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Ethno-culturally Tusheti is a part of Western Georgian mountainous region.

Tushetian dialect, along with Pshav and Khevsur dialects is more archaic than other Georgian dialects. Those archaisms are preserved in literature of early medieval epoch.
 
It is notable that one of the communities in Tusheti – “Tshova” Community speaks Veinakh dialect spoken in neighboring Chechnya and Ingushetia.

Christianity that was declared as a state religion in 14th century initially was rejected by mountainous parts of Georgia, including Tusheti. However, in Middles Ages Christianity started to spread in Tusheti and it assimilated with local pagan religions, creating syncretic type of religion.
 
Traditionally, Tusheti is agricultural and cattle-breeding region. Primary household activities were always related to a seasonal nomadic lifestyle.

Throughout the centuries, shepherds and their style of life had shaped Tushetian culture, everyday life and system of values characteristic to Tusheti.
 
Inseparable parts of Tushetian culture – Tushetian sheep, Tushetian house, shepherd dog, Tushetian cheese, carpet, hat, etc., create unified and unique cultural and aesthetic space with its own ethno-psychological and social ritual systems.
 
Traditional clothing for women was knee-long, black scarf. It was attached to a special headband called “Kuchura”. Underneath the scarf, they wore a long dress decorated with silver jewelry and chains at the neck.
 
Traditional dress for men was “Chokha” and a black felt hat.
 
Both women and men wore local variety of moccasins and woven shoes called “Chiti.” All households had a supply of wool from sheep stock. 
 
Women were skilled in knitting, weaving and wet felting. They knit variety of ornamented “Chiti”-s and wool socks, they also weave carpets of special weaving stand. Tushetian women are still very skillful in knitting and wet felting.

Men made furniture and kitchen utensils for homes. The most common ornament on Tushetian furniture is a symbol of Sirius – leaf-cross with lowered hands.
 
Tushetian songs are dominated by minor tones. Unlike songs, Tushetian dance music and choreography is very high-pitched, expressive and dominated by major mode.
 
Shepherd’s pipe was the most common music instrument in Tusheti together with “Fanduri” (traditional Georgian instrument) that was later on replaced by accordion. Female singers played accordion virtuously and sang traditional Tushetian songs. Those melodies are very popular among people.

 
September 2010
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