Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

region of the

Republic of Georgia A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

. One of the

oldest continuously inhabited cities This is a list of present-day cities by the time period over which they have been continuously inhabited as a city. The age claims listed are generally disputed. Differences in opinion can result from different definitions of "city" as well as "c ...

in the world, it is the fourth-most populous city in Georgia after

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ), historically Batum or Batoum, is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second-largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast ...

and

Rustavi Rustavi ( ka, რუსთავი ) is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli and southeast of capital Tbilisi. It has a population of 127,154 (January 2024), making it the third most populous city in Georgia. Its eco ...

. It lies west of Tbilisi, on the

Rioni River The Rioni ( ka, რიონი ; , ) is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti (near ancient Phasis). The city ...

, and is the capital of Imereti. Historically one of the major cities of Georgia, it served as the political center of

Colchis In classical antiquity and Greco-Roman geography, Colchis (; ) was an exonym for the Georgian polity of Egrisi ( ka, ეგრისი) located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, centered in present-day western Georgia. Its population, the ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

as the capital of the

Kingdom of Abkhazia The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; ) was a medieval feudal state in the Caucasus which was established in the 780s. Through dynastic succession, it was united in 1008 with the Kingdom of the Iberians, f ...

and

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia (), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a Middle Ages, medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in Anno Domini, AD. It reached Georgian Golden Age, its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign ...

and later as the capital of the

Kingdom of Imereti The Kingdom of Imereti ( ka, იმერეთის სამეფო, tr) was a Georgian monarchy established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagrationi when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, I ...

. From October 2012 to December 2018, Kutaisi was the seat of the

Parliament of Georgia The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members elected through fully pr ...

as an effort to decentralize the Georgian government.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the

in the sixth to fifth centuries BC. It is believed that, in ''

Argonautica The ''Argonautica'' () is a Greek literature, Greek epic poem written by Apollonius of Rhodes, Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only entirely surviving Hellenistic civilization, Hellenistic epic (though Aetia (Callimachus), Callim ...

'', a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

about

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...

and the

Argonauts The Argonauts ( ; ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', named after it ...

and their journey to Colchis, author

Apollonius Rhodius Apollonius of Rhodes ( ''Apollṓnios Rhódios''; ; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for the ''Argonautica'', an epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. The poem is ...

considered Kutaisi their final destination as well as the residence of King

Aeëtes Aeëtes ( ; , ), or Aeeta, was the ruler of the eponymous realm of Aea in Greek mythology, a wondrous realm which from the fifth century B.C.E. onward became identified with the kingdom of Colchis east in the Black Sea. The name comes from the an ...

. Later, it was the capital of the kingdom of

Lazica The Kingdom of Lazica (; ; ), sometimes called Lazian Empire, was a state in the territory of west Georgia in the Roman era, Georgia in the Roman period, from about the 1st century BC. Created as a result of the collapse of the kingdom of Colc ...

until being occupied briefly by the

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

. An

Arab invasion The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabia that expanded rapidly un ...

into western Georgia was repelled by

Abkhazians The Abkhazians or Abkhazes are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A large Abkhaz diaspora population resides in Turkey, th ...

jointly with Lazic and

Iberian Iberian refers to Iberia. Most commonly Iberian refers to: *Someone or something originating in the Iberian Peninsula, namely from Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. The term ''Iberian'' is also used to refer to anything pertaining to the fo ...

allies in 736, towards c.786, Leon II won his full independence from the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

and transferred his capital to Kutaisi, thus unifying Lazica and Abasgia via a dynastic union. The latter led the

unification of the Georgian monarchy The unification of the Georgian realm ( ka, ქართული სახელმწიფოს გაერთიანება, tr) was the 10th-century political movement that resulted in the consolidation of various Georgian crowns int ...

in the 11th century. From 1008 to 1122, Kutaisi served as the capital of the

, and, from the 15th century until 1810, it was the capital of the

. In 1508, the city was conquered by

Selim I Selim I (; ; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute (), was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite lasting only eight years, his reign is ...

