Who are the Megrelians? Where live, language, culture

The Mingrelian nation is a sub-ethnic group of Georgians, mainly residing in Megrelia (Samargalo), located in Western Georgia. It includes seven administrative districts: the Abash, Senak (renamed into the Tskhakai under Soviet rule), the Khobi, Tsalendzhikh, Chkhorotsk, Martvil (formerly Gegechkorsky) and Zugdidi. The region is ethnically homogeneous, except for significant Russian-speaking minorities in the cities of Poti, Zugdidi and Senaki. Many Megrelians also live in the Gal and Ochamchira districts of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic. Galsky is seen by many as part of Megrelia.

Location

Megrelia borders on the north with Abkhazia and the mountainous region of Svaneti. In the east and south are the Georgian provinces of Imereti and Guria, and in the west - the Black Sea. Of the total area of 4339.2 square meters. About 1260 km are valleys of rivers and hills, and the rest are foothills and mountain areas, mainly in the northeast (Tsalendzhikh, Chkhorotsk and Marvil districts). The previously wetlands and the Rioni River valley are rich in soils, on which various crops are grown, including silk, citrus and tobacco. In the lowlands, a subtropical climate with temperatures in the range from December average values of 4-5 ° C to July 23-24 ° C. Winters last no more than a month. In the mountainous areas it is colder, especially in winter (-6 - -2 ° C in January). The annual precipitation in Megrelia is from 1500 to 2300 mm.

Demography

The population of Mingrelia in 1939 was officially 323,811 people. With the addition of residents of Abkhazia and other regions of Georgia, whose nationality is Megrels, by some estimates this number in 1941 was approaching 500,000. In 1979, the official population of the region was 405,500 people, or 10% of the population of Georgia. 145 thousand, or 32%, lived in 5 cities and 5 large settlements ("dadebi"), the rest - in 370 villages. In the 1926 census, in which the nationality of "Megrely" was taken into account separately, 242,990 people. Identified themselves as Megrelians and 284,834 claimed that Mingrelian is their mother tongue. Since then no official calculations have been conducted.

Language affiliation

Megrelsky refers to Kartvelian (South Caucasian) languages and is not mutually intelligible with Georgian. Most former Soviet and some Western experts attribute the Megrelian, along with the Lazian, to a separate branch of the South Caucasian family known as the Megrelo-Chan or Zanes group. Soviet scholar A. Chikobava distinguished two closely related Mingrelian dialects: western, Samurzakan-Zugdid, and eastern - Senak. The language has no written language, and although the Megrelians speak it at home, they adopted the Georgian language (kartli) as a literary language. There are no language schools, books and newspapers, although there have been periodic attempts to create a literary language at the end of the tsarist and early Soviet period. Megrelsky has always been one of the most described languages of the South Caucasus. Today, studies of local folklore are extensive. The Georgian language remains the lot of business and government. The number of people who speak Megrelian declines, and most of the local residents consider themselves Georgians.

A common misconception

Some argue that the Megrels are Georgian Jews. Of course, this is not so. Georgian Jews arrived in the country in 586 BC. E. And lived throughout its territory. In 1971, their mass aliyah began to Israel, as a result of which their numbers declined from 55,400 to 3,200 in 2010.

Who are the Megrelians?

The endonym "margali", apparently, is reflected in the Greek word Μάνραλοι, which Ptolemy in the II century BC. E. Designated the peoples of Colchis. The history of the Megrelians is connected with the region that was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, like Colchis or Lasik, and to Western Georgians like Egrisi. In the XIV century. She became a separate vassal kingdom with her own dynasty of Dadiani princes called Odishi. The region began to be called Megrelia only in the XIX century. It has always been part of a broader Georgian cultural and political sphere, largely thanks to the GOC. Sometimes, however, Megrelia was under different cultural influences, compared to the eastern Georgians (Kakhetians and Kartlis), separated from the western regions (Imeretia) by the Liha mountain range. The Greek, Roman and Byzantine empires had a much greater influence on western Georgia. In the XVII century. The country was divided between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. The western part, including Megrelia, was under the rule of Porta, and the eastern part was part of Persia. The church was also divided in two, and the Megrelia, which had its own mint and customs barriers, became one of the vassal possessions, until it was finally taken under Russian auspices in 1804 as an autonomous territory. This status was abolished after the uprising of the Megrel peasants in 1856-1857, which seized the capital of the Zugdidi region. In 1867 the Russian Empire officially abolished the principality. Under Russia's authority, the serious problem of malaria was solved by draining the marshes. In the period from 1918 to 1921 gg. Megrelia was part of an independent Georgia. In 1921, it became part of the USSR.

About that, who such Megrelians, eloquently testifies that fact, that there were a few conflicts in the past between them and their neighbors. Their assimilation with the Georgians, accelerated in the XIX century under the influence of modernization, after the Soviet annexation was completed. Some indecisive attempts by local Bolsheviks to create autonomy failed. Relations between Abkhazians and Megrelians in the mixed southern regions of Abkhazia were marred by the policy of Georgianization, conducted by Megrel Lavrenty Beria in 1940 and 1950. The conflict between local Georgians (mostly Megrelians) and Abkhazians arose in the 1960s and 1970s. In July 1989, there was a bloody conflict in Abkhazia, caused by the demands of the Abkhazian branch; More than 20 people were killed. Mingrels, whose appearance and language are very different from the appearance and language of Georgians, rejected proposals for political autonomy and supported the struggle for Georgia's independence.

