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My Bradshaw's Continental Railways Guide, dated 1913,
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has brought me east, to the border lands where Europe meets Asia.
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My journey will take me from the grasslands of the Steppe
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to the shores of the Black Sea and run along the ridge
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of the mighty Caucasus mountains
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to a volcanic land of fire.
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I'll explore countries which, at the time of my guidebook,
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were under the rule of a tsar,
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but which a century ago fell to a revolutionary empire,
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the likes of which had never been seen.
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I will encounter Cossacks and communists, monasteries and mosques,
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tea and black gold.
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On my journeys through these enchanting lands,
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I'll try to understand the tensions and conflicts of today.
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I've crossed the Black Sea to continue my journey
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through the former Russian Empire.
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I'm in Georgia,
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famed for its natural beauty and the hospitality of its people.
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Situated at the edge of Europe,
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it's been regularly colonised by the great empires of the region.
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In the 19th and 20th centuries, by Russia and the Soviet Union.
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I'll be following the Transcaucasus Railway,
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built by the time of my Bradshaw's Guide
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to haul oil from the landlocked Caspian Sea at Baku
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to the Black Sea at Batumi.
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I'm making that journey in reverse, beginning at the port of Batumi,
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to trace the oil to its source.
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Heading east, I'll explore the ancient city of Kutaisi
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and its medieval hillside monastery.
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Reaching the capital, Tbilisi,
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I'll uncover the story of Georgia's most famous son.
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Then I'll cross into neighbouring Azerbaijan,
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once also under Soviet control,
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finishing my journey in the heart of the country's oil industry at Baku.
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As I ride rails
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along which only the most intrepid Bradshaw's tourist ventured,
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I'll discover medieval monasteries and magnificent mountains...
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Peeking through the clouds now,
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5,047 metres up, we skim the top.
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..and savour the very soul of Georgia...
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You're drinking now my family's heart,
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and my family's energy inside of the glass.
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..before delighting in Azerbaijan's heritage...
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Absolutely thrilling!
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Their athleticism!
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..and seeking out the source of its wealth.
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A view of the terminal from up here is absolutely extraordinary.
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It is immense.
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I've arrived on the dazzling Caucasian Riviera. Batumi beckons.
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A sparkling modern train, not what I expected.
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What other surprises will there be in Georgia?
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On the ancient Silk Road connecting East and West,
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Georgia has long been important as a trading route
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and 19th-century Batumi was a vital hub.
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Bradshaw says, "the chief Russian seaport,
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"on the east side of the Black Sea, now strongly fortified,
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"having been ceded to Russia in 1878,
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"the town has increased rapidly since the railway opened.
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"Huge quantities of naphtha are exported."
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Naphtha, a product of oil,
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that black gold that ignited the greed of the great powers
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East and West, and Batumi was the gateway to Europe and beyond.
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Trade flourished, and Batumi became a fashionable resort,
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but 70 years of Soviet communism hit the city hard.
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When Georgia won independence, new life was breathed into Batumi.
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It's now a thriving commercial centre and holiday destination
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with shiny new buildings and a smart seafront.
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This ride to the top of the hill opened four years ago and has become
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one of the city's top tourist attractions.
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I'm meeting Batumi resident Nino.
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The setting of Batumi is stunning -
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on the Black Sea, surrounded by mountains and, even in June,
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some of these are snow-capped.
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- Very beautiful.
- It has a really interesting geographical location.
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As you see, we have a coastline.
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The weather is summer and really hot weather but on the other hand,
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there is a beautiful mountain with snow on top of it.
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The strategic location is very obvious
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and it's sort of at a crossroads
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with Europe and Asia, so Batumi has actually suffered from being
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absorbed over history into various empires.
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Oh, yes, it was part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantium Empire,
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the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire.
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In 1918,
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it was independent for only three years
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before entering the Soviet Union
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and being part of it until 1991.
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I'm trying to imagine, what was it like in Soviet times?
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There were no high-class hotels and business centres.
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It was a quiet city with a calm lifestyle.
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And now, what sort of tourists are you attracting?
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It's a good advantage for the country and for the region
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to have these hotels with casinos and conferences
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but the main thing for attracting the tourists is
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the nature, the landscapes.
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In the verdant West Georgian countryside,
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according to my 1913 Bradshaw's,
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tea is cultivated.
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I've come to a plantation 30 miles north-east of Batumi.
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Gocha is in charge.
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- Hello, I'm Michael.
- Hello, sir. Hello, Mike.
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Very good to see you. Now,
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what kind of leaves are you picking just at the moment?
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Well, we just started harvesting the top quality of green leaves.
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Very fresh, very tiny, very new.
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- And soft.
- I'm quite surprised to find tea in Georgia.
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I associate tea with India and China and this seems a bit far north.
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- Is that not so?
- Yes, that's true.
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Georgia is the only one country
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where tea harvesting season takes place
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end of April and finish end of September.
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The rest of the year we have a strong winter
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and sometimes we have snow
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and low temperatures.
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Because of that, it is really unique and it has a special flavour.
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When did tea production begin in Georgia?
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Well, the first seedlings were
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introduced in the country in the 19th-century but in mass production,
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it was started from 1920s.
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At the beginning, the seedlings came from China
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but then our scientists created local tea bushes,
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local varieties.
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Did this production flourish during the Soviet time?
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Yes, but at the time of the Soviet Union, we had plan economy, right?
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And the quality, of course,
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it was not as good as we have at the present time.
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Three miles from the plantation at the company's factory,
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the tea leaves are processed, packed and tested.
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A-ha. Hello.
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- Time for tasting?
- Yes, now it's time for the tasting.
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Normally we put in the cups 3g of the tea, not more.
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Then we put hot water. This is the classic green tea.
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We put water in the cup.
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Now, in terms of flavour, we have to smell...
