Museums of Tbilisi - frozen time, living history. Rest in Georgia The only art history museum, which is part of the Georgian National Association

Or from the embankment or from the Shardeni quarter. This is a large building with three floors, which is designed to tell about the history of the city, but in fact its exposition is very, very modest and the area is used mainly for exhibitions and souvenir shops.

Story

The museum building itself is a big piece of the city's history. As many people know, in 1795 Tbilisi was burned to the ground by the Iranians. After that, the city gradually begins to recover: houses and shops are being built, and over time, they begin to build what would now be called a "shopping center". They were caravanserais. Perhaps the first was the caravanserai of the Armenian Artsruni family, built in 1818. It was built on the foundations of an older caravanserai, and it seems that the first floor (which is not visible now) is almost the 15th century.

The building had 33 hotel rooms, 24 shops and warehouses. At that time, one of the facades of the building overlooked the river, but now it faces the embankment.

The finest hour of this caravanserai came in 1850, when the heir Alexander (future Alexander II) visited Tbilisi. On the evening of September 28, the Tiflis Armenians gave him a grand reception in the building of the caravanserai. At that time, a garden with a fountain and fish was arranged in the courtyard, and in the evening this garden was decorated with Chinese lanterns. Alexander walked along the "dark rows" (where the Sherdeni quarter is now), returned to the caravanserai, and from its balcony watched the Tiflis people arrange raft dances on Kura. All this fun lasted until midnight, after which Alexander returned to the newly built Vorontsov Palace. And the people walked for another three hours.

In those years, the caravanserai looked something like this:

The main facade was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style at the beginning of the 20th century, and the courtyard was decorated with metal bars a little earlier.

In Soviet times, a highway was laid in front of this facade, and the level of the river was raised. They say that part of the basement of the building was flooded at that time, and they are still filled with water.

If you're interested, you can walk around the building and look at its rear facade. It used to be a waterfront.

Modernity

The museum building has three floors. The entire lower one (-1) is occupied by small shops that sell souvenirs at inflated prices. The first floor is occupied by the actual exposition of the museum, and the third floor is reserved for temporary exhibitions. Usually contemporary artists are exhibited there.

We must immediately bear in mind that there is very little history as such in the museum. You will not learn anything about the founding of the city, about the Tbilisi Emirate, about the invasion of the Khorezmians or the Persian invasion of 1795. The main theme of the exposition is Tbilisi in the 19th century. Here you will see models of old houses, all sorts of old typewriters and plates, a copy of the Tbilisi restaurant of that time and a carriage. All this is very modest and does not cost 3 GEL. It happens that the museum is of interest only to specialists, but this is a more complicated case.

The third floor is always empty. Here is painting and graphics, and as a rule, contemporary artists are exhibited here. There is little interest in them in Georgia, and the artists themselves are far from being Malevichs.

One of the halls on the third floor

An example of painting on the third floor:

formal data

Cost: 3 GEL

Students: 1 GEL

Working hours: 10:00 - 18:00

Working days: Tuesday-Sunday

Address: Old Town, Sioni Street, Building 8

museums of Georgia

I have already said a little about the museums of Tbilisi in a previous post, but, strictly speaking, we have not been to the ethnographic museum. But on our last day in Georgia, we made up for lost time by visiting three museums of the capital. First of all, we went to the National Museum of Georgia. Simon Janashia is the main museum of the country, known primarily for its magnificent collection of Colchian gold jewelry from the 6th-4th centuries BC. But there is also a curious collection of ancient icons, magnificent examples of gold embroidery, an archaeological exposition, a fine selection of Iranian portraits of the Qajar era, as well as an odious museum of the Soviet occupation, where, of course, we did not go. Despite the huge amount of treasures, you can take pictures in the museum absolutely freely and any exhibits (in general, things are not bad with photography in Georgia, problems sometimes arose only in especially strict monasteries). And there is also a decent-level museum shop with a good selection of souvenirs and literature, including in Russian.

