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Tbilisi – Marneuli. Georgia 2 cities in 1 weekend
Alexander Zhidchenko
Express reference book for those who can fly in the first acquaintance with two cities, the main attractions which can be visited in one weekend.
Tbilisi – Marneuli
Georgia 2В cities inВ 1В weekend
Alexander Zhidchenko
Tbilisi-Marneuli
Georgia. Two cities inВ one Weekend
Photograph Alexander Zhidchenko
© Alexander Zhidchenko, 2018
© Alexander Zhidchenko, photos, 2018
ISBNВ 978-5-4493-3498-5
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
FOREWORD
Today the trip toВ Georgia for our compatriots is incredibly exciting, full ofВ impressions, bright emotions and adventures, immersion inВ the historical, cultural, gastronomic, natural and everyday atmosphere ofВ this amazing country located inВ the Western part ofВ Transcaucasia.
Increasingly popular inВ recent years are taking tours ofВ the sights ofВ Georgia, relatively small inВ size, but extremely rich inВ cultural flavor. Someone is going toВ Batumi toВ swim inВ the Black Sea and immerse themselves inВ the environment ofВ the post-Soviet resort. Someone is going toВ Kutaisi toВ see historical and modern Georgia with its rapidly changing architectural decoration. Well, we will go toВ the main city ofВ the country, the old and diverse city ofВ Tbilisi, which is very difficult toВ visit inВ one weekend toВ cover all its types, avenues, squares and streets, but which must be at least two days long toВ stay here Before going deep into the country for the sake ofВ mountains, the sea and nature.
So, we have only 2 days to go to the capital of Georgia, for which we have a goal to have an unusually long time – and to feel the rhythm of the city, and turn to the history of the country through the prism of the capital symbols of change, and immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of this people leading Its history since ancient times.
HOW TOВ COME TOВ GEORGIA?
Previously, the answer to this question was complicated. Cheap tickets were almost non-existent, and the trip by rail had its own difficulties. Today, everything has changed – and the air gates of Georgia open their doors to everyone who wants to come here for at least 2 days, at least for 2 weeks, at the cheapest prices in comparison with other countries of the former USSR.
IВ will give just an example toВ show how easy it is, because the ticket from Moscow toВ Tbilisi and back cost me inВ 2017 aВ little more than 7 thousand rubles.
The thing is that flights ofВ Pobeda airline flew here during this period. True, IВ had toВ make aВ transfer inВ Rostov-on-Don, and pass inВ the Rostov international terminal passport control, but this is aВ trivial matter.
It was possible to fly back on the flight of Pobeda airline, but from neighboring Armenia, the city of Gyumri. In truth, the trip to Georgia and Armenia was combined in one round, but now I will tell you in detail about the first part of this trip, but the second one is described in the book “Yerevan-Gyumri. Two cities in one weekend”, which will get you closer to the cultural and historical heritage and sights of Armenia.
ToВ tell you the truth, it is very easy toВ visit these two countries during one tour. At your disposal are trains, buses and minibuses following the Tbilisi-Yerevan route at very affordable prices. But first things first.
ABOUT COUNTRY
The modern name ofВ Georgia, which is also considered European, comes from the name ofВ St. George, the Orthodox patron ofВ this country. It is interesting that the Georgians themselves call their country Sakartvelo.
Its history, like the history ofВ the Caucasus, is the way ofВ the birth and development ofВ dozens ofВ different peoples who have lived inВ these places since ancient times.
1.В HISTORY
It is known that even inВ the period ofВ antiquity, inВ the VIII century BC. here the Greeks settled, and two centuries later the Anatolian tribes from Turkey came toВ these places. InВ the III century BC. here Iberian state was formed. It was adjacent toВ the Persian Empire, Albania, Sarmatia (the late Byzantine designation ofВ the Eastern European tribes). Iberia is considered aВ pre-feudal state where free farmers and warriors lived. Iberian state had often toВ fight with the Roman Empire, which managed toВ capture these territories inВ the 65th yearВ BC.
In 189 BC. the Roman army defeated the Seleucid army here, and a strong Armenian state was formed. At the turn of the 4th – 5th centuries, the western part of the Armenian state was captured by the Byzantine Empire. The Oriental got the Persians. Byzantium was able to exert great cultural influence on the population of this region. Many traditions in architecture, culture, music, fine arts, after experiencing Byzantine colonization, have survived to this day.
In the 7th century Arab Muslims came here and created a Muslim state – the emirate. Completely from the Muslim dependence, Georgia was able to free itself only in 1122.
InВ the Middle Ages, many times Georgia was under threat ofВ being under the rule ofВ the Persians or Turks, who had constant claims toВ this territory. Only the intervention ofВ the Russian Empire decided for several centuries the fate ofВ this country. InВ 1783, the largest ofВ the Georgian states, the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom, signed the Treaty ofВ St. George, which received the status ofВ aВ protectorate ofВ the Russian Empire.
