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Balda Canyon is 20 minutes away from Martvili. It is surrounded by villages – first, second, and third Balda. The livelihood of all three villages, and the life, welfare, and development of the indigenous population, are directly contingent upon the Balda Canyon. The canyon has a status of a natural monument, precisely because this kilometer-and-a-half section of the Abasha River Valley is rich in rare and unique natural formations, which remained untouched until now.

The locals found out that the government had leased the natural monument to a private company three months ago when the youth were swimming in the river of the canyon on hot days of July and were kicked out of there.

Tazo Rukhaia, a Balda Village resident: ‘’One day, we suddenly discovered that this area, which we used for all our lives, had been sold for forty years.’’

Tsotne Tvaradze, a Balda Village resident: ‘’The village knew nothing of this. The only rumor going around was that some landscaping would be done, which to us meant that they would probably carve a descend path or something, something subtle and with minimal intervention. Until now, there was no pathway to the canyon, we had to cut through a private plot.’’

Illegal Auction

The Agency of Protected Areas put the Balda Canyon along with 24,130 square meters of adjacent land up for an electronic auction on November 5, 2022, for the purpose of organizing tourist infrastructure. The winner of the auction would have to arrange a visitor’s center, and install at least a 350-meter-long suspended footbridge, overlooks, and a 350-meter-long so-called roller coaster attraction. A total of 2,800,000 GEL should be invested. The contract does not restrict the lessee from organizing additional infrastructure on the transferred territory. Also, the lessee can make autonomous changes to the project without considering the opinion of locals.

According to Article 29 of the Constitution of Georgia,

- Everyone has the right to enjoy the natural environment and public space.

- Everyone has the right to receive timely information about the state of the environment.

- Everyone has the right to take care of the environment.

- The right to participate in decisions related to environmental issues is guaranteed by law.

Along with the Constitution, the Aarhus Convention directly obliges state bodies to inform and encourage people's participation at the initial stage of the environmental decision-making process.

The Agency of Protected Areas blatantly disregarded the obligation to inform the public, especially the local population, at all stages of decision-making. The process was completely closed. Zaza Gagua, Director of Martvili and Okatse Natural Monuments Administration, now says that the auction was announced publicly and anyone could view the announcement, but this ‘’argument’’ does not hold up as proof of public openness. The government transferred 104,712 hectares of forests in Racha and Kvemo Svaneti to David Khidasheli, a partner of Putin’s next-door oligarch, for 49 years, with exactly the same method. The announcement about the auction was also published on the website of the National Agency of State Property, but no one knew anything about this disturbing story until Mountain Stories started a dispute and obtained and publicized documents.

Salome Shubladze, a representative of the Social Justice Center, explains that the activities planned for the Balda Canyon are incompatible with the functional purpose of the natural monument:

‘‘Concession of natural monuments can only occur for ecotourism and recreational purposes. There is a ‘‘rule of temporary regulation of the functioning of the Samegrelo natural monuments complex’’ in place, which defines a list of allowed activities in, among others, the territory of Balda Canyon. This list is quite short and does not include the establishment of a large visitors’ center or a roller coaster.’’

The arrangement of the visitors’ center means that for the next 40 years, locals will not be able to enter the territory of Balda Canyon for free, and will have to pay money to the private company.

Russian roots of Canyon 350

The only company that took part in the auction – Canyon 350 LLC, was hastily registered 3 days after the announcement of the auction, on November 8, and became the winner already on November 15.

A 50% share of the company belongs to Giorgi and Mamuka Merkviladzes. Giorgi Merkviladze also co-owns the company Zipin Kinchkha with a dual citizen of Russia and Georgia, Irena Kharazova.

But the web of Russian connections of the company that clenched Balda Canyon stretches much wider.

Mamuka Merkviladze, the owner of 35% of the company's shares, is the vice president of the Georgian diaspora in Russia. In 2021, he took part in a meeting held in Moscow, where the renewal of air travel between Georgia and Russia and issues of visa-free policy between the two countries were discussed.

