"The ABC of Georgia" title: Chukha.
Let us remind you that in this section we are talking about concepts and objects related to Georgian history and traditions. Today the word of the day is "chukha", a mostly knee-length men's cape, fitted with a free-flowing hem. It has been known since the Middle Ages and consists of 13 parts, making it one of the most complex national costumes in the world. The most memorable element of the chukka is the additions in the form of decorative cutouts (cases for gunpowder charges) on the chest. This part was developed in the 18th century with the advent of firearms. By the way, a considerable part of the words in the Georgian language that indicate clothing are of Persian origin. Specifically, "chukka" translates from Turkish as "wool cloth" - capes were originally made from local wool, and it wasn't until the 19th century that tailors began using lighter European fabrics. It was common to see a person wearing a chukka on the streets of a Georgian city until the 1930s, and only after the 1940s did it fall out of use as everyday clothing. But the national costume in Georgia is not something historical, museum, unrelated to life here and now. The ceremonial chukka, for example, is worn at weddings and public events, and its elements are used by world-famous designers. The Museum of the Soviet Occupation in Tbilisi houses the chukha of Kakutsa Cholokashvili (she was repatriated from France in 2018), the leader of the last great anti-Bolshevik uprising in 1924. And in 2017, Georgian-born designer David Kuma presented a collection of Chukha elements that he used exclusively. Then the supermodel Bella Hadid came out in these outfits - this is how the national Georgian symbol went beyond the borders of its geography.