, native_name = , native_name_lang = , image = File:Kartvelian languages.svg , caption = Distribution of the Svan language in relation to other Kartvelian (South Caucasian) languages. , population = –80,000 , popplace = , region1 = , pop1 = 14,000–30,000 , region2 = , pop2 = 45 (2010) , languages = Svan,

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

, religions = Predominantly † Eastern Orthodox Christianity
(

Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonly ...

) , related_groups = , related-c = Georgians, the Laz and Mingrelians The Svans ( ka, სვანი, ) are an ethnic subgroup of the Georgians (Kartvelians)

Stephen F. Jones Stephen F. Jones (born 1953) is an English expert on post- Communist societies in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe who currently serves as Chair of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts. Jon ...

Svans
''World Culture Encyclopedia''. Retrieved on March 13, 2011: «''The Svans are one of the dozen or so traditionally recognized ethnic subgroups within the Georgian (Kartvelian) nation.''»The Svans
Kevin Tuite ''Université de Montréal'' 1992: «''The Svans are one of the dozen or so traditionally recognized ethnic subgroups within the Georgian (Kartvelian) nation.''» living mostly in

Svaneti Svaneti or Svanetia (Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia. It is inhabited by the Svans, an ethnic subgroup of Georgians. Geography Situated on the southern slop ...

, a region in northwest

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. They speak the

Svan language Svan ( ''lušnu nin''; ka, სვანური ენა, tr) is a Kartvelian language spoken in the western Georgian region of Svaneti primarily by the Svan people. With its speakers variously estimated to be between 30,000 and 80,000, the ...

and are mostly bilingual also in

. Both these languages belong to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) language family. In the pre-1930 Soviet census, the Svans were afforded their own "ethnic group" (''natsional'nost'') category. The self-designation of the Svan is Mushüan, which is probably reflected in the ethnonym Misimian of the Classical authors.

History

The Svans are usually identified with the

Sanni The Sanni ( ka, სანები) are mentioned by Strabo (1st century BC/1st century AD), Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) and Arrian (2nd century AD) as a people settling near Trebizond (in today's Turkish Black Sea Region). In the 1st ...

mentioned by

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

Strabo, who placed them more or less in the area still occupied by the modern-day Svans. In the Russian Empire and early Soviet Union Mingrelians and Svans had their own census grouping, but were classified under the broader category of Georgian in the 1930s. They are

Georgian Orthodox The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonly ...

Christians, and were Christianized in the 4th–6th centuries. However, some remnants of pre-Christian beliefs have been maintained.

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

(known as ''Jgëræg'' to the locals), a

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, is the most respected saint. The Svans have retained many of their old traditions, including

blood revenge A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...

, although this tradition has been declining over time and as law enforcement takes hold. Their families are small, and the husband is the head of his family. The Svan strongly respect the older women in families.

Language

Typically bilingual, they use both

and their own, unwritten

. Prior to the 19th century, many Svans were monolingual, only knowing the Svan language. However, Svan is being largely replaced by Georgian, which is the language of culture and education in Georgia.

Genetics

The most common

Y-chromosomal haplogroup In human genetics, a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by mutations in the non- recombining portions of DNA from the male-specific Y chromosome (called Y-DNA). Many people within a haplogroup share similar numbers of sh ...

among the Svans is

G2a G2A.COM Limited (commonly referred to as G2A) is a digital marketplace headquartered in the Netherlands, with offices in Poland and Hong Kong. The site specializes in the resale of gaming products by the use of redemption keys. Other product ...

(90%), in the second place is the Y-chromosomal haplogroup R1a (5%), in the third place is the Y-chromosomal haplogroup J2a1 (about 3%). Among mitochondrial haplogroups H (17.9%), K (15.8%), W6 (13%), T (9.24%), U1 (7.61%), X2 (6, 52%), U2 (5.98%) are common haplogroups.Генетический портрет сванов на фоне народов Южного Кавказа
/ref>

Famous Svans

Temur Babluani Temur Babluani ( ka, თემურ ბაბლუანი) (born 20 March 1948) is a Georgian film director, script writer, and actor. Bebluani was born in the mountainous Svanetian village of Chaguri in the Georgian SSR. He graduated from ...

(1948-), film director, script writer, and actor *

Géla Babluani Géla Babluani ( ka, გელა ბაბლუანი) is a Georgian–French film director. Babluani was born in Tbilisi, son of prominent director Temur Babluani. At 17 years of age, he and his three siblings were sent to study in France. ...

(1979-), Georgian-French film director *

Mikheil Gelovani Mikheil Gelovani ( ka, მიხეილ გელოვანი, Russified as Михаи́л Гео́ргиевич Гелова́ни, ''Mikhail Georgievich Gelovani''; – 21 December 1956) was a Soviet and Georgian actor, known for his n ...

(1893–1956), actor who primarily portrayed Stalin *

Otar Ioseliani Otar Iosseliani ( ka, ოთარ იოსელიანი, born 2 February 1934) is a Georgian-born film director. He was born in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, where he studied at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and graduated in 1952 ...

(1934-), film director in Georgia *

Mikheil Kurdiani Mikheil Kurdiani ( ka, მიხეილ ქურდიანი; 1 January 1954, Tbilisi – 31 October 2010, Tbilisi) was a Georgian philologist, linguist, writer, poet and translator. He was a head man of the ''Rustaveli Society''. Biograp ...

(1954-2010), philologist, linguist, writer, poet and translator *

Sopho Gelovani Sopho Gelovani () (born 21 March 1984) also known as Sophie Gelovani is a Georgian singer. She and Nodiko Tatishvili represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swed ...

(1984-), singer * Tariel Oniani (1952-), mafia boss * Yaroslav Iosseliani (1912-1978), Soviet Navy submarine commander *

Nana Ioseliani Nana Ioseliani ( ka, ნანა იოსელიანი; born 12 February 1962) is a Georgian chess player. She was awarded by FIDE the Woman Grandmaster title in 1980 and the International Master title in 1993. Already in 1978 she was ...

(1962-), chess player

References

External links

{{Authority control People from Georgia (country) by ethnic or national origin