Tbilisi Quest Tour: Down from Mtatsminda

 

Welcome to your Tbilisi Quest Tour “Down from Mtatsminda”!

Thank you for purchasing this amazing experience. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the Quest. Please kindly read the instructions below, enter the one-time password that you should have received, your name and email address (associated with your purchase).

 

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Tbilisi Quest Tours

Down from Mtatsminda

Hello and welcome to our “quest-adventure” down the slopes of Mount Mtatsminda! As always on our routes, we will tell you the most interesting stories and legends, asking tricky questions and testing your perceptiveness along the way. But first, here is a little background!
“Mta”-”tsminda” in Georgian literally means "holy mountain." What makes it so holy, you might be wondering. Well, legend has it that in the sixth century, St. David Garejeli, a Christian monk who was also one of the “13 Assyrian Fathers” and a founder of Georgian monasticism, settled down on the mountain. Much later, in the 19th century, the Church of St. David (Mama Daviti) was built on the site of his prayer house. The spring next to the church is said to have healing properties, helping cure infertility. In 1929, the nearby necropolis was declared the Mtatsminda pantheon. It is the final resting place for some of the most prominent members of the Georgian society - famous writers, artists, scholars and national heroes are all buried there.
By the end of the 19th century, Tbilisi was a rich, densely populated and fast-growing city. Successful merchants, winemakers and landowners in search for new territories, locked their eyes on Mount St. David. It was here, in the fresh air, along the slopes and on the summit of the mountain, that the wealthiest residents chose to set their family estates, country homes, gardens and parks.
As a result, the completely "bald" mountain, looming over medieval Tbilisi, gradually began to grow some "hair": well-groomed gardens, homes, a cable car and coniferous forests. Due to the historical events that followed, not all plans were destined to become reality, but regardless, Mtatsminda is now one of the busiest residential areas in Tbilisi.
Stories of its famous inhabitants, urban legends, facts and the most fascinating buildings all await you today. And, of course, don’t worry about getting bored since that is not going to happen – our quests and riddles are ready and waiting to meet you along the streets of Mtatsminda. Get a move on! Good luck 🙂

 

  • Follow the instructions.
  • Find clues by answering the questions.
  • Some answers will require close attention to your surroundings, some answers are hidden in the texts preceding the question.
  • Pay attention to details!
  • Make sure your smartphone is charged and connected to the internet and you may want to have a headphones. 

 

Proceed to your starting point at any time, enter the one-time password you received on your email and start the Quest! 🙂

 

STARTING POINT: The lower station of Tbilisi Funicular on Chonkadze Street

 

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Location 1: The lower station of the funicular

Seeking to expand the city, municipal authorities chose an infrastructure solution that was absolutely revolutionary for that time - a cable railway also known as a funicular (from the Latin term funiculus - rope). This mode of transportation appeared towards the middle of the 19th century, almost parallel to that of steam locomotives. In fact, the first funiculars operated on steam. The funicular to Vesuvius, built in 1880, achieved world fame.

In 1900, the Tbilisi City Administration contracted a Belgian company to build a similar funicular designed by engineer Alphonse Roby. In 1905, the construction was completed on New Year’s Eve, and on December 30 two brand new cabins accommodated their first passengers. The same Belgian company managed the funicular until the Soviets took over.

 

 

 

During the Khrushchev period, both stations of the funicular were clad in concrete, giving them a grim modernist look. It was not until 2012 that the lower station had been finally restored to its original shape. Well, almost.

 

 

Compare the old photo with the actual building: what functional element of the original building did modern architects decide not to return to its original location?

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

currently, this function is performed by the window in the booth to the right of the entrance

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Location 2: Vilnius square

A small cozy square right opposite the lower funicular station appeared on this spot before the construction of the cable car began. Despite the almost complete absence of transportation, construction and settlement around Mount Mtatsminda took off in the first half of the 19th century. Created during this period, the "Upper Tiflis" society brought together the district’s developers and landowners.

