South Ossetia had very few Georgians, and those were just on the border. They are a unique people. I think considered Persian originally. They are Ossetians, neither Russian or Georgian. Their culture is very unique - an unusual kind of pagan thing.
In Georgia itself there are Orthodox churches and monasteries from the fifth century. South Ossetia has none.
They have always been kind of their own people. And they prefer Russia, though I believe they are kind of like a welfare group for Russia.
I may be thinking of another group, but aren’t South Ossetians Zoroastrians?
I checked and it was not the South Ossetians that were Zoroastrians. They are, like the rest of Georgia, primarily Eastern Orthodox Christians.