Exploring Abandoned $30,000,000 Luxury Resort

Yes Theory
30 Mar 202420:44

Summary

TLDRThe video script explores the historical and cultural significance of a semi-abandoned Soviet city in Georgia, revealing its transformation over time. It delves into the city's past as a popular spa destination for the Communist elite, including Joseph Stalin, and its subsequent decline after the Soviet Union's collapse. The narrative is enriched by personal stories, such as that of a local guide and an elderly woman who has lived in one of the abandoned buildings for over 30 years. The video underscores the importance of understanding history to avoid repeating past mistakes and advocates for a peaceful future.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 The story revolves around the exploration of an abandoned Soviet-era spa town in Georgia, revealing its historical significance and transformation over time.
  • 🏨 The town was once a popular destination for the Soviet elite, including Joseph Stalin, due to its natural springs believed to have healing powers.
  • 🖼 The town's decline began after the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving behind a landscape of crumbling infrastructure and abandoned buildings.
  • 🏥 One of the sanatoriums, built by German prisoners of war during WWII, still operates today, maintaining a connection to the town's past.
  • 🎶 The town's history is marked by paradoxes, such as the use of radioactive water for therapeutic purposes, despite being considered a health risk by some.
  • 🌿 Nature's resilience is evident as plants reclaim the abandoned structures, symbolizing the power of nature to overcome human-made constructs.
  • 👵 Personal stories of displacement and hardship are highlighted, with many Georgians having been forced to leave their homes and start anew.
  • 👴 The local guide's personal connection to the town and his grandparents' experiences offer a unique perspective on the impact of Soviet rule and its aftermath.
  • 🌈 The guide expresses optimism for Georgia's future, emphasizing the importance of active participation in shaping the country's direction.
  • 📚 The documentary underscores the importance of understanding history to avoid repeating past mistakes and to work towards a peaceful future.
  • 👕 The production team's clothing line, Seek Discomfort, is promoted as a way to support the creation of independent documentaries like this one.

Q & A

  • What is the significance of abandoned places in learning about our past?

    -Abandoned places allow us to open a door to the past faintly, painting the rest of the picture through our imagination. They provide a tangible connection to history and enable us to understand the challenges and experiences of previous times.

  • Which Soviet destination is mentioned in the transcript that attracted the elites of the Communist party?

    -The destination mentioned is a town with natural springs that were believed to have healing powers, which attracted elites including Joseph Stalin.

  • What is the current state of the town mentioned in the transcript?

    -The town, once a decadent spot, is now a collection of crumbling hotels, bathhouses, and sanatoriums that have been abandoned for decades, except for one still open and operating today.

  • What is the unique feature of the spring water in the town?

    -The spring water in the town is unique because it contains radon, a radioactive gas. Despite being deemed a health risk by some, it has been used as a therapeutic remedy in certain parts of Europe for generations.

  • How did the fall of the Soviet Union impact the town and its people?

    -The fall of the Soviet Union led to the abandonment of many sanatoriums and infrastructure in the town. It also resulted in displacement, with people from occupied territories being moved into these abandoned buildings.

  • What was the purpose of a sanatorium in the Soviet era?

    -A sanatorium in the Soviet era was an establishment focused on therapeutic and medical treatment for a variety of ailments, often utilizing the town's healing spa centers.

  • How did the local guide's family situation reflect the broader experience of Georgians born in 2000?

    -The local guide was raised by his grandparents because his mother immigrated to Greece to finance his studies, a common scenario for many Georgian families. This reflects the widespread emigration of parents to support their children during the difficult post-Soviet period.

  • What are the sentiments of the older generation towards the Soviet era?

    -The older generation has mixed feelings about the Soviet era. While they miss the stability and security of having jobs and affordable goods, they also resent the attempts to erase their cultural identity, such as their language and traditions.

  • What is the current outlook for Georgia according to the local guide?

    -The local guide feels positive about Georgia's future. He appreciates the safety and opportunities available now and hopes the country continues in a positive direction. He also emphasizes the importance of the people's role in shaping the government and society.

