Kutaisi

I fell in love with the old town at the centre of Kutaisi, Georgia’s third-largest city. It has a sophisticated, effervescent vibe. There’s public art all over, and somehow the neoclassical and art nouveau buildings get along with their socialist realism neighbours. The local universities bring hopeful-looking young people into town to laugh in the streets and keep the book and magazine vendors in business.

The Colchis Fountain, Kutaisi
The Colchis Fountain in the main square is modelled after the ancient jewellery found in the region. In Greek mythology the kingdom of Colchis, now western Georgia, was the land where Jason and the Argonauts found the golden fleece.
Curbside magazine vendor, Kutaisi.
Supporting literacy in three languages.
Sculpture of a man and boy sitting on a park bench, looking at a reel of film, Kutaisi.
This sculpture is near the Meskhishvili Theatre.
Sculpture of a boy sitting on the rail of a bridge stealing hats and dropping them in the river. White Bridge, Kutaisi.
The sculpture of the hat-stealing boy is found on the White Bridge.
Monument to the glory of labour, Kutaisi.
The monument to the glory of labour by Elguja Amashukheli.
Another part of the same monument.
Sculpture of Ekvime Takaishvili, Kutaisi.
Ekvime Takaishvili, a scholar of history and archaeology. He rescued the priceless artifacts of the Georgian National Treasury from the Bolsheviks, accompanied them into exile in France, and later arranged for their return in 1944.
Even the empty buildings have some architectural panache.
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