Never truly subdued by any foolhardy invader, even the Soviets failed to subdue the fierce Svan mountain tribes who inhabit these high mountain fortress-villages. Georgians themselves claim to be a little afraid of the natives here. The security situation changed after M. Saakashvili coming to power. Travelling to Svaneti is not a big safety risk anymore and is possible for backpackers. However, common security precautions shoud be attended.
talk
Knowledge of Georgian is widespread, but the main language spoken here is another offering from the same family, the unwritten Svan language. Russian speakers can probably get by in most villages, where at least one person around should be conversational in the language. A few young people and a few guesthouse owners speak basic English.