GEORGIA

Archaeologists in Dmanisi, Georgia have found stone tools made by the earliest inhabitants of Eurasia, dating back 1.8 million years. Dmanisi Municipality City Hall said the archaeological works had been carried out with the active involvement and support of the City Hall.

The first archeological excavations in the territory of Orozman were carried out in 2021, during which stone tools made by the ancient inhabitants of Eurasia (Homo erectus) and the remains of extinct animals were discovered.

During the 2022 archaeological campaign, the Orozman International Archaeological Expedition recovered a tooth, the fourth premolar, belonging to an early human species, from rock layers dated to 1.8 million. The scientists say the find cements the region as home to one of the earliest prehistoric archaic human settlements in Europe, possibly anywhere outside of Africa.

Georgian scientist Vladimer Papitashvili is the Program Director of Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences at the US National Science Foundation. Georgian scientist is responsible for ongoing geospace surveys or astrophysics programs at the South and North Poles of the Earth.
After completing his master’s degree in geophysics, Vladimer Papitashvili continued his studies in Yakutsk, Siberia, where he studied permafrost electrical properties. In 1975 he joined Moscow Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, where the Georgian scientist realized that he wanted to visit Antarctica.
Vladimer Papitashvili visited the continent for the first time in 1983, where he spent five days at Russian stations. In Antarctica, the valley located on Victoria Land Trans-Antarctic Mountains was named after Mr. Vladimer.
Vladimer Papitashvili says he has visited the Arctic and Antarctica about 30 times. In 1991, his American colleagues invited him to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for a year, however, after the collapse of the Soviet Union he could not return back and moved to the University of Michigan to work. During his time at NSF, Vladimer became the Director of the Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences program, where he has been working since 2002.
According to the Georgian scientist, they currently have geospatial instruments at the South Pole, using which they observe the atmosphere, seismic processes, snow and ice. The pandemic has impacted the scientists’ work, in particular, in the past, they used to visit Antarctica almost every year, but this year they had to cancel almost the whole summer season.

What happens if we make a decision to do our favorite business outside the homeland, what difficulties appear and what are the key details that must be taken into account – looking properly into these issues determines the success of a manufacturer.
Marie Dua is developing the brand KeliStones. Initially, she started this business in Georgia. However, one thing led to another, and the result is that she is now creating her collections in Los Angeles.
“Doctrina.ge” has interviewed Marie Dua about her experience.

Would you tell us in detail about your whereabouts and your work?

Currently, I am in Los Angeles, California. I work on KeliStones brand, creating different collections and sending most of them to Georgia. My items are exhibited in several stores in Los Angeles. I have close contacts with local artists and artisans and plan to collaborate with them on various interesting projects in the future.

What were the key difficulties you, as an emigrant, faced when taking your first steps?

When I came to Los Angeles, it was quite difficult for me to adapt to it. Everything was different – food, environment, people, air. It took me a year to adapt to these changes. Even today, there are things that still amaze me.

Why did you decide to have your own business in a foreign country?

I started my work in Georgia. I was 18 when I created the Kelistones blog and started writing about stones. Since then, the demand for stones and jewelry increased and, step by step, I started creating jewelry. Years later, when I was given the chance, I decided to expand the business abroad.

What would you advise those people who want to have their own business outside Georgia and make efforts to do it?

First of all, I would advise them to choose a job that they love and like to work on. If we don’t enjoy our work, just making efforts won’t get us very far. The most successful businessman is the one who loves his work. Moreover, quality and customer relations are appreciated in any country.