InВ the XIX century, inВ the Caucasus, and inВ particular inВ Georgia, nationalist groups and parties enjoyed great popularity among the youth, inВ the end ofВ the century there was Joseph Dzhugashvili, the future leader ofВ the USSR, Joseph Stalin.
Keshwati Temple inВ Tbilisi.В 1910
After the October Revolution, on May 26, 1918, Georgia declared itself an independent state, which was abbreviated byВ analogy with the future socialist Germany, the GDR, the Georgian Democratic Republic. It existed inВ this form for aВ short time, and on March 18, 1921 its troops were crushed byВ the Bolshevik army ofВ the RSFSR. The power inВ Georgia passed into the hands ofВ the Georgian Bolsheviks, and then, together with Armenia and Azerbaijan, it became part ofВ aВ single Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic (ZFSFR).
InВ 1936 Georgia gained its autonomous independence, and inВ connection with the abolition ofВ the TSSFSR it became the GeorgianВ SSR.
InВ 1990, democratic elections were held inВ Georgia for the first time, inВ which several political parties participated. On April 9, 1991, Georgia declared its independence from the USSR.
The country in this period had prospects for rapid economic development, but the war and socio-political contradictions had their own plans, and in 1992—93. the country became very febrile, from which first ordinary residents suffered. Former members of Georgia-South Ossetia and Abkhazia-began a war of independence, as a result of which ethnic conflicts, pogroms, and migration of the population became the most common news stories.
2. MODERN GEORGIA
Today Georgia is aВ parliamentary republic that ranks 121st inВ its territory inВ the world, and 130th inВ population. Today, approximately 3В million 730В thousand people live inВ Georgia. 86% ofВ the population are ethnic Georgians. Among other peoples (inВ descending order): Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Russians, Ossetians, Yezidis (Kurdish ethno-confessional group), Ukrainians,В etc.
The country is divided into 59 municipalities, and four cities have republican significance: Kutaisi, Rustavi, Poti and Batumi.
The relief ofВ Georgia varies from highland toВ plateau and plateau. This determined the most diverse natural and geographical landscape. Here lies the Southern slope ofВ the Greater Caucasus Range, aВ continuous mountain chain connecting the Black Sea and the Caspian along aВ land length ofВ 1100В km.
The country has the richest mineral resources, various types ofВ soils, 3 million hectares ofВ forests. The climate varies from the influence ofВ the subtropical inВ the west ofВ the country toВ the Mediterranean inВ the east.
Modern Georgia is aВ kaleidoscope ofВ cultures, images, traditions. ToВ plunge into this diversity is possible only byВ personally arriving here toВ immerse yourself inВ all this atmosphere.
To visit all the most interesting and amazing places in Georgia, probably not enough and a whole year of staying here – so much in this country in all.
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE
ToВ go toВ Georgia you can bravely, armed with knowledge ofВ only one Russian language. On it, almost everything is spoken, except, perhaps, only for young children.
Memorial plaque on one ofВ the buildings along Rustaveli Avenue
Although inВ everyday communication everyone uses the Georgian language, if you ask something inВ Russian, you will be able toВ respond inВ the hotel, and inВ the market, and inВ the bus, and inВ the metro, and inВ the museum, and just on the street. But at the same time, all the pointers located on the territory ofВ the country are duplicated inВ two languages: Georgian and English.
GEORGIANВ LARI
Georgian lari is the national currency of Georgia. It was introduced in 1995 by the President of the country Eduard Shevardnadze in exchange for the transition currency from the ruble – the Georgian coupon.
One lari is divided into 100 tetri.
To date, 1 GEL is approximately 25—26 Russian rubles. When you arrive in Georgia, you can take with you rubles, dollars or euros. The rate is approximately the same.
Part 1В Tbilisi
ABOUT THEВ CITY
For the first time IВ was able toВ penetrate the culture and atmosphere ofВ this city at the Tbilisoba festival inВ 2015 inВ Moscow. Then there were many well-known figures ofВ the Russian stage, natives ofВ Georgia, Soso Pavliashvili, Tamara Gverdtsiteli and many others. Their songs so radically conveyed everything that the Georgian capital is famous for, that toВ many Muscovites present at this holiday, it seemed as if they had made aВ trip toВ this city.
But the real meeting with Tbilisi was accomplished only a few years later. For many of our compatriots who grew up in the Soviet Union, Georgia has always been a blooming garden, where it’s warm almost all year round, and the local national flavor has always amazed imagination.