One of the most famous exhibits of the museum is golden women's pendants from Akhalgori (IV century BC), made in the Colchis style.

But the museum begins with an exposition dedicated to the primitive communal system.

Gold Colchian jewelry from Sairkhe (IV century BC).

Golden pendant from the grave of a noble Colchis woman from Vanya (5th century BC).

Pin from the burial in Vani (IV century BC).

From there - a beautiful silver belt (late IV century BC).

Hunting scenes are skillfully engraved on the belt.

Golden stripes on clothes from the burial of a noble person (IV century BC).

Silver spoon with the image of a bull and a dog (IV-III centuries BC).

A dish from a Roman period burial (II-III centuries AD).

Silver dish of the Sasanian era (III-V centuries AD).

Bracelets made of gold and gems from Armazi (III-V centuries AD).

The necklace is from there.

Magnificent silver vessels with hunting scenes (III-IV centuries AD).

Fine necklace from Armazi (II century AD).

Sandstone stele, Eastern Georgia (VIc).

Stele with Biblical scenes (VIII-IX centuries, South Georgia).

Air, gold embroidery (XIV century).

And its wonderful details.

Manuscript of the 12th-13th centuries and tools of a medieval scribe and miniaturist.

Icon of John the Baptist (early 14th century).

Large triptych of the Virgin (beginning of the XIV century).

And its details are Joachim and Anna.

Wonderful sakkos (Ipol. XVIII century).

Here are such luxurious embroideries on it.

Fresco of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, from the Church of Khala (end of the 15th-beginning of the 16th centuries), Western Georgia.

Another fine example of gold embroidery is a church shroud from Imereti (XVI century).

Nativity of Christ and Baptism (icons of the 17th century, Urbnisi, Eastern Georgia).

Gospel of the 16th century

Reliefs depicting King Ashot (left panel) (IXc) from the Clareti Monastery (now the territory of Turkey).

The Colchis cap (II-I centuries BC) was used for soldering when decorating precious metal products with precious stones.

Gospel of Alaverdi (1054, cover of the 17th century).

Figurines of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

And also a figurine of the early Iron Age.

Lamps of the ancient period (Vani, 1st century BC).

Persian books with miniatures of the 18th century.

The Museum of Georgia has a magnificent collection of Iranian Qajar portraits of the 19th century:

Woman with a mirror.

Sisters.

Musician.

Portrait of Faridun.

Portrait of Abbas Mirza.

Mohammed Shah.

Portrait of a woman from the time of Nasreddin Shah. This fashion spread in the Shah's harem after Nasreddin's visit to Russia, where he first saw the ballet. The enchanted shah, upon his return, ordered his wives and concubines to be dressed in this way.

And this is a decorative dish from Japan (XVIII-XIX centuries):

Opposite the museum is the Vorontsov Palace, built for the tsar's governor in the Caucasus, Mikhail Vorontsov.

A stone's throw from the Museum of Georgia on the same Rustaveli Avenue is the so-called. The Blue Gallery is an art museum of two and a half rooms (albeit rather big ones), which contains the largest collection of paintings by the famous Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani in the country. In addition, there are many paintings by David Kakabadze and Lado Gudiashvili (who, to be honest, as draftsmen are immeasurably higher than the self-taught Pirosmani, but the paths of world fame are inscrutable).

National Gallery of Georgia. Niko Pirosmani. Fisherman.

Niko Pirosmani. Still life.

Niko Pirosmani. Bear in the moonlight.

Niko Pirosmani. Donkey bridge.

Niko Pirosmani. Svir.

Niko Pirosmani. Tatar camel driver.

The deer is one of the artist's most famous paintings.

Niko Pirosmani. Family picnic.

Niko Pirosmani. Kazhetinsky train.

David Kakabadze. Tsotskhali fish.

David Kakabadze. Three citizens.

David Kakabadze. Holiday with friends.

David Kakabadze. Self-portrait.

