TBILISI: The Front Entrances of Sololaki. The City in Details

We will take a journey back in time — to the era when Sololaki was the heart of bourgeois Tiflis. We won’t just look at façades, but also step inside — into the grand stairwells, where stained glass, murals, wrought-iron staircases have survived, all with a “slight touch” of Soviet renovation.

Our guide, Giorgi Tsitskhvaya, is not just an expert, but a true collector of urban memories, able to “read” houses like books. With him, you won’t simply stroll along the streets — you’ll immerse yourself in the living architecture and memories of the city that still breathe within the stairwells of old Tbilisi.

We will talk about:
• The residents of these houses — merchants, doctors, actors, engineers;
• Tbilisi as a living city — not a museum: with sadness, humor, and stubborn beauty;
• What has been preserved, what is disappearing, and why.

We will see:
• One of the largest income houses of the Caucasus;
• A closed stairwell with murals preserved by 99%;
• The building of the pre-revolutionary Tbilisi “Business School”;
• A stairwell featured in the film “Seventeen Moments of Spring”;
• The house of a doctor with an original stained-glass window;
• The stairwell of the house where the Rustaveli Theatre was “born.”

Who is this walk for?
For those tired of standard routes and wishing to truly fall in love with Tbilisi — through a slightly opened stairwell door, a chance conversation with a resident, the spiral of a wrought-iron railing, and the smell of dust on old stucco.

Duration: 3 hours.

Starting point: Freedom Square, 2 Galaktion Tabidze St., by the City Hall building (near the griffins).

Organizational notes:

• It is not recommended to bring bulky items (backpacks, hand luggage);

• Radioguides will be used (for groups of 6+ people) with earphones provided by the guide. For convenience, you may use your own wired earphones (mini jack 3.5 mm);

• Pre-registration is mandatory! If you experience any issues with the website, please write to us at tbilisi@engineer-history.ru, and we will find a solution.