Akhalgori ( ka, ახალგორი; ) is a town in Georgia
(in the
Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, according to the official administrative division of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
). The name Akhalgori is the original historical name of the town used by the Georgians and officials, whereas Leningor is the name given to the city in the Soviet era and used by the South Ossetians. The town is situated on the banks of the
River Ksani, height above sea level — 800 m.
History
The village of Akhalgori was first mentioned in the 18th century by
Prince Vakhushti of
Kartli in his work ''The Geographic Description of Georgia''.
[Pospelov, p. 29] The name derives from the
Georgian words meaning "new" (ახალი/akhali) and "hill" or "mountain" (გორა/gora).
Before
Sovietization of Georgia in 1921, Akhalgori was the residence of Georgian Noble Eristavi Duce. During the
Soviet era it was part of the
South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast and was called Leningori (Ленингори; ლენინგორი) after
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
.
It was renamed Akhalgori by the
Georgian SSR
The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...
government at the end of 1990.
Control over the town
During the
1991–1992 South Ossetia war the town remained under Georgian jurisdiction after most of South Ossetia broke away from the central government's control. It came under the control of South Ossetian secessionist authorities as a result of the 2008
Russo-Georgian War
The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia,Occasionally, the war is also referred to by other names, such as the Five-Day War and August War. was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the ...
on August 17, 2008. Subsequently, the government of South Ossetia renamed the town to Leningor.
Before the conflict, the Akhalgori district had a population of 7,700, with approximately 2,000 living in the town itself. The largest villages were Ikorta, Korinta, Qanchaveti, Kvemo Zakhori, Largvisi, Doretkari, and Karchokhi. The population was primarily Georgian (6,520) and Ossetian (1,110) with good relations between the two communities. Currently Akhalgori as well as South Ossetia are controlled by Russian forces and South Ossetian militia.
Demographics
As of the 2015 Census, the village of Akhalgori had a population of 1,033 people, 63.90% of whom were
Georgians
Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...
and 35.2% were
Ossetians
The Ossetians ( or ; ),Merriam-Webster (2021), s.v"Ossete" also known as Ossetes ( ), Ossets ( ), and Alans ( ), are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group who are indigenous to Ossetia, a region situated across the northern and southern side ...
. Historically, Akhalgori had been a predominantly
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
settlement, they accounted for 90% of the population in 1886 and remained the largest ethnic group until the 1960s.
Town's position in administrative subdivision makeup
*According to
South Ossetia
South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...
n official division, the town is the center of
Leningor District of South Ossetia
*According to
Georgian official division, the town is the municipal center of
Akhalgori Municipality in
Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, of Georgia
Industry and commerce
Akhalgori was home to the
Lomisi brewery, owned by the
Turkish company
Efes Beverage Group
Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.'' (lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in Turkey, the United States, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), E ...
, which was the primary employer in the town. The town is now home to a different brewery, the Vysokogornaya Kelskaya Pivovarnya, which opened in 2023.
Climate
Notable people
*
Eristavi Noble family
*
Manana Chitishvili
See also
*
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
References
Notes
Sources
*Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (''City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.'') Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.
External links
Official Georgian site of the townOfficial Ossetian site of the town
{{Authority control
Populated places in Akhalgori District
Cities and towns in Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Tiflis Governorate