And this is when this square was built. Just like today, this green corner was favored by Upper Tiflis inhabitants as a place to sit down and unwind. A few years later, to fix the transportation bottleneck, a tram was launched down the street from here, in the direction of the upscale ​Sololaki district and the Old Town.

 

 

Today the square is named after the capital of Lithuania - Vilnius. Multiple symbols of the city can be found there: the legendary iron wolf, the white Angel - the city’s symbol, and even the constitution of the Free Republic of Užupis (a district in old Vilnius that declared its "independence") ☺. Those who have been to Vilnius and, in particular, its Cathedral Square, will easily recognize a replica of the famous street tiles "Stebuklas" ("Miracle").

In Tbilisi’s replica of the tile, the word "miracle" is also inscribed in Georgian. Try to find this tile and, by comparing the words, choose the correct spelling of the word "miracle" in Georgian from the options below 🙂

 

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Location 3: Batu Kraveishvili street

 

Behind the park there is a narrow street leading to the Mtatsminda district. By following it, you will plunge into one of the most interesting and historically significant corners of Tbilisi. Go around the square on the right side and head towards the sharply descending Batu Kraveishvili street.

Pay attention to the small tunnel - it passes through the rock right under Vilnius Square, with its ancient, arched entrance closed by a metal lattice door. This tunnel was built around the same time as the funicular. Apparently, its only function was to drain wastewater. The system was rather primitive: coming down the slope, water flowed directly onto this street, and would gradually get absorbed into the cobblestone paved soil.

 

 

This tunnel, mountain streams, and the street’s drainage function gave it its very first name, preserved until 2019. What was it called until recently? Give it a bit of thought and try to give the right answer.

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

Water literally was streaming down this street due to its steepness

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Location 4: Mtatsminda turn, house #4

Instead of “following the flow” on Stream street, we turn left onto the Mtatsminda Turn and reach house number 4. Dilapidated and in serious need of renovation, this early 20th century home is a must-see on any Tbilisi city tour. Every guide will tell you about the mysteries surrounding this building and suggest that you take a closer look at the front door.

Once upon a time, the door was double-leafed and decorated with one of the most exquisite grilles in the entirety of Tbilisi. Only a fragment of it survived until today. Usually, decorative grilles on old homes aren’t that unique - patterns are often repeated in one way or another. This door is truly one of its kind - you will not be able to find such an Angel anywhere else in Tbilisi.

 

 

Unfortunately, we don’t exactly know who was the original owner and the year in which this building was built. Most Old Tbilisi enthusiasts believe that it was built in the early 1900s, at the same time as the cable railway to Mount Mtatsminda, to accommodate the project’s engineers and construction workers.

This version of the story is supported by the emblem, which is still visible on the facade. It depicts two tools - a hammer and ... Find the emblem and name the second tool.

 

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Location 5: Mtatsminda Turn, house #1

 

As you advance a bit further, please pay attention to the house across the street. The inscription in Cyrillic on the threshold at the front door reads “D. BARATOV ". Built in the late 19th century, this home belonged to David Zakharievich, a scion of the noble Baratashvili family.

David Baratov (Baratashvili) was a prominent statesman in end-of-19th-century Georgia - he was friends with Ilya Chavchavadze and the two loved to play backgammon together 🙂 ! Sadly, his house on Mtatsminda, built in the Art Nouveau style, often goes unnoticed.

Pay attention to the family coat of arms of the Baratashvili clan, carved at the very top of the house, above the front door. The coat of arms can be easily inspected. With an imperial crown at the top, it includes 4 elements:

  • a golden banner with interweaving arms (a bow with arrows and a sword) which are a tribute to the military and historical merits of the family;
  • lions standing on their hind legs, symbolizing strength, courage and generosity;
  • fortress towers.

There are a number of Baratashvili's coat of arms versions exists. The only difference in them is a fortresses' representation: in one case it is a family manor in Lamiskana, South of Georgia (supposedly, this is the one you see here on the building)...

