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Sebastian Beierle

Photography

Sebastian Beierle

photographer










The settlement is located between Tbilisi and Gori next to the Highway. This good Location gives a huge advantage over many other IDP Villages Anano was 9 when her family arrived in Tserovani. She took me around in the village and told me how it feels growing up here and how she discovered her passion for Nietzsche and Tolstoy. This winter she will be studying economic psychology in Ireland. Anano was 9 when her family arrived in Tserovani. She took me around in the village and told me how it feels growing up here and how she discovered her passion for Nietzsche and Tolstoy. This winter she will be studying economic psychology in Ireland. When I met Nana the first time, she invited me to her home and we talked a long time about her situation during the war. She was one of the few who did not flee before the battles began. Nana had to watch how the Russian and Ossetian troops plundered their belongings and killed their cattle. Thanks to the good connection to Tbilisi, the unemployment rate in Tserovani is significantly lower than in the more rural refugee villages. But many residents find it difficult to recognize Tserovani as their home. It is also aggravated by the fact that the border with South Ossetia is only about 30 km away and thus very present. The georgian government is giving much effort to integrate the displaced people. They built a government building in Tserovani which includes a Office for veterans. Like many other youngsters in Tserovani, Paata wants to leave Georgia to work abroad. His dream is to work as a Chef in the USA. I met him at the Marshrukta from Tbilisi to Tserovani. At the moment Papa doing his civil service in the capital city. The site of the church was from the beginning the meeting place of the village. At first the trees were the only ones in the whole village. On the hot summer days, one was very grateful for the shadow of the large oak trees. Eto (left) and her friend knocked at my door and asked me if I could make some portraits of them. They want to used it for new profi The infrastructure is very good in the meantime, dentist, supermarket, hospital, school, only the stories and memories of the people let you know that Tserovani is a village that was built for war refugees.

Tserovani  

*2018

When the bombs fell in south Ossetia in 2008, most of the population had already fled.
The small region of the Georgian Caucasus sought independence and was supported by Russia. The 5-day war left destroyed cities and around 100,000 refugees seeking refuge in the region, Georgia and north Ossetia.

Tserovani is with its initially 20,000 inhabitants the largest IDP settlement in Georgia. For the first two years, the residents were provided with food rations and donations from various aid organizations to provide the inhabitants with the most needed. In the past 10 years, a lot has changed, people are cultivating their gardens, many are doing regular work, and in some cases are enlarging their homes. There are supermarkets, a school and medical care - Tserovani has managed at first sight to be an independent village. But the fates of people continue to remind us of the war. While some long for their old home, especially the younger generation see their future in the cities of Georgia or abroad.
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