, who was the son of

Bayezid II Bayezid II (; ; 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, Bayezid consolidated the Ottoman Empire, thwarted a pro-Safavid dynasty, Safavid rebellion and finally abdicated his throne ...

, the sultan of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. During the 17th century, Imeretian kings made many appeals to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

to help them in their struggle for independence from the Ottomans. All these appeals were ignored as Russia did not want to spoil relations with the Ottomans. Only in the reign of

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

, in 1768, were troops of general

Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben Gottlob Curt Heinrich Graf von Tottleben, Herr auf Tottleben, Zeippau und Hansdorf im Saganschen (also ''Tottleben'', ''Todtleben'', or ''Todleben''; ; 21 December 1715 – 20 March 1773) was a Saxon-born Russian general known for his adventuris ...

sent to join the forces of King

Heraclius II of Georgia Heraclius II, also known as Erekle II ( ka, ერეკლე II) and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი, link=no ; 7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 Cyril_Toumanoff.html" ;"title="ccording to Cyril Toumanoff">C. Touman ...

, who hoped to reconquer the Ottoman-held southern Georgian lands, with Russian help. Totleben helped King

Solomon I of Imereti Solomon I the Great, ( ka, სოლომონ I დიდი) (1735 – April 23, 1784), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king (''mepe'') of Imereti from 1752 to 1765 and again from 1767 until his death in 1784. Biography Solomon was a son o ...

to recover his capital, Kutaisi, on August 6, 1770. Finally, the Russian-Turkish wars ended in 1810 with the annexation of the Imeretian Kingdom by the Russian Empire. The city was the administrative capital of the

Kutaisi uezd The Kutaisi ''uezd'' was a county (''uezd'') of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Akhaltsikhe uezd of the Tiflis Governorate to the south, the Ozurgeti and Senaki ''uezds'' to the west, th ...

and the larger

Kutaisi Governorate The Kutaisi or Kutais Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of western Georgia throughout most of its existence, and most of the Artvin Province (except t ...

, which included much of west Georgia. In March 1879, the city was the site of a

blood libel Blood libel or ritual murder libel (also blood accusation) is an antisemitic canardTurvey, Brent E. ''Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis'', Academic Press, 2008, p. 3. "Blood libel: An accusation of ritual mu ...

trial that attracted attention all over the Russian Empire. Nine

Georgian Jews The Georgian Jews ( ka, ქართველი ებრაელები, tr, ) are a community of Jews who migrated to Georgia during the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BCE.The Wellspring of Georgian Historiography: The Early Medi ...

from

Sachkhere Sachkhere ( ka, საჩხერე ) is a town at the northern edge of the Imereti Province in Western Georgia. It is the center of the Sachkhere Municipality. Farming is a major contributor to the economy of Sachkhere. Alva LLC estimates tha ...

were falsely accused of killing a Christian girl and using her blood for allegedly Jewish religious purposes. The trial took place at the Kutaisi Circuit Court, which had been established in 1868 as one of several new courts in the Caucasus created by Tsar Alexander II.'s Judicial Reform. After a ten-day trial, with nearly 70 witnesses, the nine defendants were acquitted as the defense lawyers Petr Aleksandrov, Lev Kupernik and Moisei Kikodze convinced the judges that the accusations against the Jewish men were mostly based on false testimony. Kutaisi was a major industrial center before Georgia's independence on 9 April 1991. Independence was followed by the economic collapse of the country, and, as a result, many inhabitants of Kutaisi have had to work abroad. Small-scale trade prevails among the rest of the population. In 2011,

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...

, the president of Georgia, signed a constitutional amendment relocating the parliament to Kutaisi. On 26 May 2012, Saakashvili inaugurated the new Parliament building in Kutaisi. This was done in an effort to decentralize power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia, although it has been criticized as marginalizing the legislature, and also for the demolition of a Soviet War Memorial formerly at the new building's location. The subsequent government of the

Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...

passed a new constitution that moved the parliament back to Tbilisi, effective from January 2019.

Culture

Landmarks

The landmark of the city is the ruined

Bagrati Cathedral The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral ( ka, ბაგრატი; , or ''Bagratis tadzari''), is an 11th-century cathedral in the city of Kutaisi, in the Imereti region of Georgia. A ...

