KORPUS 18Uta Beyer

41°42'18"N 44°52'46"E

KORPUS 18Uta Beyer

View of Varketili, May 2011.

As everywhere in Europe after World War II,

also in the USSR urban housing was in short

supply throughout nearly all countries. Intensive

industrialization and urbanization put enormous

pressure on the existing housing stock. Large-

scale housing construction was begun at the end

of the 1950s, when social housing projects,

known as Microrayon, or Microdistrict, started

being developed throughout the entire Soviet

Union. For many Soviet families, receiving a

room in a communal apartment represented a

step up in their housing. Housing in cities be-

longed to the government; it was distributed by

municipal authorities or by government depart-

ments based on an established number of square

meters per person. As a rule, tenants had no

choice in the housing they were offered. Up to

the early 1980s, the limit of 9 square meters per

person held, after which it began to increase.

The former 'Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic' -

since its independence in 1991 the 'Republic of

Georgia' – played an important role in supplying

food products to the centralized Soviet econ-

omy since the 1960s/70s. Georgia's capital Tbilisi

became the centre for various agricultural pro-

duction lines, followed by an urgent need for

housing expansion.

A rather typical Soviet Microrayon is the district

of Varketili in the Eastern part of Tbilisi. Varketili

is home to approximately 40,000 people, inhabit-

ing less than 4 square kilometres, in approxi-

mately 10,000 apartments in 120 either 9-, 12-

or 16-floor buildings. Buildings can have up to 10

entrances. There are approximately 15 schools

and kindergartens in Varketili, 500 shops, 1 hospi-

tal, 1 police station, and 1 metro station, which

connects the suburb to the city - via 6 stations,

in 10 minutes. The name Varketili – meaning: “I

am kind” – was given to the district during the

time of its construction, and was meant as a

good omen. Before its construction, Varketili was

a lake district and pasture land, and since 1955

also home of “The Industry of Varketili”, with

grape and fruit factories. Varketili's architecture

follows almost identical patterns used for almost

all former Soviet cities, be it Riga, Moscow,

Berlin, or Tbilisi. The calculated square meter

limit per person in Varketili was 12.

Today, Varketili is inhabited by a mix of different

social and ethnic groups from the middle, lower

middle or lower class, many of them newcomers

during the past 10 years, not originally from Var-

ketili or Tbilisi. Apart from Georgians from other

regions of the country, Varketili is also home to

refugees/internally displaced from Georgia's au-

tonomous regions Abkhasia and South Ossetia,

to Azeris, Armenians, Kurdish, Russians, and

Ukrainians.

As everywhere in Georgia, unemployment is ex-

tremely high in Varketili, and generating income is

the dominating topic in almost all families. Like

many former Soviet countries, Georgia is strug-

gling with transforming its economy into a glob-

ally competitive market economy, resulting in

high unemployment rates. The aftermath of the

civil war as well as the unsolved regional con-

flicts are contributing to Georgia's economic dif-

ficulties.

This photo book looks closely at one Varketili

building: Korpus 18. It was the first building to be

completed in Varketili in 1981, and is home to

126 families; a 9-floor concrete housing complex

with 7 staircases, two entrance doors and one

elevator each, each staircase leading to 18 apart-

ments.

The aim is to look beyond the decaying facades,

the concrete anonymity, and neglected public

spaces of korpus 18, of Varketili, or any Soviet

housing project as such, and to explore the in-

sides, interiors, the private spaces, the hidden. In

a broader sense, the essay aims at investigating

the existential and universal human concepts of

living, home, habitat, and belonging, and searches

for the elements that make 'a home' and are

recognisable as 'home' beyond culture and his-

tory.

The book consists of portraits of 18 korpus-18-

homes in 2011 and their inhabitants. Each home*

is represented as a story within the story, ac-

companied by brief facts about the families -

names, ages, professions, their histories of living

in Varketili - and information from the family

members, about their homes, their hopes,

dreams, or outlook on life.

2011 marked the 30th anniversary of Korpus 18.* The numbers on thefollowing pages indicatethe apartment numbers.

