From Russia With Luck!by Mark Jennings
It was spring of 1991, and the Republic of Georgia had just announced their secession from the Soviet Union; the first Soviet state to do so. It was news that shook the world. We had been invited by a Swiss heliski company to film and ski the most exotic of spots; the Caucasaus Mountains, which form the geographical border between Europe and Asia.
Preparing to depart the USA for the war torn Republic of Georgia, everyone in the crew was nervous; we had heard that the country was in a state of total anarchy, and that people were being shot randomly in the streets.
Nothing could have prepared us for what we witnessed, it was shocking beyond belief! Flying into the Tblisis airport in a Russian Aeroflot, late in the afternoon on the first of May, we noticed that the airstrip appeared littered. It was filled with the remnants of planes, jets and helicopters, many of which had been shot down and burned beyond recognition; some appeared to be still smoldering, just off the runway. It was almost as if there was a conspiracy to prevent anyone from ever leaving the country, and by disabling the aircrafts, there was no viable option for escape.
We exited the plane nervously, and headed right for the Customs and Passport office. We peered around the crowded room filled with smoke, and the group of diverse characters looked like central casting in an LA studio. I noticed an elderly woman crying in front of the Georgian customs agent, as he appeared to be tearing apart her family photo album, which looked like an heirloom piece.
‘What is he doing to that woman?’ I nervously asked our Georgian guide, who responded immediately. “She is a Turk, and we have disliked them for centuries; we have been invaded many times by the Turks, and they have destroyed parts of our country and people.”
“Okay’ I mumbled under my breath, with an attitude of disbelief and disgust. I could see this would become an unforgettable journey, on so many levels.
UP NEXT: Part 2 of The Georgian Adventure.