David Kakabadze. Imereti. My mother.

Lado Gudiashvili. Pegasus.

Blue Gallery - National Gallery of Georgia (1888).

The situation with art galleries in Tbilisi is rather confusing. In my opinion, the main art museum in Tbilisi is the Museum of Fine Arts. Amiranashvili, which is located on Freedom Square. There are fewer Georgian artists here, but there are Russian, Dutch, Italian artists, and even one Cranach. There is also a treasure chest in the museum, where you need to buy a separate ticket (visit only with a guided tour, and quite expensive) and where, unfortunately, we didn’t get - several noisy school groups stood in line in front of us, and we didn’t have to wait until they passed. there was no way. However, we did not experience a lack of museum impressions that day; Therefore, we preferred to finally look into the beloved Racha cafe, where we ended our stay in Georgia with the next consumption of khinkali with good local draft beer.

Gigo Gabashvili. Old Tbilisi.

Lado Gudashvili. At a lake.

Yus van Cleve. Holy Family (XVI century).

Omophorion ser. XVII century with gospel scenes.

Shroud with scenes of mourning (XV century).

Konstantin Makovsky. Portrait of M. Volkonskaya.

The Museum of Fine Arts even has Lucas Cranach the Elder ("The Matchmaker").

Tbilisi museums attract many tourists from different countries. There are so many museums here that you need to stock up on enough time to see everything. But if you have come for just a couple of days and you don’t have much time to explore the country, but you want to see as much as possible, then we bring to your attention a list of the most interesting and popular museums in the capital of Georgia. Let's start our virtual tour.

Top 9 museums in Tbilisi

For the convenience of choosing establishments, we have compiled a rating list, having previously studied a large number of reviews on the Internet. But if your favorite museum in Tbilisi is not included, then it's okay. Do not forget that people's tastes can be completely different.

ninth place

In ninth place on this list is the State Museum of Georgian Literature, which bears the name of the great national poet Giorgi Leonidze. It is located in the very center of the city, so it is easy to get to it, almost all buses go there. Entrance to the museum is free, but if you want to use the help of a guide, then its cost depends on the number of people, as there are discounts for a group of more than twenty people. Here are collected the rarest texts, manuscripts and other exhibits of the X-XX centuries.

Eighth place

The Georgian State Museum of Theatre, Music, Cinema and Choreography ranks eighth. It contains about 200,000 exhibits that tell about the development of Georgian art. Among them are audio and video recordings, posters, costumes, manuscripts, photographs, as well as awards for outstanding Georgian actors. The museum's collection is constantly updated. It is located on Kargareteli Street, 6. The work schedule is five-day: from Monday to Friday, from 10 to 17.

Seventh place

The Money Museum of the National Bank of Georgia was opened in 2001. It has 3 rooms. In the first one, visitors will be able to see the history of the development of monetary circulation, starting from the 6th century BC. e. and ending with our days. In the second hall you will see ancient coins collected from all over the world, there is also a copy of the coins of David IV Agmashenebeli. And in the latter, modern money will be presented to your attention, which are divided into groups dedicated to different continents.

The museum is located on Leonidze Street, 3/5. Open 5 days a week, except Saturday and Sunday, from 9.00 to 18.00. The ticket price is 5 lari (or 115 rubles), discounts are provided for children.

In sixth place

The Pirosmani Museum in Tbilisi ranks sixth. It is dedicated to the life of the famous Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani (Pirosmanishvili). The museum was opened in 1984 by the decision of the first secretary of the city party committee.

Not as much is known about this artist as we would like. At an early age, he lost his parents and moved to Georgia, where he mastered the art of drawing. An interesting fact: the exact place of his burial has not been found.

The museum is located in a small basement where Pirosmani spent the last years of his life, and includes only a couple of hundred exhibits. Its address: Pirosmani street, 29. Opening hours: from Monday to Friday 11.00 to 19.00. Entrance costs 3 lari.

