Georgia and Armenia – Impressions from the Journey
Georgia, called Sakartvelo by Georgians or Georgia in English, is a small country located in the South Caucasus, between the Black and Caspian Seas, bridging Europe and Asia. To this day, there is a dispute among geographers and politicians about which continent to classify this country. Georgians consider themselves Europeans because their Christian civilization connects them with this continent.
Legend has it that when God was distributing land among nations, everyone stood in line, but Georgians sat under a tree, eating, playing, and drinking wine. When all the land was distributed, it turned out that Georgians were still left. God thought, smiled, and gave them the last, most beautiful piece of land, which he reserved for himself.
I embarked on a trip to Georgia and Armenia in May 2015. Although the decision to go was spontaneous and entirely coincidental, I always knew I wanted to travel to this part of the world. I knew almost nothing about these countries. I only heard that people were very friendly, open, and fond of Poles. My surprise was enormous. I didn’t expect such hospitality and openness to other people.
Georgia is a country of huge contrasts. Walking through the streets of Tbilisi, one passes by old, dilapidated courtyards, crumbling stairs, broken windows, and chaos that gives the impression that the buildings are uninhabited. And yet, in these, one might say ruins, people live. Walking through these courtyards, one encounters people who approach, ask where you are from, and why you are taking pictures here? They invite you for a treat. When you step onto the main street, you can see a completely different world. Renovated buildings, colorful facades, modern architecture. When you drive out of the city, you can fall in love with the views that stretch out before you. Beautiful, green valleys, with snow-capped mountains in the background. These landscapes take your breath away. I hope that I managed to capture their beauty even a little in my photographs, which are presented in my photo bank.
After two years, I managed to return to Georgia, meet new people, and experience more fantastic adventures, but I also managed to meet with those people I photographed two years earlier.
Georgia is my love at first sight, and I think it’s mutual. I will definitely return there many times. An exhibition was created from this journey, which was displayed in various cities in Poland to inspire others to take on the challenge and embark on a journey to this part of the world.
