VILLAGES IN KARCHOKHI VALLEY

Abstract

In the work, there is a discussion about Karchokhi - abandoned village, which is located near the headwaters of Ksani.  First of all, we focus on the X century Samtavneli Benefit Ledger which text is in Nuskhuri. It was discovered by famous scientist S.Kakabadze in the collection of the church documents.  Kakabadze included it in his historical collection.  In the source, several other villages of the Karchokhi valley are mentioned, which no longer exists today, although after the analyses of the sources and the literature it is possible to find the location.

   For example, the village Anratsminduli mentioned in the list was called Andriatsmindauli , later called as Shatakiankari, based on the surname of the Shatakishvili found here. Today, the Shatakishvilis are not living in the Karchokhi valley, their migration took place in the villages of  Gori municipality, mainly in the Ateni valley. Location of Shatakiantkari, earlier Andriatsminduli is to the east, over village Dochiani.

   In the X century monument of Samtavneli benefit is mentioned the village of Karchukhi.  Karchokhi is the name of the gorge nowadys, which the union of several villages which used to be the centre of Zemo Karchokhi. From the  X century, the villages of Khozoeti and Golgoleti are also mentioned.  Khozoeti was located on the eastern side of the watershed of Ksani and Churti, west of the village of Kenkaani, it was known as Kazoti in the X century, and it was called Khokhotadaa in the XV century book of trade.  Before the Second World War, it was one of the most populous and noisy villages in the Karchokhi valley. It has been abandoned village since the 90s of the XX century. Golgoleti was also located in the neighbourhood of Kenkaan, to its southwest.  As such, this past is almost unknown in the Ksani Valley, but according to the demographic descriptions, it is described differently that Golgoleti was uniting  Bejuant village and the vast territory located in the southwest of it.

   On the right side of Ksani, to the north of the village of Midelaani, there is the Kveriati remains, where a tower dating back to the IX-X centuries has been preserved.  Tsiptauri, the descendants of Tsiklauri here, then settled in Kvemo Tsiptauri, which is also is not inhabited today.

   The three old Georgian villages - Dzaboeti, Lomisa and Okhiri, where the Ossetian population originated from the XVIII century, have also been turned into abandoned village.

   After the war in August 2008, the situation in Karchokhi valley became even worse, the most of the villages were abandoned.

Key words: Karchokhi valley, Samtavneli benefit, demographic lists, Satavado, traveller, occupation, abandoned village, castle-house, church-monasteries.