1

The apartment of Khatuna, 34, and her husband

Shota, 48. The couple moved to Varketili from their

home village seven years ago, in order to ensure

good school education for their children. Both are

unemployed. In the meantime, Shota lives in the

village again, about 100 km away from Varketili,

most of the year. Khatuna says: “I don't like the

men drinking alcohol all the time. When my hus-

band comes home, he drinks with the others.” The

children Ani, 13, Gocha, 9, and Makiami, 14, all at-

tend school in Varketili. In the photo frame on the

wall: Shota's younger brother, who died at an early

age in an accident in the village.

“We sold our cows in the village to be able to buy this

apartment. Varketili was like paradise for me. I took my

children here out of the dark forest that our village was,”

says Khatuna. The family bought the apartment for 5,000

USDollars - it is worth 30,000 today; the average monthly

income in Georgia is 200 USDollars.

Khatuna’s and

Shota’s bedroom.

Above: View from the living room. Right: Bathroom.

10

Antonina, 70, her son-in-law, Zura, 45, and her daughter Nana, 46.

The family moved to Varketili four years ago, when they had the

chance to buy this apartment. Antonina says: "We moved here

from the city centre, and I like it so much better here. It's a cosy

place, it's got fresh air, and I can walk to the shops. I am an old

woman and I want to die here in Varketili." Nana's and Zura's son

Irakli, 21, also lives in the two-bedroom-apartment; he is an actor

and works in a Tbilisi theatre. Nana earns 8 Lari (approx. 5 Dollars)

per day from her work in a local shop. Antonina works as a nurse

in a hospital, Zura is unemployed. Nana's ambition is to buy a

house for her son, so that he can marry and set up a separate

family.

View from the living room.

71

Right: Anelia, 73, pensioner, with her cat Bagira

and the dog Lola. Above: Aneli’s and Anelia’s hus-

band Iuri’s son, who died in Russia ten years ago.

Both, Anelia and Iuri, 73, have worked as labora-

tory technicians in a Tbilisi flour factory for 30

years until the collapse of the economy due to

the fall of the Soviet Union. The couple had re-

ceived the four-bedroom-apartment in 1981 for

their merits in the factory. Anelia says: “The build-

ing was just finished, it was the first in Varketili,

and we were so proud. The apartment was huge

and very modern compared to what we had be-

fore.” Today, she does not like the people in Var-

ketili and spends most of her time at home.

“Many people here are from villages, there are

foreigners, they are too loud, have a different cul-

ture, and little education. They shout out the win-

dows all the time.”

Above: The family’s dog, Lola. Right: The living room.

Anelia and Iuri share the apartment with their

daughter Nina, 50, unemployed, Nina's husband

Alexander, 50, a sports teacher, and Nina's and

Alexander's son Iuri, 29, a dentist. Anelia and Iuri

together receive a monthly state pension of 120

Dollars. Anelia mends their income by cleaning

two Korpus-18-shops on a daily basis, she gets 60

USD for this every month. Anelia's biggest wish is

a higher pension, to cover everyday costs. “I want

to be able to pay taxes and utilities, to buy food. I

am tired of having to sell our objects of value to fi-

nance normal purchases, like my new glasses, that I

had to buy three months ago. I have not bought

anything important for the last 20 years.” In the

photo: Anelia's husband Iuri in the couple's bed-

room, taking a mid-day nap.

42

Nato, 49, her husband Malkhazi, 57, and their sons

Konstantine, 16, and Giorgi, 15. Nato and Malkhazi

are both English teachers. Today, Nato is a house-

wife and receives a modest government allowance

as a refugee from Georgia's separatist region

Abkhasia. Malkhazi gives private English lessons.

The family survives from day to day. Malkhazi says:

“Here in Varketili people only think of how to have

money to go to the market. In the city, people

think of going to the theatre and opera.” The fam-

ily bought the apartment ten years ago. They had

already lived in Varketili before.

“People must be busy. It's not good if people have no work. Especially

the men. Women have things to do in the house, cooking, knitting,

keeping the house. What can the men do? Watch television and wait

for the phone to ring. There are no jobs. Whoever can, leaves the

country. I only have one friend left.” (Malkhazi) Left: View from the

boys’ bedroom. Below: The study.

In the kitchen.

Nato’s and Malkhazi's bedroom.