  • What message does the transcript convey about learning from the past?

    -The transcript emphasizes the importance of studying our past to avoid repeating the same mistakes. It encourages the next generation to listen to stories from the past and make wiser choices for a peaceful future.

  • How does the story of the town and its people illustrate the complexities of history?

    -The story of the town and its people illustrates the complexities of history through the layers of experiences and changes it has undergone, from being a prestigious health destination to an abandoned town, and then a temporary home for displaced people. It shows how history is multifaceted and deeply intertwined with the lives of individuals and communities.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Exploring Abandoned Soviet History

The video script introduces a journey through an abandoned city, highlighting its historical significance during the Soviet era. The narrator describes the city's past as a luxurious destination, frequented by the Communist elite, including Joseph Stalin. The city's transformation after the Soviet collapse is explored, with its once grand hotels, bathhouses, and sanatoriums now in ruins. The narrator and their team stay in one of the few operational spa resorts, setting the stage for a deeper investigation into the city's history and its people's stories.

05:02

🌳 Nature's Resilience Amidst Soviet Ruins

This paragraph delves into the peculiar history of the town, famous for its radioactive waters and natural hot springs. The town's sanatoriums were renowned for their healing properties, but the presence of radium has been deemed a health risk. The exploration continues with the discovery of an abandoned building, Spring Number Six, which was built exclusively for Joseph Stalin. The narrator reflects on the irony of Stalin statues still standing in the country, given his notorious reputation. The segment ends with a discussion on the Soviet Union's vacation system and the strangeness of being assigned a holiday destination by the state.

10:04

🏠 Displaced Lives in Soviet Remnants

The narrative shifts to the personal experiences of the local guide, Lucas, who grew up near the abandoned city. He shares stories of his grandparents raising him and the widespread phenomenon of parents migrating to support their families. The video then introduces an elderly woman who has been living in an abandoned building for over 30 years, reflecting on her displacement and the challenging living conditions. The segment highlights the complex layers of Georgia's history, including the impact of Soviet policies on the country's identity and the struggles faced during the transition period after the Soviet collapse.

15:11

🌈 Hope and Resilience in Modern Georgia

The video concludes with a discussion on the mixed feelings towards the Soviet era among the local population. The guide's grandparents express both nostalgia for the economic stability and resentment for the Soviet Union's attempts to erase Georgia's identity. The guide shares his optimism for Georgia's future, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement and collective responsibility. The video encourages the younger generation to learn from the past and strive for a peaceful future. The call to action is to support independent documentaries and the clothing line, Seek Discomfort, which is available for a limited time.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Soviet Union

The Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991 in Eurasia. It was a union of multiple national republics, with its government and economy centralized around the Communist Party. In the context of the video, the Soviet Union is significant as it shaped the history and infrastructure of the region explored, leaving behind a legacy of both development and repression.

💡Healing Springs

Healing springs refer to natural springs with water believed to have therapeutic properties. In the video, these springs are said to possess healing powers and are central to the town's identity as a health and wellness destination, attracting visitors including notable figures like Joseph Stalin.

💡Abandoned Buildings

Abandoned buildings are structures that have been deserted and left to decay. In the video, these buildings represent the remnants of the past, symbolizing the decline and abandonment that followed the fall of the Soviet Union. They serve as a physical manifestation of the region's history and the impact of political and economic changes.

💡Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. Known for his authoritarian rule, he implemented policies that led to significant changes in Soviet society, economy, and politics. In the video, Stalin's connection to the town highlights its historical significance and the preferential treatment given to Georgia during his rule.

💡Radiation

Radiation refers to the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially the spontaneous emission of such particles from an unstable nucleus. In the context of the video, radiation is associated with the radioactive properties of the town's healing springs, which contain radium and are paradoxically used for therapeutic purposes despite being deemed a health risk by some environmental agencies.

💡Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Internally Displaced Persons are individuals who have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict, violence, or human rights violations but have not crossed an international border. In the video, IDPs from occupied territories within Georgia were relocated to abandoned resort buildings, illustrating the aftermath of political conflict and the challenges faced by displaced communities.

