 | WARNING: The open war ended in South Ossetia, but now not a good time to travel to the area. The area is still too dangerous to visit, and the situation is still dangerous. |
South Ossetia (Ossetian: Хуссар Ирыстон, Khussar Iryston; Georgian: სამხრეთ ოსეთი, Samkhret Oseti; Russian: Южная Осетия, Yuzhnaya Osetiya) is a region in the South Caucasus, formerly the Autonomous Oblast of Ossetia within the Soviet Socialist Republic. write Georgia, part of this territory has been de facto independent from Georgia since it declared its independence as the Republic of South Ossetia during the Georgia-Ossetian conflict in the early 1990s. The Georgian government responded with abolished South Ossetia's autonomy and attempted to retake the region by force, which led to the 1991-1992 South Ossetian War. There were two more conflicts to try to retake South Ossetia in 2004 and 2008. The conflict eventually led to the 2008 South Ossetian War, which resulted in Russia recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Diplomatically, most UN member states (with the exception of Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Nauru) do not recognize South Ossetia and continue to consider the territory a part of Georgia. Georgia retains control over the eastern and southern parts of the region, where in April 2007 it created a Provisional Administrative Authority of the South Ossetian Entity headed by the Ossetians (the former members of the separatist government) could negotiate with the Georgian central government about the final status of the region as well as a solution to the conflict.Georgia does not recognize the existence of South Ossetia as an entity. politically, which regarded as its territory, part of the Shida Kartli area.
City
- Tskhinvali - the capital and largest city in the region, where the government of South Ossetia
- Leningor (Russian & Ossetian) / Akhalgori (Georgia) - a small town that was controlled by Georgia until 2008, where Lomisi Brewery is located
- Java - nominally the administrative center of the Java district of Georgia, but not under the control of Georgia
overview
South Ossetia's mountainous terrain and wild isolation are reasons why South Ossetia is worth a visit. There was much damage in the war in 2008 and the region's recovery has been slow and hampered by corruption and weak government control. Nearly 89% of this area has elevations above 1,000 m, the southern plains are influenced by the same subtropical climate that blesses the lowlands of Georgia.
History
Present-day South Ossetia was annexed by Russia in 1801, along with Georgia, and became part of the Russian Empire. After the October Revolution, South Ossetia became part of the Menshevik Georgian Democratic Republic, while the north became part of the Terek Soviet Republic. The region experienced a series of Ossetian uprisings with several declarations of independence. The Georgian government accused the people of Ossetia of cooperating with the Bolsheviks.
Under the Soviet Union, South Ossetia was an autonomous region of the republic of Georgia. When the Soviet Union disbanded, the United States government recognized its pre-Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact borders of 1933 (the Franklin D. Roosevelt government established diplomatic relations with the Kremlin at the end. that year). Because of this, the George HW Bush administration openly supported the secession of the Baltic states, but considered matters related to the conflicts of independence and territory of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the rest. of the Transcaucasus — an integral part of the Soviet Union with international borders unchanged since the 1920s — was an internal Soviet affair.
In 1992, Georgia was forced to accept a ceasefire to avoid an escalation of the conflict with Russia. The Georgian government and the South Ossetian separatists reached an agreement to cease the use of force against each other, and Georgia pledged not to use sanctions against South Ossetia. However, the Georgian government retained control over small parts of South Ossetia, including the town of Akhalgori.[23] A peacekeeping force of Ossetians, Russians and Georgians was established. On November 6, 1992, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) established a mission in Georgia to oversee the peacekeeping operation. From then until mid-2004 South Ossetia was generally at peace. In June 2004, tensions began to rise as the Georgian authorities stepped up efforts to combat smuggling in the region. Hostage kidnappings, shootings and occasional bombings have left dozens dead and injured. A cease-fire was signed on August 13, although it was repeatedly violated. The situation became very tense with the threat of war. Moscow and Tskhinvali are wary of Georgia's military buildup.
The Georgian government opposes Russia's continued increase in economic and political presence in the region and opposes the uncontrolled army of South Ossetia. It also considers the peacekeepers to be non-neutral and asks for a replacement.
In the first hours of August 8, 2008, the Georgian army with armored vehicles launched a total attack on the territory of South Ossetia and shelled Tskhinvali. Three Russian Sukhoi Su-24s violated Georgian airspace, hitting several targets in the Tskhinvali region. That same day, twelve Russian peacekeepers were killed and nearly 150 wounded. Since the "liberation" of the region, the Russian government has attempted to merge it with Russia, but has been unsuccessful. due to obstacles from both Georgia and from South Ossetia.
Politic
While the Ossetian separatist conflict with the Georgian central government has cooled down to a much lower extent than during the 2008 war and despite heavy Russia has military "peacekeeping" forces. , security and government controls are weak. The Ossetians are mostly grateful for Russia's military intervention in Georgia. Many South Ossetians fled during the war in 2008: population in 2007 was 70,000, in 2012 it was only 55,000.
Arrive
From Georgia, you will have to drive towards the border until you arrive at a Georgian army checkpoint. Your vehicle will be inspected, and you will be asked about your intended visit. If the soldiers agree to let you through, you will drive five more trees until you reach the buffer zone, controlled by Russian troops in fortified positions and armored vehicles. You will again be stopped, tested, and questioned. If the Russians decide to let you in, you will be subject to a Russian military vehicle officer, who will take you to the South Ossetian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register you for your arrival.
From Russia, run to u Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia (there are trains and planes from Moscow). Then take a mountain road that goes through the Roki tunnel. There are buses. You will depend on the decision of the Russian authorities, but they are willing to let a number of people in, including journalists. If they let you in, simply drive into the tunnel from Russia. When you come out of the tunnel, you have reached South Ossetia.
Visas and permits
If traveling from Russia, the Embassy of South Ossetia (9 Kurcovoi Pereylok, 7 (495) 644-27-57) in Moscow will be able to organize your documents. An agreement at the end of 2012 promises to establish a South Ossetian consulate in Vladikavkav, until the consulate is operating the representative of South Ossetia based in the city at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 38 Prospekt Mira .