After many years of Georgia’s independence, its sunny image changed in many respects to another – more strict, sometimes gray, distant and unfamiliar. In short, Soviet and modern Georgia, like Soviet and modern Tbilisi, is, as they say in Odessa, two big differences. But I’ll try to introduce you to both of them. With the way we saw it from the pages of magazines and film frames of the 1970s, as well as with the way you see it, having arrived in Georgia today.
So, let’s begin.
Even during the Roman Empire, in the I – II centuries. AD There was a city called Tbiliada, which is noted on many maps of the Caucasian foothills of this time. In this area, the remains of ancient baths were found. But it is believed that the history of the city is still from the turn of antiquity and the Middle Ages – V century, when it was founded by the king of Iberia Vakhtang Gorgasali. Leaving in the year 458 for the royal hunt, he shot a pheasant in these places, which fell into a hot spring and was welded. He liked the thermal springs so much that he ordered the establishment of a settlement here and the construction of a bath complex. They were the basis of the historic quarter of Abagotubani (“quarter of baths”). Its center is the remains of an old bath complex, as well as a fountain with a pheasant, to which the city owes its legendary appearance.
The heir ofВ Vakhtang Gorgasali, the king ofВ the Dacha, did much for the development ofВ the city. It was he who transferred the capital ofВ Iberia from Mtskheta toВ Tbilisi. With him around the city walls were erected, and Tbilisi itself grew very rapidly due toВ the favorable location on the trade route between Europe and Asia.
The city became the capital ofВ the united Georgia inВ 1122, when King David the Builder, the head ofВ the Bagratid state, entered here. The historical development ofВ the city with this moment through aВ series ofВ many wars, invasions, changes ofВ rulers and other events.
Since Georgia joined the Russian Empire, Tbilisi has become the residence of the so-called supreme Georgian government and commander in chief – the highest representative of the national military and civil authorities in Georgia and throughout the North Caucasus.
InВ 1840, Tbilisi became the center ofВ the Transcaucasian region. Polukis high administrative status, the city began toВ develop rapidly on the basis ofВ aВ mixture ofВ Russian culture and cultures ofВ the peoples ofВ the Caucasus. Here, markets, squares, fountains, apartment houses and public buildings were built. Many ofВ them are an important part ofВ the historical and cultural heritage ofВ Tbilisi and toВ thisВ day.
Tbilisi City Hall. 1840-ies.
The city was visited byВ famous writers, poets, composers, artists. There were Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Alexander Griboyedov, Leo Tolstoy, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Maxim Gorky, Konstantin Paustovsky and many others. The atmosphere ofВ the city and its inhabitants influenced the creativity ofВ each ofВ these world-famous geniuses ofВ theВ pen.
In the second half of the XIX century the population of the city grew in geometric progression. If in 1865 there lived 71 thousand people, then in 1897 – twice as many. Tbilisi became the center of the industry of the Caucasian region. Many plants and factories were built here. This predetermined the fact that the city became one of the pillars of the workers’ revolutionary movement.
InВ 1883, aВ tram started toВ ride through the streets ofВ the city inВ the form ofВ aВ horse.
At the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Joseph Stalin and his associates here launched a tremendous revolutionary and propaganda work, were the founders of the Leninist-Iskra organizations in the Caucasus.
Soviet Tbilisi as the capital of the Georgian SSR has developed quite actively and dynamically. Here were built richly decorated with stucco decor and columns of the capital’s administrative buildings, wide avenues, green boulevards, squares, monuments leading up and down in the mountain city of the staircase. In 1937, trolleybuses began to ride the streets of the city, in 1966 a subway was opened.
In 1989, the city’s population reached the highest point in the history of Tbilisi, and amounted to 1 million 259 inhabitants.
The existence ofВ Tbilisi as the capital ofВ independent Georgia enriched the city with new monuments, streets, buildings and structures. Unfortunately, much ofВ the period ofВ Soviet construction was lost, inВ 2006В the Tbilisi trolleybus and tram stopped its work. The city was shaken byВ more than aВ dozen political rallies and demonstrations, but it continues toВ develop, and very kindly welcomes guests from all over the world.
Today, the Tbilisi space can be divided into several parts. This is the space ofВ an ancient city, which includes archaeological sites, ancient temples and monasteries, etc. The second part is Russian Tbilisi, all the buildings, streets and quarters that have been preserved since the time ofВ the Russian Empire. The third part is Soviet Socialist Tbilisi, with its residential and public buildings designed byВ Georgian architects ofВ the 20th century. Many ofВ them at one time entered textbooks on the architecture ofВ the USSR as bold decisions and outstanding achievements ofВ our country. And, finally, the 4th part is Tbilisi modern, which seems toВ have been dissolved inВ the previous 3В parts, because it influenced all these parts. Somewhere lighting houses, somewhere inВ the reconstruction and restructuring, and many other ways.
