Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti
Because of hard social-economical conditions Ossetian people living in several villages of Kakheti region flee from Georgia. Some move to Tskhinvali and others resettle in Vladikavkaz. Scholars of Conflicts and human rights defenders claim that the reason for their resettlement has an ethnic factor together with a factor involving social conditions.
According to the representatives of territorial bodies of the district governors the number of Ossetian settlers has been remarkably reduced in the villages of Pichkhovani and Argo in the Akhmeta district, in the villages of Tsitskanaantseri in the Kaverli district, in the village of Kitaani in the Gurjaani district and in the village of Bolkvi in the Lagodekhi district. For example, in 2003 2,239 Ossetian people lived in the Lagodekhi district and now their number is less than 500.
Ossetians who have remained in the region said: “Georgian and Ossetian residents of the region have a very good relationship. Many of them are relatives. However, because of poor economic conditions hundreds of Ossetian families left their place of residence and moved either to Vladikavkaz or to Tskhinvali. They have relatives there. It is very difficult to live in the villages of the Kakheti region. We are actually separated from the district center. Even if there is employment in the city, we will not be able to work.”
About 300 Ossetians families live in the village of Kitaani in Gurjaani. For two years with no result they have been requesting the local authority to assign a bus in their village that could run from the village to the district center. Private mini-buses do not run in the village because of extremely damaged roads. Also, the school in the village has been abolished and children have to walk 7 kilometers to the school in the neighboring village.
Paata Zakareishvili, a scholar of conflicts, states that persecution on ethnic ground is another reason for the migration of Ossetian people. “I have been informed about the migration of Ossetian people for a long time. I cannot say that it has resulted only from the social hard life, from which Ossetians in Georgia used to flee before the August 2008 war. However, the process has become more intensive since the August war.”
Paata Zakareishvili said that: “There were no threats or violence; however, there are cases of indirect oppression. For example, they receive offers to sell their houses at low prices since there is no place for them to live in Georgia. Ossetian people have encountered similar problems very often. They are frightened and have to leave Georgia”
Representatives of the International Association of Ossetian Women said that the real reason for the migration of Ossetian people from Georgia is the war in August, 2008. “Ossetian people used to leave Georgia before the war too but after the war Ossetian youth massively moved to Vladikavkaz. Those Ossetians who remained in Georgia also plan to resettle but because of the visa situation they cannot,” said Izolda Tigieva, head of the International Association of Ossetian Women.