 

 

Another one depicts Salkhino Tower in Vashlovani, East of Georgia

 

 

and third option, most popular one, is populated with family's castle Samshvilde in the South of Georgia. From Georgian “Samshvilde” is translated as "a place for archers". And, most likely, so that no one would confuse the Baratashvili family castle with hundreds of other Georgian fortresses, a certain element was added to the towers on the coat of arms...  On the picture below we have hidden the element with white square 😉 Turn on your logic and let us know what's hidden?

 

 

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

In addition to the bow itself, any archer also needs this ...

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Location 6: Vakhtang Mosidze street

Let us head back in the direction of house number 4 (the one with an angel on its door), go around it and then turn left onto Vakhtang Mosidze Street.

We’ve already talked about the cinematic history of this building. The photograph below shows a frame from the 1969 film "Look at these Young People!" (by the talented director Rezo Chkheidze). In the frame, you can see this much-talked-about house. According to the plot, one of the main characters, a young man named Temuri, begins his daily walks with friends from this very spot, passing through the gates which you can see in the lower right corner of the frame. These gates, as well as many other things visible in the photograph, haven’t budged.

 

 

Find the location from which this shot was taken and compare how much the street has changed over the past 50 odd years.
Also, please pay attention to the house, the porch of which is visible on the left side of the frame. Lesya Ukrainka, a famous Ukrainian writer, rented an apartment in this house for a year and a half. In the letters to her mother, Lesya Ukrainka wrote: “I live in a wonderful hut, in a beautiful and healthy part of the city. And, in general, I feel at home. "
This phrase from the letter tells us, people of the 21st century, that Mtatsminda has always been a nice area to live in from an ecological standpoint 🙂 . But, in what year did Lesya Ukrainka settle on the Holy Mountain?

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Location 7: Besiki Square

 

The windows of the 2nd floor apartment, where Lesya Ukrainka once lived, overlook the monument dedicated to Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, a classic of Georgian literature, poet, statesman and diplomat.
And though the square in which the monument stands is named after another famous Georgian poet - Besiki (Besarion Gabashvili), its central part is embellished with citations from Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani’s collection of classical Georgian fables and short stories "A Book of Wisdom and Lies" (written in the 1680s). Some characters from Orbeliani’s fables are part of the fountain’s sculptural composition right in the middle of the square.

 

 

Born in 1658 in Orthodox Georgia, Sulkhan Saba started secretly following the Catholic faith in 1692. While on a diplomatic mission in Western Europe in 1713-1716, he officially converted to Catholicism and sought help from the Pope and King Louis XIV of France in Georgia’s battle against the onslaught of Persian Safavids.
It is believed that the New Georgian literary language was shaped through Orbeliani's works. He also compiled the "The Georgian Dictionary" - which has not lost its scientific significance to this very day.
On November 3, Georgia celebrates a certain professional holiday timed to coincide with the birthday of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani. According to the professionals themselves, they should be trying to follow Orbeliani’s example in their work. What holiday is this?

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

An “à-la-rusty” style information board will help you find the right answer

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Location 8: Besiki street, house #24

 

Now you need to walk through the entire square and exit next to the recently restored house with a clock on top of its corner facade. Walk down along the left side of the house with the clock - this street is named after a Georgian poet Besiki - until you reach a small house number 24, on your right.

 

This simple-looking building prolongs the theme of literary Tbilisi. At the turn of the 20th century, this house served as the residence of Jalil Mamedkulizade, a famous Azerbaijani writer, journalist and educator. He was born in 1866 in Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan, graduated from the pedagogical seminary in Gori, Georgia, and worked as a teacher in numerous cities of Armenia’s Erivan district. In the early 1900s, Jalil moved to Tbilisi in order to work for the Azeri newspaper “Shargi-Rus” up until founding his own satirical magazine in 1906.

 

 

The magazine became Jalil's main claim to fame. Its satirical, cartoon-style articles gave birth to the critical realism genre in the Azerbaijani literature. Oskar Schmerling, a well-known artist in Tbilisi at the time, closely collaborated with the magazine. Ridiculing the medieval customs and social norms of the Caucasus, Schmerling’s caricatures are still appreciated today.
By making fun of both the Russian Tsar and the Iranian Shah, the magazine employed satire to push bold revolutionary ideas in the realm of education, discussed political events, fought for women's rights, and in every possible way propagated Western ideas.