, built by Bagrat III, king of Georgia, in the early 11th century. The

Gelati Monastery Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი ) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as ...

a few km east of the city, is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. One of the famous churches in Georgia is Motsameta monastery. It is named after two saints, brothers David and Constantine. They were the Dukes of Margveti, and were martyred by Arab invaders in the 8th century. Besides the churches, there are other places of note such as: Sataplia Cave, where one can observe footprints of

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

s; ruins of Geguti Palace, which was one of the residences of Georgian monarchs; "Okros Chardakhi" – Georgian Kings' Palace; the

Mtatsminda Pantheon The Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures ( ka, მთაწმინდის მწერალთა და საზოგადო მოღვაწეთა პანთეონი, ''mtats'mindis mts'eralta da sazogado mo ...

, where many notable citizens are buried. The

Kutaisi Synagogue The Kutaisi Synagogue is a Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 57–59 Boris Gaponov Street in Kutaisi in the Republic of Georgia. The stone synagogue was completed in in the Romanesque Revival style. History Other synagogues in Ku ...

was built in 1885. File:Kutaisi. A renovated downtown street (Photo A. Muhranoff, 2010).jpg, A street in central Kutaisi File:Khareba church.jpg, Church of Annunciation File:Wikiwyprawa 2015 sad apelacyjny kutaisi 6.jpg, Court of Appeals File:Kutaisi Public School -1.jpg, Kutaisi Public School File:2014 Kutaisi, Wielka Synagoga (01).jpg, Local

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

built in 1886 File:Kutaisi State Opera.jpg, Kutaisi State Opera File:აკაკი წერეთლის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი.jpg,

Akaki Tsereteli State University Akaki Tsereteli State University ( ka, აკაკი წერეთლის სახელობის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr), also known as Kutaisi University ( ka, ქუთაისის ...

Museums and other cultural institutions

* Kutaisi State Historical Museum * Kutaisi Museum of Sport * Kutaisi Museum of Martial Art * Museum of Zakaria Paliashvili * Kutaisi State Historical Archive * Kutaisi State Scientific-Universal Library *

*David Kakabadze Kutaisi Fine Art Gallery

Theatres and cinema

*Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili State Academic Theatre *Kutaisi Meliton Balanchivadze State Opera House *Kutaisi Iakob Gogebashvili State Puppet Theatre *Cinema and Entertaining Center "Suliko" *Hermann-Wedekind-Jugendtheater

Education

Higher educational institutions in Kutaisi: *

* Kutaisi International University *

Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) **Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group **Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scripts ...

* Kutaisi University (Unik) *

Cadets Military Lyceum of Georgia A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

Professional unions and public organizations

* Georgian Writers' Union * Georgian Painters' Union * Folk Palace

Media

Local newspapers include: ''Kutaisi'', '' Imeretis Moabe'', '' Akhali Gazeti'', and '' Kutaisuri Versia''. Other publications include '' Chveneburebi'', a journal published by the Ministry of Diaspora Issues, and ''

Gantiadi Gantiadi ( ka, განთიადი ; ), or Tsandrypsh (; ), is an urban-type settlement on the Black Sea coast in Georgia (country), Georgia, in the Gagra District of Abkhazia, 5 km from the Russian border. Name Gantiadi in historical ...

'', a scientific journal. TV: "Rioni"
Radio: "Dzveli Kalaki" (old City)
Also nearly all of Georgia's national-level newspapers, journals and television stations have their representatives in Kutaisi.

Geography

Kutaisi is located along both banks of the

. The city lies at an elevation of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. To the east and northeast Kutaisi is bounded by the Northern

Foothills, to the north by the Samgurali Range, and to the west and the south by the

Plain.

Landscape

Kutaisi is surrounded by

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

forests to the northeast and the northwest. The low-lying outskirts of the city have a largely agricultural landscape. The city center has many gardens and its streets are lined with high, leafy trees. In the springtime, when the snow starts to melt in the nearby mountains, the storming

in the middle of the city is heard far beyond its banks.