💡Georgia

Georgia is a country located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It has a rich history and a diverse culture influenced by various empires and political systems throughout the centuries. In the video, Georgia is portrayed as a nation with a complex past, marked by Soviet occupation, political upheaval, and the struggle for identity and prosperity in the post-Soviet era.

💡Post-Soviet

Post-Soviet refers to the period following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, which resulted in the emergence of 15 independent countries, including Georgia. This term is used to describe the political, economic, and social changes that have occurred in the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.

💡Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is the sense of belonging to a cultural group that shares common values, traditions, language, and other forms of social expression. In the context of the video, cultural identity is a significant theme as it explores how the Soviet Union attempted to erase the cultural identity of Georgia and its people, leading to a complex relationship with their past and present.

💡Socialism

Socialism is an economic and political system where the means of production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services are owned and controlled by the state or the community. It aims for social and economic equality. In the video, socialism is discussed in the context of the Soviet Union's policies and their impact on Georgia, including the provision of jobs and affordable goods, but also the suppression of individual freedoms and cultural identities.

💡Reclamation

Reclamation refers to the process of taking back or restoring something that was lost, abandoned, or degraded. In the context of the video, reclamation is seen as nature's ability to reclaim and rejuvenate spaces that have been abandoned by humans, symbolizing resilience and the enduring cycle of life.

Highlights

The exploration of abandoned places allows us to open the door to the past and paint the rest of the picture with our imagination.

A once decadent town and Soviet destination, famous for its natural springs with healing powers, now lies in ruins.

The town attracted elites of the Communist party, including Joseph Stalin, with its luxurious sanatoriums.

The only spa resort still open today provides a unique opportunity to experience the town's history firsthand.

The guide, Lucas, a local with deep family ties to the city, offers a personal perspective on its peculiar history.

The town's sanatoriums were established for therapeutic and medical treatment, built by Georgian architects but constructed by German enslaved people from WWII.

The town's fame was due to its radioactive water and natural hot springs, which were considered to have healing properties despite health risks.

Spring number six, built exclusively for Joseph Stalin, is the largest thermal bath still operating and a symbol of the town's notoriety.

The town's history is darkened by the use of German enslaved people from WWII in its construction and the legacy of Stalin's tyranny.

The Soviet Union's collapse left a massive complex of abandoned buildings, with only a few repurposed, such as a modern hotel resort.

The town's infrastructure, including a post office, train station, and KGB building, were all abandoned after the Soviet Union's fall.

Many Georgians were displaced after the Soviet Union's collapse, with some moving into abandoned resort buildings.

The woman who lived in an abandoned building for over 30 years reflects on her displacement and the hope for a better future.

Lucas shares his personal story of growing up in Georgia, raised by his grandparents while his mother worked abroad to support the family.

The complex history of Georgia, from Soviet times to modern challenges, is a testament to the resilience and hope of its people.

The documentary emphasizes the importance of learning from the past to avoid repeating mistakes and to work towards a peaceful future.

The story of Georgia is a reminder that every generation has the power to shape its own future and that society is a reflection of its people.

Transcripts

00:00

[Music]

