In the south of the cozy town of Bolnisi, located in the southern part of the Trialeti Range (Small Caucasus), the small river Mashavera carries its waters. This area at all times was a deep province. Throughout its history, until the locality became part of Russia, it belonged to Georgia and Armenia. And sometimes even the Turks.
What is the city of Georgia Bolnisi today? Sights and other information about it are presented in this article.
General information about the town
The city is the capital of the Bolnisi municipality. This calm and quiet town, hidden among the greenery of coniferous vegetation, extends along the highway for several kilometers. The infrastructure of the city is several shops and cafes, where visitors are offered excellent barbecue and traditional Georgian khachapuri. There are no modern hotels or hotels for tourists in Bolnisi yet.
There is a railway station in the city of Bolnisi of the Georgian railway (Marneuli-Kazreti line). It should also be noted that in the nearby village of Rachisubani there is a source of mineral water that is not inferior in taste to the famous Borjomi water.
Briefly from the story
Bolnisi (Georgia) has a long and rather interesting history. At the time of its foundation, the settlement was called Choruk Kemerli, and for the first time it was renamed Katerinfeld in 1818 in honor of Ekaterina Pavlovna, sister of Tsar Alexander I. At that time, German families from Swabia settled here (95 in total). After the military operations of 1918, the Bolsheviks seized the region, and in 1921 the village was renamed and became known as Luxembourg. The name was given in honor of the famous German Communist R. Luxembourg.
In connection with the mass repressions at the beginning of World War II, the German population moved to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Moreover, only those Germans who were already married to the Georgians were left in the settlement.
The next change in the name of the settlement occurred in 1944. Since then it has become known as Bolnisi. In Georgia, the ancient village located the same south-west of it has the same name. After such serious transformations, the settlement remained multinational, but so far the majority of the population are not Georgians. The largest community is represented by representatives of the Azerbaijani nation. Since December 1967, Bolnisi has the status of a city.
sights
The city, which has a rather long history, can be called young, since it began to develop and build actively only in the 20th century. In the excursion routes in Georgia you can include the city of Bolnisi, which is the starting point for exploring the historically significant ancient objects of this region.
Among the cultural and architectural objects can be noted the Church of St. George. There is the Kolagiri fortress located in the village of Tsurtavi, as well as the Tsugrugasheni monastery church in the area. In the rural settlements of Kveshi and Paladauri there are also ancient medieval fortresses, perfectly preserved, despite their considerable age. There are two churches in the village of Tanzia, and a magnificent panorama opens next to the surrounding hill.
Not far from Bolnisi is the modern village of Kazreti. From the track you can see its white high-rise buildings. In the days of the USSR, a large copper mine was founded and operated here, which operates today. Scientists in Kazreti have also discovered gold deposits, but their development is not yet underway. There is the Sameba church on the territory of this modern village, the construction of which dates from the period of the XVII-XVIII centuries.
Bolnisi Zion
This architectural object is the most grandiose antiquity of the studied area. This is one of the oldest Christian churches in Georgia, dating from the 5th century. On the walls of the well-preserved basilica of Zion there is an inscription made in the Old Georgian language, which is of great value to the whole Georgian people.
The three-nave temple was built on a three-stage basement. Some time after its construction, a baptistery was added to the eastern wing of the temple, which, unfortunately, is not very well preserved. Pilasters and columns of the temple are decorated with images of trees and animals.
Cultural institution
In the small town of Georgia, Bolnisi there is also a museum of local lore. The main direction of his expositions is archeology.
On the ground floor there is an exhibition of interesting archaeological finds discovered on the site of the Dmanisi settlement. They belong to the Neolithic era. On the second floor is an exposition of Bolnisi of the Middle Ages - the key to the Dmanisi fortress, Bolnisi crosses and many others. other exhibits.
In conclusion about the population
In the small town of Georgia, Bolnisi as of 1968 was inhabited by almost 16 thousand inhabitants.
By 1989 (census information), the population of the city decreased slightly and amounted to just over 15 thousand people, of which 92% are Azerbaijanis, and the rest are Ossetians, Georgians and Armenians. According to data obtained in 2014, the population of Bolnisi is 8960 people.