Climate

Kutaisi has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') with a well-defined on-shore/monsoonal flow (characteristic of the

Plain) during the autumn and winter months. The summers are generally hot, while the winters are wet and cool. The average annual temperature in the city is . January is the coldest month with an average temperature of while August is the hottest month with an average temperature of . The absolute minimum recorded temperature is and the absolute maximum is recorded on 30 July 2000. Average annual precipitation is around . Rain may fall in every season of the year. The city often experiences heavy, wet snowfall (

snowfall Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

of or more per single snowstorm is not uncommon) in the winter, but the snow cover usually does not last for more than a week. There are roughly 15.5 days a year with snow depth. Kutaisi experiences powerful easterly winds in the summer which descend from the nearby mountains.

Population

Administrative division

There are 13 administrative units in Kutaisi: #Avtokarkhana #Gamarjveba #Gumati #Vakisubani #Kakhianouri #Mukhnari #Nikea #Sapichkhia #Sulkhan-Saba #Ukimerioni #City-museum #Dzelkviani #Zastava

Politics

Mayor

The most recent mayoral election was held on 2 October 2021, with a runoff held on 30 October, and the results were as follows: List of elected mayors of Kutaisi * Ioseb Khakhaleishvili ( GD) (2020–) * Giorgi Chighvaria ( GD) (2017–2020) * Shota Murghulia ( GD) (2014–2017)

City council

The Kutaisi city council (Sakrebulo) governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on October 2, 2021, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Lead candidate ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=#0D00B3, , align=left,

, align=left, Dimitri Mkheidze , 25,957 , 39.21 , 9.94 , 18 , 1 , - , bgcolor=#e4012e, , align=left,

United National Movement United National Movement (UNM; ka, ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, tr) also colloquially known as the Natsebi is a liberal conservative political party in Georgia. Tina Bokuchava serves as the p ...

, align=left, Giga Shushania , 24,893 , 37.60 , 14.23 , 14 , 10 , - , bgcolor=#702F92, , align=left,

For Georgia Gakharia For Georgia ( ka, გახარია საქართველოსთვის, tr) is a political party in Georgia founded by former Georgian Prime Minister from the Georgian Dream party Giorgi Gakharia. It is currently in oppos ...

, align=left,

Eleonora Archaia Eleonora (Eliso) Archaia ( ka, ელეონორა (ელისო) არჩაია; born July 31, 1967), is a Georgia (country), Georgian politician and businesswoman, who is currently serving in Kutaisi City Assembly. She was first ele ...

, 4,440 , 6.71 , New , 2 , New , - , bgcolor=#ff0000, , align=left,

Strategy Aghmashenebeli Yes to Europe – Strategy Aghmashenebeli ( ka, კი ევროპას – სტრატეგია აღმაშენებელი, tr), sometimes translated as Strategy Builder (named after the David IV of Georgia, King David IV o ...

, align=left, Koba Guruli , 2,168 , 3.28 , 0.64 , 1 , 1 , - , colspan=9 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=#fad406, , align=left,

Lelo LELO is a Swedish company that designs and sells upmarket sex toys. Lelo may also refer to: * ''Lelo'' (newspaper), a Georgian language sports newspaper * Lelo, a style of Georgian wine * Lelo, a try in the game of rugby union * Lelo burti, lit ...

, align=left, Gia Gurgenidze , 1,339 , 2.02 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=#16166b, , align=left, Labour Party , align=left, Samson Gugava , 1,130 , 1.71 , 2.05 , 0 , , - , bgcolor=#327F37, , align=left, Girchi - More Freedom , align=left, Dachi Dididze , 1,073 , 1.62 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=#F2721D, , align=left, For the People , align=left, Shota Chikovani , 820 , 1.24 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=#e7b031, , align=left, Alliance of Patriots , align=left, Nona Asatiani , 804 , 1.21 , 2.68 , 0 , , - , bgcolor=#003C7B, , align=left,

European Georgia European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

, align=left, David Gogisvanidze , 733 , 1.11 , 10.82 , 0 , 2 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 68,486 ! 100.0 ! ! 35 ! ±10 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 153,861 ! 44.53 ! 0.81 ! ! , - , colspan=8, Source
არჩევნების შედეგები