Fifth place

The Tbilisi Art Museum has over 150,000 copies of rare works of art. The most unique exhibits were the cross icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the golden cup of Bagrat III. Also here you can see many paintings by Russian artists such as Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Valentin Serov, Vasily Surikov and other European masters.

There are not only paintings, but also figurines, dishes, carpets and shawls. The museum is located on Gudiashvili Street, 1. Admission is free, but please note: the day off is on Monday, and the museum is open from 10.00 to 17.00.

Fourth place

The most interesting museum for children will be which was opened in 1937. Unfortunately, in the 90s it was robbed and closed for 15 years. Restored and replenished, it opened only in 2008.

Now in the museum there are about 3000 dolls from different countries of the world and materials. There are absolutely amazing exhibits here: clockwork, ivory, musical and many others. The delight of children knows no bounds when they come here. It remains to clarify the address: Shavteli street, 12.

Third place

It is occupied by the Tbilisi Ethnographic Museum. It is located in the open air. The purpose of the museum is to show the individuality of the architecture of each region of the country. It has collected 8,000 pieces from fourteen regions, making it resemble a village made up of various buildings. In addition to geographical differences, the exhibits also differ in history. The age of the oldest of them dates back to the 5th century AD. Here you can also see various auxiliary buildings: forges, cellars (marani), barns and stables. And in ordinary rooms - interesting household items of that time.

Opening hours are from 10:00 to 20:00, and the last ticket sale is half an hour before closing. A ticket costs 1.5 lari, and for schoolchildren and students even less - 0.5 lari. We recommend that you take the help of a guide to explore this museum, otherwise you simply cannot understand some things.

It is located at 1 Turtle Lake Road. The museum can be reached by taxi or from the Bagebi stop by bus.

Second place

The Museum of the Soviet Occupation of Tbilisi is part of the network of museums in the country. He received his share of fame due to good advertising during the development of anti-Soviet sentiments in Georgia. Despite the policy of this museum, it is very interesting and informative. The complex was founded on May 26, 2006, but was almost immediately closed for repairs. And only 5 years later it was reopened to visitors. The museum reflects the history of the Soviet period in Georgia. It is distinguished by modern decor and darkened walls, as well as musical accompaniment.

When you enter the room, you will see a part of the car where the rebels of 1924 were shot. The exposure must be viewed clockwise. There are a large number of documents and various historical photographs. There are exhibits from the 20s and 30s of the last century. And in the central part you will see the commissioner's table, at which you can even sit.

Information that may be useful: The Museum of the Soviet Occupation of Tbilisi is part of the National Museum complex, so the opening hours, location and ticket prices are the same.

Tbilisi National Museum

He takes first place. It is a whole network of museums, which also includes 13 institutions throughout Georgia. Its second name is the Georgian National Museum. During its existence, the complex survived many trials: in 1921 it was transported to Europe and returned only in 1945, the museum also suffered in 1991 during the change of power and during a strong fire in 1992.

This museum is interesting because it is completely connected with the culture of the Caucasus. It is completely located on the first floor, where there is a collection of Georgian antiquities, namely coins, weapons, ceramics and jewelry, whose age dates back to the 2nd century BC. And also here is a fascinating collection of stones with engraved Urartian inscriptions.

Information that may be useful: G The work schedule for all the museums of the complex is the same - from 10:00 to 18:00. The working week consists of six days, but the day off is on Monday. The ticket price for an adult on the territory of the complex ranges from 3 to 5 GEL, and discounts are provided for visitors under 18 years old. The museum is located on Prospekt 3, not far from the metro station "Ploshchad Svobody".

The capital of Georgia is famous for its huge number of attractions, among which the museums of Tbilisi take pride of place. A large flow of tourists visits them every year, spending more than one day on it in order to see as much as possible. There are situations when there is not much time for walking around the city, but you want to look at Georgian life, old paintings, exhibits, paintings and artifacts. Below is a list of popular places in the city, visiting which will bring aesthetic pleasure.

