Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture

Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia even before the soviet rule has now become one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Georgia. People around the world travel to this place for many reasons. One of the major reasons is to witness the architectural marvels which are the result of various cross-cultural happenings over the years. Without further due let’s look at some of Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture.

Most of them are of complete Soviet architectural design. And some are a mix of modern architecture. Before understanding the importance of these structures, about half of them were ruined, abandoned or destroyed. But soon after people started realising the importance. That is when it started gaining noticed in mainstream travel media. The remaining ones have been renovated and maintained cautiously. These buildings would give you a perfect idea about the history of this place.

Top Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture

• Bank of Georgia headquarters
• Auditorium of the Industrial Technical College
• Former Archaeology Museum
• Technical Library
• Tbilisi Sports Palace
• The Ritual palace

1. Bank of Georgia headquarters

The Headquarters of the Bank of Georgia in Tsibili is one of the perfect examples of Soviet construction. Though the one we see nowadays is not the actual one that was built. This was acquired by the Bank of Georgia group in 2007. Soon after that, they renovated and re-purposed the structure according to their needs. Even after renovation, the place still holds the charm. And has become one of the Iconic structures in the whole of Georgia.

This was originally built in 1975 by Zurab Jalaghania and Giorgi Chakhava. And it served as a headquarters for the ministry of Highway construction. This was built using a method called space city, which is a perfect balance between human and nature. The use of land is minimised by reducing the size of the base. The trees are grown within the spaces. This makes it look like the building is being engulfed by a massive bush.

Also read: Natural Landscapes in Georgia That One Should Visit

2. Auditorium of the Industrial Technical College

The Industrial Technical college was established in the 1970s. This is one of the best Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture. This is an auditorium with massive internal space and sloping downwards. This kind of structure can also be seen in some parts of Southeast Asia, notably in Thailand and Cambodia. This means that this is not a complete Soviet architecture but also has some of its designs from different parts of the world.

Sadly, the college is no more in operation and the building is abandoned now. The basements of the buildings are also occupied by refugees. The architects were smart enough to perfectly fuse the function with the looks. This isn’t an easy combination to achieve. This is the reason for the auditorium to be popular among tourists.

Also read: Adventure Activities in Georgia: For the adrenaline rush

3. Former Archaeology Museum

The former Archeological museum is another Soviet structure that stands unique in the country. The Entrance of the museum is sure to capture a lot of eyes because of the square sculpture that looks uncommon. The locals state that the sculpture depicts the greek saying that the god knows everything. The complete construction was finished around the late 1980s and this would look like an entrance of a cave from a distance. 

Walk all the way around the museum to find another entrance on the rear of the museum. This leads to the old exhibition halls of the museum. This also has a fair number of visitors from across the globe every year. Travelling to the site won’t be a hassle as it’s just off the main road. The list of Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture wouldn’t have been complete without this.

4. Technical Library

The Former science library is otherwise known as Technical library of the State University. It is one of Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architectures located at a distance of about 10Kms from the city centre. This is a narrow rectangular-shaped building. The highlight of the building is those two holes on either side of the building, which were carved out symmetrically. And the rooms are equally spaced and so are the windows.

This makes the building look like a massive typewriter when you look at it from above. The architects were capable enough to build a perfectly symmetrical structure with such precision back in the days. Also, the columns holding the structures are very small in dimension. They look almost like a pole and sharp at the ends as well. You might not come across this kind of variety in architecture quite often.

Also read: Best Things To See In Batumi When On A Vacation in Georgia

5. Tbilisi Sports Palace

The Indoor sports arena situated in Tbilisi is called as Tbilisi Sports Palace. This is one of the largest indoor arenas in the whole of Georgia. This was initially built to host basketball alone. Later due to the commercial needs, other sports events like handball, Judo, boxing and even tennis at times have taken place. This structure dates back to 1961. And hosted its first basketball game in the same year. After the massive renovation that took place in 2007, this place has started hosting music concerts as well.

6. The Ritual palace

The Ritual Palace is one of the finest structures to have ever been built to be a wedding venue. It is one of Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architectures. Back in the days, people were so cautious about the architectural style. And that is the reason for the uniqueness of each region in the country. Back then, the architects wanted to build a hybrid structure defying the odds. They were successful in doing so. But the civilians were not so happy about it. And the structure was criticized initially.

Later people started accepting the new form of architecture. Since then this place has hosted a lot of events including weddings of famous personalities. In fact, the Palace is now owned by a private event management company. It still is being used to host several important events and this is one of the best romantic wedding destinations in Georgia.

I’m pretty sure by now you would have picked your choices from the list of Tbilisi’s Iconic Soviet Architecture to try out on your next Georgia vacation. We at Pickyourtrail help travellers with customizable itineraries. Check out our guides page for more info on the destination or leave a Whatsapp inquiry for more options.