Economy

Kutaisi has traditionally been an important industrial center in Georgia, but after the collapse of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

most of the old manufacturing lines either stopped working or had to greatly reduce their operations. Nevertheless, the city continues to be an important regional center for the greater Imereti area, acting as a commercial hub for the surrounding countryside. In recent years, the city has started attracting more investment from various multinational corporations. The Auto Mechanical Plant, originally established in 1945, is located in Kutaisi. There are two free industrial zones in Kutaisi: The Kutaisi free industrial zone (Kutaisi FIZ) and the Hualing free industrial zone (Hualing FIZ).Free Zones in Georgia
. ''Iven De Hoon''. October 18, 2020 The Kutaisi FIZ was created in 2009 and was established on the initiative of Fresh Electric, an

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

-based home appliances producer. The Hualing FIZ operates since 2015, and specializes in wood and stone processing, furniture and mattress production and metal construction. Both of the free industrial zones offer multiple incentives to investors such as tax exemptions and reduced barriers for trade. In 2019, German

solar panel A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...

manufacturer AE Solar opened a new, fully automated manufacturing line in Kutaisi. With a total output of 500 MW per year it is the largest solar panel factory under one roof in Europe. During the same year

Changan Automobile Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (CCAG) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Jiangbei, Chongqing.

announced plans to construct an

electric car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...

factory in Kutaisi, with an annual production capacity of up to 40,000 vehicles. The company plans to export annually about 20,000 cars to the EU. The factory plans to employ about 3,000 people.Kutaisi electric cars factory to produce first cars in August
. January 24, 2020

Sport

Kutaisi has a great tradition in sports, with many famous sports clubs.

FC Torpedo Kutaisi FC Torpedo Kutaisi ( Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი ტორპედო ქუთაისი) is a Georgian professional football club based in Kutaisi, Georgia's third largest city. The team competes in the Erovnuli ...

has participated on the highest level of the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

league. After Georgia achieved independence, it won many domestic and international titles.

RC AIA Kutaisi RC Aia Kutasi is a Georgian rugby union team. Aia Kutasi was one of the best teams of the Soviet Union, holding three national titles, in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Aia Kutaisi has been one of the best teams ...

won the Soviet Championship several times in

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

, and after independence,

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

s and cups. The women's football club

FC Martve FC Martve ( ka, ქსკ მართვე) is a Georgian women's football club based in Kutaisi. They play in the Georgia women's football championship. The team finished the 2016 season as champion, and will play in the 2017–18 UEFA Women' ...

takes part at the

2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round The 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round was played between 22 and 28 August 2017. A total of 40 teams competed in the qualifying round to decide 11 of the 32 places in the knockout phase of the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions ...

after becoming champion in the

Georgia women's football championship The Georgia women's football championship is contested in the top level women's association football, women's football league in Georgia (country), Georgia. The league ran until 2010 and was for a time defunct, in 2014 an attempt was made to rest ...

in 2016. Kutaisi also has an influential basketball club

BC Kutaisi 2010 BC Kutaisi 2010 is a Georgian professional basketball club based in Kutaisi, which competes in the Georgian Superliga.KUTAISI.TRADE
Retr ...

, 2016 Champion of the

Georgian Superliga The Georgian Basketball Super League ( ka, საკალათბურთო სუპერლიგა, Sakalatburto Superliga), also known as the Georgian Top League, is the highest professional basketball league in Georgia. The first season ...

, which plays its home games at the ''Kutaisi Sport Palas''.

Transport

Airport

David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport Kutaisi International Airport , also known as David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport, is an airport located west of Kutaisi, the third largest city in the country of Georgia and capital of the western region of Imereti. It is the second ...

(IATA: KUT, ICAO: UGKO) is an international airport located west of Kutaisi. It is one of three international airports currently in operation in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Railway

Kutaisi has two main railway stations, along with multiple smaller ones. Direct inter-city, as well as suburban railway services, are provided to Tbilisi ( Central) and other major cities across the country. The rail operator on all lines is

Georgian Railways Georgian Railway LLC ( ka, საქართველოს რკინიგზა, tr) is the national railway company of Georgia. A vital artery linking the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, it sits on the shortest route between Europe and Ce ...

