem to look back in time as well. While people, settlements, and cities have changed these mountains remain as they have been for the past 500 years. These mountains are truly awe inspiring and imposing and I will never truly be able to encompass their beauty with words. The Russian poet Pushkin once wrote that there are “captives of the Caucasus.” The beauty of the Caucasus mountains has certainly made me a captive of the Caucasus, and although I’ve been to the Caucasus region several times before, the beauty of the mountains is still so striking as to take my breath away.
Going to Kazbegi was truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of mine. The photos of the Gergeti Trinity Church against the backdrop of mountains was one which drew me to the Caucasus but seeing the church did not quench my desire of the Caucasus, but instead made it grow.
Program: Peace & Security in the South Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia
Term: Summer 2019