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..and check it. You can feel the Georgian flavour.
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It's a unique Georgian flavour.
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Yes.
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I mean,
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it's a strong smell.
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- Yes.
- It's going right to the back of my throat, actually.
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Right.
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Ah, yeah, that's great.
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Did you get some honey flavour?
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Now that you suggest it, yes, I get a honey flavour!
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The way the cup should be tasted to get taste...
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HE SLURPS
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HE SUCKS
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So, you have to make a sound like a sparrow?
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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Ah, that is a great green tea, with a luscious, full flavour.
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I absolutely adore green tea.
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And that is a lovely, lovely cup of tea.
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As the day draws to a close,
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I'm continuing my journey north-east on the evening express service.
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Crossing the Rioni River, the largest in Western Georgia,
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I'm on my way to historic Kutaisi, the country's second city.
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I look forward to exploring tomorrow.
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A lovely morning view of Kutaisi and Bradshaw's tells me
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it's a convenient centre for several mountain excursions.
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It seems the mountains are ever-present in Georgia.
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It was, in the medieval period, the capital of a united Georgia,
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and in the post-Soviet period,
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Kutaisi has been promoted again to an important national role.
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Kutaisi has become home to the parliament of Georgia,
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which now meets in this wonderful crystal dome.
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Parliaments don't need to be housed in old buildings,
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they can inhabit architecture like an airport terminal, too.
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It's made of glass to represent transparency
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and the end of the Soviet era.
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The place abounds in metaphors and symbols,
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something for the Members of Parliament to reflect upon.
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150 are elected every four years
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and they meet here for spring and autumn sessions.
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The debating chamber is adorned
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with the St George's Cross of Georgia
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and the colour of the national flag is picked up in the chairs.
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I hope that the debate is equally red in tooth and claw.
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Away from the big decisions of state,
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the heart of this city of almost 180,000 people
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is its vibrant central market, one of the largest in Georgia.
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HE GREETS THEM IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
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Everybody, it seems, has a smile.
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In Batumi, with all its modernity, it felt like
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someone had taken an eraser to recent history,
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to the Soviet period, but here in Kutaisi,
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the past has been allowed to age gracefully.
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To delve further back in time, I've followed my guidebook
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to one of this region's oldest and most sacred sites.
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"About six miles north-east of Kutaisi, on a height,
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"is the Gelati convent," says my Bradshaw's,
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"with a church of the 11th century containing portraits of kings."
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Its beauty is now somewhat scarred
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by scaffolding poles, but amongst this tranquillity and birdsong,
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there's no doubt that it has a special feel.
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This site is recognised by Unesco as
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one of the world's largest medieval Orthodox monasteries
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and a monument to Georgian cultural heritage.
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At its heart is the ancient Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.
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THEY GREET EACH OTHER
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WHISPERS: The display of frescoes is absolutely magnificent.
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Glorious colours.
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Every centimetre of the wall is covered,
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but in poor condition, many of them.
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Eka is in charge of the church's restoration.
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Eka, this is the most wonderful display of frescoes.
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Who is responsible for building this?
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Gelati Monastery was built in the 11th century
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by King David the Builder.
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He was the most powerful king in Georgian history, the best king.
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- Why do you say the best?
- Because he became king
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just 16 years old. He united Georgia and in the 11th and 12th centuries,
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it was the golden age in Georgia.
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Built by your best king,
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how important is this monastery to the Georgian people?
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This monastery is showing to all Georgians how powerful
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and how rich was the Georgia in the 11th century
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so, for all Georgians, it's one of the most popular sites
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as a spiritual centre, also as a historical centre.
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And throughout history, Georgia has
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remained Christian?
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Yes, we became to be Christians in the fourth century
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and after this until today, we are Christian Orthodox.
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80% or 90% of Georgian citizens they are Orthodox Christians.
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Did the monastery maintain a connection with royalty?
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Yes, of course. The Builder told that, after he,
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every king must be buried here,
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so here are buried 23 kings of Georgia.
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Work is now under way to conserve the precious frescoes
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and carefully to restore the exterior.
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- Oh, it's quite high up here.
- It is.
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You certainly get a great view, don't you?
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Surrounded by beautiful mountains.
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Yes. The location is very special here
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and the second reason of building the monastery here
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was because it was very safe from attacks from enemies.
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I can see the work you're doing here.
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How far have you got with your work?
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Actually, we're working here two years and we have already done
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stone conservation works on the wall.
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We are now on the lower part and in this year we will finish.
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These beautiful tiles, these are the new ones
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- that you're putting on now?
- Yes, the green tile is very special.
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In Georgia, there were just three churches which had green tiles.
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But you found craftsmen today who can make that tile for you?
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Yes, it is made in Georgia.
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They are special for Gelati Monastery.
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I think in the next year we will finish the roofing also.
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I get the impression this is, for you,
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not just a construction project, it's an emotional thing as well?
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It's true. For me, as for all the workers here,
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we are doing everything because we are Georgians
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and because it is very important for all of us.
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I'm resuming my journey from Kutaisi's Rioni station,
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just south of the city,
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bound for the capital.
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- Hello.
- Hello.
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WHISTLE BLOWS
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Bradshaw's describes the railway to Tbilisi in excited terms.
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"As it starts to ascend, it affords good views across viaducts
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"and through a tunnel about 4km long.
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"It reaches 2,480 feet and descends through a landscape of bare rock."
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This is the Transcaucasus Railway,
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built to transport oil from Baku in Azerbaijan
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to the Georgian port of Batumi.
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It's one of the stunning rail routes of the world.
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The scenery is getting grander every moment.
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This ambitious line, built between 1865 and 1883,
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was partly financed by European bankers, the Rothschild family.
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Aha! Thank you.
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WHISTLE BLOWS
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The daring route took heavy oil tank wagons
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over the Caucasus Mountains at the Surami Pass.
