CaucasTalk

We continue our Trans-Caucasus tour with another visit “south of the border,” this time to Georgia. (The country.) Our guest Giorgi actually takes his name from his motherland. An aspiring ethnologist, Giorgi skillfully traces many historical and cultural lines that have given rise to the character of this fascinating country today. Georgia stands out as particularly distinct among the family of Caucasus cultures with markedly different food, dress, a wholly unique language, and predominately Orthodox Christian population. Yet as you will hear Georgia feels right at home with its sister Caucasus nationalities.

Outro clip: A fun mashup of Georgian polyphonic vocal singing with an old French folk song! by Ensemble Adilei. A recent cover of the same song from the 1972 Georgian film The Fourth Bridegroom (Чари-рама or Четвёртый жених).

Links for Episode 55

Narikala FortressBatumi Beach

While not physically in the North Caucasus, the influence of Azerbaijan can be felt throughout region.  Stretching from snow-capped mountains to subtropical citrus groves, it is a country of complex history and rich diversity. Today we enjoy the privilege of hearing from a young Azeri tour guide, Tural Omarov, as well as some clips of musical field recordings from Eli’s travels to the capital Baku. As ever, hearing from locals in their own words turns us into students and admirers all over again. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/campingazerbaijan2014/

https://www.instagram.com/camping_azerbaijan/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293934-d12661334-Reviews-Camping_Azerbaijan-Baku_Absheron_Region.html

“In Russia, walking is exalted and extraordinary. It is not mundane. I’m not talking about the word ‘to walk’ (khodit), a verb that merely signifies moving from place to place by foot. This is about the holy of holies in Russian which is to gulyat . . .” Yes, in today’s episode we dip into that deep well of Russian culture and psyche: taking a walk. But as you’ll hear it is so much more than that. The topic os so vast and expansive that we truly need an entire episode just to scratch the surface. Be sure to check out the links below to gain a greater appreciation for this activity that is so close to the heart and soul of life in Russia and the North Caucasus.

Links for Episode 53

Daniel Brooks: “To Gulyat or Not to Be”Verge Magazine: “What It Means to ‘Gulyat'”Asia Wheeling: “I Love Russia”ASMR: Autonomous sensory meridian response

If Elbrus is the crown jewel of the Caucasus, Dagestan has to be the treasure chest. And who to better unpack that for us than our guest today Vladimir Sevrinovsky. A National Geographic editor and photographer, a filmmaker, writer, and tour guide, Vladimir has canvased Dagestan for years and knows it inside and out. And while today’s episode is focused on travel tips, Vladimir gives such a colorful portrayal of the republic it will interest anyone. But of course, as you’ve heard before, the invitation is wide open. We hope you’ll come and try out Vlad’s tips for yourself!

Links for Episode 52

Vlad’s recent National Geographic article:“Life in Kusor—the Most Remote Village of Dagestan”, by Vladimir Sevrenovsky, April 2019. [Tranlated in English]Vladimir’s tourism business: Caucasus ExplorerVladimir on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vsevrinovsky

LODGINGIn Akhti, hotel SamurIn Gunib, “Eagle’s Nest”In Derbent – Ali Perussia Terekli-Mekteb – Nogai settlement, hotel available

FOODInt Cafe – ул. Мирзабекова, 73А, Махачкала – Apricot porridgeKhytarok – ул. Магомеда Ярагского, 83, Махачкала, эт. 1, оф. 20 – Avar food from Sogratl (Согратль) village – “berkals,” Avar pies“kiyachi” – Traditional Lak pie

North Ossetia, like its crown jewel capital city Vladikavkaz, sparkles like a small gem in the North Caucasus. Tucked in at the feet of some of the most spectacular mountains in the range, it offers a spread of options to travelers. Tourists may enjoy the history and local flavor of Vladikavkaz, or prefer alpine hikes just out their back door. To discuss this region with us we hear from Dima Lemeshev, a local tour guide with over 15 years experience. He lets us in on the best places to stay and eat, at both the high and low end, as well as the top sites to see. If North Ossetia is in your future travel plans, take a listen. If it isn’t yet, maybe it should be!

Links for Episode 51

Aleksandrovski Grand HotelMidagrabin FallsDargavs

Listeners, thanks to your partnership, we have reached our 50th episode! For this our golden episode (hence the background color) today’s interview could not be more appropriate. Dr. Maria Polinsky, a professor at the University of Maryland, shares about her deep linguistic work on Dagestani languages, specifically Tsez/Didoi. Little else captures the heart and soul of what the Caucasus is all about than the languages that have grown up here. Dr. Polinsky brings some pretty daunting concepts down to ground level in this upbeat and fascinating conversation.Thanks again to all our faithful listeners for supporting our work in support of getting good news about the North Caucasus to the world!

The Nart sagas lie like bedrock, or like groundwater, deep under the surface of the cultures here in the Caucasus. It is our immense privilege to welcome our esteemed guest Dr. John Colarusso to the podcast today. Dr. Colarusso ranks as the world’s leading expert on the Narts. He is the only person to have ever penned—or even attempted—a translation into English of the sagas. He is an expert on several of the Caucasus languages and has written prolifically on them. We learned a ton about these fascinating mythologies and really have only just skimmed the surface. Join us as we enter into the magical world of the Narts!

Links for Episode 49

About Dr. Colarusso: https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/people/colarusso-john

Timestamps

4:58 – Story Time with Uncle Andrew: Dagestani Hospitality11:29 – Story Time with Uncle Eli: Dagstani Storytelling17:40 – Interview with Dr. John Colarusso

Where can you find gentle wooded mountains, miles of walking paths, sulfur baths, bubbly mineral waters, food from every part of the Caucasus, and the original Lobster Man? Welcome to the Caucasus Mineral Waters Region. Today’s Travel Tips come from yours, truly. We love and are proud of our little corner of the Caucasus. It’s a small conglomeration of cities renowned for their salubrious natural spring waters bubbling out of the sides of the mountains. Here meet all the peoples of the Caucasus—with their delicious foods—and they waiting for you to come discover it for yourself!

If you’re looking for expert advice on travel in Kabardino-Balkaria, today’s Travel Tips are for you. We are joined once again by our good friend Shannon from Elbrus Elevation in Nalchik. He truly has the inside scoop on the nooks and crannies of this majestic Caucasus republic.

Quiz: What do the North Caucasus, Germany, and South Dakota have in common? Yep: MEAT. Today we hear from our wonderful guest Marnette about how a fascinating turn of history led Germans settlers in Russia out to the territory that became South Dakota. And with them they brought the wonderful tradition of shashlik—but with a German accent. That’s right, “chislic,” the little known but GROWING tradition of cooked meat, prairie-style. Our guest is director and archivist for Heritage Hall Museum in Freeman, South Dakota. And she’s a lot of fun, we think you’ll agree.

Timestamps

05:03 – Our Guest: Marnette from South Dakota10:30 – Introductions: Who is Marnette?11:46 – Germans from Russia24:04 – State legislature name chislic the state “nosh” (see link!)42:59 – Vegetarian chislic?46:07 – “We want you to come!”

Links for Episode 46

The 2019 South Dakota Chislic Festival!Heritage Hall – Freeman, South DakotaSouth Dakota names chislic official state noshHump Day! CommercialWall DrugCheerwineChislic Recipe 1 (lamb)Chislic Recipe 2 (beef)

Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/caucastalkVisit us online at: caucastalk.comLeave us iTunes reviews! Copyright © 2019 CaucasTalk MUSIC CREDITS: Rinat Karimov, “Dance of the Caucasus” www.karimovrinat.ru