 

The magazine’s simple style and the fact that practically half of the 8-page edition was made up of drawings and cartoons, won over the common folk, beyond the narrow literati circles. All you have to do now is figure out the name of this early 20th century media outlet ...

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Location 9: Vakhtang Kotetishvili street, house #20

 

Go back, walk around the house with the clock (from its right side this time) - you should find yourself on Kotetishvili street. Directly in front of you, on the opposite side of this tiny street, you’ll see a small house, number 20, with a traditional Georgian balcony.
Olga Guramishvili - widow of the great Georgian statesman, politician and writer Ilya Chavchavadze, lived here for several years. Like her husband, Olga came from a prominent noble family. She was part of Georgia’s enlightenment movement and between 1895 and 1906 stood at the helm of the “Charitable Society of Georgian Women”. After the assassination of Ilya Chavchavadze in 1907, Olga asked for his killers to be pardoned. She donated the family home in Tbilisi (now serving as the House-Museum of I. Chavchavadze) and the family estate in Saguramo to the "Society for the Promotion of Literacy". In 1908, thanks to her efforts, a school was opened in Saguramo.

 

 

Olga Guramishvili moved to this Mtatsminda home in 1909 in order to be closer to her deceased husband. Every day, she climbed to his grave by the Church of St. David. Having aged and no longer capable of the daily climbs, Olga started going out onto the balcony, from which the Church was visible. She would light a candle uttering the words "I am coming to you" ...
Olga Guramishvili lived in this residence until her passing, after which she was buried next to her husband at the Pantheon of Georgia’s who’s who on Mount Mtatsminda. How many years did Olga Guramishvili reside here?

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Location 10: Kotetishvili's House

 

You’ve now reached Vakhtang Kotetishvili Street - named after the founder of Georgian folklore studies, an art critic, historian, writer and prominent statesman of early 20th century Georgia. The Kotetishvili family house is located right here.
Vakhtang Kotetishvili ardently opposed the Sovietization of Georgia. In February 1921, protesting the Georgian Republic’s annexation by Soviet Russia, he joined forces with the writer Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, the historian Pavle Ingorokva and the poet Alexandre Abasheli.
Together, they dressed in traditional, black, Georgian chokhas - clothes typically worn as a sign of mourning. The four young “men in black” walked around Tbilisi for months and eventually became known as “black chokha wearers” (შავ ჩოხოსნები). Unfortunately, in January 1937 Vakhtang Kotetishvili was executed by firing squad - a fate suffered by many representatives of the old Georgian intelligentsia.

 

Vakhtang Kotetishvili, 2nd from the right

Go down almost to the very end of Kotetishvili street. You should find yourself at the intersection of three streets - Kotetishvili, Arsen and Ingorokva. The family house of the Kotetishvili family is to be found somewhere around here. In 1992, during the civil war in Tbilisi, the 1850s home burned down completely and was rebuilt 6 years later in 1998 (in a completely different style 🙁 ). What is the house number?

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

Pay special attention to the street lighting poles, one of them will point you in the right direction

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Location 11: Pavle Ingorokva street

 

After figuring things out with the Kotetishvilis, let's head over to the Pavle Ingorokva street.

 

One of the buildings on this street (in the area that you just entered) is linked with an amazing and, on the other hand, common story for its time. It is said that as Soviet power started growing its roots in Georgia, one high-ranking party leader, who was assigned an apartment on this street, brought and installed a gate with an exquisite pattern, expropriated from the Dadiani Palace - the residence of Migrelia’s rulers in the city of Zugdidi.
These palace gates served one of the local homes until the mid-2000s. Even when the representatives of the new Georgian authorities attempted to return them, they faced strong opposition from the residents. They eventually agreed to give the gates up in exchange for an exact replica.

