Georgia is situated in the Caucasus region of West Asia, an important strategic spot on the Silk Road where exchanges among various ethnic groups happen since prehistoric times. It is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north and east by Russia, to the southeast by Azerbaijan, and to the south by Armenia and Turkey. It is a wine-producing country and is also well-known as the birthplace of wine.
The artist from Gloucester, UK, Mr. Bruce Allan (who carried out the Kaki Tree Project on the 15th of March 2002 in Gloucester, UK) and Novvy introduced the project to Chiko in Georgia, and that was how the project was expanded to Georgia. Chiko and Marina Khatiashvili applied for the project.
The planting site is located on a small hill, 600 meters above sea level, and is very close to the Children’s Center, a facility for orphans. Everyone was waiting for “the seedling from the bombed persimmon tree” from Japan and the photos taken at the airport when they had received the seedling were immediately sent to us via email.
The children at the center, who lost their parents when they were very young and had hard days, worked hard to make the ceremony wonderful. The children rode on a cart that was drawn by a thin horse and they also put dozens of seedlings including the seedling arrived from Japan as well as a brown goat whose big eyes were staring at the children and a couple of big husky dogs on the cart. Then they marched down a few miles singing together from the Botanical Garden to the planting site, Mtskheta, which is located outside of Tbilisi. A friend who was carrying a small donkey also joined them on the way. The children who were the brass band members tried very hard to play the used tubas and trombones with their tiny bodies. The event was innocent and full of energy being surrounded by the blue sky with a hint of a milk color, the gray mountains and Jvari Church that sits on the hill. (A partial excerpt of the report by Anthea, the person in charge on site)
At the tree planting ceremony, Mr. Mamuka Japharidze (an artist who exhibited at the Georgian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 1999), who was the local person in charge of the Kaki Tree Project, conducted the workshop for children.
