Seventy-seven years have passed since Stalin deported the Meskhetians from Western Georgia to Central Asia; since then, they have faced war and displacement multiple times. Despite continued hardship, two communities in Azerbaijan and Ukraine are still clinging to their identities.
‘More than 30 years have passed, but I want to go back because that place has specific air, water, and nature’, says Afrail Isgandarov, 67, a retired Meskhetian.
This story was prepared in English for Oc-media.org within the framework of the Berlin School of Journalism project.
The two-room flat is decorated in a Turkish style, to keep to Meskhetian traditions and to avoid excessive spending.
A sufra, a traditional dining table, sits in the centre of the living room, surrounded by mattresses and pillows to lean on. Photos of elder and passed away family members hang on the walls.
Afrail Isgandarov’s current occupation is as traditionally Meskhetian as his flat’s interior. He is a ‘synygchy’, a local folk healer. Meskhetian believe when limbs do not heal well or an arm or leg is broken, a synygchy can fix it via massages and herbs.
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Text and Pictures By Ismayil Fataliyev
The story was published in Oc-media.org in November 16, 2021 within the framework of the Berlin School of Journalism project.