13

Ia, 43, Tea's daughter Nugo, 13, and Ia's sister in

law Tea, 32. Tea's husband, Ia's brother, died one

year ago of a heart attack. Ia and Tea are both

lawyers, Ia works, Tea is unemployed. The apart-

ment belongs to the family since 1986. Ia's par-

ents Nugzari and Nana, both 66 years old and

retired, live in a village most of the year, and only

visit occasionally. When Tea is bored, she listens

to music or chats on the internet. “I dream of

being somewhere else, I want to go to Paipai, in

Indonesia. I dream of changing my life.” Left: Tea’s

bedroom.

The dining room, next to the kitchen. This area

was added to the original building by the munici-

pality recently, as the building, over the years, was

slightly leaning sideways.

Left: Tea’s bedroom. Above: Poster in the corridor.

8

Keti, 25, in her dining room. She shares the apartment

with her husband and her young child. The apartment

belongs to Keti’s parents, who live in their home town

Khashuri. She and her husband married three years

ago, when he was 29. The husband is unemployd; Keti

has studied chemistry, but now only sometimes works

as beautician in her apartment. She earns around 100

USD from that work per month. Keti would like her

husband to find a good job with a high income. Her

family and their well-being is constantly on Keti’s mind,

she dreams of having her own apartment one day. If

Keti could live anywhere in the world, she would like

to live in Rome, with her family. “I like the Italians, they

are very similar to Georgians. Italy and its culture is

beautiful.” The farthest place Keti has been to in the

world is Moscow, when she was ten years old. Left:

Dining room window.

Above and right: The living room.

52

Aza, 43, housewife. She shares the apartment with her husband

Merabi, 44, an engineer, and their son Alika, 21, who works as a

driver in Tbilisi. The last time Aza has left the apartment was a few

hours ago, when she bought some sweets in the shop downstairs.

Aza is unhappy to be unemployed, but has given up hope to find a

job, “I do not like to financially depend on my husband”. She con-

siders her home town Senaki her greatest treasure in life, “if I

could, I would move back there”. Asked where she would like to

travel in the world, she says: “I would like to see Europe. I am from

that generation, when we were young, we could not travel to Eu-

rope. That’s why I always wanted to see it.” So far, she has only

traveled in Georgia. Left: View from Alika’s bedroom. Above: Aza in

the loggia.

The couple’s bedroom. Left:

Traditional knifes as decora-

tion on the bedroom walls.

The living room, with the

bedroom in the background.

46

The apartment of Inga, 43, her two

sons Kakha, 23, and Dito, 21, Inga’s

sister in law Manana, 37, and Man-

ana’s daughter Tiko, 16. Left: The

children’s bedroom. Above: Inga in

the loggia.

Inga and her husband bought the apartment in 1995 for 4200 USD,

“because the apartments in Varketili where very cheap then”. Inga

thinks of Varketili today as “a poor suburb, there is nothing inter-

esting here for my generation”. Inga’s husband died ten years ago

in an accident. She and her two sons have work and contribute to

the household income. Inga, originally a literature teacher, now

works in a bakery. She earns 120 USD per month. Above: The living

room with one of the bedrooms in the background. Left: Wall dec-

oration in the loggia.

85

Albina, 35, with her son Giorgi, 7. Albina says, “I lived in Guria with

my family, but ten years ago my daughter Darejani got sick and we

had to move to Tbilisi to ensure her treatment. We rented the

apartment in Varketili and my husband and I started working here,

and we never returned to Guria.” Left: The loggia. Above: Darejani’s

room. Darejani is 20 years old today and studies at university in

Tbilisi.

Albina dreams about travelling to India, she watches Bollywood

movies and likes Indian jewellery. So far, the farthest place she has

been to is Baku, where she used to buy clothes, to re-sell them in

Tbilisi. When some of her customers did not pay her, she had to

give up the business. About Varketili she says: “I cannot say if I like

Varketili or not. It's just the place where I am.” Above and right:

The kitchen.

53

Tea, 34, with her sons Merabi, 6, and Dato, 8, in the

kitchen. Above: View from the kitchen window. Tea

and her husband Vitali, 50, bought the apartment 9

years ago. Vitali works as a mechanic, Tea has her own

clothes shop. If Tea had one wish for free, she would

ensure her sons to get an excellent education. The

last thing Tea bought was Coca Cola the day before.

Left: The boys’ bedroom. Below: Merabi and Dato playing comupter games in the living room.