00:03

we'll probably never get to travel in

00:05

time but certain places in the world

00:07

allow us to open that door just faintly

00:10

and leave the rest of the picture to be

00:11

painted by our imagination that's what

00:14

learning about our past through

00:16

abandoned places enables for me and

00:18

hidden within a forest lies a

00:20

fascinating Place once a decadent spot

00:22

town and a Soviet destination that

00:24

attracted the elites of the Communist

00:26

party including Joseph Stalin himself

00:28

for its natural springs were said to

00:30

have healing powers allowing us to open

00:32

that door to the past catulo is now a

00:35

collection of crumbling hotels bathouses

00:38

and sanatoriums left abandoned for

00:40

decades except for one of the spots

00:42

still open and operating today which is

00:44

where we'll be staying but the history

00:46

of this place is a lot deeper and more

00:48

complex than meets the eye and so we

00:50

opened yet another chapter in our ex

00:52

Soviet Union Adventures as we seek to

00:54

answer many questions about what

00:56

happened to this small country after the

00:57

Soviet Union left and collapsed and what

01:00

this once elegant City turned into as a

01:02

nation with a dark history filled with

01:05

tyrants and a displaced population this

01:07

is the story of

01:17

Georgia the man who is in charge of the

01:20

gate here is upset at us because we're

01:22

late sleeping our trip immediately began

01:25

on a strange note as we were staying in

01:27

the only spa resort still open in the

01:30

city out of the previously 18

01:32

operational ones it feels like we're

01:34

arriving like a haunted place right now

01:36

hopefully it all goes all right we are

01:39

the guests on the only guests welcome to

01:41

another strange yes the

01:47

adventure I'm not sure I'm going to be

01:49

able to sleep it's so

01:52

creepy oh wow I have like an apartment

01:56

sleep well thank you good night

02:00

we started the Morning by meeting our

02:02

guide Lucas a local espan member who was

02:04

born and raised in the city in fact and

02:06

whose Grandma worked here he will be

02:09

helping us find its hidden corners and

02:11

understand its peculiar history very

02:13

curious about this place it's kind of

02:14

weird arriving I didn't fully connect

02:16

that we were like staying in the middle

02:18

of it mhm when we arrived I was like is

02:20

this a part of it so we started filming

02:21

last night we're like are we staying in

02:23

the thing that

02:24

we this is the only sanitorium that um

02:27

kept working after even after sovet

02:29

collapsing uh this town got like

02:32

120,000 visitors per year obviously it's

02:35

a huge part of our history now um so

02:39

let's go and see the chandelier that

02:41

they have and check the rooms that they

02:43

had in in Soviet Union era okay let's go

02:47

Thomas and a strange fascination with

02:48

Soviet times I love it though our

02:51

exploration started in the hotel resort

02:53

we were actually staying in originally

02:55

one of the many Soviet era sanatoriums

02:57

in this town a sanatorium was an

02:59

established focused on therapeutic and

03:01

medical treatment for a variety of

03:03

ailments and this town sanatoriums were

03:05

famous for their Healing Spa centers it

03:08

was buil by Georgian Architects but it

03:09

was buil by German enslaved people from

03:13

World War II wait German enslaved people

03:16

from World War II yeah but that were

03:18

captured by the Russians captured by the

03:20

Russians like soldiers yeah I see this

03:23

story is getting darker by the

03:28

second this first Resort out of the many

03:31

others we'll be seeing is one of the few

03:33

still remaining buildings in town which

03:35

was refurbished after the fall of the

03:37

Soviet Union and turned into a modern

03:39

hotel resort in

03:41

2011 although it has only been

03:43

operational for 13 years its

03:45

architecture Still Remains from its

03:46

Soviet Origins and walking through its

03:48

Halls truly feels like stepping back in

03:51

[Music]

03:56

time what do you think they performed up

03:58

here probably a lot of a lot of music I

04:00

guess amar's a really good singer

04:02

actually oh

04:10

okay so right now we're going into a

04:12

part of the sanatorium that is very

04:14

close to the one that's still active

04:15

that we are staying in where the rooms

04:17

are completely preserved from the Soviet

04:19

times so they're closed so you can't

04:21

like stay in them but they're not

04:22

totally decrepit and destroyed so we're

04:25

going to see it we're hoping it hasn't

04:26

fallen apart too much we have this

04:28

elderly man who's coming with us where

04:30

the keys to the

04:31

[Laughter]

04:36

[Music]

04:52

building this still

04:55

work that feels very haunted when it

04:58

placees like hasn't moved in decades the

05:02

bed is still made and the lamps are

05:03

still in the position that they used to

05:06

[Music]

