m̌ ḫ's photos with the keyword: Kutaisi

Batumi Mosque - Orta Jame is located in Adjara, Batumi, on Kutaisi Street. It is one of the oldest buildings in Batumi. It was built during the Ottoman rule in 1886. Orta Jame is a typical example of late Ottoman provincial architecture. The golden dome of the building and the tall, white minaret draw attention from the distance and play an essential role in creating the multicultural urban environment of Batumi. Batumi Mosque is a large building with a rectangular plan, which has a high minaret in the corner and a large gilded dome in the center. The exterior of the building is plastered and painted in white. The facades are separated by rectangular windows, which are surrounded by profiled trims and crowned with flat "pediments". Rectangular windows on longitudinal facades are replaced by circular ones, above which are depicted the lying crescents. The east entrance is the most richly decorated. It is flanked by pilasters supported by a tall, helmet-shaped arch. A round window is cut in the arch tympanum. The windows on the facades are arranged in two tiers, although the interior space is united. The wooden gable roof relies on four free-standing round pillars. At the top of the middle section there is erected a dome with wooden poles. The ceiling, dome and railings of the cathedra are decorated with colorful decorative paintings.

Shalva Konstantinovich Chikhladze was a Soviet light-heavyweight wrestler from Georgia who won a silver medal in the Greco-Roman light-heavyweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was born on July 12, 1912, in Kutaisi (Georgia/Russian Empire}, and died on January 14, 1997, in Tbilisi (Georgia). Chikhladze became interested in wrestling in 1920 when he saw Georgian professional wrestler Nikolay “Kolya” Kvariani, who was also born in Kutaisi. He started training in a club in 1930 when he moved from Kutaisi to Tbilisi. In 1935 he moved to Moscow and placed second at the Soviet championships; He won the championships in 1936 and finished third in 1937 and 1941. During World War II, he was wounded in action near Kaluga in late 1941. Later he collected three more Soviet wrestling titles in 1946, 1949, and 1950, and was selected for the 1952 Olympics, despite being 40 years old. Chikhladze won a silver medal, losing the final to Kelpo Gröndahl 1:2, and retired from competitions. Later he coached wrestlers in his native Georgia. The plaque is at the Heroes Square (63 Merab Kostava St,), Tbilisi, Georgia

Kutaisi was the first town we visited in Georgia, and we were immediately struck by the warmth and hospitality of its people. As we explored the city, a friendly family - two women, a daughter, grandma, and their dad - approached us at the beautiful Gelati Monastery. Though we were total strangers, they invited us to take a photo together, excited at the opportunity to meet some travellers visiting their city. Their kindness and inclusiveness embodied the Georgian spirit of treating every guest as a gift from God :)

Located on the side of the street next to Kutaisi City Hall, the Glory to Labour Monument is an interesting example of Soviet art. It was completed around 1980-1 designed by architects Vakhtang Davitaya and Shota Bostanashvili, with sculptures by E. Amashukeli and I. Bastanashvili. The monument is made of bronze and marble. As the name suggests, it is dedicated to the workers of Georgia reflecting the Soviet-era emphasis on the importance of the working class. It is a popular tourist stop for the visitors who are interested in Soviet-era architecture and design.

In 1999, the vehicles on the roads in Georgia were quite diverse. The most common car models were Lada Samara, Niva, Volga, O. Astra, VW Golf, H. Accent... The majority of cars on the road were old and damaged (described by some traveller as something straight out of 1975), with many spitting toxic fumes and probably many of these cars would not pass inspection in Europe. ccording to the Georgia Department of Public Safety's 1999 Annual Report the motor vehicle travel continued to grow at a rate of 5% each year, and the data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia show that the number of registered vehicles increased from 762,200 units in 1999 to 1,490,200 units in 2021. And one more observation. The policemen used whistles to stop the car and gather some pocket money to offset their extremely low wages. Locals said that the police only checked on in the morning, so the people who could not afford 'fines' would only drive in the afternoon.

The Glory to Labour Monument is an abstract monument located in the center of Kutaisi, Georgia. It was created by sculptors E. Amashukeli and I. Bastanashvili and completed in 1980. The monument is an example of Soviet-era architecture and art, and it is considered a former USSR monument dedicated to the working people of Georgia and celebrates their contributions to the country's development. The artwork is made of bronze and marble and is located in a public square in the center of Kutaisi, being a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of the city's history and culture. (It is worth noting that the monument should not be confused with the Glory Memorial, which was a different monument located in Kutaisi that was dedicated to the memory of those who died during World War II and was demolished in 2009 to make way for a new parliament building.)

The Gelati Monastery in Georgia is known for its vivid and intricate murals, including depictions of Hell. The wall paintings inside the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin is a multi-layered ensemble, and from the original decoration, only the mosaic in the sanctuary conch and the murals of the narthex have survived. The majority of the wall paintings in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin were executed after 1510, and the murals were commissioned by the Kings of Imereti in the 1520s, 1550s, and between 1560 and 1578. The Gelati Monastery is a masterpiece of the architecture of the “Golden Age” of Georgia and the best representative of its architectural style.

from ruined Bagrati Cathedral

The Bagrati Cathedral was constructed in the 11th century and is a cruciform-shaped church with four free-standing piers supporting the dome. It has a three-apsed construction to the east, with an elongated western arm. On the second floor of both sides of the west arm, there are galleries where women from royal families would have prayed. The restoration works began in the 1950s, and continued for several decades. In 1994, under Patriarch Ilia II, a fund was created for the reconstruction of the cathedral, and major conservation works were concluded in 2012.

The Bagrati Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Dormition, is an 11th-century cathedral located in Kutaisi, Georgia. The cathedral has been the subject of controversy due to its full-scale restoration and subsequent delisting from the World Heritage List. The restoration works on the cathedral began in the 1950s and has been a point of contention, with experts expressing concerns about the impact of the reconstruction on the cathedral's outstanding universal value and authenticity. The controversy surrounding the restoration and delisting of the Bagrati Cathedral has garnered significant attention and has been the subject of academic analysis. // This is the stage in 1999, and for the comparison I took the liberty to use a newer photo by hourglass . Another photo of the same by Peter Ashton

Gelati Monastery is a medieval monastic complex founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia on a wooded hill above the river Tskaltsitela, near Kutaisi. The main church of the monastery, known as the Church of Virgin the Blessed, was completed in 1130 in the reign of David's son and successor Demetré. The monastery is one of the largest medieval Orthodox monasteries, distinguished for its harmony with its natural setting and a well thought-out overall planning concept. Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia.

The Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi is located on a hill, providing a beautiful view of the city, the Racha mountain range, and the Rioni River. Visitors can enjoy the view of Kutaisi from the area around the cathedral, which is also suitable for a picnic. The cathedral is one of the main hallmarks of Kutaisi and is considered one of the four Great Cathedrals of Georgia. It is a masterpiece of medieval Georgian architecture and started a new era in the early medieval history of Georgian temple architecture. The cathedral was built in the early years of the 11th century, during the reign of King Bagrat III, to commemorate the unification of Georgia. The temple was partially ruined for centuries and was restored in 2012, mainly preserving the original image and style of the building.

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