War Museum

Local native Lia Chlachidze was inspired to open the August War 2008 Museum in the village of Ergneti after visiting the relatively nearby Kaspi Occupation Museum. Her museum is located in the basement of her house, where everything has been kept intact and where traces of the war are still visible. Now, a symbolic memorial has been placed in Shindis, at the place of the dead battle, on the initiative of the locals. The memorial is a symbol of public solidarity during the August War.
 Although essentially a war museum, its focus is actually on the idea of peace. On the one hand, it was created to inform the Georgian public about the horrors of the war that the people of Ergneti endured in 2008, and on the other it sought to make the Georgian public think about the true meaning of peace. The museum conveys news items from August 2008, as well as the belongings of the people directly affected at the epicenter of the conflict. Of particular note, the museum includes photos that were sent to Chlachidze by her friends from Tskhinvali. The photos show how Russian military equipment and forces were being gathered on the 5th and 6th of August near Roki Tunnel. According to Chlachidze, the existence of such a museum is necessary to protect the national memory and essentially represents the nation's identity and history. The museum also aims to deepen the Georgian public's understanding of the August War and to inform future generations about how their ancestors defended their homeland. Ultimately, it is hoped that the museum can become a place where Georgians and Ossetians can revisit and heal from their historical traumas together.