 

 

To this date, an exact, though somewhat reduced, replica of the royal Dadiani palace gates is installed on this street. The photo above shows an element of the original gate in Zugdidi. First, find the house (the gates should help you!) 🙂
And then pay attention to the ornament of another metallic grill, located on the front doors of the house in the middle of the building. The most attentive of you will be able to see here all four elements of ... What? 🙂 

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

Looks like this house owner was quite a gambler 🙂 

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Location 12: Ingorokva street, house #22

 

Continue walking down Ingorokva street. Within a few meters, on your right, you will see a long 3-storey residential building (number 22). Judging by the current state of the building, you’d never be able to guess that at the turn of the 20th century it housed a gymnasium serving the sons of Georgian aristocracy. Shio Chitadze - a well-known Georgian educator, statesman and writer lived here and simultaneously worked as the director of the gymnasium. Exceptionally for his time, he advocated for the democratization of school education, urged fellow teachers to tailor their courses to the level of knowledge of their students.
Chitadze's life ended very early, at barely 32 years old - the worst part of it all is that his death could have easily been avoided. Revolutionary sentiments reigned among the youth of Tbilisi at the beginning of the 20th century. This resulted in frequent murder attempts on representatives of the imperial government. Newspapers that year wrote that on July 17, 1906, a homemade bomb was thrown from the window of the second floor of the gymnasium (the building next to which you are standing) directed at ​​the carriage and escort of the Police Chief Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Martynov.

 

Immediately, policemen burst into the building. According to Otar Chiladze’s book “Iron Theater”, “The gymnasium inspector Shio Chitadze did not even have time to figure out what was going on, nor what all the ruckus was about, when a Cossack burst into his office and blew his skull to pieces”. Another version of the event states that the director was shot once he tried to calm down the gendarmes. Sadly, we will never know the actual sequence of events...
With the arrival of Soviet power, the building was given to the Transcaucasian Extraordinary Commission. Naturally, all traces of the bourgeois past were removed, only one small spot escaped that fate. It’s thanks to that spot that you will be able to determine the shape of the emblem of the gymnasium. Take a closer look at the building. Where exactly were the emblems attached?

Hint*

Some say that the emblem was of an oval shape...

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Location 13: Monument to Oliver and Marjory Wardrop

 

From Ingorokva street turn left onto “9th of April” street, bypassing the new residential building housing the “Experimentarium” children's science museum and “Citrus” hotel. You should find yourself in a small square with a statue of an elegantly dressed man and woman. This man and woman are siblings Oliver and Marjory Wardrop.

 

 

Oliver Wardrop, a British diplomat and head of the British Mission to the Transcaucasus during the period of the Georgian Democratic Republic (1918-1921), first encountered Georgia while he was still a student. At the age of 23, he travelled here and fell in love with the place. In fact, he liked Georgia so much that in 1888, when he came back to England, he published the book "The Kingdom of Georgia: Notes of Travel in a Land of Women, Wine and Song”.
Sister Marjory, impressed by her sibling’s book and stories about Georgia, got “infected” with the Georgian virus. She visited the country several times, learned the language and became interested in Georgian literature and history. It was she who first translated Orbeliani’s “A Book of Wisdom and Lies”, “Life of Saint Nino” and many others to English.

 

 

However, Marjory’s main goal became to translate a book that is potentially the greatest piece of Georgian literature, a true chef-d'œuvre. She worked tirelessly on the translation for 15 years, constantly improving it - attempting to achieve perfection.
The final version of it was published in England, in 1921, after her passing. Do you by any chance already know what piece this was?

Hint*

Author of the masterpiece is Shota Rustaveli

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Location 14: Zurab Zhvania street, house #2 

 

It’s time to continue the tour - especially if you consider the number of fascinating buildings and stories waiting for you. Head down the stairs from the square, go in the direction of the rear entrance of the parliament of Georgia's building, and get to the left side of Zurab Zhvania street.
If you haven’t noticed it yet, look up at the very first building on this street, located on your left side. Mesmerizing, with perfectly preserved mascarons of angelic faces and imposing lions above the windows of the third floor, the building even looks like a stronghold as all three of its entrances are stylized as fortress towers.