He was also the director of GR Logistics & Terminals, a subsidiary of Georgian Railways, which handed 800 carriages to the Russian company under a contract, without an auction.

The same Mamuka Merkviladze, a dual citizen of Georgia and Russia, is a business partner of Fridon Katamadze. Katamadze is a 50% shareholder of Capital Group LLC, which in 2019 received a gold mining license in the Kobuleti municipality for a period of 25 years. Merkviladze shares ownership of two more companies with other Russian citizens.

Mamuka Merkviladze's wife, Tamar Dudunia, is a doctor and an accomplished singer educated under the budget of Putin's administration. Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu presented the prize to Dudunia for winning a vocal competition. She is involved in Russian show business and is close to Kremlin's propagandists.

Struggle to save the Canyon and the system against the youth

Bacho Tvaradze, a Balda Village resident: ‘‘Now, the rocks are being washed down with ‘Kerkher’. Whatever greenery is interspersed between the rocks is to be eliminated. Only bald rocks should remain, because all this greenery and trees are in the way of this roller-coaster.’’

Tsotne Tavadze, a Balda Village resident: ‘‘Small patches of land stick out among the rocks where these trees grow from. This land is being washed down and the trees are falling into the canyon. Some trees they cut themselves. Other times, they will cut a rock and the trees will fall with it, then they’ll say, we have the right to cut the rock and the trees fall by themselves, we have nothing to do with it.’’

Tazo Rukhia, a Balda Village resident: ‘’This roller-coaster will spread all over the canyon like a spider’s web. A place that used to radiate freedom will be reduced to an ugly mess of cables and concrete.

When I witness yet another concrete truck show up and destroy the nature I grew up in and love, naturally I want to protect it, but they are not allowing me anywhere near. Virtually the entire police force of Martvili escorts this concrete truck. They will come, pour concrete, and leave.’’

In order to protect the unique canyon, the people of Balda held several rallies, they even contacted the local authorities themselves.

The Deputy Mayor of Martvili, Aleksandre Khurtsilava, in the spirit of best defense is a good offense, pressed the protesters to point out which article of the law obliges the city hall to inform the people and find out their opinion before issuing a construction permit. ‘‘The law doesn’t provide for such a thing’’ – the deputy answered himself.

The law says that interested citizens have the right to apply to the court with the request to stop the works in the event that a monument is being damaged beyond repair. The people did appeal, but Tbilisi City Court Judge Meri Guluashvili did not meet her obligation to order the stoppage of the construction until the resolution of the dispute. Salome Shubladze, representative of the Center for Social Justice, told Mountain Stories that they will apply to the court with the main lawsuit in the coming days.

If we look at the cases where the population challenged the decisions taken by the government autonomously and secretly from the people, in order to protect the living environment, and demanded its cancellation, for example, in the case of Namakhvani HPP Cascade, the court has not started considering the case even after three years. Almost a year and a half has passed since the appeal of the decision on the transfer of Racha forests to the partner of a Russian oligarch, but the court has not even scheduled a first session yet.

Apart from the natural monument, the construction of the attractions has already cost the life of a young deer living in the Balda forest.

Tazo Rukhaia, a Balda Village resident: ‘‘This has been its walking path for its whole life. Suddenly someone fenced it and its entire life routine was disrupted. It found itself amidst concrete and scaffolding where its path used to be, and ended up impaling itself.’’

In a telephone conversation with Mountain Stories, Zaza Gagua, director of Martvili and Okatse Natural Monuments Administration, accused the young people fighting to protect the Balda Canyon of killing the deer and bringing it to the construction site. ‘’They staged it to make some noise. I addressed the police with the request to start an investigation and bring those responsible to justice.’’

The footage distributed by the activists shows Gagua acting aggressively towards them. When the new owner of Balda Canyon, Giorgi Merkviladze, cursed the young people in Russian, it was Gagua who expelled the activists from the building of the state body.

Zaza Gagua: They barged in… I had a private meeting.

Mountain Stories: The footage shows that they did not barge in. On the contrary, they asked if they could come in because they heard you were discussing Balda Canyon.

Zaza Gagua: It was a private meeting.