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Because they struggled with the steep gradients,
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a new tunnel was blasted through the rock, opening in 1890.
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But 15 years later, these sites of engineering prowess
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became a battle ground as unrest swept imperial Russia.
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During the insurrections of 1905,
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it was possible to cut Georgia in half
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simply by blocking the tunnel -
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as Marxist revolutionaries did
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in order to prevent the Tsar's troops
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from penetrating West Georgia.
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The Tsar survived the revolution of 1905
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and at the time of my 1913 Bradshaw's,
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the Georgian capital remained an important outpost of his empire.
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Beautiful Tbilisi.
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My Bradshaw's says, "situated in a narrow alley.
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"Warm in summer but pleasant in winter.
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"Population, very mixed.
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"Georgians, Russians and Armenians."
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The multiplicity of churches with their crucifixes
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confirm how strong here is the Orthodox faith
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but this has also long been a crossroads of trades
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and cultures, so I'm expecting to find the city as cosmopolitan
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as it is Christian.
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Today, Tbilisi, home to almost 1.5 million people,
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has all the ingredients of a 21st-century city...
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..eye-catching buildings, designer shops and a laid-back cafe culture.
300
00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:13,280
Bradshaw's comments that there is a striking contrast
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between the old native quarters of narrow lanes and alleys,
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and the modern quarter, with its broad boulevards and squares.
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00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,880
There is still a big difference
304
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between the old and the new city today
305
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but everywhere you feel the warmth of the welcome.
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00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:36,920
In 1918, Tbilisi became the capital of an independent Georgia,
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following the Russian Revolution of the previous year.
308
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But in 1921, the Red Army invaded.
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The Soviet Communist era began and a Georgian would soon rise to the top
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of the party machine.
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Legends surround the young life of the most famous Georgian of all,
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Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union
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with an iron fist for 30 years.
314
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,160
It's said that here in Tbilisi,
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he organised the hold-up of the state bank of the Russian Empire
316
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to raise funds for the Marxist revolution.
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00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:14,600
He is believed to have directed operations from the railway station
318
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from which he was able to steal away like a thief in the night.
319
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:29,440
Stalin was born in 1879 in the town of Gori, north-west of the capital.
320
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To find out more about his youth in Tbilisi,
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00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,320
I'm visiting the site of a once secret printing press
322
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hidden deep in an underground tunnel.
323
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,400
Stalin, it's claimed,
324
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was amongst those who printed revolutionary propaganda here
325
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in the early 20th century.
326
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It's now a privately maintained museum commemorating his life.
327
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,720
- Lasha.
- Hello, my friend. How are you?
328
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:54,800
Very good to see you.
329
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,360
What an extraordinary place!
330
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,520
Dr Lasha Bakradze from Tbilisi University
331
00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:05,920
has met me here to cast some light on Stalin's shadowy young days.
332
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:09,840
Who was Joseph Stalin?
333
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,960
His name was Ioseb Jughashvili.
334
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:16,600
His mother was a wash woman and father was a shoemaker
335
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,120
but the relationship between mother and father was not so good
336
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:23,080
and father left the family very early.
337
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,360
What did the young Stalin intend to be?
338
00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:29,400
Father wanted the son to be a shoemaker like him
339
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,800
but the mother was hoping it will be priest.
340
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,840
- Really?
- It started in Gori, in
341
00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,560
the seminary and afterwards, Orthodox seminary in Tbilisi.
342
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,840
And in this seminary was
343
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,440
many, many young boys like Stalin.
344
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,000
They were fighting against Russian Empire.
345
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:56,360
It was like central education place for revolutionaries.
346
00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:58,040
So Stalin, as we now know him,
347
00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,960
picked up his first revolutionary ideas in a seminary?
348
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,240
Yeah, sure. He was thrown out from this seminary because he took part
349
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,520
in some demonstrations and was reading forbidden literature
350
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,440
from Marx, Engels, and so he became a revolutionary.
351
00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,160
With big political ambitions, in 1912,
352
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,280
he dropped his obviously Georgian surname
353
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:22,720
for the Russian-sounding Stalin,
354
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:24,840
or "man of steel".
355
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,520
You know, in reality, we have mythology about Stalin
356
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,960
and it is the reality is not so easy to find.
357
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,640
For example, from the beginning, he was a chief and leader and so on.
358
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:42,440
It was not true. Many, many alternative facts about Stalin,
359
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,960
official biographies in the Soviet, especially from the young period.
360
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:53,080
We are here sitting in a place which is dedicated to Stalin but we are
361
00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,560
even not sure if Stalin was one time here!
362
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:03,920
How do you think Georgians feel today about Stalin?
363
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:08,160
If you are outside of Georgia, you say you are Georgian,
364
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:12,000
and if somebody knows something about Georgia, it is Stalin.
365
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,000
To be from a country from a mass murderer is not so good.
366
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,160
Georgia has now been an independent nation
367
00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,520
for more than a quarter of a century,
368
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,040
during which time its capital has been transformed.
369
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,120
Tbilisi has warmly embraced architecture
370
00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:35,880
that is bold and modern.
371
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,920
The city has clearly turned a page in its history.
372
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,120
Alongside sleek new structures,
373
00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:51,320
19th-century buildings have been painstakingly restored.
374
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,560
Hello, Peter.
375
00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,360
- I'm Michael.
- Very nice to meet you.
376
00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:57,680
Very nice to see you indeed.
377
00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,320
I've come to the National Library of Georgia.
378
00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,120
This is a glorious lobby, isn't it?
379
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,800
Look at all these wonderful bright colours and the gold
380
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,440
and the marble staircase. It's gorgeous.
381
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,920
Author Peter Nasmyth is introducing me to a literary brother and sister
382
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,760
who touched the hearts of Georgians at the start of the 20th century.