 

 

One of the most famous occupants of this house was the prominent Georgian artist of German origin, Oskar Schmerling - the same one who worked with Jalil Mammadguluzadeh on his magazine "Molla Nasreddin''. Nevertheless, that’s not all he did - Schmerling drew illustrations for books, founded the school of painting and sculpture in Tbilisi, where he also taught. Although caricature stayed his favorite form of expression.
At the very top of the house, above the entryway, in the part where Oskar Schmerling lived, you can see the dates of construction. Unfortunately, the inscriptions suffered some damage. Not all numbers remain either on the dates of inscription written above the entrance on the other side. Based on the two remaining inscriptions, guess when this building was erected.

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Location 15: Zurab Zhvania street, house #10 

 

Continue walking along Zhvania Street, which, in the 19th century, bore the name “Staro-Arsenalnaya”. The addition of homes, old and new, on both sides of the street is quite recent. You see, a century and a half ago, here, at the bottom of Mount Mtatsminda, this entire area was occupied by gardens and summer cottages.
The July 13th of 1879 issue of the newspaper "Kavkaz" reveals an advertisement for the sale of a summer cottage at “10 Staro-Arsenalnaya Street”. Assuming that the numbering hasn’t changed, by finding house number 10 on Zurab Zhvania Street and doing a little bit of detective work it is possible to come to the conclusion that the site was bought, as one would say, “for investment purposes”. Today, on that spot, you’ll find a solid, well restored, brick house. The only recent addition is a modern superstructure on the roof of the building.

 

 

Judging by its appearance, it was a tenement - this means that the apartments were either sold or rented out, and the house had multiple inhabitants. This is given away by the presence of two separate entrance doors on the side of the house. Take a closer look at them and say which element confirms that these doors led to completely separate living quarters.

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Location 16: Zurab Zhvania street, house #9 

Right across the street, in house number 9, lived the German writer and journalist Arthur Leist. He first learned about Georgia during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878. He visited Tbilisi in 1884, 1885 and 1892. After his third visit, he decided to stay, and he did - until his death in 1927.

Arthur Leist translated classics from both Georgian and Armenian literature into German, wrote numerous works on Georgian history, ethnography and culture. He compiled the first anthology of Georgian poetry in German, then, with the help of Ilya Chavchavadze, published a complete German translation of Shota Rustaveli's poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin". Between 1906 and 1922 he was at the head of the ”Kaukasische Post” newspaper - the only periodical of the German diaspora in the Caucasus.

 

 

In 1898, another German specialist moved to Tiflis - Konrad Rost, a young botanist. His acquaintance with the scientific community of Tbilisi and successful employment were made possible by letters of recommendation he brought from Germany to Arthur Leist. During his first years in Tiflis, Konrad even lived here in Leist's apartment.
Have you already guessed where Konrad Rost worked in Tbilisi? 🙂 

Hint*

Konrad's profession should tell you everything

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Location 17: Zubalashvili brothers street, house #6 

 

Continue walking down Zhvania street. You’ll have to make a small push for the next intersection (after which the street name changes to “Zubalashvili brothers”) and reach house number 6. Feel free to move at a measured pace, pondering everything you just learned, observing the buildings and their fates. Some are lucky - they are being restored and given a new life, whilst others are just waiting in the wings.

House number 6 on Zubalashvili brothers Street is quite special - this is the building that houses the Constitutional Court of Georgia. The architectural style can be described with three words - impressive, grandiose and outstanding. The building of the "Judicial Chamber" was built by Alexander Shimkevich, who, between 1885 and 1894, was practically the chief architect of Tiflis. His genius is behind many masterpieces of the Georgian capital - including the original funicular station, which we began today's quest with.

 

 

The Court of Justice is one of Shimkevich’s greatest works - the apogee of his talent. Despite its monumentality, there is an airiness to its structure, which, in itself, seems like an oxymoron. Large windows, rounded balconies, light tones of stone and brick all contribute to the lightness.
Take a closer look at the building - what year was the edifice built in?