Local celebrations

Kutaisoba is the most important holiday in Kutaisi. It is celebrated on 2 May. On this day the population of Kutaisi crowds into the central park, with their children and celebrate together. Some people make masks and there are many kinds of performances. Also, children sell

chamomile Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the common name for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, '' Matricaria chamomilla'' and '' Chamaemelum nobile'', are commo ...

s. It is an old tradition, in the past ladies collected money for poor people, so today children also collect money for them. On Kutaisoba one can see traditional Georgian dances and can hear folk music. Also, it is an old tradition to go to the forest, which is near Kutaisi. Families barbecue and play games. On this day, people wear traditional clothes,

Chokha A chokha, or ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; also known as a cherkeska, is a woolen coat (clothing), coat with a high neck that is part of the traditional male dress of peoples of the Caucasus. It was in wide use among Avars (Caucasus), Avars, ...

. There is a tradition of writing lyrics that have been written by writers from Kutaisi, and then airplanes throw them from the sky. There is also a competition in different kinds of martial arts.

Notable people

– King of Kingdom of

* Bagrat III – King of united

in 975–1014 *

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George of Beltan (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgoruk ...

– King of united

in 1014–1027 * Bagrat IV – King of united

in 1027–1072 * George II – King of united

in 1072–1089 *

David IV David IV, also known as David IV the Builder ( ka, დავით IV აღმაშენებელი, tr; 1073 – 24 January 1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of the Kingdom of Ge ...

– King of united

in 1089–1125 *

Niko Nikoladze Niko Nikoladze ( ka, ნიკო ნიკოლაძე, 27 September 1843 – 5 June 1928) was a Georgian writer and public figure primarily known for his contributions to the development of Georgian liberal journalism and his involvement in v ...

(1843–1928) – Georgian public figure *

Meliton Balanchivadze Meliton Balanchivadze ( ka, მელიტონ ბალანჩივაძე; 24 December 1862 – 21 December 1937) was a Georgian opera singer, composer and a member of Georgia's cultural scene, both under the Russian Empire and during ...

(1862–1937) – Georgian composer *

Zakaria Paliashvili Zacharia Petres dze Paliashvili ( ka, ზაქარია ფალიაშვილი, ''Zakaria Paliaşvili''), also known by his Russian name as Zachary Petrovich Paliashvili ( August 16, 1871 – October 6, 1933), was a Georgian composer. ...

(1871–1933) – Georgian composer *

Iakob Nikoladze Iakob Nikoladze ( ka, იაკობ ნიკოლაძე; , 1876, Kutaisi – March 10, 1951, Tbilisi) was a Georgian nobleman, sculptor and artist. Member of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1947. Biography By birth, he was a member of a ...

(1876–1951) – Georgian sculptor, designer of the previous state flag of Georgia *

Władysław Raczkiewicz Władysław Raczkiewicz (; 28 January 1885 – 6 June 1947) was a Polish politician, lawyer, diplomat and President of Poland-in-exile from 1939 until his death in 1947. Until 1945, he was the internationally recognized Polish head of state, ...

(1885–1947) – the first president of the

Polish government-in-exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent Occupation ...

, 1939–1947 *

Joseph Orbeli Joseph Orbeli (, Hovsep Abgari Orbeli; ; 20 March ( O.S. 8 March) 1887 – 2 February 1961) was a Soviet-Armenian orientalist, public figure and academician who specialized in medieval history of Transcaucasia and administered the Hermitage Museu ...

(1887–1961) – Georgian-Armenian orientalist *

David Kakabadze Davit Kakabadze ( ka, დავით კაკაბაძე) (20 August 1889 – 10 May 1952) was a leading Georgian avant-garde painter, graphic artist and scenic designer. A multi-talent, he was also an art scholar and innovator in the fi ...