5

Nukri, 32, in the family’s living room. Nukri shares

the apartment with his brother Kakha, 34, a sol-

dier, Kakha’s wife Tamuna, 20, and Tazo, 19, a cousin

from a village, who studies in Tbilisi. Nukri’s father

received the apartment during Soviet times in

1985. He had worked in a wood processing plant

in Tbilisi for 15 years. The father now lives with

Nukri's sister in Tbilisi’s suburb Lilo. Nukri is un-

employed. He suffers from kidney failure, and

needs a transplantation, but cannot afford the

40,000 USD for it. His biggest wish is to be able

to afford the operation and get well again. Nukri

undergoes blood exchange every two days. Be-

cause of his illness he receives a government pen-

sion of 40 USD per month. The last thing Nukri

purchased was a perfume, two weeks ago. His

most precious possession is his cell phone. If he

could meet a famous person, he would like to

meet Al Pacino, his biggest film hero. For a holiday,

Nukri would like to go to Jamaica, because of its

nature and the clean waters. The only holdiay he

has spent before was in Batumi on the Black Sea.

Kakha’s and Tamuna’s bedroom.

Between 2006 and 2008 Kakha

has served in the Iraq war for

the Georgian army. The bed-

room is decorated with war

souvenirs and photos from Iraq,

as well as fluffy toys belonging

to Kakha’s young wife.

Left: Bathroom. Above: Kitchen cupboard.

9

Left: Lali with her granddaughters

Dilara, 10, and Eketarina, 2. Dilara is

the daughter of Lali’s daughter

Maka, who works in Antalya as an

animateur. Ekaterina is the daugh-

ter of Lali’s other daughter, Ekate-

rina, who also lives in the

apartment, together with her hus-

band Soso, a rugby professional.

Lali’s son Teimuraz and his wife Ana

also live here. The apartment was

given to Lali and her deceased hus-

band as compensation in 1984,

when their house in Tbilisi’s suburb

Afrika was destroyed. Lali’s hus-

band was a crane driver for con-

struction sites. He died in 2003. His

photos together with candles dec-

orate the living room cupboard

(above).

Left: Home-made stewed fruit, stored on the balcony. Above: The kitchen.

Ekaterina looking out of the

living room onto the balcony.

84

Nanuli in her living room. She says: “We spent all

our money in 1986 to buy furniture for this apart-

ment. After 1986 we never spent money on any-

thing again. I am old now. We had such a good life

in the Soviet Union, we had salaries. I was working

as a chemical engineer in a textile combinat in

Didube, Tbilisi; we were colouring clothes and

leather, my husband was also an engineer. And now

I'm thinking all the time why this happened to me,

we are poor now.”

The apartment of Nanuli, 71, and her son Nugzari, 45. Nanuli's late

husband had received the apartment in 1986, for his work as an

engineer in a Tbilisi wool factory. Nanuli receives a monthly pen-

sion of 40 USD. Her son is unemployed, he has jobs occasionally.

Four weeks ago, he had a car accident, while driving drunk, and is

lying in bed with trauma and a broken leg. He was about to get

married in a months time, but the wedding was cancelled because

of the accident.

The ceiling in the living

room is covered with water

stains and needs repair,

which Nanuli cannot afford.

Chair in the kitchen.

86

Right: Ilona, 25, with her daughter Lana, 1. They share the apart-

ment with Ilona’s husband Samuela, 29, their other daughter Ani, 7,

and Samuela’s mother Opelia, 53. Ilona is a housewife, her husband

Samuela is a car mechanic, Opelia works as a shopkeeper. The

apartment was given to Opelia in 1981, when she gave birth to

twins - in the Soviet Union a reason to receive an apartment with

priority. Ilona moved into the apartment 9 years ago, when she

married Samuela, after he had kidnapped her. Her parents did not

agree with the kidnapping, but thought Samuela would make a

good husband. Ilona says: “I am happy with my husband today. He

works and he does not drink.“ Ilona never went to school again

after the kidnapping, and never worked, as Samuela would not

allow that. Her dream is to have the bathroom repaired and to

have a washing machine. She would love to travel to the Black Sea

with her family for a holiday. Above: Ilona’s and Samuela’s bedroom.

Right: The kitchen. Left:

View through the bro-

ken kitchen window.

