Rehabilitation of a missile-struck tower in Georgia

Erected in the 16th–17th centuries in the mountains of northern Georgia, the 22-meter high Tsiskarauli Tower was at risk of collapse. In 2001, during the Chechen War, this rare example of the region's medieval defensive architecture was struck by a missile. Thanks to a volunteer-based rehabilitation, 46 local and international young volunteers and experts from Georgia, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom restored the site using traditional materials and techniques. Once the structure was stabilized, the hiking trails around it were marked so that ecotourism around the site could be developed for the benefit of the local community.