Having migrated to Georgia in the 19th century from the north, the Kists are descended from Chechen and Ingush ancestry, and share a common language and tradition with these groups. Upon their migration to Pankisi Gorge, they were given the ethnic name Kist and as a result of their separation from their northern kin, gradually incorporated many cultural elements from their Georgian neighbors. Most Kists are fluent in both Chechen and Georgian and embody a unique blend of their native and Georgian traditions.
A vist to Pankisi will quickly reveal a critical need for employment and sustainable business, as the unemployment rate is over 90%.
They need a potable water supply - right now they get their drinking water directly from the mountain streams, with no filtration or purification processes.
They need education - very few of them speak English, for example, but many of them would like to. They have very little access to even the internet.
They need new ideas - their crops and their livestock would be improved greatly with some better crop rotation and animal husbandry practices.
Mostly, they need hope.
Visit our programs link to find our more about the projects available to begin meeting these needs.
Traditionally, the Kists have long relied upon agriculture and animal breeding as their primary means of income. In the past, trade was an important activity, as the gorge provided a geographical link between other regions, however, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, these industries have suffered and most find that neither are profitable enough to sufficiently support their families. Today, most families continue to live on a small parcel of land that they farm in order to meet the most basic of needs.
Located in northeast Georgia, the Kists are an ethnic group of approximately 10,000 living in the eight mile long Pankisi Gorge. The gorge consists of five villages. The largest, Duisi, is situated at the entry - and the widest section (approximately 2 miles across) - of the gorge. As the gorge narrows, the other villages are nestled along the single road leading to the base of the towering and majestic Caucasus Mountains.
People We Serve
Having migrated to Georgia in the 19th century from the north, the Kists are descended from Chechen and Ingush ancestry, and share a common language and tradition with these groups. Upon their migration to Pankisi Gorge, they were given the ethnic name Kist and as a result of their separation from their northern kin, gradually incorporated many cultural elements from their Georgian neighbors. Most Kists are fluent in both Chechen and Georgian and embody a unique blend of their native and Georgian traditions.