Translation: Tamar Tabatadze

The Hall of Young Scientists & Analysts – “Doctrina”

Georgian-born Judoka Luka Mkheidze won the Bronze Medal  in 60kg judo to give France its first medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. A bronze medal went to Luka after he defeated a South Korean rival.
“Olympic Games create magnificent human stories. Georgian-born Luka Mkheidze, who became a citizen of France in 2015, won the first medal for France in Tokyo. The country, which he chose, is proud of him,” President of France, Emmanuel Macron tweeted reacting to Luka Mkheidze’s victory. Apart from the mentioned success, the local media outlets report about the difficulties that Mkheidze faced after fleeing Georgia with his parents shortly after the 2008 war and went to France, where he received the status of a political refugee and then obtained the French citizenship. It took years.
"What made me want to fight, not to give up, is my career, my family. They're the
ones I'm fighting for as well, and for me too, of course," – Luka Mkheidze was
quoted by France Info as saying.
Luka Mkheidze was born in Tbilisi in 1996 and he had a long way to go before he got the French citizenship in 2015 and found his place in the French judo. Luka got interested in judo at a young age, and although his father inspired him in this regard, the judoka emphasizes that he got involved in sports on his own will. According to the French newspaper "20 Minutes", he arrived at one of the local clubs in Georgia at the age of 5, but the coaches did not accept him due to his height.
For the next two years, Luke pursued other sports – swimming and basketball – and at the age of 7 he put on a kimono and achieved success when he was still very young. However, after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, at the age of 12, Luka Mkheidze had to leave his homeland with his parents. Luke and his family traveled to Poland, where they spent 8 months. After the local government rejected their application, Luka, at the age of 14, arrived in France with
his parents and received the status of a political refugee. For 1 year, the Mkheidzes lived in a hotel in one of the suburbs of Paris. The newspaper "20 Minutes" notes that one of the turning points in his career, as a
judoka, was the family's decision to move from Paris to Normandy, to the city of Le Havre. Luka remembers that his club asked the mayor of the city, Edward Philip, to help him achieve his goal and grant him citizenship.
"Usually, this [procedure] takes a long time, but a few months later I received a letter from Edward Philip that I would soon receive citizenship. Soon, it was confirmed by the official letter," Luka told Le Parisien.
After that, Luka returned to Paris and more and more successfully continued his avorite activity.
According to French media reports, Luka was very lucky when the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to a pandemic crisis. Otherwise he could not join the French delegation as another athlete had been nominated in the relevant category.
Mkheidze was picked to compete at an Olympics, in April of the current year, after winning a silver medal at the European Championship. "I arrived here when I was very young. It has not been easy to adapt to a different culture, to learn a very complex language, but I think I am well integrated and I feel great here," Luka told French media.

Translation: Tamar Tabatadze

The Hall of Young Scientists & Analysts – “Doctrina”

Culinary is not just about cooking. It is a real art and every detail must be strictly selected. A good chef must select details while cooking like an artist chooses colors for a painting. In order to cook tasty dishes, surprise everyone, we need to strictly follow the rules.
Doctrina.ge has interviewed amateur chef, Ketevan Cherkezishvili about her hobby.
At what age did you learn to cook?
I have been cooking since childhood. I got my love for cooking from my mother and grandmothers, who all were the best cooks. Guests often visited us and we hosted them. My mother cooked tasty food and even now, my sister and I always use her recipes notebooks for cooking.
Is Culinary just a hobby for you? What are your plans for the future?

Yes, cooking is just my hobby. I have no plans in this regard. The pandemic started and therefore I find time to cook at home. I had some plans in the past and several famous chefs helped me and they give me competent advises even now. I am a dentist by profession and currently, I am focused on it.
As we know you are a finalist in a culinary competition, how important are such competitions for a cook?
Yes I was among the 9000 participants in the North American International Competition and appeared among the top five , then I dropped out. I can not say that it is very important, or that it has made a significant influence, but it is somehow good, it wakes you up.

As we know you live in the US, how often do you prepare Georgian dishes and which is your friends’ favorite one?

Yes, I live in America with my husband. Here I studied at the Medical Academy in New York. At the same time, I was working in one of the food facilities. Like all American students living here, with such a busy schedule. In accordance with the FDA regulations here, I had to have a diploma-license from the Food Safety Administration. My friends like all Georgian dishes prepared by me. I would choose Kakhetian Mtsvadi and Chakafuli.

