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Surami Fortress All travelers who drive over the Rikoti Pass in Georgia pass the Surami Fortress. Few people know, however, that the legend of this fortress has been filmed several times. One of these films was shown in the Arsenal cinema in West Berlin in 1986, during the Soviet era. Building complex 1. The defence wall and the defence tower The site of the defence wall covers 1,200 m² and consists of an inner and a lower part. The inner part is located at the top of a cliff and has an additional wall on the lower side. A defence tower (21.2 x 12.7 m) is integrated into the wall. The lower part, built on the hillside, is surrounded by a battlemented wall and has the entrance on the northern side. Only a part of the western side of the wall (about 8 metres) is still preserved. St. George's Church Built in the 11th to 12th centuries, the small church is located in the south-eastern part of the lower courtyard. The building (5.9 x 6.1 m) was built directly on the rock and was severely damaged in an earthquake. Until the earthquake, fresco fragments with scenes from the New Testament were still preserved in the church. Manor Building Located in the southern part of the fort, the building is badly damaged, only two floors remain. History of Surami Fortress According to the Georgian historian Platon Ioseliani, the fortress was built as early as the 2nd century BC, but this opinion is not supported by his colleagues. According to Persian chronicles, the fortress was built in the 6th century during the reign of Khosrau I. Most Georgian historians believe that the fortress was not built until the 11th century and then served as the residence of the Surameli princes, who were appointed grand princes of the Kartli region, in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the 17th century, the Surami fortress became the focus of interest and is mentioned several times in writing. The village of Surami and its fortress were also described by the French explorer Jean Chardin. In the same century, the Grand Prince Giorgi Saakadze fought fierce battles against Persian invaders in the fortress. An interesting incident took place in Surami in 1742. The Georgian prince Giwi Amilachwari, together with other Georgian noblemen, fought for a long time against the Persian occupation, and although the objective had been achieved (in the Kartli region a Georgian king, Teimuraz, came to the throne instead of a Persian, and in Kakheti his son Irakli II), the prince continued his fight against the Persians, apparently because he did not get the post he had hoped for. In any case, the rebel prince's stronghold was the fortress of Surami, and although the two Georgian kings had besieged and bombarded the fortress with Persian artillery for a long time, they were unable to take it. The Shah of Persia was so impressed by the fortress that he sent the best painters in Persia to Surami to paint it. The prince did not lay down his arms until he was offered suitable conditions and a good post. After a thorough renovation in the 18th century, Surami Fortress played an important role in the fight against Dagestani irregulars and was listed by King Irakli II as one of the most important fortresses in the country. After the annexation of Georgia by Russia in 1801, a Russian military garrison was stationed at the Surami fortress. From the middle of the 19th century, the fortress lost its military significance and over time became a cultural landmark. Legend of Surami Fortress Legend has it that before our time, when the fortress was supposedly built, a young man was walled in to make it strong. The young man's name was Zurab, and he was the only child in his family. His mother was devastated, but powerless against her son's decision to sacrifice himself. She spent the rest of her life weeping against the wall of the fortress. It is said that the ghost of the mother, dressed in black, can still be seen in the fortress at night. Interesting to know The legend of the Surami Fortress has been filmed twice. Once in 1922 by the Georgian director of Italian origin Ivan Perestiani. The film is called "Suramis Ziche" (The Surami Fortress). The second film is called "The Legend of Suram Fortress" and was made in 1984 by Sergei Paradzhanov, a Georgian director of Armenian origin. The colour film "The Legend of Suram Fortress" premiered in Moscow in 1986, having been shown at the Moscow International Film Festival the previous year. In Germany, the film was first shown at the Arsenal cinema in West Berlin on 10 May 1986. In the GDR, the film was first shown at the Babylon cinema in Berlin on 6 January 1989. |