383
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:26,160
So, who where the Wardrops, Oliver and Marjory?
384
00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:32,280
Oliver and Marjory Wardrop were what I describe as two literary diplomats
385
00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:36,040
in that they had a very rich cultural basis to their relationship
386
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,920
- with another country.
- What had first excited their interest in Georgia?
387
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,680
Well, their joint interest was sparked by Oliver,
388
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,240
who first came to Georgia in 1887.
389
00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,720
A Victorian minor aristocrat,
390
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,400
had seen everybody else do the European grand tour,
391
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,760
and decided that he would take it one stage further.
392
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,160
India had been done, Western Europe, Russia had been done,
393
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:01,400
but the Caucususes were undiscovered
394
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:06,560
so Oliver went, saw and wrote a book,
395
00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,000
and he called it The Kingdom Of Georgia,
396
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,760
- The Land Of Women, Wine And Song.
- Ha!
397
00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,240
Sir Oliver Wardrop began to visit Georgia regularly
398
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,800
on behalf of the British Foreign Office.
399
00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:20,240
His sister, Marjory,
400
00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,000
accompanied him and together they shared
401
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,120
a lifelong love of the country.
402
00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,360
So, how do they develop this passion?
403
00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:31,000
Well, they decided first of all to learn the language.
404
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,400
Then they started translating Georgian literature
405
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,400
which had never been translated before
406
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,320
and then they started publishing it.
407
00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,000
I've seen Georgian writing while I have been here
408
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,880
on street signs and so on. I've never seen an alphabet like it.
409
00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,280
Is the Georgian language related to anything else?
410
00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,400
It has its own language group.
411
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,920
The Georgian word for father is mamma
412
00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,280
and the Georgian wood for mother is dada.
413
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,000
OK?
414
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,480
It's a very complex language.
415
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:02,000
It is a very elegant language, too, a very poetic language.
416
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,880
The Wardrops spotted that.
417
00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,200
Oliver started translating more of the tales
418
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,560
but Marjory decided to do the poetry and that is where
419
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,360
she really outshone her brother in many ways.
420
00:28:15,360 --> 00:28:18,840
Marjory made her name as a Georgian language scholar
421
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,720
with her translation of one of the nation's most famous poems,
422
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,640
The Man In The Panther's Skin.
423
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,320
Written by Shota Rustaveli,
424
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,600
Georgia's Shakespeare, in the 12th century,
425
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,280
this is a 1,500-verse epic poem
426
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,880
about courtly love, about friendship.
427
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,400
It's a wonderful artefact, this, isn't it?
428
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,560
This is her original, as it were exercise book,
429
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,640
in which she first attempts the translation?
430
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,280
- Yeah.
- And here are all the crossings out.
431
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:51,880
Unfortunately, she died before this was able to be published
432
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,120
so her brother, Oliver, finished it off
433
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,920
and published it himself in 1912.
434
00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,960
Are the Wardrops remembered in Georgia today?
435
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,480
Very much so. They've built a statue to the Wardrops here.
436
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:08,600
There's streets named after them and in this particular library,
437
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:10,320
there's a room named after them.
438
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:11,840
Georgia is such a small country.
439
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,960
It's so cut off from the world that
440
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:19,840
anybody who takes the trouble to translate the literature
441
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:21,520
is much appreciated.
442
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:34,560
Evening draws in but my day in Tbilisi is far from over.
443
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,600
The famous sort of feast in Georgia is called a supra,
444
00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:43,000
and so that I can experience one, I have been invited to a wedding.
445
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:44,720
Do I know the bride and groom?
446
00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,680
I do not, and it's all extraordinary,
447
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,000
but then they say that Georgian hospitality is unique.
448
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:59,960
Georgian bride Nanuka Zaalishvili has wed Englishman Nathan Moss.
449
00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:01,280
MEN SING IN CLOSE HARMONY
450
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:02,440
Just outside the city,
451
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:07,320
the celebration is in full swing with a traditional toast master,
452
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,440
or tamada, and Georgian folk singers.
453
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,640
Nanuka, excuse me.
454
00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:17,560
May I wish you great happiness?
455
00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:19,440
Nathan, great happiness to you as well.
456
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,760
My name is Michael, and just a few flowers.
457
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,560
Thank you so much for your invitation.
458
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:28,640
- It's our pleasure.
- Please enjoy the meal, culture, music.
459
00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:29,680
SINGING CONTINUES
460
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,400
Hello, you're the tamada.
461
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:49,600
Welcome. Yes, I am.
462
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,960
Thank you so much. What a pleasure to see you.
463
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,440
- The singers.
- What a privilege to meet you all, gentlemen.
464
00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,040
Thank you so much for your singing.
465
00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,080
Beautiful.
466
00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,960
Isn't it a wonderful setting for a wedding?
467
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,200
What we see here is very much a traditional wedding, is it?
468
00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:08,520
This is traditional wedding.
469
00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,040
The only thing which is a little bit untraditional is the bride is
470
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,120
Georgian and the groom is British.
471
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,400
The groom looks the part, though, doesn't he?
472
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,160
Is that national dress he's wearing?
473
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,880
Yeah, so he moved two years ago to this country
474
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,960
and he knows already a lot about Georgian traditions.
475
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,400
Well, it is so lovely to meet you all.
476
00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:27,680
To new friendships!
477
00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,320
SINGING RESUMES
478
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:07,840
Amazing!
479
00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:09,120
Fantastic!
480
00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,600
This morning, following the recommendation of my guidebook,
481
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,040
I'm escaping Tbilisi's busy streets
482
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:36,280
for the tranquillity of Georgia's Caucasus mountains.
483
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:46,280
I'm getting a lift from mountaineer Nick Erkomaishvil.
484
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,360
Fantastic terrain, Nick.
