Description:
Citizens’ Rehabilitation of the Tsiskarauli Tower is an international, community-led conservation initiative that restored a historic defensive tower in Akhieli, a remote village in the Arkhoti Valley of Khevsureti, Georgia. Dating from the 16th–17th century, the Tsiskarauli Tower, also known as Kharat-Tsikhe, is a nationally protected cultural heritage monument that was severely damaged by a missile during the Second Chechen War in 2001 and subsequently faced the risk of collapse. Implemented between February 2021 and September 2023, the project was led by the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), working in close collaboration with the National Trust of Georgia, the French heritage volunteering organisation REMPART and the Chudow Castle Foundation in Poland. The initiative received financial support from ALIPH, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas. The restoration brought together 46 Georgian and international volunteers, an 11-person professional team, conservation architects and traditional craftspeople. Participants learned and applied traditional techniques including stonemasonry, lime pointing and carpentry. Original stone from the ruins was reused wherever appropriate, supporting the authenticity and environmental sustainability of the intervention. The project combined physical conservation with community engagement, vocational learning and international cultural exchange. Volunteer workcamps created opportunities for participants from different countries and backgrounds to share practical knowledge, languages, food and traditions, demonstrating the potential of heritage conservation as a tool for peacebuilding and mutual understanding. Alongside the restoration of the tower, the project developed a new walking route, improved access to the site and installed interpretative panels explaining the monument's history, its destruction and its rehabilitation. International training exchanges in France and the United Kingdom also strengthened the National Trust of Georgia's capacity to manage heritage sites and volunteer programmes. Despite challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, regional security concerns and a major landslide, the restoration was successfully completed in 2023. The initiative strengthened local pride, encouraged tourism and inspired residents to preserve other traditional buildings using historic construction techniques. Awarded both an Award and a Grand Prix at the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2024, Citizens’ Rehabilitation of the Tsiskarauli Tower demonstrates how international cooperation, traditional craftsmanship and active citizenship can safeguard vulnerable heritage while supporting community resilience and cultural dialogue.