Do you plan to open a “corner” of Georgian cuisine in the US? What are your plans for the future?

No, I do not have any plans in this regard; I have completely switched to my profession, now I make plans only based on it. My father and husband help me in doing it.

Translation: Tamar Tabatadze

The Hall of Young Scientists & Analysts – “Doctrina”

The study of the sample discovered in the Satsurblia Cave, Tskaltubo Municipality of western Georgia has revealed the genomes of humans, wolves and bisons living 25 000 years ago.

Material precipitated on the bottom of the cave for millennia has preserved the ancient human genome, or genetic material stored in the body cell. The research continues in an active manner, but the analysis revealed traces of a woman who lived 25 000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period. Although we do not know much about her, this woman is an important scientific achievement.

The study is led by a researcher and archaeologist from the University of Vienna, and although only a small fragment of the female genome has been recovered, researchers could identify that she was a member of the previously unknown group of modern humans. This human group is currently extinct but has contributed to the development of the present-day Europeans and Asians; This fact became known after her genome was compared to the genomes of modern humans.

“Our findings provide new insights into the genetic history of three species of the late Pleistocene and show that direct sequencing of DNA in sediments, without targeted enrichment, can give us genome-scale data on ancestry and phylogenetic relationships,” the researchers write.

It is noteworthy that in addition to human, wolf and bison genomes, stone tools were also found in the Satsurblia cave, which are more durable than bone and are a source of additional information. We can assume that the cave had been actively used by humans for a long time.

As for the wolf genome, it turned out that the wolf species changed completely during the Last Glacial Period, about 11,000 years ago. The bison genome found here has revealed that it matches the genes of bison currently living in Europe and Asia, but not in America. It turns out that this genome has divided into two branches.

Translation: Tamar Tabatadze

The Hall of Young Scientists & Analysts – “Doctrina”

We would like to introduce you to Georgian emigrant, Luka Dvali, who has been living in the United States since 2016 and is already a successful licensed real estate agent.

How long have you been working in the US and what was your initial purpose?

I have been in the US since September 2016 and I knew from the very first day of arrival that I should definitely study here. Studying was the top reason why I came here.

As we know you are a licensed real estate agent in New York. What sparked your interest in this profession?

I achieved my goal and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in a year,  but later I realized that I wanted to try myself in more interesting field. A profession that would show me a lifestyle and connect me with more people. At the same time, I realized that office work and daily routines were not close to me. I started looking for something new and when I got acquainted with this profession I liked it because I love to communicate with people, meet new people. I underwent the courses, got a license in a few months, and  soon after getting the license I started working for one of the most successful companies in Manhattan.

Is this job in high demand in the US? Is the process of obtaining a license difficult and is it easy to  find a job?

This profession is really in a high demand in the US. Obtaining a license is possible through passing the exam, which, to my mind, is not difficult, you undergo appropriate courses, pass exams and in a few months it is already possible to become a licensed agent. The process is not really difficult and it is easy to find a job.

The biggest challange begins afterwards as you have to use everything to be the best and compete with others. New York can easily help you in finding a job, but the hardest part is the work process. You have to put all your energy into getting the best results.

What are the qualities a real estate agent should have in order to be successful and competitive in this field?

I think the main thing in all professions is diligence and purposefulness, but in addition to that I would add originality, communicability. You have to be different to offer a high level of service to the customers, you should make people like you in order to build relationships with them. All this helps you to become competitive and successful.

Did you face any difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic?

The time of the pandemic was really a static period. For some time the city was almost empty, many people left New York and moved to a relatively safe place to live. Accordingly, selling, buying or renting properties stopped. The last six months have been relatively active and we are getting back to normal.

Finally, what are your future plans and do you plan to return back to Georgia?

I do not like to talk about my future plans in advance, but I have large-scale plans. I want to be one of the most successful in this field and make changes. I plan returning back to Georgia, not forever at this time, but I will definitely return.

Translation: Tamar Tabatadze

The Hall of Young Scientists & Analysts – “Doctrina”