(1889–1952) – Georgian painter * Victor Dolidze (1890–1933) – Georgian composer *

Veriko Anjaparidze Veriko Ivlianes asuli Anjaparidze, : , (30 January 1987) was a Soviet and Georgian stage and film actress. Life and career Andjaparidze was born in Kutaisi and studied at the Aidarov Drama Studio in Moscow in 1916–1917 and at the Aleksand ...

(1897–1987) – Georgian actress * Petre Otskheli (1907–1937) – Georgian modernist set and costume designer *

Otar Korkia Otar Korkia ( Georgian: ოთარ ქორქია, ; 10 May 1923 – 15 March 2005) was a Georgian professional basketball player and coach. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players, in 1991. He was also named the Best Georgian Baske ...

(1923–2005) – Georgian basketball player and coach (Olympic silver medalist) *

Dodo Chichinadze Dodo Chichinadze ( ka, დოდო ჭიჭინაძე; 28 December 1924 – 3 November 2009) was a Georgian film and theater actress. She appeared in a number of Georgian and Soviet era films, including ''The Suspended Song'', ''Bashi Ach ...

(1924–2009) – Georgian actress *

Tengiz Abuladze Tengiz Evgenis dze Abuladze, romanized: (31 January 19246 March 1994) was a Georgian film director, screenwriter, theatre teacher and People's Artist of the USSR. He is regarded as one of the best Soviet directors. Biography Abuladze studie ...

(1924–1994) – Georgian film director * Revaz Gabriadze (1936–2021) – cinematographer, writer, director, production designer *

Revaz Dzodzuashvili Revaz Mikheilis dze Dzodzuashvili ( ka, რევაზ მიხეილის ძე ძოძუაშვილი; born 15 April 1945) is a Georgian football manager and a former player. He earned 49 caps for the USSR national football team ...

(b. 1945) – Georgian football player, World Cup 1966 bronze medalist *

Zurab Sakandelidze Zurab Aleksandrovich Sakandelidze ( ka, ზურაბ საკანდელიძე; ; 9 August 1945 – 25 January 2004) was a Georgian basketball player who won gold with the Soviet basketball team at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was ...

(1945–2004) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion *

Mikheil Korkia Mikheil Korkia ( ka, მიხეილ ქორქია) (10 September 1948 – 7 February 2004) was a Georgian-Soviet basketball player who won gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic numbe ...

(1948–2004) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion * Meir Pichhadze (1955–2010) – Israeli painter, Kutaisi native *

Tengiz Sulakvelidze Tengiz Grigoriyevich Sulakvelidze ( ka, თენგიზ სულაქველიძე; born 23 July 1956) is a Georgian former professional footballer who played as a defender. International career Sulakvelidze made his debut for the ...

(b. 1956) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup, Euro 1988 silver medalist *

Ramaz Shengelia Ramaz Shengelia ( ka, რამაზ შენგელია; 1 January 1957 – 21 June 2012) was a Georgian and Soviet footballer who played as a striker. Club career Born in Kutaisi, Shengelia started career in his hometown club Torpedo K ...

(1957–2012) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup *

Maia Chiburdanidze Maia Chiburdanidze ( ka, მაია ჩიბურდანიძე; born 17 January 1961) is a Georgian chess Grandmaster. She is the sixth Women's World Chess Champion, a title she held from 1978 to 1991, and was the youngest one until ...

(b. 1961) – the seventh Women's World Chess Champion * Besik Khamashuridze (b. 1977) – Georgian rugby player, won 53 caps, RC Aia Kutaisi player-coach *

David Khakhaleishvili David Rostomovich Khakhaleishvili ( ka, დავით როსტომის ძე ხახალეიშვილი; 28 February 1971 – 11 January 2021) was a heavyweight Georgia (country), Georgian judoka, mixed martial artist and Ol ...

(b. 1971) – Olympic champion in Wrestling *

Davit Aslanadze Davit Aslanadze ( ka, დავით ასლანაძე; born 16 November 1976) is a retired Georgian professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football ...

(b.1976) – Football player *

Giorgi Kukhalashvili Giorgi Kukhalashvili is a Georgian painter. Early life He was born on 5 November 1982 in Kutaisi. In 2002 he finished Iakob Nikoladze Art College, painting department. In 1998, while studying at Art College, Kukhalashvili created his "Enter ...

