Bolnisi Sioni - Georgian inscription.JPG
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Bolnisi ( ka, ბოლნისი, az, Qəmərli), is a city in the country of Georgia, located in the Kvemo Kartli region and capital of the
Bolnisi district Bolnisi ( ka, ბოლნისის მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Bolnisis munitsip’alit’et’i'') is a municipality in Georgia's southern region of Kvemo Kartli, covering an area of . As of 2021 it had a population of 56,0 ...
. It currently has an estimated 13,800 inhabitants.


History

Bolnisi was settled by 95 German colonist families from
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
in 1818, whilst part of the Georgia Governorate of the Russian Empire. Upon the arrival of the German colonists, the town was renamed ''Yekaterinenfeld'' (russian: Екатериненфельд; ) in honor of the sister of
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Alexander I,
Ekaterina Pavlovna Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia (russian: Екатерина Павловна; 21 May 1788 S 10 May 1788– 9 January 1819) later Queen Catharina Pavlovna of Württemberg, was the fourth daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and Du ...
, who was married to the King of Württemberg. Some eight years later, Yekaterinenfeld was pillaged by what were described as "Tartars", who burned down the German colony and massacred many of its inhabitants. In the early 20th century, Yekaterinenfeld had a mainly German and Russian population of 2,332. Following the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
and the
Sovietization of Georgia The Red Army invasion of Georgia (15 February17 March 1921), also known as the Soviet–Georgian War or the Soviet invasion of Georgia,Debo, R. (1992). ''Survival and Consolidation: The Foreign Policy of Soviet Russia, 1918-1921'', pp. 182, 361 ...
in 1921, Yekaterinenfeld was eponymously renamed to ''Luxemburg'' (russian: Люксембург) for the renown German communist
Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Luxemburg (; ; pl, Róża Luksemburg or ; 5 March 1871 – 15 January 1919) was a Polish and naturalised-German revolutionary socialist, Marxist philosopher and anti-war activist. Successively, she was a member of the Proletariat party, ...
. In 1941, in accordance with
Stalin's Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
callous policy on ethnic groups, all Germans residents of Luxembourg who were not married to ethnic Georgians were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan. On 3 April 1943, the town was finally renamed to Bolnisi, which remained unchanged after the fall of the Soviet Union. On 31 December 1967, the settlement of Bolnisi received the status of a city. In 1980, the city water supply network was built. An airfield near the city was reported to have been bombed by Russia on August 8, 2008, during the
Russia-Georgia war The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarThe war is known by a variety of other names, including Five-Day War, August War and Russian invasion of Georgia. was a war between Georgia, on one side, and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Sou ...
.


Economy

The main occupations of the colonist Germans were viticulture, horticulture, fruit growing and cattle breeding. At the same time, irrigation, underground drainage and irrigation canals were constructed in Yekaterinenfeld, as well as wine, cognac and cheese factories, and leather and furniture factories. The town's contemporary economy is mostly agrarian with the notable exceptions of a winery, brewery, and a gold mine in the nearby village of Kazreti.


Religion and Cultural Heritage

Bolnisi has long been the seat of a bishop or archbishop, and is the home of the oldest dated
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
structure in Georgia.Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), ''Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts'', p. 316. Peeters Bvba, . It is known as Bolnisi Sioni (Sioni being Georgian for Zion and a designation used by many of their churches). This three-nave basilica church dates to the 5th century AD and features some
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
elements in its stonework. The original roof is missing but has been replaced with a modern covering. A dedication Bolnisi inscriptions from the Bolnisi church, carved in the late 5th century, is one of the oldest dated specimens of Georgian writing. It mentions Bishop David of Bolnisi and two Sassanid kings Peroz I and Kavadh I. There are still remnants of the German past in Bolnisi. A small graveyard and plaque acknowledges the German influence in the village. A small street called Mill Street has evidence of 19th-century German architecture and a few signs in the German language that date from the early 20th century. The Bolnisi Museum, opened in 2020, showcases some findings from the nearby Dmanisi archaeological site, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, for the "richest and most complete collection of indisputable early Homo remains outside of Africa". Starting with these
Dmanisi hominins The Dmanisi hominins, Dmanisi people, or Dmanisi man were a population of Early Pleistocene Hominini, hominins whose fossils have been recovered at Dmanisi historic site, Dmanisi, Georgia. The fossils and stone tools recovered at Dmanisi range i ...
, the exhibit also covers the Sakdrisi goldmine and contains a room on the German settlers, across four halls. The museum building was designed by Gaga Kiknadze. The concept of the exhibition was developed by Lina López. The Bolnisi Museum was nominated for the European Museum of the Year Awards in 2021.


Sport

Whilst a German colony within the Russian Empire, Bolnisi had cycling, gymnast, and football teams in the 19th century.
Sioni Bolnisi FC Sioni is a Georgian football club based in Bolnisi. Following the 2022 season, they were relegated to Erovnuli Liga Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian league system. The team has once claimed the national league champion's title. Sioni pla ...
, a football club founded in 1936, play at the
Tamaz Stepania Stadium Tamaz Stephania Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Bolnisi, Georgia. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Sioni Bolnisi. The stadium is able to hold 3,000 people. The stadium is named after Tamaz Stepania, - former ...
, named after local footballer
Tamaz Stepania Tamaz (Temur) Stepania ( ka, თამაზ (თემურ) სტეფანია) (born 28 September 1950 in Bolnisi; died 28 March 1972 in Gori) was a Georgian and Soviet football player. Stepania died in a car accident at the age of 21. ...
; they were league champions once in 2006.


Climate


See also

* Bolnisi inscriptions * The history of The Caucasus Germans in Georgia


References


External links


A blogpost with fotos of former "german" houses in Bolnisi
* Tourism in Bolnisi
Bolnisi Museum
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Kvemo Kartli Tiflis Governorate