05:13

be there's also the SP around like bath

05:17

houses where the radium water I think

05:19

it's radium it's radioactive but if you

05:22

have like doctor's permission you can

05:24

take these paaths another addition to

05:27

this town's already strange history is

05:29

that peculiar phenomenon that made the

05:31

town famous for his healing properties

05:33

the presence of radioactive water and

05:35

its natural Hot Springs yeah the spring

05:38

water in this town contained Raiden a

05:40

radioactive gas deemed a health risk by

05:43

American Environmental agencies but

05:45

paradoxically has been utilized in

05:47

certain parts of Europe for Generations

05:49

as a therapeutic remedy for various

05:51

health conditions as we make our way

05:53

through this gigantic abandoned network

05:55

of buildings we were now about to enter

05:57

the building that gave this Spa its

05:59

notoriety in the first place spring

06:01

number six built exclusively for Joseph

06:04

Stalin at the time it is the largest

06:06

thermal bath still operating today yeah

06:09

when they've had deadline of stalling

06:11

coming here they've hired I think 4,000

06:13

extra workers to finish in time so he

06:15

would be able to get his private bath

06:18

which we're going to see right now it's

06:20

strange to me that in Old Soviet places

06:22

I mean they've kept this I guess as like

06:23

a relic of history but statues of Stalin

06:25

still exist that's a strange thing to me

06:27

I've seen even in you know transn this

06:30

country that doesn't exist inside

06:31

Moldova in some cafes there are like

06:33

posters of him it's crazy it's very

06:35

backwards when you know the millions of

06:37

people that

06:39

killed Stalin is considered one of the

06:41

most notorious tyrants and dictators in

06:44

history with an estimated 9 million of

06:46

his own civilians killed or starved

06:49

under his rule as Stalin was Georgia

06:51

born the country was therefore favored

06:53

by the dictator and positioned as a

06:55

Leisure destination in the Soviet Union

06:57

this room was built exclusively for is

06:59

used in 1951 which he only used once

07:02

before passing away a few years later in

07:05

1953 what's your feelings why you feel

07:07

like a little bit

07:10

disgusted

07:11

[Music]

07:21

yeah this building right here looks like

07:24

a UFO

07:28

spaceship

07:30

a unique and strange part about these

07:32

times was the way their vacations worked

07:35

basically twice a year you'd get a

07:36

ticket that would allow you to travel

07:38

somewhere but the Soviet Union would

07:39

pick where you were going so you might

07:41

get a ticket to go to Ukraine maybe here

07:43

in Georgia and they give it to you and

07:45

you'd end up just being sent there in a

07:47

housing that's assigned to you it's

07:49

strange to think that that's at one

07:50

point how a very large portion of the

07:52

world was

07:54

[Music]

07:56

operating the complex that we are

07:58

exploring is massive it is basically an

08:01

entire city and as we're driving around

08:04

there's the abandoned post office the

08:05

abandoned train station the abandoned

08:07

KGB building and so basically all of the

08:09

Soviet infrastructure has been left

08:12

behind and some buildings been bought

08:14

like this one for example was abandoned

08:17

was purchased and I guess this may be a

08:19

project to reconstruct it the question

08:21

is can we sneak into

08:23

[Music]

