Tbilisi: The Underground World. Learning to Read the Tbilisi Metro

The Tbilisi Metro was the fourth to be built in the Soviet Union. From the beginning of construction to the opening of its first six stations in 1966, almost 15 years passed. During that time, construction was repeatedly halted, and the design of the lines and stations was changed. By the early 1990s, the Tbilisi Metro had 21 stations on two lines, and work on a third line was already underway. Although only two new stations have opened since 1990, the metro remains a vital and popular mode of transport in the city today.

Much of what passengers encounter in the Tbilisi Metro can be seen in other post-Soviet metros — similar escalators, similar trains. However, Tbilisi’s metro also has its own unique features, especially in the artistic and architectural details that reflect Georgian styles of the 1960s to 1980s.