485
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,000
Yeah, beautiful.
486
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,600
You know these mountains pretty well?
487
00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,280
Quite well I would say, yeah.
488
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,000
My parents were mountaineers themselves,
489
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:03,880
so I grew up in the mountains.
490
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:05,720
We Europeans are used to the Alps.
491
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,400
What's the comparison between the Alps and the Caucasus?
492
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,600
Caucasus is much higher than the Alps.
493
00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,840
We have five peaks over 5,000 metres.
494
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:15,880
The mountains are not as developed.
495
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:17,200
I would say, like, Alps,
496
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:21,720
maybe 200 years ago, it is so wild you may walk for days,
497
00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,520
for weeks and no seeing anybody.
498
00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,440
It is proper wild nature.
499
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:31,080
I love any mountains, of course, but the Caucasus is like a paradise.
500
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:40,560
We are travelling along the 120-mile Georgian military road,
501
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,160
which stretches from Tbilisi into southern Russia.
502
00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,920
An ancient bridle track,
503
00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,880
it was first engineered in the early 19th century
504
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:55,080
by the colonising Russian army as it pushed further into Georgia.
505
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,200
- You see the watchtower over there?
- Yes, yes.
506
00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:02,240
So there were lots of watchtowers all along this gorge.
507
00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,000
These are the signal towers,
508
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,800
so they were used as a communication system when
509
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,640
the enemy was coming.
510
00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:10,200
Mainly from the north.
511
00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:14,760
Still today, Georgia coexists uneasily
512
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,680
with its northern neighbour.
513
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,040
The military road skirts the eastern edge
514
00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:23,680
of the disputed Georgian territory of South Ossetia -
515
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,960
occupied since 2008 by Russian forces.
516
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,520
The official international border is marked by
517
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,080
the peaks of the mountains,
518
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,320
including the mighty Mount Kazbek,
519
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,640
highest and most beautiful in the Caucasus' range.
520
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,080
The first recorded accent was by a British mountaineer,
521
00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,480
Douglas Freshfield, in 1868.
522
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:51,800
You know the mountain - Kazbek, how difficult is it?
523
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,000
It's over 5,000 metres, so it's quite tough.
524
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,200
You need to wear crampons, you need an ice axe, you need two belays.
525
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,640
Especially at those times,
526
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:04,400
they were like real heroes to climb with all this heavy gear.
527
00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:08,160
Did Freshfields' ascent make the Caucasus popular with European?
528
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,680
Yes, there were some other peaks climbed by Freshfield and his team,
529
00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,320
and he even wrote a very interesting guidebook -
530
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:17,200
The Exploration of the Caucasus.
531
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:28,160
I can't leave the Caucasus without attempting a glimpse
532
00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,560
of this towering peak.
533
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,240
I've forced myself to remember that these mountains,
534
00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,920
which we so effortlessly glide above,
535
00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:57,480
were once the most enormous challenge for mountaineers.
536
00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:02,000
And, by the way, the resting place for thousands of invading soldiers
537
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,080
over the centuries.
538
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:13,000
Tell me about the top of the mountain, Nick.
539
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,840
It's covered by the ice and snow year round,
540
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,680
and it's one of the beautiful mountains in this valley
541
00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:22,600
and in the whole Caucasus.
542
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,440
How does it feel to be on that glacier?
543
00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:31,400
When it is good weather, it's amazing to be there.
544
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,960
Sometimes it's scary, when it is stormy, but in general,
545
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:38,440
you can feel the spirit of freedom up in the mountains.
546
00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:53,360
Peeking through the clouds now, 5,047 metres up,
547
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,760
we skim the top.
548
00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:27,560
The awesome Caucasus Mountains have witnessed imperviously the rise,
549
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:32,040
and fall of empires from the Ottomans to the Soviets.
550
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,800
Indeed, in Georgia's mountains, and medieval monasteries,
551
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,800
its traditional singing and epic verse,
552
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,040
I've found a remarkable continuity
553
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:44,440
that belies the country's turbulent past.
554
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:51,760
And before I leave it, I must sample one more ancient national tradition.
555
00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:57,920
Georgians had discovered winemaking long before they found Christ.
556
00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:00,960
When they adopted Christianity in the fourth century,
557
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:05,640
they planted vines in the form of a cross to demonstrate their fervour.
558
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,640
It seems that the grape and faith are the fundamentals
559
00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,880
of the Georgian identity.
560
00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:22,080
With Oliver Wardrop's writings on women, wine and song in mind,
561
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,400
I've come to Kakheti to find out more about
562
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,040
Georgian viticulture culture.
563
00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,800
- Hi, I'm Michael.
- You're welcome.
564
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:31,640
Thank you very much. Great to see you.
565
00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:34,280
- Nice to meet you.
- And what a lovely place this is.
566
00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,560
I understand that wine is really deep in the Georgian culture.
567
00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:41,880
- Is that right?
- Yeah, it's true.
568
00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:43,800
You can find the wine everywhere,
569
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,080
in our books, in our paintings.
570
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,280
Part of the religion and everything.
571
00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:50,800
It's very important, yeah.
572
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,280
How long has your family been making wine?
573
00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:55,240
I know that my great-grandfather
574
00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:58,760
was one of the big winemakers in West Georgia.
575
00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,520
He was producing and selling the wine.
576
00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,880
Then the communists came and everything is destroyed.
577
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,960
Then the life changed, we moved to the capital and five, six years ago,
578
00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,960
I tried to rebuild all of this.
579
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:19,280
..is passionate about preserving the ancient Georgian method
580
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,720
using the earthenware amphora sunk into the ground.
581
00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,240
A-ha.
582
00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:30,080
So under here are the amphorae, is that right?
583
00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:34,400
This is the Georgian amphorae, we call it qvevri.