Settlements

Despite the high rate of urbanization, most Megrelians live in rural areas. The high population density in the lowlands did not significantly change the structure of the settlements. The houses where the Megrelians live have their own fenced yard and outbuildings located some distance apart. The village can stretch for several kilometers. Previously, the settlements were called the dominant generic group. Today, residents with a common ancestry can still live in one part of the village. The houses have significantly improved, compared with the primitive wooden or earthworks of past centuries, such as Amhara, Jarvala and Godor. Most rural Megrelians today live in two-story wooden or brick houses with bedrooms on the second floor and communal areas (kitchen, pantry) on the first. There are 5 cities in Megrelia. The largest of them - Zugdidi, Poti and Senaki - are a mixture of mansions and residential complexes, consisting, as a rule, of two rooms in 5-6-storey buildings.

Economy

About who the Mingrelians are, their economic activity, which, above all, is based on agriculture, says. Traditionally, the inhabitants used to eat gomi (Panicum italicum) and, since the XVIII century, corn, which still remains the main agricultural crop, although a rich soil and subtropical climate led to the development of large-scale production of tea and citrus. Georgia supplied in the USSR more than 90% of domestic citrus fruits and 97% of tea, most of which was grown in Megrelia. Pig breeding, cattle breeding and sheep breeding are important. In Mingrelia wine industry is also developed, the production of honey and cheese. The family in the village remains the main economic unit. Poti is a major port. The naval base, located there, for a long time made the city closed.

National crafts

Traditionally, most families in Megrelia are engaged in weaving from silk and cotton. Also weaving baskets, pottery and making wooden utensils were developed. Highlanders make woolen carpets and clothing. Today folk crafts continue, although on a much smaller scale.

Trade

Previously, the Megrelians of Georgia were famous for their commercial art on the entire coast of the Black Sea. Today, trade is controlled by the state and is conducted in Western-style shops, although in all urban areas there are open-air markets and covered private markets where local farmers sell their products.

Division of labor

In the traditional patriarchal society of Megrelia, different masculine and feminine qualities are taken for granted. In the past, the gender division of labor was emphasized at birth, when boys were given a plow or a sword, and girls - for a thimble or scissors. Agricultural duties were separate, although both men and women worked in the fields. Indoor work, such as cheese making, cleaning, cooking, childcare and weaving, was almost exclusively a female responsibility. The men were engaged in pottery, weaving baskets and making kitchen utensils, but the woman - and still is so considered - is the mistress of the house. Today, the weaker sex is still engaged in housework, and men are doing home repairs, helping to make purchases and, to some extent, caring for children. Girls before marriage do light work at home. The increase in the number of employed women attests to their equality at home.

Land tenure

In the Soviet period, the land in Megrelia belonged to the state in the form of collective farms. Small private landholdings, orchards and orchards were allowed, and much time was spent on agricultural activities. After the change of power in Georgia, the collective farms were voluntarily disbanded and the land privatized.

Relationship

The most important group of kinship ties here is the extended family household. Megrels traditionally value their origin and surname highly. Every kind has its patron and sign. Megrely surnames end their names on - (a) I, -yah and -ava. The society here is patrilocal, patriarchal and patrilineal. The lines of kinship are based on the relationship of the male and the exogamous. In addition, there are important artificial family relationships, such as the milking of children who were breastfed by one woman, called kinship (which may also occur between women), and the status of the godparent, although only the last two are still common . Although women often retain their maiden name when they marry, the children take the father's surname. Some scholars suggest that the elements of the culture of the former maternal line can still be found in the Georgian and Megrelian societies, as reflected in some religious customs and language constructs. The patriarchal aspects of Mingrelian society were somewhat weakened, especially in urban areas. The absence of male heirs is no longer a social tragedy, bilateral kinship gradually replaces exclusively male related relationships, and living with the bride's parents can take place without social stigma.

Marriage and family

Traditionally, marriage was arranged even at birth by the elder brother of the bride or her uncle by the mother. The wedding could not take place if the couple had one surname, was connected through an artificial relationship or belonged to the same family. In addition to the last case, bans are still valid today. Spouses with fellow villagers avoided, and the eldest daughter always married first. Within one year after the wedding, couples of newlyweds could not communicate with each other in public places. The average age at marriage in rural areas was from 13 to 14 years, and kidnapping of brides was permissible provided that a number of complex rules were observed. Modern marriages are no longer arranged, and although couples still marry early and soon after that have children, at present the minimum age is 17 years. It is expected that women remain virgins before the wedding. Divorce happens rarely, especially in rural areas, but it is not difficult to achieve it, and the rights of women in any settlement are respected and protected by law. The official wedding ceremony is no longer religious, although couples are often married in the church. After the wedding, the residence is patrilocal. The main form of birth control was abortion.

