Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is 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 and the third-most populous city in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, traditionally, second in importance, after the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

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

. Situated 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 o ...

, it is the capital of the western region of

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 munic ...

. Historically one of the major cities of Georgia, it served as political center of

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

in the

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

as capital of the

Kingdom of Abkhazia The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; lit. "Kingdom of the Abkhazians"), also known as Abasgia or Egrisi-Abkhazia, was a Middle Ages, medieval feudalism, feudal state in the Caucasus which was established i ...

and

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამეფო, tr), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in circa 1008 AD. It reached its Golden Age of political and economic ...

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, Im ...

. 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; of these, 120 are proportio ...

as an effort to decentralise 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'' ( el, Ἀργοναυτικά , translit=Argonautika) is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only surviving Hellenistic epic, the ''Argonautica'' tells the myth of the voyage of Jason a ...

'', a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece 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 ...

epic poem An epic poem, or simply 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. ...

about

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

and the

Argonauts The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) 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'', ...

and their journey to Colchis, author

Apollonius Rhodius Apollonius of Rhodes ( grc, Ἀπολλώνιος Ῥόδιος ''Apollṓnios Rhódios''; la, Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for the ''Argonautica'', an epic poem about Jason and t ...

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

Aeëtes Aeëtes (; , ; , ), or Aeeta, was a king of Colchis in Greek mythology. The name comes from the ancient Greek word (, "eagle"). Family Aeëtes was the son of Sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perseis, brother of Circe, Perses and Pasiphaë, and ...

Later, it was the capital of the kingdom of

Lazica Lazica ( ka, ეგრისი, ; lzz, ლაზიკა, ; grc-gre, Λαζική, ; fa, لازستان, ; hy, Եգեր, ) was the Latin name given to the territory of Colchis during the Roman/Byzantine period, from about the 1st centur ...

until being occupied briefly by the

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...

. An Arab incursion into western Georgia was repelled by

Abkhazians Abkhazians (russian: Абхазы), or Abkhazs ( ab, Аԥсуаа, Aṕswaа, ), 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 l ...

jointly with Lazic and Iberian allies in 736, towards c.786, Leon II won his full independence from

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

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 Selim I ( ota, سليم الأول; tr, I. Selim; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute ( tr, links=no, Yavuz Sultan Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite last ...

, who was the son of

Bayezid II Bayezid II ( ota, بايزيد ثانى, Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī, 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512, Turkish: ''II. Bayezid'') was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, ...

, the sultan of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

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

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

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 , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

, in 1768, were troops of general

Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben Gottlob Curt Heinrich Graf von Tottleben, Herr auf Tottleben, Zeippau und Hausdorf im Saganschen (also ''Tottleben'', ''Todtleben'' ''Todleben''; russian: Готлиб-Генрих Тотлебен) (21 December 1715 – 20 March 1773) was a Ele ...

sent to join the forces of King

Heraclius II of Georgia Heraclius II ( ka, ერეკლე II), also known as Erekle II and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი ) (7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 C. ToumanoffHitchins, KeithHeraclius II. ''Encyclopædia Iranica Online edit ...

, 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 King of Imereti (western Georgia) from 1752 to 1765 and again from 1767 until his death in 1784. Solomon was a son of Ale ...

to recover his capital, Kutaisi, on August 6, 1770. View of Kutaisi (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 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, the Le ...

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 th ...

, 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 mur ...

trial that attracted attention all over Russia; the ten accused Jews were acquitted. 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 Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.

, 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 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. The subsequent government of the

Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia ( ka, ქართული ოცნება – დემოკრატიული საქართველო, ''Kartuli ocneba – Demok’rat’iuli Sakartvelo'') is a social democratic political ...

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 m ...

, 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 ...

a few km east of the city, is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. 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 period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

s; ruins of

Geguti Palace The Royal Palace of Geguti ( ka, გეგუთის სასახლე) was a Georgian royal palace active during the Middle Ages. Currently only ruins remain at the eponymous village, 7 km south of the city of Kutaisi. History The r ...

, which was one of the residences of Georgian monarchs; "Okros Chardakhi" – Georgian Kings’ Palace; the

Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...

, 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 Kut ...

which 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, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

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 Sport is a museum in Kutaisi, Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: ...

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

Theatres and cinema

2014 Kutaisi, Państwowy Teatr Dramatyczny (01)

*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 The Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture was established on 26 January 1952 in Kutaisi, in the country of Georgia. History The Agricultural Institute was opened in Kutaisi in 1952. In 1959 it was moved to Sukhumi, Abkhazia, an ...

* Kutaisi University (Unik) *

Cadets Military Lyceum of Georgia The Giorgi Kvinitadze Cadet Military Lyceum ( ka, კადეტთა სამხედრო ლიცეუმი, tr, k’adet’ta samkhedro litseumi) is a specialized state school, responsible for the training of young students in mili ...

