Pankisi Gorge is located at the very eastern end of the Kakheti region, on the border between Georgia and Russia. It is about 60 kilometers east of the border with Chechnya.
The Valley, with just a few small villages, belongs to the Akhmeta district, where about 8000 Kist people are currently living.
After the military confrontation between Russia and Chechnya in the 1990’s, hundreds of Chechen refugees were resettled in Pankisi Gorge with the Kists.
For several years now peace has reigned in the Gorge. Presidential, Parliamentary and Self-Governing elections are held here regularly and with no violations.
How the Pankisi young people see their role in the development of the Georgian state often reflects their attitudes towards elections.