“He Was A Good Man” – Mother Preserves Son’s Body For 18 Years

Joni Bakaradze died aged just 22 and for the last 18 years, the family of the father-of-one has preserved his body by wrapping him in alcohol soaked sheets.

The family, from the Eurasian country of Georgia, told Georgian News that the late man’s father made the decision to preserve his body for the sake of his Grandchild.

His mother, Tsiuri Kvaratskhelia, has carried out the preservation of the body, explaining that she wanted her grandson to "see what kind of father he had."

Joni’s body has been stored in a coffin that has a viewing window. Tsuiri told the news station that she uses traditional methods of preservation that include traditional balsam sap and recently switching to strong alcoholic spirits.

"One night I had a dream when a voice told me to treat Joni by rubbing alcohol so from then on I've being using wet sheets dipped in alcohol to preserve the body.”

The woman explained how she must not leave the body without the sheets overnight as "the skin will turn black as charcoal."

"For 10 years I've been changing his clothes on his birthday. Only the past four years I was unable to do so."

Joni’s son, now 20-years-old, is said to be thankful for the decision not to bury his father.

The woman apologised to the television crews in her home for her son’s appearance.  

"My son is handsome, it’s just that I was ill for the past few days – that’s why I was not able to take care of him," she said. 

"He was a good man, a good husband, not the way he is now." 

The interview was shot at the family home by Georgia News, a local station.