Professional unions and public organizations

* Georgian Writers’ Union * Georgian Painters’ Union * Folk Palace

Media

Local newspapers include: ''Kutaisi'', '' Imeretis Moabe''
''PS''
'' Akhali Gazeti'', and ''

Kutaisuri Versia ''Kutaisuri Versia'' ( ka, ქუთაისური ვერსია) is a newspaper published in Georgia. It is based in the city of Kutaisi Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the w ...

''. Other publications include '' Chveneburebi'', a journal published by the Ministry of Diaspora Issues, and ''

Gantiadi Gantiadi ( ka, განთიადი ; russian: Гантиади) or Tsandryphsh ( ab, Цандрыҧшь; russian: Цандрыпш), is an urban-type settlement on the Black Sea coast in Georgia, in the Gagra District of Abkhazia, 5 km f ...

'', 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 the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. 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 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 zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

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

Plain) during the autumn and winter months. The summers are generally hot and relatively dry 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 . Average annual precipitation is around . Rain may fall in every season of the year. The city often experiences heavy, wet snowfall (

snowfall Snow comprises 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 throughout ...

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. Kutaisi experiences powerful easterly winds in the summer which descend from the nearby mountains.

Population

Administrative division

There are 12 administrative units in Kutaisi: #Avtokarkhana #Gamarjveba #Gumati #Vakisubani #Kakhianouri #Mukhnari #Nikea #Sapichkhia #Sulkhan-Saba #Ukimerioni #City-museum #Dzelkviani

Government

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

For Georgia For Georgia ( ka, საქართველოსთვის}, ''Sakartvelostvis'') is a political party in Georgia founded by former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. The presentation of the party was held on May 29, 2021. History Gio ...

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

Strategy Aghmashenebeli Strategy Aghmashenebeli ( ka, სტრატეგია აღმაშენებელი ''st’rat’egia aghmashenebeli''), sometimes translated as Strategy Builder, is a political party in Georgia founded by Giorgi Vashadze, who along ...

, 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. Products are massed produced in Suzhou Industrial Park, China. Lelo may also refer to: * ''Lelo'' (newspaper), a Georgian language sports newspaper * Lelo, a style of Georgian ...

, 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 Girchi — More Freedom ( ka, გირჩი — მეტი თავისუფლება, ) is a libertarian political party in Georgia. It was founded by Zurab Japaridze, former chairman of the New Political Center — Girchi. The par ...

, 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, or Europeneans, 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 a ...

, 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 Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

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 ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

-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 cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...

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 Chang'an Automobile Co., Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Jiangbei, Chongqing.electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...

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 is a Georgian professional football club based in Kutaisi, Georgia's third largest city. 'Torpedo Kutaisi' was founded in 1946 and in just three years the club became the winner of the Football Championship of that time. Torped ...

has participated on the highest level of the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

league. After Georgia achieved independence, it won many domestic and international titles. RC AIA Kutaisi won the Soviet Championship several times in

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, 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 Wom ...

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 football league in Georgia. The league ran until 2010 and was for a time defunct, in 2014 an attempt was made to restore the championship in the form of a cup tourna ...

in 2016. Kutaisi also has an influential basketball club

BC Kutaisi 2010 BC Kutaisi 2010 is a Georgian professional basketball club, which competes in the Georgian Superliga.KUTAISI.TRADE
Retrieved 21 Jan 2016. ...

, 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 Georgia and capital of the western region of Imereti. It is one of three internatio ...

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

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 Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

) 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 recutita'' and ''Anthemis nobilis'', are commonly us ...

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, 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.

Notable natives

Parliament of Georgia in Kutaisi at Sunset

– 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 I of Antioch (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 George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...

– King of united

in 1072–1089 *

David IV David IV, also known as David the Builder ( ka, დავით აღმაშენებელი, ') (1073–1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th king of United Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125. Popularly considered to be ...

– King of united

in 1089–1125 *

Veriko Anjaparidze Veriko (Vera) Ivlianovna Anjaparidze ( ka, ვერიკო ანჯაფარიძე, in Kutaisi – 1987 in Tbilisi) was a Soviet and Georgian stage and film actress. Life and career Andjaparidze studied at the Aidarov Drama Studio ...

– Georgian actress *

Revaz Gabriadze Revaz "Rezo" Gabriadze ( ka, რევაზ ��ეზოგაბრიაძე; 29 June 1936 – 6 June 2021) was a Georgian theatre and film director, playwright, writer, painter, and sculptor. His son, Levan Gabriadze, is also an actor and ...

– cinematographer, writer, director, production designer *

Niko Nikoladze Niko Nikoladze ( ka, ნიკო ნიკოლაძე) (27 September 1843 – 5 June 1928) was a Georgian writer, pro-Western enlightener, and public figure primarily known for his contributions to the development of Georgian liberal journali ...

(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 celebrated member of Georgia's cultural scene, both under the Russian Empire ...

(1862–1937) – Georgian composer *

Zakaria Paliashvili Zacharia Petres dze Paliashvili ( ka, ზაქარია ფალიაშვილი, ''Zakaria Paliaşvili''), also known as Zachary Petrovich Paliashvili (russian: Захарий Петрович Палиашви́ли, ''Zacharij Petrovi� ...