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Location 18: Griboyedov street, house #10

 

Walk a little back from the central entrance of the Constitutional Court, go down the diagonal Mitrofan Lagidze street (named after the founder of the Georgian soft drinks company “Lagidze Water''). After making it to Griboedov Street, turn left and focus your attention on the Tbilisi State Conservatory building.

The original plan was conceived by the previously mentioned Shimkevich. Destined to become a musical school, the building was only two stories high. Today, these two floors are almost completely hidden between all the extra modifications and subsequent add-ons.

 

 

The construction of the building began thanks to a musician Anton Rubinstein. After performing a concert, in Tiflis, in 1891, he donated all the proceeds to the construction of a building for the school. Finally, in 1904, with additional financial aid from local philanthropists and musicians, the construction was completed. 13 years later, in 1917, during the period of the first democratic republic, the school was turned into a full-fledged conservatory - in 1924 it was granted national status.
Over time, the building was enlarged, and floors were added. Commemorating Anton Rubinstein's significant contribution to the construction of the building, a sculpture of him was installed on the corner facade of the Conservatory. 

By the way, do you already know what musical instrument Anton Rubinstein played on?

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Location 19: Griboedov street, house #14 

Continue walking down Griboyedov Street until you reach residence number 14. Unlike many other buildings we saw today, this one belonged entirely to one tenant - Andrei Tunebegov.
The owner amassed a great fortune in the fishing business. Tunebegov was married, but he and his wife didn't manage to conceive. Desperate for an heir, they adopted a girl. The family’s comfortable life was brought to an end when the father and breadwinner fell ill. He went to Germany for treatment, but never returned as he died on the operating table. After his passing, the family income dropped noticeably, and the widow of Tunebegov was forced to sell the rooms in her home.

 

 

Built in the beginning of the 20th century, the Tunebegov residence was two stories high (the third one was added on in Soviet times) and architecturally speaking, reflected all trends of the time - carved openwork balconies, an arched masonry and bas-reliefs with lions. It’s time for a counting game - how many lions are there on the facade?

Press HINT if you really struggle with the answer

Hint*

The whole house is a darn zoo - lions aren’t just sitting on top of the windows 🙂

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Location 20: Griboedov street, house #15 

Looks like you are passing to the final location of our little quest! So far so good! 🙂

 

Having dealt with the lions and the fish, you, adventurer, will not have to go far. In order to reach your last stop you will simply have to turn around since the final location is the house right across the street. Facing one another these two buildings are like brothers - dilapidated and old, but just as dignified and strong as they were in their youth. Number 15 belonged to Maxim Ananov - a major winemaker and philanthropist. A monogram with his initials "MA" is proudly carved at the very top of the central facade. 
Ananov produced wine, champagne and cognac in the Imereti region of Georgia. He purchased a part of the grapes necessary for his production from peasants and grew the other part himself in his own vineyards - of which the first was planted at the end of the 19th century and grew both European and Georigan grape varieties. At the beginning of the 20th century, purely French varieties were planted. Ananov was quite fond of the French as the production facilities of his company were built by French and Italian specialists. Naturally, the factory had its own cellars. The firm was successful in its sales strategy with a large-scale production resulting in it becoming wildly popular.

 

Ananov's Trade mark

 

Ananov’s quality of life reflected his enterprise’s success - in 1915 he completed the construction of this luxurious mansion and moved here with his family.
Right above the entrance you’ll be able to spot a curious little detail - a symbolic image of the ancient Greek and Roman god of fertility Priapus, patron saint of vineyards, gardens and plants, not to be confused with the Greek god of winemaking, Dionysus. It is a small nuance, but the two can be differentiated since Dionysus is never represented next to any fruits or berries other than grapes. And here is a whole scattering of various fruits.

 

Priapus. Sculpture in Vatican City.

 

Priapus belonged to the lowest deities of the Greek pantheon, being responsible, first of all, for soil fertility and other agricultural issues, and therefore was perceived without much pathos. Figures of Priapus made of wood or baked clay were installed in vineyards and orchards along the European Mediterranean coast. They were mainly used as... What?

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Figures of Priapus protected the vineyards not only with divine enchantments, but also scared away winged lovers of agricultural produce 🙂
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