Coming in various sizes- from the giant Mother of Georgia you’ll spot on the hill overlooking the city to the cheeky little Tamada you might trip over as you leave the tourist hotspot of Shardin Street, Tbilisi has much to offer in terms of statues, all of which have a story behind them to open up a totally new educational aspect on Georgia. Each month we’ll be taking you to a few of these statues and giving you the low-down- the kind of information that even your tour guide may not know!
KARTLIS DEDA
You can’t miss her- just look up. There she is- standing on the hill near Narikala Fortress above the Old Town. She was put up there on Sololaki Hill in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. Prominent Georgian sculptor Elguja Amashukeli designed the twenty-meter aluminium figure of a woman in Georgian national dress. She symbolizes the Georgian national character: in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends, and in her
right hand is a sword for those who come as enemies. You can get a closer look by heading up on the cable car from Rike Park or taking a walk via Narikala Fortress or the longer route through the old streets up past the glass complex belonging to Georgia’s ex-Prime Minister, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
KING VAKHTANG GORGASALI
Still in the Old Town, but just the other side of the river, you’ll see Metekhi Church at the top of the sheer rock cliff. In front of it you can meet King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the founder of Tbilisi as the new capital of Georgia.
Legend has it that he was hunting in the area, shot a pheasant and it fell into one of the natural hot springs. When he found it, it was fully boiled and he decided, based on the hot waters, that the area would be an ideal place to locate a city. The city was named Tbilisi (Tbili = warm). King Vakhtang moved the capital of his kingdom (then known as Iberia) from Mtskheta, about 20 km away, to Tbilisi at some point in the late 5th Century.
The statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali was created by Eluja Amashukeli and built by T.Kandelaki and D.Morbedadze. The statue was made in 1959 and installed in front of Metekhi church in 1967.
TAMADA
Before you cross the river, let’s head up Shardin Street to have a toast with the Tamada (Toastmaster). This sweet little character- with parts polished lovingly but those posing for photos, is based on a 7th century artifact found in Vani (Imereti region, Western Georgia). He was sat with his drinking horn in 2006 as a symbol of the 8000 year history of Georgian winemaking.
Now have a wander around the renovated streets packed with restaurants, bars and street cafes. Work your way to the river and the white-and-glass pedestrian Bridge of Peace (where you’ll enjoy the beautiful people-sensitive lighting at night).
RONALD REAGAN
Across the Bridge of Peace is Rike Park. Let’s head on over and grab a seat with Ronald Reagan. There he is- as big as life, sitting on the bench, legs crossed, ready for a photo with you. Make sure you bring some jelly beans!
The statue of Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States of America, was installed in 2011. The statue was sculptured by A.Monaseridze and designed by M.Maisuradze.
MIMINO
Now let’s take a walk up the hill and into the old district of Avlabari. Where you’ll find the the funny and endearing Mimino composition which was set up in Avlabari Square (near Sameba Cathedral) in 2011.
Mimino is a 1977 comedy film by Soviet director Georgiy Daneliya starring Vakhtang Kikabidze and Frunzik Mkrtch- yan. Anatoliy Petritskiy served as the film’s Director of Photography. The Soviet era comedy won the 1977 Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.
The Mimino Statue was designed by Z. Tsereteli and built by V.Beridze and D. Kalandarishvili.