The Vanishing Tiflis. Urban Memories
About this experience
Urban memories - these are not just stories of its houses and residents, but also countless details: hatches in the pavement, pre-revolutionary letters, yellowed newspapers, and old signs on the walls of houses... All of this reflects the destinies of Tbilisi, Georgia, and even the world, all of this is part of my collection. Get ready: we are embarking on a journey through time!
What to Expect
History in the Street Patterns
Sololaki - once the wealthiest district of Tbilisi. Its luxurious mansions with magnificent plasterwork, paintings in the lobbies, and intricate balconies still remember the names of those who once lived in them: merchants, doctors, oilmen, musicians, party activists... These people, each in their own way, contributed to the appearance not only of the city, but also of the era as a whole.
Kalantarov mansion, "built in the name of love", "House of Lavrentiy Pavlovich" - the head of the Soviet NKVD, the school that once graduated Tariverdiev and Okudzhava, the place where "Seventeen Moments of Spring" were filmed, and even the house where the "killer" of Hitler himself lived!.. This is a very incomplete list of places and eras we are about to visit!
Details of the City That No Longer Exists
Time passes and leaves traces - memories. Very often they are hidden in the smallest details scattered around the city. They are "living", but, unfortunately, not eternal. And it is precisely through them - the disappearing ones! - that our route is laid out. They are not always immediately noticeable, but sometimes the stories in them are no less than in the most voluminous historical encyclopedia.
Water and telephone hatches from the pre-revolutionary past, Italian "Salve" signs in the lobbies, nameplates with the autographs of German locksmiths, insurance plaques... All these silent witnesses of history remember as much as not every resident of Tbilisi knows. And sometimes even more!
Collection
In addition to the details scattered around the city, the collection is also kept in my "box of fairy tales", which I always take with me on excursions.
Since childhood, I have been enthusiastically collecting all sorts of "trinkets" - from lighters in the courtyard to Soviet coins that grandmothers brought me from the entrance. This hobby has reached a professional level, and now the collection is a selection of Tiflis artifacts: postcards, old newspapers, photographs... And letters. Those that people wrote to each other. The very ones that shaped the appearance of the city and the era.
We will definitely touch upon these artifacts - this is the story that is not passed down in schools or institutes... And yet it is in it that all the charm lies! And through old newspapers and letters, it is felt particularly well.
And all this accompanied by local legends and a retinue of city dogs!
Organizational Details
- Be prepared to walk a lot!
- If desired, you can stop by a little place to rest and have a snack (this is not included in the tour price)
- Our adventures may take a little longer - what if you want to explore some "spot" in more detail or if we get into a conversation with a Tbilisi resident on the street who can tell more colorfully about their native city than any guide? We have a specific plan, but it's always interesting to deviate from it from time to time!
- If you need to join a tour on a date not available for booking on the website, contact me in private messages - I will try to accommodate you
Daria
September 20, 2024
Very interesting tour! Highly recommend. Georgiy was a wonderful guide, with erudition and sense of humor, the whole tour was accompanied by postcards of old Tiflis, clippings from newspapers and guides from 100 years ago!
NIKITA
August 14, 2024
Kids really enjoyed it, thank you!
Andrey
August 7, 2024
Not everyone is able to grasp such amount of information and details about the city and its history. However, immersing into the history with Georgi doesn't make the experience any less interesting. Walking through the inaccessible to tourists front entrances, exploring unique Tbilisi courtyards, se...
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