08:26

it

08:28

okay he passed two times this guy he

08:31

passed two times yeah I hope we're not

08:33

going to get arrested y he's always

08:36

making everything sound like a joke I

08:38

would not want to be arrested in Georgia

08:58

please

09:00

I always feel sad being in a place like

09:02

this knowing that so many resources were

09:04

poured into it and then ultimately it's

09:06

just left

09:07

to to rot like that wow look at

09:11

this whenever I see plants like that

09:13

just growing I always feel like the

09:15

power of nature reclaiming the planet

09:17

back no matter how much we built how

09:19

much concrete how much steel we put into

09:21

this plants find a way to

09:23

grow another abandoned

09:26

building so you grew up in this area

09:29

yeah I grew up like 5 km away from here

09:32

me and my friends we usually would go

09:34

around and explore this abandoned

09:36

building I was born in 2000 it was not

09:38

the best time to have a child yeah my

09:41

mom immigrated when I was six she moved

09:43

to Greece to help finance my studies my

09:47

clothing basically everything she moved

09:48

to Greece just to send money back to

09:51

help you yeah so did your dad raise you

09:53

then or like what no I was raised by my

09:55

grandparents my dad's parents my

09:57

grandpa's 84 my grand 72 I still live

10:01

with them they took really good care of

10:03

me and this is not just my story this is

10:06

basically like 80% of Georgian story who

10:08

was born in 2000 cuz yeah most of our

10:11

fames moms dads they usually went out of

10:14

the country to help us how often would

10:17

you see your mom growing up growing up

10:19

there was 11 years that I didn't see her

10:22

11 years yeah I didn't feel like I was

10:25

lacking something in my life cuz my

10:27

grandma and grandpa filled my life with

10:29

all the joy they literally gave me

10:32

everything they're like my parents and I

10:34

have huge respect for them but yeah

10:37

that's what made me mean and here I am

10:40

now

10:44

so it's a really nice hoodie

10:47

man actually let me tell you about it

10:49

this is the new seek discomfort

10:50

collection Lucas told me earlier that he

10:52

liked the sweater so wa I really like

10:55

that sweater you're wearing wow

10:57

fascinating if you trust anyone's

10:58

opinion trust Loop yeah exactly it's

11:01

high quality like you can actually feel

11:03

the feel the lettuce even when you wash

11:06

it like it's probably not going to lose

11:07

the color probably probably I mean if he

11:09

gives me one or two I can test it out

11:11

and yeah give the feedback actually

11:14

thank you so much a head full of fears

11:16

has no space for dreams oh it smells

11:19

nice it's worth just paying for the

11:22

smell yeah to get this amazing shirt

11:25

guys you just have to go to seeker.com

11:27

and just order it

11:30

[Laughter]

11:32

[Music]

11:50

yay this building that we're exploring

11:53

right now was used the early '90s as a

11:56

home for idps internally displaced

11:58

people as you zoom in to the Google Maps

12:01

of Georgia there's a few dotted lines

12:03

I've been very curious about for a very

12:05

long time and those are occupied

12:07

territories unrecognized by other

12:08

countries um occupied by Russia 80% of

12:11

the people that lived in abazia one of

12:13

these countries that doesn't exist

12:14

inside of Georgia left and many of them

12:17

FL this specific region so when the

12:19

Soviets left and the senatori were

12:21

basically abandoned Georgia moved the

12:23

people from that region into some of

12:25

these buildings now they have modern

12:27

buildings built just outside but

12:29

initially as the whole crisis happened

12:31

they just housed them here this building

12:33

was first used as a sanitarium and then

12:35

as kind of like a IDP Center where

12:37

people came and lived for some time so

12:40

Georgia is filled with layers and there

12:41

are many aspects to the story humbled to

12:43

be here and learning about it and

12:45

getting to see glimpses of its past

12:48

through these buildings we'd heard that

12:50

there were many Georgians who were

12:51

displaced after the fall of the Soviet

12:53

Union most of them were moved to these

12:55

abandoned Resort buildings we were about

12:57

to speak to one of these people a woman

12:59

would had been living inside this

13:00

abandoned building for over 30

13:03

[Music]

13:06

years there

13:13

[Music]

13:19

here that's where she accepts the

13:22

[Music]

13:27

guests you can

13:34

[Music]

13:46

I don't drink so maybe I can have can I

13:48

put some water in it just to share the

13:50

momento there get some

13:51

[Music]

13:58

water

14:05

cheers got such a lovely

14:09

[Music]

14:14

smile my

14:20

house that's where she

14:22

[Music]

14:25

lived that's all the like Russians to

14:28

hard

14:29

[Music]

14:36

for that's her husband and he got shot

14:40

he got

14:45

shot and and she's been here for 33

14:50

years yes in this

14:53

building y yep wow yeah when she got

14:56

displaced did it did did she think it

14:58

was going to be this long or did she

15:00

think that it was more of a temporary

15:11

thing do you still hold hope in your

15:13

heart that you're going to go

15:14

back yeah and she misses

15:18

it it's as the world is feels like it's

15:21

descending into this new episode of

15:23

Darkness with all the wars that are

15:25

happening what's her message to the

15:27

world

15:46

fore

15:48

fore

15:57

spee

16:08

foree

16:10

fore

16:14

spe

16:21

fore I don't even know what you

16:27

said

16:32

she says it feels like I've known him

16:34

for for a lot of

16:37

time it's for sure first time you guys

16:39

are

16:41

[Music]

