Kutaisi

Archaeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the Colchis in the sixth to fifth centuries BC.[5] It is believed that, in Argonautica, a Greek epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their journey to Colchis, author Apollonius Rhodius considered Kutaisi their final destination as well as the residence of King Aeëtes.

Kutaisi in 1870

Later, it was the capital of the kingdom of Lazica until being occupied briefly by the Arabs. An Arab incursion into western Georgia was repelled by Abkhazians jointly with Lazic and Iberian allies in 736, towards c.786, Leon II won his full independence from Byzantine and transferred his capital to Kutaisi, thus unifying Lazica and Abasgia via a dynastic union. The latter led the unification of the Georgian monarchy in the 11th century.

From 1008 to 1122, Kutaisi served as the capital of the United Kingdom of Georgia, and, from the 15th century until 1810, it was the capital of the Imeretian Kingdom. In 1508, the city was conquered by Selim I, who was the son of Bayezid II, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

During the 17th century, Imeretian kings made many appeals to Russian Empire 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 Turkey. Only in the reign of Catherine the Great, in 1768, were troops of general Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben sent to join the forces of King Heraclius II of Georgia, who hoped to reconquer the Ottoman-held southern Georgian lands, with Russian help. Totleben helped King Solomon I of Imereti to recover his capital, Kutaisi, on August 6, 1770.

Kutaisi in 1885

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 Kutais Uyezd and the larger Kutaisi Governorate, which included much of west Georgia. In March 1879, the city was the site of a blood libel trial that attracted attention all over Russia; the ten accused Jews were acquitted.[6]

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, the president of Georgia, signed a constitutional amendment relocating the parliament to Kutaisi.[7] On 26 May 2012, Saakashvili inaugurated the new Parliament building in Kutaisi. This was done in an effort to decentralise power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia, although it has been criticised as marginalising the legislature, and also for the demolition of a Soviet War Memorial formerly at the new building's location.[8] The subsequent government of the Georgian Dream passed a new constitution that moved the parliament back to Tbilisi, effective from January 2019.[9]

Downtown Kutaisi

Kutaisi is located along both banks of the Rioni River. The city lies at an elevation of 125–300 metres (410–984 feet) above sea level. To the east and northeast, Kutaisi is bounded by the Northern Imereti Foothills, to the north by the Samgurali Range, and to the west and the south by the Colchis Plain.

Map of Kutaisi

There are 12 administrative units in Kutaisi:

1. Avtokarkhana
2. Gamarjveba
3. Gumati
4. Vakisubani
5. Kakhianouri
6. Mukhnari
7. Nikea
8. Sapichkhia
9. Sulkhan-Saba
10. Ukimerioni
11. City-museum
12. Dzelkviani

TBC Bank in Kutaisi

Kutaisi has traditionally been an important industrial center in Georgia, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union 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).[24] The Kutaisi FIZ was created in 2009 and was established on the initiative of Fresh Electric, an Egypt-based home appliances producer.[25] 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.[24]

In 2019, German solar panel 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.[26] During the same year Changan Automobile announced plans to construct an electric car 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.[27] The factory plans to employ about 3,000 people.[28]

Kutaisi has a great tradition in sports, with many famous sports clubs. FC Torpedo Kutaisi has participated on the highest level of the Soviet Union football league. After Georgia achieved independence, it won many domestic and international titles. RC AIA Kutaisi won the Soviet Championship several times in rugby, and after independence, national championships and cups. The women's football club FC Martve takes part at the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round after becoming champion in the Georgia women's football championship in 2016.[29] Kutaisi also has an influential basketball club BC Kutaisi 2010, 2016 Champion of the Georgian Superliga, which plays its home games at the Kutaisi Sport Palas.

Colchis Fountain in main square

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 chamomiles. 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, choxa. 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.

New Georgian Parliament Building in Kutaisi

• Aeëtes – King of Kingdom of Colchis
• Bagrat III – King of united Kingdom of Georgia in 975–1014
• George I – King of united Kingdom of Georgia in 1014–1027
• Bagrat IV – King of united Kingdom of Georgia in 1027–1072
• George II – King of united Kingdom of Georgia in 1072–1089
• David IV – King of united Kingdom of Georgia in 1089–1125
• Veriko Anjaparidze – Georgian actress
• Revaz Gabriadze – cinematographer, writer, director, production designer
• Niko Nikoladze (1843–1928) – Georgian public figure
• Meliton Balanchivadze (1862–1937) – Georgian composer
• Zakaria Paliashvili (1871–1933) – Georgian composer
• Iakob Nikoladze (1876–1951) – Georgian sculptor, designer of the previous state flag of Georgia.
• Władysław Raczkiewicz (1885–1947) – the first president of the Polish government-in-exile, 1939–1947
• Joseph Orbeli (1887–1961) – orientalist
• David Kakabadze (1889–1952) – Georgian painter
• Victor Dolidze (1890–1933) – Georgian composer
• Petre Otskheli (1907–1937) Georgian modernist set and costume designer
• Otar Korkia (1923–2005) – Georgian basketball player and coach (Olympic silver medalist)
• Dodo Chichinadze (1924–2009) – Georgian actress
• Revaz Dzodzuashvili (b. 1945) – Georgian football player, World Cup 1966 bronze medalist
• Zurab Sakandelidze (b. 1945) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion
• Mikheil Korkia (b. 1948) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion
• Meir Pichhadze (1955–2010) – Israeli painter, Kutaisi native
• Tengiz Sulakvelidze (b. 1956) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup, Euro 1988 silver medalist
• Ramaz Shengelia (1957–2012) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup
• Maia Chiburdanidze (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 (b. 1971) – Olympic champion in Wrestling
• Katie Melua (b. 1984) – A Georgian-British singer and songwriter that was born and grew up here.
• Nika Sichinava (b. 1994) – Georgian football player, played for Yunist Chernihiv and FC Inhulets Petrove.

• Colchis
• Imereti
• The Forest Song

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kutaisi.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kutaisi.

• Newport Kutaisi Twinning Association
• "Kutais (town)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 955.