(1871–1933) – Georgian composer *

Iakob Nikoladze Iakob Nikoladze ( ka, იაკობ ნიკოლაძე; , 1876 – March 10, 1951) was a Georgian sculptor and artist. He was from the a Georgian noble (aznauri) family, Nikoladze. The Georgian National Museum, Iakob Nikoladze Hous ...

(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 st ...

(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 ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...

, 1939–1947 *

Joseph Orbeli Joseph Orbeli ( hy, Հովսեփ Աբգարի Օրբելի, Hovsep Abgari Orbeli; russian: Иосиф Абгарович Орбели, Iosif Abgarovich Orbeli; 20 March ( O.S. 8 March) 1887 – 2 February 1961) was a Soviet-Armenian orientalist, p ...

(1887–1961) – orientalist *

David Kakabadze Davit' Kakabadze ( ka, დავით კაკაბაძე) (August 20, 1889 – May 10, 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 fie ...

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

Petre Otskheli Petre Otskheli (; 25 November 1907 – 2 December 1937) was a Georgian modernist set and costume designer who designed in theatre in Georgia. Born in Kutaisi, Otskheli studied at the Kutaisi realschule and the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in t ...

(1907–1937) Georgian modernist set and costume designer *

Otar Korkia Otar Korkia (Georgian: ოთარ ქორქია, russian: Отар Михайлович Коркия; May 10, 1923 – March 15, 2005) was a Georgian professional basketball player and coach. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players, ...

(1923–2005) – Georgian basketball player and coach (Olympic silver medalist) * Dodo Chichinadze (1924–2009) – Georgian actress *

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 coaches FC Dinamo Sukhumi. He earned 49 caps for t ...

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

Zurab Sakandelidze Zurab Aleksandrovich Sakandelidze ( ka, ზურაბ საკანდელიძე; russian: Зураб Александрович Саканделидзе; August 9, 1945 – January 25, 2004) was a Georgian basketball player who won g ...

(b. 1945) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion *

Mikheil Korkia Mikheil Korkia ( ka, მიხეილ ქორქია) (10 September 1948 – 7 February 2004) was a Georgia (country), Georgian-Soviet Union, Soviet basketball player who won gold with the Soviet Union national basketball team, Soviet baske ...

(b. 1948) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion *

Meir Pichhadze Meir Pichhadze ( he, מאיר פיצ'חדזה; August 16, 1955 in Kutaisi, Georgia – February 4, 2010 in Tel Aviv, Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְ� ...

(1955–2010) – Israeli painter, Kutaisi native *

Tengiz Sulakvelidze Tengiz Grigoriyevich Sulakvelidze ( ka, თენგიზ სულაქველიძე; born 23 July 1956 in Kutaisi) is a former Georgian footballer. Honours * International Master of Sports: 1980. *Honored Master of Sports of the USS ...

(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 football player. Club career Born in Kutaisi, Shengelia started career in his hometown club Torpedo Kutaisi in 1968. He spe ...

(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 20 ...

(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 Georgian judoka, mixed martial artist and ...

(b. 1971) – Olympic champion in Wrestling *

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

(b. 1984) – A Georgian-British singer and songwriter that was born and grew up here. *

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

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

Yunist Chernihiv Yunist Chernihiv ( uk, ФК «Юність» Чернігів) is a Ukrainian amateur football team based on Yunist sports school in Chernihiv. The sports school is known for its talent players like Andriy Yarmolenko, Pavlo Polehenko, Serhiy K ...

and

FC Inhulets Petrove Football Club Inhulets Petrove ( uk, "Інгулець" Петрове) 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 Ukrai ...

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Kutaisi is twinned with: *

Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with ...

, Israel * Columbia, United States *

Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, 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 Rive ...

, Ukraine *

Ganja Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: �aːɲd� ...

, Azerbaijan *

Gomel Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census). Etymology There are at least six narratives of the ori ...

, Belarus *

Karşıyaka Karşıyaka () is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. The district extends for twelve kilometres along the northern and eastern coastline of the tip of the Gulf of İzmir. Its centre is at a distance of to the north from the traditional cen ...

, Turkey *

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Laiwu (Jinan), China *

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...

, Ukraine *

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Southern Ukraine, the Administrative centre, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides U ...

, Ukraine *

Nanchang Nanchang (, ; ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of 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 ...

, China *

Newport, Wales Newport ( cy, Casnewydd; ) is a city and Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. With a population of 145,700 at the 2 ...

, UK *

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

, Poland *

Sumy Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...

, Ukraine *

Szombathely Szombathely (; german: Steinamanger, ; see also other alternative 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 t ...

, 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 border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border t ...

, Moldova *

Valka Valka (; german: Walk) is a town and municipality in northern 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 "O ...

, Latvia *

Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, a ...

, Ukraine

Cooperation agreements

Kutaisi has cooperation agreements with: *

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

, Lithuania *

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

, Slovenia *

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

, 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

Government

Mayor

City council

Economy

Sport

Transport

Airport

Railway

Local celebrations

Notable natives

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Cooperation agreements

See also

Explanatory notes

References

External links