Now is the time to delve into the routes to the sights of this city, at its most interesting, bright and unusual places that belong to the list of “mast visit” for several days of the wukend held here.
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFВ TBILISI NAMED AFTER SHOTA RUSTAVELI
Shota Rustaveli Airport, inВ which you most likely will fly, are the main air gates ofВ Georgia.
The first airport inВ the country appeared inВ 1952, the last year ofВ life ofВ Joseph Stalin. Its architecture corresponded toВ its time (late Stalin empire).
Then, inВ 1990В aВ new, more modern airport was built, which inВ 2007В underwent serious reconstruction, and today it meets all world standards.
InВ the parking lot near the terminal, the first thing that catches your eye is large solar panels that cover the car parks and protect the cars from the sun. For aВ day they collect the amount ofВ energy that is enough toВ illuminate the parking lots themselves and the surrounding roads at night.
ROAD TOВ THE CENTER
After the arrival, it is worth changing the ruble for aВ few lari so that you have the money toВ get toВ the center, and if the time later toВ have dinner somewhere, and also pay for the hotel or hostel.
The journey to the city center depends on your preferences and your wallet. In general, there are not so many options – either a taxi or a bus. If you choose a taxi, then prepare to lay about 15—20 lari (about 8—10 US dollars).
The most advantageous option is bus number 37. In the daytime he drives quite regularly, in the evening it’s a little worse, and that’s why it’s often crowded. The fare is only 0.5 lari (about 35 cents). On this bus you can reach the city center, Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue.
The bus stop is directly opposite the exit from the international arrival terminal.
THE KAHETIAN HIGHWAY
Route bus number 37 from the airport runs through the Kakheti highway, then – the first on your way metro station – Avlabari, from where you can get to any part of the city.
The final bus stop is Tbilisi Central Railway Station. In total, the journey takes approximately 40—50 minutes. In the winter, a little less, in the summer a little more.
Squirrel Hostel Tbilisi
InВ advance IВ booked on the site booking.com aВ place inВ Hostel Squirrel Hostel Tbilisi for one night. During the years ofВ travel, IВ noticed that hostels inВ the countries ofВ the former USSR are better booked on booking, while hostels inВ distant countries ofВ the world are more convenient toВ book at hostels.com.
IВ recommend this hostel toВ all. It is located almost aВ few steps from Freedom Square, from where it is close toВ all the main sights ofВ the city. At all thus cost ofВ one night here has managed toВ me only inВ 12,75В lari, that is about 300В rubles. Agree, not so much for spending the night inВ the very center ofВ Tbilisi.
The most interesting – the atmosphere of this hostel, located in a historic building. It combines the traditions of the Soviet Georgian apartment and the modern student hipster studio. The staff of the hostel speak Russian very well, and they will tell you the places that must be visited, where they can eat lunch and buy souvenirs, and also answer any questions.
By the way, the ceilings here were meters, probably five, no less. The beds looked like they were in a doll’s house.
NIGHT OFВ FREEDOM SQUARE
Throwing things, you have toВ go for aВ walk inВ the evening and night city. InВ winter it gets dark early, so tourists do not lose aВ minute toВ enjoy every instant ofВ staying inВ aВ new place.
Since the square, which IВ will tell you more about the history of, has important ideological meanings for modern Georgia, all buildings here are new or restored, and inВ the evening they are all illuminated with bright spotlights.
The movement around the monument toВ George the Victorious does not cease all night, like the youth returning from night clubs and discos.
PROSPECT SHOTA RUSTAVELI
InВ the evening and at night, the main street ofВ Tbilisi, Shota Rustaveli Avenue becomes the main attraction point for all those who can not sleep.
Walk along this avenue from start toВ finish inВ the evening, and you will fall inВ love with this city.
The arcades ofВ the Georgian Parliament building on Shota Rustaveli Avenue
This street, like many other famous sites in Georgia and beyond, was named after the medieval poet and statesman, the author of the textbook “Knight in the Panther’s Skin”, Shota Rustaveli. The poet lived in 1172—1216, and his legacy still lives, almost 1000 years later.
Monument toВ Akaki Tsereteli and Ilya Chavchavadze on Shota Rustaveli Avenue near the school building No. 1
(the former Tiflis Gymnasium)
Keshwati Temple inВ Tbilisi.В 1910
It should be noted that the streets named byВ his name are also inВ Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Tashkent, and many other cities ofВ the former USSR.
ACADEMY OFВ SCIENCES INВ THE EVENING
An important place on Shota Rustaveli Avenue is the building ofВ the National Academy ofВ Sciences ofВ Georgia with aВ restaurant, exchange offices and numerous shops inВ semi-circular arcades on the first floor.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
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