Tbilisi National Museum (National museum of Tbilisi)

It is part of one single network that unites many historical institutions of the country, which is called the Georgian National Museum. The merger took place relatively recently in 2004 due to the reforms taking place at that time. For simplified management, it was decided to create a network of the largest museums, at the moment their number reaches 13 pieces.

The Georgian National Museum is the oldest representative of the art corner, founded in 1825 and survived several unpleasant events. In 1921, he was taken to Europe, and the return took place already in 1945. In 1991, during the change of power, the building received multiple damages, and a year later there was a fire. At the moment it is the best state museum dedicated to the history of the Caucasus.

On the first floor there are halls that have collected a museum exposition of the epoch of the llth century. BC. - coins, tools, utensils, jewelry. The most interesting exhibit, tourists find the petrified remains of an ancient man who lived 2 million years ago. They belong to representatives of a species that lived off the coast of Africa.

The second and third floors are dedicated to the period of Soviet occupation.

Museum of Soviet occupation (The museum of Soviet occupation)

The opening took place in 2006, but it did not last long due to the closure for repairs necessary for the old part of the building. The restoration was completed in 2011, presenting renovated halls that create a striking contrast with Soviet symbols dating back to the historical period of Georgia 1921-1991. The modern interior, lighting, musical accompaniment in the hall distinguish the museum from similar institutions in the country.

At the entrance there is a fragment of the carriage in which the revolutionaries of 1924 were shot. Further, the movement through the hall proceeds clockwise, where you can see historical documents and photographs of the victims of political repressions in Georgia. The exhibits of 1920-1930 are of particular interest. In the center of the hall there is a commissioner's table where you can sit down. Despite the historical value describing the brutality of the Soviet regime, the opening of the museum was condemned by certain Russian politicians pointing to the propaganda of nationalism in Georgia.

Ethnographic Museum of Georgia

A very unusual adventure will be a visit to an open-air ethnographic corner in Tbilisi, which was given life by the historian Giorgi Chitaya in 1966. The best exhibits brought from different parts of all 14 ethnographic regions of the country are stored on the territory. The exposition is divided into the same number of parts.

The museum complex resembles a village, in which, in addition to buildings, there are additionally:

1. Barns;
2. stables;
3. Kitchens;
4. hunting lodges;
5. Wine cellars.

It is very interesting to visit the buildings intended for housing. Inside, everything looks like in historical times. Each room corresponds to a certain region and includes its furniture, utensils, clothes, tools.

Among household items, a very interesting and popular is a deep goblet, inside of which a ring was placed at the bottom. The vessel was filled with wine, which a person must drink in one gulp. The test was considered passed when the knock of the ring on the empty goblet is heard.

Tbilisi museum of Pirosmani

Founded in 1984 Museum, completely dedicated to the life and work of the famous Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani (Pirosamishvili). The biography of the master is filled with interesting facts that surprise and deserve admiration for this person.

It is known that Niko is a native Georgian who became a self-taught artist. In early childhood, he lost his parents, so he had to learn to read and write on his own. Having changed many ancillary jobs, the artist decided to make a living doing what he loves, painting signboards and gradually revealing his talent. At this time, popularity comes to him, which did not bring the long-awaited financial profit. A couple of years later, Niko dies in poverty.

One of the halls is a small room under the stairs, where Niko Pirosmani spent the last years of his life. The viewer is presented with hundreds of works by the master, among which paintings on oilcloths and copies of famous masterpieces are of interest.

In the other halls of the museum there are Pirosmani's personal belongings, his bed, work desk and his mother's author's carpet.

Doll museum

This is one of the most popular places to visit not only for adults, but also for young children. The founder was the teacher Tinatin Tumanishvili in 1933. Initially, only a couple of rooms of the kindergarten in Tbilisi were allocated for the collection. Later, as new copies were replenished, the museum moved to the House of Pioneers. In the early 90s, a robbery took place, 24 unique dolls were stolen, which have not yet been found.