584
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,080
We put under the ground, because it gives you the possibility
585
00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:42,440
to have a constant temperature in the winemaking process.
586
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:47,240
This is a natural wine and we don't do anything.
587
00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:49,640
We don't add anything.
588
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,320
Where does your wine go to?
589
00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,160
Is it drunk by Georgians or does some of it go abroad?
590
00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:56,040
Everywhere, nine countries.
591
00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:59,600
Australia, Japan, Europe, United States, everywhere.
592
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,680
One of the most popular varieties is the traditional Georgian amber wine,
593
00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:09,960
made using the grape skins and stems to create a deep colour.
594
00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,160
I love the wine racks. They're absolutely beautiful.
595
00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,640
- What are we going to try?
- We will try now 2015 vintage.
596
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,800
Why have you picked up two?
597
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,240
One will be not enough for us.
598
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:22,160
One for you, one for me.
599
00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,320
Always when you're tasting the wine,
600
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:31,400
there must be fresh cheese and Georgian bread on the table.
601
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:36,440
I mean, this is an immense surprise to me.
602
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,680
It really is amber.
603
00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:40,560
14.7 alcohol.
604
00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,160
And a little cheese, you think?
605
00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:53,040
Hmm. Wow. It's quite different from anything I've ever drunk before,
606
00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:57,560
- I think.
- Yeah.
- It has a dryness, a little bit of sour afterwards.
607
00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,200
- It's lovely.
- Yeah.
608
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,640
And in your history, what role has wine played?
609
00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:03,760
In history, it was very important.
610
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:08,160
When the Muslims were coming for the war to the European countries,
611
00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:11,800
the vineyard was very important for the Georgian man.
612
00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:16,800
Georgian religion, Christianity, gives us the possibility to have
613
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:20,520
this product in our family and in our culture,
614
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:21,960
but Muslims, no.
615
00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:26,360
And when the Muslims were destroyed, then the vineyards first,
616
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:31,800
then the Georgian mentality and the mentality was to first restore,
617
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:34,160
to rebuild the vineyard.
618
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:38,600
So you really think there's a link between wine, national sentiment,
619
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,680
national revival and national religion?
620
00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:44,200
Yeah, of course. Of course.
621
00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:48,600
You're drinking now my family's heart and my family's energy
622
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,760
- inside the glass.
- What a lovely thing to say.
623
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:06,480
My time in Georgia is drawing to a close and a new adventure begins.
624
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:07,880
Back in the capital,
625
00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:11,680
I'm boarding the overnight service to neighbouring Azerbaijan.
626
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:18,880
Ah, very comfortable.
627
00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:22,680
Now, if there's one thing more exciting than a sleeper train,
628
00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,000
it's an international sleeper train.
629
00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:28,560
This will come in handy.
630
00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:30,720
WHISTLE BLOWS
631
00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:54,840
Goodbye, hospitable Georgia,
632
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:56,800
I think I'm going to miss you.
633
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:13,720
Ah!
634
00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:15,640
- Cox sag ol.
- Sag ol.
635
00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:18,720
- HE LAUGHS
- Nus olsun.
636
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,360
Cox sag ol - Azeri for "thank you."
637
00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:45,640
From Tbilisi, I will travel 360 miles across the border
638
00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:50,520
into the Republic of Azerbaijan in eastern Transcaucasia.
639
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:54,120
My final destination is the capital, Baku,
640
00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:58,560
centre of the country's oil industry on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
641
00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,480
Well, it took more than two hours
642
00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:06,400
to clear both sides of the Georgia/Azerbaijan border
643
00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,160
and, sadly, the border guards,
644
00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:11,560
with their epaulettes and broad-rimmed military style hats,
645
00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:16,360
were rather camera shy, but they did leave me a souvenir -
646
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:19,240
exit and entry stamps.
647
00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:23,040
And both are marked with choo-choos.
648
00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:24,480
So cute!
649
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:43,360
What a difference a night makes.
650
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,040
I'm about 600km from Tbilisi now,
651
00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,160
and gone are the green slopes and the snowy peaks
652
00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,440
and now there's a scrubby desert,
653
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:55,480
and lunar mountains and a pipeline running parallel with the track
654
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:59,960
in this oil corridor. At the time of my Bradshaw's Guide,
655
00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:03,840
half the world's oil came from the Caucasus.
656
00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:08,080
Most of it from Baku, which already had 1,900 oil wells
657
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,440
producing 12 million tonnes.
658
00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:13,800
This was the supplier to the world of a substance
659
00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:17,480
to which the world was becoming addicted.
660
00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:19,240
My compartment has radio music.
661
00:45:19,240 --> 00:45:21,920
Let's see what's playing in Azerbaijan this morning.
662
00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:24,560
MUSIC PLAYS
663
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:27,960
Confirmation that we've moved well to the East.
664
00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:33,440
This is known as the land of fire.
665
00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:37,560
It's blessed with oil and natural gas, which seep from the ground,
666
00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:42,520
igniting hillsides, which inspired worshippers to build fire temples.
667
00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:53,480
Around 14 hours after leaving Tbilisi, I've arrived in Baku.
668
00:45:55,280 --> 00:46:00,200
After so many miles of dry scrub, the last thing I expected was rain.
669
00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:05,840
HORN BLARES
670
00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,640
Polished marble abounds, like an air terminal.
671
00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:40,920
Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
672
00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:45,920
Baku is home to two million people,
673
00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:49,720
and my first impressions are of modernity and money.
674
00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:59,000
These sweeping swirls of whipped cream represent the finest work
675
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:04,000
of the late Iraqi-born British architect, Zaha Hadid.
676
00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,960
The clearing of the homes that used to stand here
677
00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:10,360
mired the project in human rights controversy,
678
00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:14,000
but the finished building sends an unmistakable message -
679
00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:18,360
Baku is wealthy, international and innovative.