16:57

meeting

16:59

[Music]

17:10

how many rooms were in this specific

17:12

sanitarium uh nearly 400 400 yeah it was

17:16

always full I think they moved out of

17:19

here like 2 years ago cuz few months ago

17:22

when I went here there were people

17:23

swimming in the pool and yeah they were

17:26

having fun around here yeah they they

17:29

were living here so I'm curious cuz your

17:32

grandparents grew up during the Soviet

17:34

times how do they feel about that time

17:36

era they did miss it for some time just

17:38

cuz you know during the Soviet era like

17:41

it was basically not allowed to not to

17:43

work so everyone had a job everyone had

17:45

money everything was pretty much cheap

17:48

but also the part when Soviet Union

17:50

tried to um erase the identity of

17:53

Georgia that's the part which my

17:55

grandparents are kind of mad about yeah

17:58

they try to erase our language they try

18:00

to just erase everything and make us

18:03

Russian yeah there are a lot of people

18:05

now that struggled transitioning into

18:07

that phase it was really tough

18:09

transitioning um there was no

18:10

electricity after Soviet Union collabs

18:12

there was no food people were in line to

18:15

get just bread so yeah it was really

18:18

tough times and all the families like

18:19

had certain amount of bread that they

18:21

could get so it it was tough after

18:27

collapsing

18:29

yeah color is stunning but I I just

18:32

really wish I could see this thing how

18:35

it was fresh well I'm I'm not F

18:38

fantasizing about Soviet Union but the

18:40

fact is that yeah this would have looked

18:44

beautiful yeah how do you feel about

18:46

Georgia today um I'm feeling really

18:48

positive like 5 years ago I was kind of

18:51

planning to move out of the country but

18:53

now there's yeah there's a lot of things

18:55

that I can do um and I enjoy living here

18:58

it's really safe I hope Georgia

18:59

continues in this positive direction

19:01

yeah I think so too but it's I think

19:03

it's heavily dependent on people on us

19:05

rather than just the government that's

19:07

ruling cuz um yeah there was some things

19:09

that we didn't like and then we protest

19:11

and then the the protest actually has

19:14

results like government dropping the law

19:17

after the protest like even if you went

19:19

here 3 years ago that would be like huge

19:22

difference coming here this year I think

19:24

a lot of times when we want to criticize

19:28

what's around us we forget that we are a

19:29

part of what's around us and one of my

19:31

favorite quotes is um we blame society

19:34

but we are Society so I think it's a

19:37

matter of just like not dissociating

19:39

from the fact that government is also

19:41

people and yeah I love your love for

19:43

your country man yeah I'm trying my best

19:46

it took me some

19:47

time true

19:50

yeah as we arrived with a very limited

19:53

understanding of this country's history

19:55

we were able to faintly open that door

19:56

into the past through this semi

19:58

abandoned Soviet City and paint a

20:00

clearer picture of what those

20:02

challenging times were like for Georgia

20:05

we think that studying our past is

20:06

imperative to not repeat the same

20:08

mistakes tomorrow and so we hope that we

20:11

as the next generation will listen to

20:14

these stories and choose more wisely a

20:16

future of Peace once and for all if you

20:18

want to support our ability to create

20:20

independent short documentaries like

20:22

this the ultimate way to do that is

20:23

through our clothing line seek

20:25

discomfort when you drop shine through

20:26

fear is available only for another

20:28

future days on seis comfort.com we're

20:30

super proud of it either way I

20:32

appreciate you and I'll see you

20:34

[Music]

20:43

soon

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Verwandte Tags
SovietHistoryGeorgianResilienceAbandonedSpasHealingSpringsStalinSanatoriumPostSovietTransitionCulturalIdentityDisplacementStoriesSeekingComfortHistoricalExploration
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