(born 1982), painter *

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi, Georgia and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of composer ...

(b. 1984) – Georgian British singer and songwriter *

Roland Shalamberidze Roland Shalamberidze (born 11 January 1958), is a contemporary artist of Georgian origin. Biography Roland Shalamberidze was born in 1958 in Kutaisi. From 1988 he has lived and worked in St. Petersburg. He works as an abstractionist, conceptua ...

(b. 1958) – Georgian artist *

Nika Sichinava Nika Sichinava ( ka, ნიკა სიჭინავა; born 17 August 1994) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Polish club Słowianin Wolibórz. Club career Sichinava is product of Yunist Chernihiv youth acad ...

(b. 1994) – Georgian football player, played for

Yunist Chernihiv Yunist Chernihiv () is a Ukrainian amateur football team based on Yunist Sports School in Chernihiv. The sports school is known for its talented players like Andriy Yarmolenko, Pavlo Polehenko, Serhiy Kovalenko, Vladyslav Shapoval, Pavlo F ...

and

FC Inhulets Petrove Football Club Inhulets Petrove () is a professional Ukrainian football club from the town of Petrove, Kirovohrad Oblast that competes in the Ukrainian Premier League following the promotion from 2019–20 Ukrainian First League. The club colours ...

. *

Giorgi Vepkhvadze Giorgi Vepkhvadze is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as Prop for Oyonnax in Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national lea ...

(born 1991) - professional rugby player

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Kutaisi is twinned with: *

Ashkelon Ashkelon ( ; , ; ) or Ashqelon, is a coastal city in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The modern city i ...

, Israel * Columbia, United States *

Dnipro Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

, Ukraine *

Ganja ''Ganja'' (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for cannabis flower, specifically marijuana or hashish. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi (, IPA: �aːɲd͡ʒa� ...

, Azerbaijan *

Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...

, Belarus *

Karşıyaka Karşıyaka () is a municipality and district of İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area is 51 km2, and its population is 346,264 (2022). The district extends for twelve kilometres along the northern and eastern coastline of the tip of the Gulf of ...

, Turkey *

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

, Ukraine * Laiwu (Jinan), China *

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, Ukraine *

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...

, Ukraine *

Nanchang Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi, China. Located in the north-central part of the province and in the hinterland of Poyang Lake Plain, it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake. Because of its strate ...

, China *

Newport, Wales Newport ( ) is a city and Principal areas of Wales, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. The population grew considerably between the 2011 and the 2021 Unit ...

, UK *

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

, Poland *

Sumy Sumy (, , ) is a city in northeastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel (river), Psel River and has a population of making it the 23rd-largest in the country. The city ...

, Ukraine *

Szombathely } Szombathely (; ; also see #Etymology, names) is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas County in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria. Szombathely lies by the streams ''Perint'' and '' ...

, Hungary *

Ungheni Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District. There is a bridge across the Prut and a List of Moldova–Romania border crossings, border chec ...

, Moldova *

Valka Valka (; ) is a town and municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, on the border with Estonia along both banks of the river Pedele. Valka and the Estonian town Valga are twins, separated by the Estonian/Latvian border but using the slogan " ...

, Latvia *

Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( ; see #Names, below for other names) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Zhytomyr Oblast (Oblast, province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding ...

, Ukraine

Cooperation agreements

Kutaisi has cooperation agreements with: *

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

, Lithuania *

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

, Slovenia *

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

, Estonia

Explanatory notes

References

External links

Newport Kutaisi Twinning Association
* {{Authority control Archaeological sites in Georgia (country) Cities and towns in Imereti Kutaisi Governorate Self-governing cities in Georgia (country)

History

Culture

Landmarks

Museums and other cultural institutions

Theatres and cinema

Education

Professional unions and public organizations

Media

Geography

Landscape

Climate

Population

Administrative division

Politics

Mayor

City council

Economy

Sport

Transport

Airport

Railway

Local celebrations

Notable people

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Cooperation agreements

See also

Explanatory notes

References

External links