88

Left: Zina, 27, with her children David, 7, and Mariami, 4, in the liv-

ing room. Zina’s husband Periza, 27, is at work, he currently works

for a bread distributor. Zina is a housewife, the couple’s income is

approximately 200 USD per month. The family moved into the

apartment one year ago, when they sold another apartment in Var-

ketili and bought this one for 50,000 USD. Zina thinks about the

family’s economic situation most of the time, “about the future of

my children and the country. I want to have peace here. I have so

many relatives abroad, in Russia and in other countries, and they

are doing fine there. I will see if life will goes wrong here. I

wouldn’t mind moving to another country, if necessary. I have rela-

tives in France, and if things get too difficult here, I would move to

France.” Her biggest wish is for David to recover. He suffers from

an eye disease, and is almost blind on his left eye. The frequent

laser treatments cost the family 50 USD per month. Above: The

dining room.

Left: The living room. Above: Decoration in the children’s room.

Right: David watches TV

in the children’s room.

Left: Mariami at her desk.

30

Zura and his mother in the living room, with

Zura’s painting on the wall. Due to his illness, a

bone weakness, Zura was never able to work. He

spends most of his time at home, on his computer

or painting. If he could live anywhere in the world,

he would like to live in Japan, “because of its im-

mense neatness, and the Japanese are very intelli-

gent”. The last time Zura has left the apartment,

was three days ago, when he went for a walk in

the city centre of Tbilisi. “Sitting around at home is

very boring, and when I go out, I am also more in-

spired for my paintings.” If Zura could meet a fa-

mous person, he would like to meet Michael

Jordan; “I love sports and sportsmen, and Michael

is the one I always wanted to meet”. Zura’s biggest

dream for 2012 is to have his own atelier.

The apartment of Zura, 40, and his mother Makhvala, 69. The

apartment was given to the family in 1985. Makhvala’s husband

died two years ago, he was a cabinetmaker, and many of the apart-

ment’s fitments were made by him, like the loggia furniture on the

left. Zura is physically handicapped, he and his mother live off a

monthly rent of approximately 100 USD. Above: Loggia window

with vine growing outside along the balcony.

In the kitchen.

The kitchen wall,

above the telephone.

69

The apartment of the Sarjveladze

family. Lamara (middle), 59, and her

two sons Irakli, 35, and Lasha, 25;

also in the picture: Christina, 29,

Irakli’s wife, and their son Giorgi,

on Lamara’s lap. The apartment be-

longs to Lamara and her husband

Omari, 68. It was given to Omari in

1984, for his merits in his profes-

sional life. Omari is a bookkeeper,

and still works as accountant today.

He is the only family member with

a regular job, he earns approxi-

mately 400 USD per month.

Lamara just came home from the

church, where she bought a picture

for Giorgi, it’s his birthday today. If

Lamara had a wish for free, she

would like her son Irakli and his

wife to have an apartment of their

own. The farthest away place

Lamara has been to is Akhalkhalaki,

a town near the Armenian border,

where she worked as a cook dur-

ing the summer, for a European

earthquake research group.

Right: View from

Christina’s and Irakli’s

bedroom. Below: The

bathroom.

Left: Giorgi in Christina’s and Irakli’s bedroom. Above: In the kitchen.

2

Mariam 34, and her mother Nani, 55. They share the apartment

with Nani's son Giorgi, 37 (Mariam's brother), and Mari, 13,

Giorgi's daughter. The apartment was given to Nani's husband

Ushangi (in the picture frame on top of the piano; he died in 1994)

in 1985, for merits in his work life. Nani's work in a bakery is the

only source of income for the family. Mariam spends most of her

time at home. She last left the apartment two days ago to go to

church. “If I had one wish for free, I would love to meet the Patri-

arch.”

Left: The bathroom. Above: Wallpaper in the kitchen.

The loggia with TV, located be-

tween the balcony, kitchen and

living room.

Korpus 18, July 2011.

KORPUS 18 is a Soviet era apartment block built in 1981 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The building was the first of several dozens to be finished in the area in the early 1980s. Korpus 18 is a 9-floor concrete housing complex with 7 staircases, each leading to 18 apartments, it is home to 126 families. This book portrays 18 families in Korpus 18 in 2011, 30 years after its construction.