European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 11, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tbilisi the maybe russians of the caucasus the Kara River meanders through the Center of georgias ancient capital by whytus Johnson a me Are georgians Flat and then m Irav m maybe said a proud native of that state in the soviet Union to Tat during w w a recent journey he was not Only speaking for for moot of the georgians we met the Pride of the georgian people la As la to bar courage and artistic their history can be traced bade to the pre Homeric Era with he voyage of the argonauts from Greece to Georgia called colchis Georgia capital and largest City la or i Correct georgian and any visitor soon learns to pronounce this Tongue twister correctly with help from everyone around the name Tbilisi Means warm Springs and the at Tractive City of a million inhabitants is often called the California of the local climate is considered perfect 80s in summer and rarely below freezing in throughout Georgia All Road Tifni Are in two georgian and the melodic georgian language u one of Tel Hangi he georgians Are most proud the consisting of 33 la a simple and Beautiful we were in formed by our school children Start with georgian and learn asian in the third students at the Tbilisi University must take georgian throughout their slay and Advance Sarthe Othen Bethey become ineligible to study at this prestigious the georgians Are proud of speaking i groups they do these meld and staging in their we listened to Many georgian i our visit there and never got tired of harmonized chants of seven these Young and old men sing from the deepest base i o a Dew High c always in tune with each other and in perfect exquisite instruments Many of the popular groups Are sponsored by the slate and have been not Only the Well known groups with trained voices can sing like that in almost everyone we met there would Start Harroon ring after a few shots of Vodka or local and after a few others joined off they would slug into a rhapsody of georgian the mostly darkened people in Tbilisi Wear their hair Long and the men usually sport mustaches Short almost Rule the rest of the the impression of the whole Eaon Trasue i Tipalu is one of Mediterranean climate and temper Ament one could fancy eyes est la Section of Aims u even Lee at times Tbilisi founding dates Back to the Sih Situ ated at the Crossroads of important Trade the City was destroyed and rebuilt forty times in its turbulent his the yellow Snake of the Kura River winds ils Way through the Hilly Ite Kura originates in adjacent Turkey and ends in the Black perhaps it is the curving band of the Kura that reminds me of the tiber and perhaps the Beautiful old the byzantine or the Many High Bills it could even be the but when looking at me rather orderly and not Overly heavy then youre sure youre not in a huge statue of shining metallic Gold towers Over the City on the right this statue of Mother Georgia was built in 19s6 and has doubtful artistic values in its but symbolizes the spirit she holds out a cup of wine with her left hand ready to Greet friends with but also a sword in her right ready to give Battle to her plateau of mount tit Meten above Fea was to impressive ring almost directly from Ibe Middle of the at the which can be reached by Cable car and Cogwheel train this method giving the most spectacular View of the City directly there is a gorgeously groomed a couple of restaurant and the most magnificent Panorama of Tbilisi and the caucasus mountains farther its always coot up we were and rally dwell ers Dock to the top during hot summer and eve a georgian sporting Cap arid woman sweeps the streets with homemade july 1977 i has 11 Heaters there Are m in All of Georgia and a symphonic where we enjoyed a performance of the georgian National the ensemble consists of 100 dancers 31 of Mem women and they put on the most memorable Fod doric show weve Ever the elegant and All me same Glide along like on a conveyor Bell in splendid costumes with delicate movements of Arras and the stomp and jump one of them made a Shah Tum jump and dance on tip in soft leather they Are magical Aero seemingly they also put on a dashing Saber dance As one of the highlights of he these Are not wooden or not at the Sparks Fly when they clash and they clash this ensemble appeared on a european tour a year ago and Drew raves from audiences and the this Folk dance group also appeared in an Bomi Nute show on the German to last but seeing them in person is better they Are called the georgian National ensemble Tbilisi has a Emu Rometer subway system built in 1866 and a chess the women world chess Champion five times Over lives there even a Motel and three local television it was Only Muei Northwest of to Bilbo la Gorl where Joseph Stalin w Bora his two of birth Fewste now encased la a modern Ibert a in the Middle Gorl Stalin was educated in and although be is no longer a soviet approved he still legend in we saw Many taxis and ambulances who Sta Lins photograph in the wreathed with flow it was a georgian from Tbilisi who first translated do Koj Pitol by Karl Man from the the foundation of soviet georgian including the great Shota have been translated into All he living languages of the the georgians we met were As interesting As their they Are Hosp Able and no other area could compare with the local wine and cuisine during our slay in the soviet the stars and stripes Poje 13