In the Caucasus, Encountering Familiar Yet Foreign Cultural Echoes

I come from Italy, having grown up among churches and historical monuments—the Colosseum in Rome, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, St. Mark's Basilica in Venice are all etched into my life. I originally thought that no matter how stunning a monument might be, it wouldn't surprise me much, given how many European classical treasures I've seen. That was until I came to Georgia and saw the Chronicle of Georgia, this monument at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, which completely shattered my固有认知 of 'historical monuments.'

At first sight of this monument, I felt a sense of familiarity—the biblical stories in the lower reliefs, Noah's Ark, the Last Supper, are almost identical to the murals and sculptures in our Italian churches. That sense of shared Orthodox culture gave me instant resonance. I've traveled through many European countries: France's churches are exquisitely gorgeous, Germany's are solemnly majestic, while Georgia's monument perfectly blends religious culture with local history, having both shadows of European religious culture and regional characteristics of the Caucasus. I couldn't help but stop and interpret every detail in the reliefs, as if watching familiar history yet with a trace of foreign freshness. After all, this is Christianity extended to the Caucasus, sharing similarities yet unique flavors with European religious culture. This kind of cross-regional cultural resonance is something I never experienced elsewhere.

For me, another important reason to visit Georgia is the excellent value for money. I've traveled through many European countries where Western European prices are daunting—a coffee in Paris costs 5 euros, a simple meal in London costs 20 euros, but here a coffee is only 3 euros, a local specialty meal just 10 euros. And the scenery rivals the Alps, the Black Sea coast is even more tranquil and beautiful than the Mediterranean, without crowds or commercial noise, just pure nature and beauty. For us Europeans, this is like a 'low-cost vacation paradise' where we can experience different cultures while enjoying relaxed holidays—why not?

I love slow travel. Having visited many countries, I always believe that travel's meaning lies not in how many attractions you check in, but in experiencing local life. After visiting the monument, I didn't rush to leave but went to Tbilisi's old town. Visiting the sulfur baths—the warm spring water similar to our Italian hot springs yet with unique sulfur fragrance; browsing flea markets with handicrafts that have both European refinement and Eastern simplicity; tasting local cheese bread and wine—the cheese's richness and wine's sweetness have similar merits to Italian cuisine yet with Caucasian flavors. Sitting in the old town square, watching passing crowds, drinking local wine, I suddenly realized that travel's meaning is finding familiar touches in foreign places, crossing regional boundaries to understand different cultures' beauty.

The monument's sculptural style also interests me greatly. Designer Zurab Tsereteli perfectly blends Byzantine art, Georgian traditional reliefs, and modernism, having both European classical sculpture's refinement and Eastern art's weight. I couldn't help but take out my camera to photograph every detail, planning to share with friends back home, telling them that in the Caucasus, there is such a monument that contains echoes of European culture and different Eastern charms. I've seen sculptures in many places: Italy's David is exquisitely unparalleled, France's Venus is elegantly moving, while this monument's sculptures may not be perfect but have sufficient power. They carry Georgia's history and the fusion of Eurasian cultures—this is its most unique charm.