680
00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:26,320
The past has been carefully preserved, too.
681
00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:34,560
The old walled quarter dates back around 1,000 years,
682
00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:36,520
and great efforts have been made
683
00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:39,160
to restore important historic buildings.
684
00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:44,480
My Bradshaw's mentions the mosques of Baku
685
00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:48,480
and the majority of the population is Shiite Muslim,
686
00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:52,000
although the state is assertively secular.
687
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:56,240
This, the Bibi-Heybat Mosque, was the most outstanding -
688
00:47:56,240 --> 00:48:00,600
dating from the 13th century, but blown up by the Soviets.
689
00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:04,320
Explosion after explosion bringing down the minarets.
690
00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:06,960
And rebuilt in the 1990s.
691
00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:14,720
The three domes of the old mosque have been restored,
692
00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:17,480
each featuring inscriptions from the Koran.
693
00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:24,760
It's once more the spiritual centre for Muslims of the region
694
00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:27,120
and one of the most important examples
695
00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:29,880
of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan.
696
00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:39,600
Well, I have never seen anything like this,
697
00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:43,120
and that beauty is created by the intensity
698
00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:45,640
and uniformity of this colour,
699
00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:50,360
this green turquoise made of reflective tiles.
700
00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:55,960
And here, the tomb of a descendant of the Prophet,
701
00:48:55,960 --> 00:49:00,840
which they were able to rescue before the Soviets did their work.
702
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:04,280
If the Russians thought they could repress religion...
703
00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:07,960
..this building tells them they were wrong.
704
00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,120
Like Georgia, at the time of my Bradshaw's,
705
00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:20,720
the territory now known as Azerbaijan
706
00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:23,360
was part of the Russian Empire.
707
00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:26,480
In preceding centuries, Persians, Ottomans,
708
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:29,480
and Mongols vied for control.
709
00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:33,640
Since independence, the Republic of Azerbaijan has fought hard
710
00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:37,800
to establish a distinct national identity -
711
00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:41,280
including laying claim to a thrilling traditional sport
712
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:44,960
first played by nomadic tribes hundreds of years ago.
713
00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:46,720
THEY SHOUT IN OWN LANGUAGE
714
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:54,400
- Salam eleykum! ALL:
- Salam!
715
00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:57,560
What a beautiful sight! What wonderful horses.
716
00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:01,280
- Hello.
- Hello, welcome to Azerbaijan.
717
00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:03,800
So I've brought some national costumes for you today,
718
00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,680
because we are going to watch some chovgan games today.
719
00:50:07,680 --> 00:50:09,520
Very good, thank you.
720
00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:17,480
This ancient sport, a forerunner of polo, is played on Karabakh horses.
721
00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:20,680
First bred on the mountain steppe of the Southern Caucasus,
722
00:50:20,680 --> 00:50:25,800
these magnificent beasts are now a national symbol of Azerbaijan.
723
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:31,400
Equestrian expert Bahruz Nabiyev has invited me to judge today's game.
724
00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:35,080
If there is a goal, you wave it here and if it's not a goal,
725
00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,400
then you wave it underneath.
726
00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:39,200
OK.
727
00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:43,040
Here comes the ball, here comes the ball.
728
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:44,920
Oh! THEY CHEER
729
00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:48,640
I see now how modern Baku is, I see how modern Azerbaijan has changed,
730
00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:51,280
is the sport surviving from generation to generation?
731
00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:53,080
- Of course.
- Oh!
732
00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:54,640
THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD
733
00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:57,120
That's the goal, that's the goal.
734
00:50:57,120 --> 00:50:58,680
Good goal.
735
00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:01,320
A lot of people coming to watch these championships,
736
00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:05,560
and we can feel that people still have this love for horses.
737
00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:10,960
In 2013, UNESCO also approved the chovgan game
738
00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:13,480
as the national horseback game of Azerbaijan.
739
00:51:14,680 --> 00:51:16,320
Need to keep my wits about me now.
740
00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:19,520
Close to the posts now.
741
00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:24,960
THEY CHEER Whoa!
742
00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:33,280
Game over, the riders put on a show of spectacular horsemanship.
743
00:51:41,200 --> 00:51:42,960
Here she comes.
744
00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:48,320
Absolutely thrilling. Their athleticism!
745
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:50,080
So impressive.
746
00:51:51,040 --> 00:51:52,400
Brava!
747
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:55,960
They are superb.
748
00:52:02,400 --> 00:52:06,440
A human pyramid on horseback, an enormous Azerbaijan flag,
749
00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:08,080
of course they're proud.
750
00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:22,120
Today, Azerbaijan's national self-confidence owes a lot
751
00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:26,960
to the oil industry, which accounts for nearly 90% of all exports.
752
00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:31,040
This astonishing story was already unfolding
753
00:52:31,040 --> 00:52:33,960
at the time of my Bradshaw's Guide.
754
00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:37,840
"Baku," says Bradshaw's, "is an important commercial town
755
00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:42,880
"on the west side of the Caspian Sea, having a great trade in naptha.
756
00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:46,400
"It's forced through a pipe nearly 500 miles long
757
00:52:46,400 --> 00:52:48,880
"to Batumi on the Black Sea.
758
00:52:48,880 --> 00:52:52,840
"All round Baku, the odour of naphtha is noticeable."
759
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,240
Since independence, the Azerbaijani government
760
00:52:58,240 --> 00:53:01,600
has struck deals with international oil companies
761
00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:05,720
to exploit deposits of oil and gas discovered offshore.
762
00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:11,520
Just south of the city is BP's vast Sangachal Terminal.
763
00:53:11,520 --> 00:53:15,200
1.2 million barrels of oil and vast amounts of gas
764
00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:18,880
are processed here each day, flowing into the plant
765
00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:21,800
through pipelines laid beneath the Caspian Sea.
