When people think of Chiatura, they most often envision tales of aging-yet-still-functioning rusty cable cars ready to chug their passengers slowly up into the Soviet past. Some might think first of the incredible towering Katskhi Pillar. To be honest, they aren’t far off.
Last week, through an online Facebook group for Georgian visitors and locals alike, I was asked to be an English-speaking tour guide for a family from New Zealand. I’d taken my friends through Chiatura, but never had I ‘gone professional’. We exchanged contact information, a point of contact, and the promise of a tour lasting no more than two hours. Needless to say, and much to my dismay, my tour did NOT last two hours; in fact, after five hours, I came to the realization that we’d still only seen a sliver of Chiatura’s offerings! I apologized profusely, but my followers were absolutely delighted- with four cable car rides and a successful hammer-and-sickle hunt, my guests were riding off their adrenaline rush (literally!). I guess it was a successful adventure after all!
We began our day with a visit to the Katskhi Pillar, a humongous, 41-meter rock column with a church and monastery on top - as much of a mystery as it is a wonder. The history books and locals say that the acre-plot of land on top was abandoned and even unreachable until 1946, when two climbers scaled the sides of the natural wonder. At the crest, the unsuspecting mountaineers discovered the body of the previous inhabitant and the treasures necessary to survive: water, wine vats, a small house, and a church with a robust garden. As for earlier history, it’s said that the pillar was a pagan temple before it became a church in the 10th and 11th century. Nowadays, Katskhi Pillar is firmly in the hands of the Orthodox Church with a recently renovated monastery surrounding the complex and a newly constructed ladder up the side. But it’s not accessible to the general joe- only men are allowed up and even then, only with permission from the monks. In any case, remember to dress conservatively and utilize the scarfs and aprons available to visitors.
Our adventure continued into Chiatura-proper with a delightful lunch at Café ‘Sophie Il Comme Faut’ which I swear to this day makes the best lobiani in the country! Satiated and mentally preparing ourselves, we headed to the two working cable cars or ‘sabagido’ in the center city. Outside the station is the sabagido I affectionately call ‘The Demon Drop,’ and for good reason! The ride is nearly vertical and the cable cars were built in the 50s with little to no maintenance since! Warning: the ride is not for the faint hearted, but the view at the top is worth it, with the chance to take a peek in a manganese mine shaft entrance and enjoy an excellent view of the city. Meanwhile, back inside the station, tourists will find a gentler cable car and a local icon painted on the wall: a manganese miner. When riding this gem, try to snag the window view on your way up, unless you’re afraid of heights, and take a moment to appreciate the black snake of a river flowing between the houses far below. At the top, walk towards the giant cross for an excellent view and when back at the bottom, don’t forget to take a snap of the Stalin and Lenin pebble mosaic on the exterior station wall.
Done, right? Wrong! We’ve only just begun! For the remainder of the tour, I personally recommend walking the rest of the main thoroughfare north in order to catch a real feel of soviet times, though there are plenty of taxis if you prefer to cruise it.
500 meters along from the central cable car station, the picture-perfect Chiatura sign, a relic of the Soviet past, written in both Georgian and Russian, is a stone’s throw away from Mghvimevi, a church-monastery situated in a cave halfway up the mountain and reached from the street by metal steps. See if you can find the anonymous skulls stashed away in the wall and be sure to check out the giant (and still-growing) stalagmite near the pulpit.
Continuing northwards, you’ll find the second set of cable cars. Although I’ve never ridden them, feel free to proceed at your own risk! Following the main road north, the 3rd set, and by far my favorite, cable cars await. With a newly renovated green exterior, this station is hard to miss. Shimmy your way to the top and check out the view on the way - the moving mine cars and activity below is a highlight not to be missed! At the top, exit the station and follow the beaten path on the left to what appears to be a rickety old shed; that’s another cable car station offering, in my opinion, the most exciting ride: this particular sabagido, with shattered windows and a shaky exterior, crosses the canyon to another mine shaft, and although there is little to see on either side, the ride will be sure to get your heart pumping!
Although I concluded my tour further north at the Soviet train engine, there is still much more to be discovered. Having lived and worked as an English teacher in the city, I found myself happening upon something new every day; weeks ago, I found out about a recent archaeological dig in a nearby cave complex, and I still haven’t found the rumored bust of Stalin. The World War II cemetery for the POW German soldiers is a must-see and the 20-or-so derelict cable car stations around the city are fascinating. And, of course, there are two other cable cars I haven’t ridden yet. Come with a fervor for exploration and a love of heights! Whether you’re a history buff or a thrill-seeker, Chiatura will not disappoint!
By Keegan Scott