About Sights – The Mushtaid Garden in Tbilisi
Mushtaid Garden in Tbilisi was established in the 1830’s by Mir-Fatah-Agha, a religious leader (a mujtahid – hence the name Mushtaid). Accused of spying during the Russian-Iranian war he was exiled from Iran in 1828 and granted asylum and 5 hectares of land in Tiflis (the name of Tbilisi during the Russian Empire). After his … Continue reading
About History – Photographs of Tbilisi in 1976
In 1976, the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic was part of the USSR. During the Soviet rule, the country’s capital, Tbilisi, became more industrialised and its population grew significantly. The following black and white photographs, taken in Tbilisi in 1976, reveal glimpses of city life during Soviet times. Photo source: Tbilisi Week CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA … Continue reading
About Tourism – Promoting Tourism in Georgia in the 1970’s
During the Soviet era, Georgia was the “Riviera of the Soviet Union”, with 3 million visitors annually. Georgia appealed to tourists because of its sunny weather, its culture, wines and food, health spas, beaches and skiing. Tourism was centrally planned and the market was monopolized by Intourist, a state owned tourism agency that arranged all holiday … Continue reading
About History – Photographs of Tbilisi in 1958
In 1958, Tbilisi celebrated the 1,500th anniversary of the founding of the city by King Vakhtang I Gorgasali. To mark the occasion, an equestrian statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali was unveiled next to Metekhi Church on a cliff overlooking the Mtkvari River and the Old Town district of Tbilisi. On Sololaki hill, overlooking the city, a … Continue reading
About Architecture – Old Photographs of the Dinamo Stadium in Tbilisi
Designed by Archil Kurdiani, the Dinamo stadium in Tbilisi was completed in 1935 and had a capacity for 23,000 spectators. It has been reconstructed several times and is now known as the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and become a friend of GEORGIA … Continue reading
About History – Photographs of 1970’s Georgia
This selection of photos were taken by Erhard K in 1977 for a photo travel report. Photographed in color, they provide a fascinating glimpse of everyday life in Soviet-era Georgia, as well panoramic shots of Tbilisi landmarks and photos of cars, trucks and buses. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on … Continue reading
About History – Water Collectors of 19th Century Tiflis
The water from the Mtkvari River in Tbilisi was used for drinking, sanitation and irrigation from the earliest times of the founding of the city. In 1862, a small centralized filtered water supply network, known as the Korganovi Enterprise, was created but most of the city’s inhabitants continued to rely on unfiltered water collected from the … Continue reading
About Art – The Photography of David Guramishvili
Georgian artist and amateur photographer David Guramishvili (1857-1926) entered the Academy of Arts in Munich in 1886 where he became interested in photography, especially of life in the streets. These photographs are part of a series called ‘Bazaar’ and were taken in Tiflis (the name for Tbilisi during the time of the Russian Empire). CLICK on … Continue reading
About History – Photographs of 19th Century Svaneti
During the period 1889-1896, the famous mountain-climber and pioneer of photography, Count Vittorio Sella made a number of climbs in the Caucasus Mountains in the Svaneti region of Georgia and photographed the remote fortified communities that were virtually hidden from the world. Svaneti (Georgian: სვანეთი) is situated on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountains in the northwestern … Continue reading
About History – Photographs of Zugdidi in the 1930’s
Zugdidi (Georgian: ზუგდიდი) is the capital of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in western Georgia. The name “Zugdidi” means “big/great hill”. The following photographs show how it looked during Soviet times in the 1930’s. Photos courtesy of Zugdidi Municipality. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and become a … Continue reading
About History – Hand Colored Photographs of Farming in 1950’s Georgia
With its rich natural abundance of fertile soil, clean water and favorable climate, Georgia has been producing a wide range of agricultural products for more than 3,000 years. During the Soviet era, Georgia was a leading agricultural country within the Soviet Union, providing up to 10% of inter-republic trade in the highest quality food. Soviet era … Continue reading
About History – Georgian Military Road
The Georgian Military Road (საქართველოს სამხედრო გზა) is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia. The 208 kilometer road from Tbilisi (Georgia) to Vladikavkaz (Russia) follows the traditional route used by invaders and traders throughout the ages. Although the route has been used since ancient times, the Georgian … Continue reading
About History – Early Photographs of St. David’s Church in Tbilisi
St. David’s Church (Mamadaviti) is located on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda (Geo. მთაწმინდა, meaning the Holy Mountain) in Tbilisi. The church is named after St. Davit Gareji, a Syrian priest who helped spread Christianity in Georgia in the 6th century and lived in a small cell where the church is now located. Each week, … Continue reading
About History – Color Photographs of early 20th Century Georgia by Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky (1863 – 1944) was a Russian photographer known for his pioneering work in photographing the early 20th-century Russian Empire in color. In 1901, Prokudin-Gorsky established a photography studio and laboratory in Saint Petersburg and a year later traveled to Berlin to study color sensitization and three-color photography. His best-known work during his … Continue reading
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