766
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:32,440
The view of the terminal from up here is absolutely extraordinary.
767
00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:33,920
It is immense.
768
00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:37,600
There is a cat's cradle of pipelines and then the plant,
769
00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:40,760
there are gas flares and of course these storage tanks.
770
00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:44,720
This one can hold 100,000 tonnes of crude.
771
00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:55,960
I'm surveying the story of Azerbaijani oil
772
00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,080
with BP's Orkhan Guliyev.
773
00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:03,160
Orkhan, from here we have the most amazing vista.
774
00:54:03,160 --> 00:54:06,200
For a start, the setting is beautiful with these mountains,
775
00:54:06,200 --> 00:54:09,320
but then the terminal is absolutely vast.
776
00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:10,840
How does this compare with others?
777
00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:12,960
This is the biggest terminal in the world.
778
00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:17,480
The whole purpose of the terminal is to stabilise crude and stabilise gas
779
00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:20,800
before it's ready to export to the European market.
780
00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:24,720
How did the modern, large-scale oil industry get going in Baku?
781
00:54:24,720 --> 00:54:27,440
Initially, it was just man-dug wells,
782
00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:29,680
and people had been collecting slowly.
783
00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:33,600
The first really properly drilled well goes back to 1846.
784
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:37,320
That was one of the first wells drilled into 21 metres depth.
785
00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:39,040
From that time onwards,
786
00:54:39,040 --> 00:54:42,040
we've got some Western entrepreneurs coming to Baku.
787
00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:49,520
The first were the Nobels, the family behind the prestigious award.
788
00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:52,240
Robert Nobel, the eldest of three brothers,
789
00:54:52,240 --> 00:54:55,040
was born in Stockholm in 1829
790
00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:58,160
and moved with his family to St Petersburg.
791
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:00,320
He was working with his brother, Ludwig,
792
00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:04,720
at his gun making factory when he visited Baku in 1873.
793
00:55:06,240 --> 00:55:10,920
They came here in pursuit of fine walnut timber, for rifles, actually.
794
00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:13,320
Got in the middle of the oil refinery here,
795
00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:15,840
they found a fantastic opportunity for investment,
796
00:55:15,840 --> 00:55:17,360
so he bought the kerosene plant,
797
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:19,640
and then Robert convinced his brother, Ludwig,
798
00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:22,360
to come and join him.
799
00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:25,200
The brothers set up the Branobel Company,
800
00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:28,640
which soon dominated Baku's oil industry.
801
00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:32,800
They pioneered oil engineering practises and drilling extraction,
802
00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:34,680
transportation and storage of oil.
803
00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:39,640
The first rail link was built between Baku and Batumi in 1883,
804
00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:41,320
moving oil to the Black Sea,
805
00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:44,040
and then it was shipped to the Western markets.
806
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:47,200
But that wasn't good enough, so the smart people at that time
807
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:52,280
decided to build a new pipeline at the very end of the 19th century.
808
00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:55,400
It was about 900km long.
809
00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:57,960
At that time, it was really an engineering genius.
810
00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:04,400
The pioneering Branobel Pipeline remained in use
811
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:07,360
until the Second World War, when it was dismantled.
812
00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:12,120
But, in 2006, a new pipeline opened,
813
00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:15,920
which now carries Baku oil all the way to Turkey.
814
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:20,400
Hello, I'm Michael.
815
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:22,960
- Hello.
- Good to see you.
- Nice to meet you.
816
00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:25,400
So take me through that map.
817
00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:27,880
Yeah, OK, we're here in Baku.
818
00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:29,680
Pump station one.
819
00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:34,240
Sangachal Terminal. You can see Tbilisi and Ceyhan
820
00:56:34,240 --> 00:56:35,800
is at this point.
821
00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:37,520
From Ceyhan, this is where the tankers
822
00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:40,320
could come into southern Turkey and then take away the crude?
823
00:56:40,320 --> 00:56:42,000
Yes, exactly.
824
00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:45,920
My journey started in Batumi, which would be about here, I think,
825
00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:48,520
- just north of the Turkish border.
- Correct.
826
00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:51,360
This is extraordinary. What length of pipeline is that?
827
00:56:51,360 --> 00:56:54,920
The full length of pipeline is 1,800 kilometres.
828
00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:59,400
It goes up and down to 3,000 metres above sea.
829
00:56:59,400 --> 00:57:03,040
So it goes into mountains, it crosses hundreds of rivers.
830
00:57:03,040 --> 00:57:05,880
This would make the Nobels gasp, wouldn't it?
831
00:57:05,880 --> 00:57:08,240
Absolutely. That would make them proud,
832
00:57:08,240 --> 00:57:10,200
and also envy what has been achieved.
833
00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:12,720
This is a new page in Azerbaijan's history.
834
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:41,920
At the time of my Bradshaw's,
835
00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:46,000
Georgia and Azerbaijan were already linked by a railway
836
00:57:46,000 --> 00:57:48,960
and, subsequently, were lashed together
837
00:57:48,960 --> 00:57:50,880
within the Soviet Union.
838
00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:53,840
Its collapse gave both countries independence
839
00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:56,560
and a series of political challenges.
840
00:57:56,560 --> 00:57:59,120
Today, though still wary of Russia,
841
00:57:59,120 --> 00:58:01,960
their hopes point in other directions.
842
00:58:01,960 --> 00:58:05,800
Strongly Christian Georgia looks towards the European Union,
843
00:58:05,800 --> 00:58:11,320
whilst Muslim but secular Azerbaijan aspires to bridge East and West,
844
00:58:11,320 --> 00:58:16,320
and Baku resembles a Dubai on the Caspian Sea.
845
00:58:16,320 --> 00:58:20,360
I wish them both well and thank them for their hospitality.
70695
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