First stop was the The Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, build in 1983 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Treaty of Georgievsk and ongoing friendship (the very irony in this) between Georgia and Soviet Russia. Located on the Georgian Military Highway between the ski resort town of Gudauri and the Jvari pass, the monument is a large round stone and concrete structure overlooking the Devil's Valley in the Caucasus mountains. Inside the monument is a large tile mural that spans the whole circumference of the structure and depicts scenes of Georgian and Russian history.
It is in the middle of nowhere, but a popular tourist stop. The monument is at an elevation of 2.379 meters, was bitingly cold in a wind, and offered fantastic views over the valley below
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We then crossed ranges of high mountains, where there were truly enormous numbers of sheep, a hot spring: and queues of lorries that had to wait a week or more to cross the frontier into Russia, before we reached the small town of Kazbegi, where we transferred into a 4*4 to get to the Monastery
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Gergeti Trinity Church
The Kazbegi Monastery is officially the Gergeti Trinity Church. It is at an elevation of 2170 meters, under Mount Kazbegi which can be seen in the distance. The Gergeti Trinity Church was built in the 14th century, and is the only cross-cupola church in Khevi province. The separate bell tower dates from the same period as the church itself.
Its isolated location on top of a steep mountain surrounded by the vastness of nature has made it a symbol for Georgia. The 18th century Georgian author Vakhushti Batonishvili wrote that in times of danger, precious relics from Mtskheta, including Saint Nino's Cross were brought here for safekeeping.
During the Soviet era, all religious services were prohibited, but the church remained a popular tourist destination. The church is now an active establishment of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
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We had a brief foray to the Dariali Monastery right on the Russian border. I never did determine why they built it here, within 400 metres of the hostile Russian Border, and very little population within 50 kms
In 2005, construction work began on a new monastery complex in the Dariali Gorge and in September 2011 the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II ,conducted the solemn liturgy in the newly opened monastery complex that is named after the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. During the service, the Patriarch drew attention to the location of the church (close to the Georgian-Russian border) and expressed hope that with the mercy of this church, the two countries will re-establish relations and peace will take place. “I think this church will provide a miracle – our countries will have peaceful relations again,” said the Patriarch. In recent years the Georgia-Russia border crossing at the gorge has been periodically closed but when we were there, it was open.
We then wended our way back, along the same road as we had travelled in the morning, to Gaudauri. The same magnificent scenery, and the same endless queues of lorries.
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