07 February, 2020

SIMILAR STORIES Estonian Traveler About Georgia

Photography by Ryan Koopmans

BBC publishes a documentary about Tskaltubo's sanatoriums located in the West part of Georgia.depicts the story of the decaying sanatoriums, which are due to be renovated by the government. But the story is more than that. These Soviet buildings in modern-day Georgia are not as empty as they seem.In 1993, after Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union, more than 200, 000 people fled the conflict in the country's breakaway region of Abkhazia. Some ended up in Tskaltubo'ssanatoriums. It's estimated there are up to 5,000 refugees living in Tskaltubo's former spas.The Georgian government has relocated most of the 12, 000 refugees originally housed in Tskaltubo. About 1,000 families are still waiting to move out."Georgia plans to spend millions turning abandoned Soviet-era spa town into a tourist attraction. But Tskaltubo's decaying sanatoriums are also home to refugees from a past civil war, and their future is uncertain"- BBC reports.The first historical references about Tskaltubo dates back to the 7-9th centuries. It became a healing center in the 12-13th century. A thorough chemical analysis of the healing waters of Tskaltubo was carried out in 1913, which proved its uniqueness. In 1920 Tskaltubo became an official balneological healing resort. During the Soviet era, Soviet workers came here to rest and refresh, and the Communist elite was energized and entertained.Tskaltubo is one of the rarest resorts in the world, the planning and development of which was scientifically substantiated according to the original plan. Twenty-two sanatoriums were built. Many of them are great examples of architectural design."The Georgian government plans to invest millions of dollars in restoration. Until then much of the town will remain a relic of Soviet history and a home for the homeless."- BBC reports."