Khorkhi / Khorkhi Gorge (Ethnohistorical Essay)

In Georgia, along with the large historical-ethnographic//historical-geographic districts, there were also small areas (territorial, local units). Among such areas are nominated Nariani (located among Tori, Javakheti and Trialeti), Mtis Racha (in Racha, in the upper reaches of the river Rioni), Khando and Chartali (in the gorge of the river Mtiuleti’s Aragvi, Shida Kartli foothills). Khorkhi or the Khorkhi gorge is situated in the Aragvi Valley, in the foothills of Shida Kartli. In science, there are proper studies of Mtis Racha, Khando and Chartali, which unfortunately cannot be said about Nariani and Khorkhi. This article is about Khorkhi /Khorkhi Gorge, to say precisely, about its history, migration processes and family names of indigenous inhabitants. The Khorkhi Gorge is located between the rivers of Pshavi’s Aragvi and Mtiuleti’s Aragvi.
Lausha, Bzikurta, Sondisvela, Khirausha, Kvemo Khorkhi, Ubani, Meneso and Zemo Khorkhi are the villages of Khorkhi that are situated from south to north-west. In the 18th century Khorkhi was uninhabited due to the migration of the indigenous population. There is a village Khorkheli in Kakheti which emerged as a result of population’s displacement from the foothills of the Aragvi Valley, the Khorkhi Gorge. The settlement
of the depopulated Khorkhi Gorge began in the first half of the 19th century and continued until the end of the same century. The gorge is inhabited by people displaced from Mtiuleti, Gudamakari, Pshavi and Khevsureti. According to ethnographic materials, the first family was Zhizhiashvili (same as Kavtaradze) who moved there from the village Tsipori in Mtiuleti and who, in turn, paved the way for his fellow villagers.
There are also families from Gudamakari, Khevsureti and Pshavi. Representatives of the Kistauri community of Pshavi live entirely in the village Bzikurta. In the 16th-17th centuries the former population of Khorkhi moved to Kakheti, but still used to pray in Khorkhi until late. The indigenous origin of Khorkhians is also corroborated by the indigenous surnames of Kiraulis, Tagvianuris, Jabjauris, and Chavchauris.Those who
moved to Khorkhi from Mtiuleti and Gudamakari, even carried signs of their main, unifying shrines, namely Lomisa - the common Shrine of Mtiuleti and Pirimze Pudzis Angelozi of Gudamakari. Earlier inhabitants of the valley, in turn, also had come from mountains, evidenced by the name of the shrine - „Khmala“. Khmala, as known, was the common shrine of the Liqoki community in Khevsureti. Thus, Khorkhi was a transitional foothill where, similar to other foothill regions, occurred frequent displacement of the highlanders who then occupied deserted villages on the plains