At the moment, 3000 exhibits have been collected, among which are the best works of both folk craftsmen and representatives from different parts of the world, such as China, India, Europe, etc. Dolls belong to the era of the 19th-21st centuries and are made of various possible materials. The most popular works are:

• Russian dancing doll named Svetlana;
• A puppet holding a pearl;
• Bubble-blowing doll;
• Ensemble of playing dolls.

For those who are interested in the culture of the Caucasus, in Tbilisi the National Museum of Georgia will be an excellent guide to better touch the history of this country. For other visitors, this will be a new and educational pastime and discovery.

The National Museum of Georgia, at the moment, is a system of several museums, and this building (Rustaveli, house 3) is only part of it, the Simon Janashia Museum. Inside you can see gold from Vani, hominid bones from Dmanisi and one of the largest collections of Urartian inscriptions in the world. Not open on Mondays. Entrance costs 5 lari, the ticket allows you to see the whole museum. Only the Golden Fund and the famous museum of the Soviet occupation really work.

The spacious, strict building is restrainedly stylized as old Georgian architecture. Previously, the Caucasian Museum, which has existed since 1825, was located here. The museum is a unique repository of items of Caucasian culture. The pearl of the museum is the Golden Fund - materials from excavations at the Trialeti burial mound (II century BC). This included gold and silver vessels, ceramics. The golden goblet, adorned with precious stones and geometric patterns, gained fame all over the world. The museum collection contains jewelry of the 5th-4th centuries. BC e., collections of coins and weapons from the countries of the Middle East, handicrafts, fabrics, carpets, clothes, magnificent wood carvings.

Ethnographic Museum in Tbilisi

The most active creator of the Ethnographic Museum in Tbilisi was academician Giorgi Chitaya, a prominent scientist, head and founder of the Georgian ethnographic school.

Despite the fact that the idea of ​​creating a museum was still in the late 30s of the last century, it was possible to open the museum only in 1966.

This is due to political pressure on an independent academician, it was often such that he was sharply criticized at meetings. He was not awarded, he only had a medal: Friendship of Peoples,

The museum occupies almost 50 hectares, which house about 70 residential and commercial buildings brought from different parts of Georgia.

Each house has a huge number of things that people used several centuries ago.

The museum is located within the city at the Turtle Lake, the entrance fee is approximately 2 lari (10 UAH), the opening hours are daily, except Monday, 11.00-16.00.

State Art Museum of Georgia

The State Museum of Arts of Georgia is a collection of art collections not only from Georgia, but also from the East, Russia and Europe. The collection fund is about 140,000 unique works of art.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a National Art Gallery here, but due to the demand for the conceived idea, its scale increased, and replenishment with new exhibits, which included not only historical canvases, but also manuscripts, metal products, jewelry, one of the most important museums in Georgia. The museum itself moved several times and for some time its exhibits were even in the church, so all the collections remained untouched even in the most turbulent times of the country.

At the present time, such a large number of people have shown their desire to look at the national treasures of the nation that the Museum began to frequently hold temporary exhibitions in other museums in Georgia and abroad. Among the treasures of the museum are priceless masterpieces of medieval coinage of the 8th-13th centuries, the golden cup of Bagrat III (999), the golden pectoral cross of Queen Tamara, decorated with emeralds, rubies, and pearls, with the inscription "King and Queen Tamar". This cross was made in the last quarter of the 12th century.

The museum houses the oldest in Georgia, dating back to the 6th century, the Anchi Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands (Anchiskhati). Here you can see works of Chinese and Japanese art, monuments of Egyptian, Iranian and Indian art, shawls from India, Turkey, Iran, Persian carpets.

Fine art is represented by paintings by European masters, Russian artists - I. Repin, V. Surikov, V. Serov, I. Aivazovsky, A. Vasnetsov.

Sights of Tbilisi