Akhalgori
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Akhalgori / Leningor
|native_name = ახალგორი
|settlement_type = Town
|image_skyline = Akhalgori aerial.jpg
|imagesize = 280px
|pushpin_map = South Ossetia#Georgia Mtskheta-Mtianeti#Georgia (country)
|pushpin_mapsize = 280
|pushpin_map_caption = Location of Akhalgori in Georgia
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Georgia}}
| subdivision_type1 = De facto state
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|South Ossetia}}
|subdivision_type2 = Mkhare
|subdivision_name2 = Mtskheta-Mtianeti
|subdivision_type3 = District
|subdivision_name3 = Leningor
|area_total_km2 =
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_km2 =
|population_as_of = 2015
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 1033
|population_density_km2 =
|timezone = Georgian Time
|utc_offset = +4
|timezone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|coordinates = {{coord|42|07|10|N|44|29|16|E|type:town_region:GE|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_m = 788
|blank_name = Climate
|blank_info = Warm, cold Climate
|website = [https://akhalgori.org.ge www.akhalgori.org.ge]
|footnotes =
}}
Akhalgori ({{lang-ka|ახალგორი}}; {{langx|os|Ленингор|Leningor|italics=none}}) is a town in Georgia{{South Ossetia-note}} (in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, according to the official administrative division of Georgia). The name Akhalgori is the original historical name of the town used by the Georgians and officials, whereas Leningor is the name given to the city in the Soviet era and used by the South Ossetians. The town is situated on the banks of the River Ksani, height above sea level — 800 m.
History
The village of Akhalgori was first mentioned in the 18th century by Prince Vakhushti of Kartli in his work The Geographic Description of Georgia.Pospelov, p. 29 The name derives from the Georgian words meaning "new" (ახალი/akhali) and "hill" or "mountain" (გორა/gora). Before Sovietization of Georgia in 1921, Akhalgori was the residence of Georgian Noble Eristavi Duce. During the Soviet era it was part of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast and was called Leningori (Ленингори; ლენინგორი) after Vladimir Lenin. It was renamed Akhalgori by the Georgian SSR government at the end of 1990.
=Control over the town=
During the 1991–1992 South Ossetia war the town remained under Georgian jurisdiction after most of South Ossetia broke away from the central government's control. It came under the control of South Ossetian secessionist authorities as a result of the 2008 Russo-Georgian WarCivil.ge, [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19290 Sides Warn of ‘Tensions’ in Akhalgori], 25.08.2008 on August 17, 2008.{{Cite web |title=Осетины заявили о захвате грузинами села в непризнанной республике |url=https://lenta.ru/news/2008/08/25/village/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Lenta.RU |language=ru}} Subsequently, the government of South Ossetia renamed the town to Leningor.{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.lenta.ru/news/2008/08/25/village/ Осетины заявили о захвате грузинами села в непризнанной республике], Lenta.ru, 25 août 2008.
Before the conflict, the Akhalgori district had a population of 7,700, with approximately 2,000 living in the town itself. The largest villages were Ikorta, Korinta, Qanchaveti, Kvemo Zakhori, Largvisi, Doretkari, and Karchokhi. The population was primarily Georgian (6,520) and Ossetian (1,110) with good relations between the two communities.{{cite news
|url=http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/oct/16/talks-russian-forces-going-nowhere/?page=2
|title=Talks, Russian forces pause in Georgia
|publisher=The Washington Times
|date=2008-10-16
|access-date=2008-10-17
|last=Catchpole
|first=Dan
}}
Currently Akhalgori as well as South Ossetia are controlled by Russian forces and South Ossetian militia.
Demographics
As of the 2015 Census, the village of Akhalgori had a population of 1,033 people, 63.90% of whom were Georgians and 35.2% were Ossetians.{{Cite web |title=Ethnic composition of Ossetia 2015 |url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/rso-ethnic2015.htm |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=pop-stat.mashke.org}} Historically, Akhalgori had been a predominantly Armenian settlement, they accounted for 90% of the population in 1886 and remained the largest ethnic group until the 1960s.{{Cite web |title=КСАНСКИЙ УЧАСТОК1 (1886 г.) |url=https://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/ksani1886.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814232419/https://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/ksani1886.html |archive-date=14 August 2024 |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=Ethno Kavkaz}}{{Cite web |title=Ленингорский район |url=http://ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/leningor.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111100427/http://ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/leningor.html |archive-date=11 January 2014 |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=Ethno-Kavkaz}}{{Cite web |title=НАСЕЛЕНИЕ ЮЖНОЙ ОСЕТИИ |url=https://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/rnsossetia.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814232824/https://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/rnsossetia.html |archive-date=14 August 2024 |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=Ethno-Kavkaz}}
Town's position in administrative subdivision makeup
- According to South Ossetian official division, the town is the center of Leningor District of South Ossetia{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}
- According to Georgian official division, the town is the municipal center of Akhalgori Municipality in Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, of Georgia{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
Industry and commerce
Akhalgori was home to the Lomisi brewery, owned by the Turkish company Efes Beverage Group, which was the primary employer in the town. The town is now home to a different brewery, the Vysokogornaya Kelskaya Pivovarnya, which opened in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Высокогорная Кельская пивоварня |url=https://alpine-brewery.com/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=alpine-brewery.com}}{{Cite web |title=Открытие завода «Высокогорная кельская пивоварня» |url=http://russan-wine.ru/russian/news/alp-open |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=HobbyStudio - Открытие завода «Высокогорная кельская пивоварня»}}
Climate
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| open = yes
| single line = yes
| metric first = yes
| location = Leningor
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan mean C = -1.6
| Feb mean C = -0.5
| Mar mean C = 3.8
| Apr mean C = 9.2
| May mean C = 14.5
| Jun mean C = 17.7
| Jul mean C = 20.6
| Aug mean C = 20.5
| Sep mean C = 16.3
| Oct mean C = 11.2
| Nov mean C = 5.2
| Dec mean C = 0.4
| Jan low C = -6
| Feb low C = -5.1
| Mar low C = -1.1
| Apr low C = 3.2
| May low C = 8.4
| Jun low C = 11.6
| Jul low C = 14.5
| Aug low C = 14.4
| Sep low C = 10.2
| Oct low C = 5.5
| Nov low C = 0.6
| Dec low C = -3.9
| Jan high C = 2.9
| Feb high C = 4.1
| Mar high C = 8.8
| Apr high C = 15.2
| May high C = 20.6
| Jun high C = 23.9
| Jul high C = 26.7
| Aug high C = 26.7
| Sep high C = 22.5
| Oct high C = 16.9
| Nov high C = 9.8
| Dec high C = 4.7
| Jan precipitation mm = 35
| Feb precipitation mm = 41
| Mar precipitation mm = 51
| Apr precipitation mm = 73
| May precipitation mm = 108
| Jun precipitation mm = 100
| Jul precipitation mm = 76
| Aug precipitation mm = 63
| Sep precipitation mm = 58
| Oct precipitation mm = 59
| Nov precipitation mm = 60
| Dec precipitation mm = 46
| source = Climate-Data.org{{cite web | url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/georgia/leningor/leningor-37205/ | title=Leningor climate - Climate-Data.org | publisher=Climate-Data.org | access-date=2019-08-04 }}
}}
Notable people
See also
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=Sources=
- Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.) Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053045/https://akhalgori.org.ge/ Official Georgian site of the town]
- [http://www.leningorr.narod.ru/ Official Ossetian site of the town]
{{Cities and towns in Georgia (country)}}
{{Administrative divisions of South Ossetia}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Populated places in Akhalgori District