Ferma

Overview

Ferma (also transliterated Perma; Georgian: ფერმა) is a village in eastern Georgia, in Kaspi Municipality of the Shida Kartli region, within the Okami administrative unit. It lies on the right bank of the Ksani River, on its lower course, at about 580 m above sea level, roughly 22 km from the town of Kaspi, the municipal centre.

According to the 2014 census, 1,058 people lived in Ferma, making it the second-largest village of the Okami administrative unit after Okami itself. In Azerbaijani-language sources the village is also called Fermer.

Location and nature

The village centre lies at approximately 41°57′08″ N, 44°31′10″ E, on the right (western) bank of the Ksani. The confluence of the Ksani with the Mtkvari (41°51′46″ N, 44°33′44″ E) is about 10 km away in a straight line.

The Ksani is a left tributary of the Mtkvari: 84 km long, with a basin of 885 km². It rises from Lake Keli on the volcanic Keli Plateau (2,914 m) and flows through Akhalgori, Kaspi and Mtskheta municipalities. Its valley is narrow in the upper and middle course and widens on the Mukhrani Plain.

Neighbouring villages

• Changilari — about 1.3 km to the south in a straight line, also on the right bank of the Ksani at about 580 m; 264 residents in 2014.

• Okami — centre of the administrative unit, about 5 km to the north-west (about 650 m); 1,401 residents in 2014.

• Tezi — another village of the same administrative unit; 738 residents in 2014.

Administrative status

Under Resolution No. 2 of the Kaspi Municipal Council (Sakrebulo) of 18 January 2019, Ferma belongs to the Okami administrative unit, together with the villages of Okami, Changilari and Tezi. The unit is centred on Okami.

At the time of the 2014 census the Okami community also included Igoeti and Mrgvali Chala. Its total population was 4,196, of which Ferma accounted for about a quarter (25%).

Population

Data from Georgia's national censuses:

• 2002 — 1,025 residents (544 men, 481 women)

• 2014 — 1,058 residents (553 men, 505 women)

Between the two censuses the population grew by about 3%. In 2014 the majority of residents (968 people, about 91.5%) were Azerbaijanis; Ossetians (55) and Georgians (33) also live in the village. Neighbouring Changilari is almost entirely (99.6%) Azerbaijani, while Okami and Tezi have Georgian majorities.

Education

The village has a public school — the LEPL "Public School of Ferma Village, Kaspi Municipality". Its 2016 report is published in the Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge). According to a 2009 press report, 252 pupils (160 boys and 92 girls) studied there.

Nearby sights

Church of the Virgin, Okami — an architectural monument on the northern edge of Okami, about 5 km from Ferma, dated to the 18th–19th centuries. It is a hall church (12 × 7.6 m) built of river stone and rubble. Brick is used for the vault, arches, door and window frames and the decoration of the façades.

FAQ

1) Where is Ferma?
In Shida Kartli, Kaspi Municipality, on the right bank of the Ksani River, about 22 km from the town of Kaspi.

2) How high is the village?
About 580 m above sea level.

3) How many people live in Ferma?
1,058 according to the 2014 census (1,025 in 2002).

4) Which administrative unit does Ferma belong to?
The Okami administrative unit, which since 2019 comprises Okami, Ferma, Changilari and Tezi.

5) Which villages are nearest?
Changilari — about 1.3 km to the south; Okami — about 5 km to the north-west (straight-line distances).

6) Which river is the village on?
The Ksani, an 84 km left tributary of the Mtkvari (Kura). Ferma lies on its lower course, about 10 km in a straight line from the confluence.

7) Who lives in the village?
According to the 2014 census about 91.5% of residents are Azerbaijanis; Ossetians and Georgians also live here.

8) Is there a school?
Yes — the LEPL Public School of Ferma Village, Kaspi Municipality. A 2009 report put its enrolment at 252 pupils.

9) What is there to see nearby?
The Church of the Virgin in Okami (18th–19th centuries), about 5 km away.

10) Is it Ferma or Perma?
Ferma (Georgian: ფერმა). Statistical tables use Perma; Azerbaijani-language sources use Fermer.

Sources

• Kaspi Municipal Council Resolution No. 2 of 18 January 2019 — Legislative Herald of Georgia (in Georgian)

• 2014 Georgian census — ethnic composition by settlement (Geostat data)

• Ferma (Kaspi Municipality) — Georgian Wikipedia

• Ksani — Georgian Wikipedia

• Changilari — Georgian Wikipedia

• Okami (Kaspi Municipality) — Georgian Wikipedia

• Church of the Virgin, Okami — Georgian Wikipedia

• Ferma Village Public School, 2016 report — Legislative Herald of Georgia (in Georgian)

• “Oğlanlar məktəbə, qızlar ərə…” — modern.az, 22 Oct 2009 (in Azerbaijani)

• Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 10, Tbilisi, 1986, p. 266 (in Georgian).