Mountain Stories: What private meetings do you hold in the building of the public agency, during working hours? Apart from you, the owner of this company and several Balda residents were there. Why did you kick those youngsters out? Are you lobbying this company and the interests of individuals tied to Russia?

Zaza Gagua: No. I don’t know who has ties with Russia. I’ve known Merkviladzes for a long time. These young people are calling me a traitor and insulting me personally. So I want nothing to do with them.

Mountain Stories: You may feel insulted, but you are a public servant!

Zaza Gagua: I told them to take the case to the court or address the police.

The local youth are aggressively confronted by the company-assigned construction coordinator at the site, ‘‘yesterday, as we, the villagers go there simply to record what’s going on, the company representative stands up together with police officers and starts showing middle fingers,’’ Bacho Tvaradze tells us.

‘‘I showed it to you personally! You were filming me, right? Why? I did it cause I wanted to! What are you going to do about it?’’ - Company representative doubled down on his boorish behavior in front of our cameras.

That’s not all. The President of the Zipline Federation, Giorgi Chinchladze, who introduced himself to us as a contractor for Canyon 350 LLC and a person responsible for the arrangement of the roller coaster, threw various accusations at the activists.

Giorgi Chinchaladze: These people are profiteers.

Mountain Stories: Meaning?

Giorgi Chinchaladze: They are looking to cash in. Demanding a share.

Mountain Stories: From whom and in what way are they demanding a share? Are they blackmailing the owner?

Giorgi Chinchaladze: Yes.

Mountain Stories: Do you have proof of this?

Giorgi Chinchaladze: Yes.

Mountain Stories: Can you show us? Have you seen it yourself?

Giorgi Chinchaladze: Yes.

Mountain Stories: Then explain to us more precisely, what type of crime are we dealing with, and what exactly is their demand.

Giorgi Chinchaladze: They are asking what’s in it for the village.

Mountain Stories: So? What’s illegal or extortionary about wondering what benefits will the village get from this?

Despite his promise, Chinchaladze provided no video footage of his ‘evidence’.

A failed meeting

The government met with the population only after the wave of protest subsided. Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Yuri Nozadze attended the meeting held in Martvili on October 6.

‘’I haven’t seen the project, but I’m sure it will be great. There might be something interesting in it for you too, you know. As far as I know, the population was informed,’’ this crude statement by the deputy minister caused an uproar in the hall.

‘’No, there was no communication or public discussions. That’s exactly why we demanded the termination of the project. 

We are not against development, not at all. Everyone you see here is for the village to evolve, but it should be developed, not sold. 

If it’s just another Balda Canyon for you, we can it the source, and not for nothing,’’ told him Tsotne Tvaradze. 

‘‘This wild nature remained untouched for all these years and retained its original beauty! Why should we spoil it? 

Shouldn’t something of value remain in this country? There’s a valley, a river… you can’t just sell everything you can put your hands on. Isn’t all this also ours, the people?! 

What should the village youth do? Where should they go or rest? Some will snark so cynically – oh, so what if they can no longer swim around in there, big deal… - even simply swimming, why take away their right to be it a simple pleasure like that?

Did they craft this gorge themselves? It’s a gift of nature. Let the river flow! Is it personally yours? Did you launch it? Why should it be leased to god knows who? 40 years is half a life. Forty years is not leasing it, 40 years is effectively selling it!

A village local Maia Shavdia says that the population will not back down. 

The investor is also promising some benefits to the villages in these 40 years.

‘’We couldn’t help by notice that the villagers sometimes walk to Martvili, so we decided to gift them a mini-bus, and next year, we will contribute 50,000 to the village. What more can we offer, what else do you want,’’ Bacho Tavadze recalls the investor’s offer.

The one-and-a-half-kilometer-long unique landscape, housing forty bathing areas, has already been fenced off by the new private owner, and no one is allowed there anymore. After the end of the construction, the estimated cost of entering the canyon will be 30 GEL.

Authors: Salome Simonia, Davit Tamazashvili

Editor of English version: Mikheil Dzebisashvili