Household

Large families are a source of mutual economic and emotional assistance. They are still preserved in rural areas of Mingrelia, but this rule, in particular concerning married brothers, gives way to a more limited family, which includes grandparents or unmarried brothers and sisters. Close relatives still live in the neighborhood, as a rule. In urban areas, there is a tendency to create nuclear families.

Inheritance

Historically, land and property were inherited in the male line, especially among the brothers, although women also had the right to some personal private property. Modern laws support bilateral inheritance, although the state rarely intervenes in such matters, which are considered to be the subject of a collective decision of the cohabitants of the deceased household member and extended family. Wills are rare.

Socialization

Children are the center of family life. Little ones are rarely punished physically. In the past, children were brought up to meet traditional gender roles. The boys were encouraged to rigidity and the ability to ride, to hunt with the use of firearms; Girls were prepared for housekeeping. The power of the father was strictly observed, as was respect for parents and deceased ancestors. These models, in which horses have been replaced by cars, remain intact today, and their fulfillment is the responsibility of the whole family. The state begins to take part in the process of socialization, when children go to school at 7 years old. Since adolescence, initiation to the management of family households has begun.

Socio-political organization

Megrelia, as part of the former Georgian SSR and the USSR, was under the control of the Communist Party. The regions that include Mingrelia elected delegates to the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR and to their own regional and city councils. The region did not have a separate representation or autonomy, unlike Abkhazia, Ajaria and South Ossetia, each of which elected "national" representatives to the Council of Nationalities. After the election of the non-communist government of Georgia in October 1990, the role of the Communists in local affairs was seriously reduced and replaced by other parties.

Social organization

The structure of classes in Megrelia is professional. The upper class of white-collar urban educated people possessed the greatest power in the region through the communist party and other government or administrative structures. Education and work in offices is of high status. Rural society is seen as something "provincial", although rural families are respected for their preservation of the traditional way of life.

Political organization

Important local organizations were rural, city and district councils and local party organizations. The Soviets were replaced by representative bodies of local self-government. In the past there were many non-party people in the village soviets, although in the city and at the district level, as a rule, the Communists were the majority. Today, the latter no longer dominate either local authorities, or at electoral or administrative posts. They were replaced by representatives of independent political parties.

Social Management

Conflict resolution and the maintenance of consent were provided by informal organizations such as the family, the village and peer groups, as well as formal organizations such as the party, schools, local councils and courts. The courts operate at the district and municipal levels. Conducted and exit sessions, which can attend workplaces and various localities. All the judges are elected and have almost always been members of the Communist Party.

Conflict

The people of Mingrelians have always been at the forefront of the Georgian conflict with Muslim neighbors. The Turks seized the region several times, the last time in 1918. There were also conflicts with other parts of Georgia during the dynastic struggle and peasant uprisings in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During the Soviet period, interethnic conflicts were minimal. In July 1989, events in the southern regions of Abkhazia, however, significantly worsened the Abkhaz-Megrel relations.

Religious beliefs and practices

The main religion of Megrelia, as in the rest of Georgia, is Georgian Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church of the country is autocephalous. Previously, each genus had its patron and sign (jinjichati), which were used to obtain spiritual intercession. St. George was the most important saint and a number of his relics are supposedly kept in the most sacred Megrelian churches in the village of Ilori. Archangels Michael and Gabriel (who were sometimes worshiped as a whole) also had a high status in Megrelia; Other saints had specific spheres of competence and their holidays were always observed. Ceremonies and beliefs of pre-Christian times are mixed with religious rituals. Previously, the Megrelians believed in forest spirits and other pagan deities. Elements of such beliefs persist in certain customs and superstitions surrounding birth, marriage, death, the New Year or harvest holidays. Mingrels are not generally faithful parishioners, although a new liberal policy on religion has caused religious revival, as elsewhere in Georgia.

Art

About who Megrels are, their art says - local men are famous for their polyphonic singing and a chapel, and songs and dances, although in Georgian style, have their own characteristics. Unique local musical instruments, such as larkhemi ("reed", the shape of a pipe), have now disappeared.

Medicine

Colchis, of which Megrelia was a part, was famous among the ancient Greeks for its medicines. The wizard Medea was from here. Many folk remedies have survived to this day, some of which were included in modern Georgian medicine. Most megrels give modern medicines their advantage over traditional medicines. Far fewer women now give birth at home.

Death

Death in Megrelia is mourned openly and intensely. In rural and urban regions, death emphasizes the kinship and unity of the clan. For the family of the deceased, financial assistance is being collected. Many traditional rituals surrounding the funeral service and burial are still observed. The body is said to be forgiven within four days, during which no food is prepared in the house, although relatives and relatives organize a wake for the guests. Memorial meals are also held on the fortieth day and a year after death. By tradition, a close male relative will not shave or work on Saturdays for a year. Mourning can last from 10 to 15 years, during which offerings, candles and food are brought to the grave. The Megrelians also have their equivalent of the day of all the deceased (suna), when families visit the graves of relatives.