Batumi as I see it
I decided to write this post in a much easier and wider-understandable language, then, Russian. And even if someone of my friend cannot read in English, that's more a photo-essay that didn't need much text.
Some months ago, user Варандей advised me to share photo essays on our cities, that have more or less interesting architectural style. There are not many towns with an tradition of an uninterupted urban architecture, mainly Tbilisi, Kutaisi, (Sighnaghi) and Batumi. Today I'm going to show you some of Batumi's lovely side.
The town itself was buil in the end of XIX century, when the Russian Empire took it from the Ottomans in 1878 and used it as a Port for Oil tankers, that supplied Europe with oil from Baku. So the beautiful side of Batumian architecture is the Russian Empire Urban Architecture style, that was an intereting phenomen by itself.
After building the port and a city out of Batumi, it became one of the centers of local Georgian, Russian and Armenian cultures. The Turkish influence was wiped out of the cities architecture, and small wooden mosques were replaces by churches and synagogues.
As a West Georgian city, it also served as a cultural spot for Georgian Catholics, who apart of being a small minority, were succesfull in trade, culture and diplomacy (with the Ottomans and European empires). The famous Catholic Georgian merchants, Zubalashvili Brothers, who were at the same time patrons of art, built a Catholic cathedral, probably the biggest one in Georgia and maybe in the South Caucasus, whitch now is occupied by Orthodox Georgians.
There is also a small community of Georgian and Ashkenazi Jews in Batumi, that own a small and prety Synagogue, built in Moorish Revival style in the late XIX/earky XX century.
The Armenian comunity is also presented with a styly church, that I unfortunately didn't shot from another angle.
Along with late XIX/early XX century Russian urban architecture, Batumi is the city of palms and rain.
The weather here is like in London (as they say it, but I've never been to UK myself)
That's the new cathiolic church in the entrance of Batumi and below is the old one (occupied by Orhodox) from inside.
Some ordinary streets:
Batumi is now the second city of Georgia (in soviet times it was Kutaisi) and our goverment loves to visit it, talk and be proud about Batumi. But the bad thing about that is, that our president tries to create a "shiny Batumi" by himself and only, I mean that he is building some new sights and constructing the image of "our government-made beauty" of Batumi. For example the huge Sheraton hotel was build to become the very first sight of Batumi, whitch I think should be not even the 20st.
Reconstructing Batumi:
The "proud symbol of new, free from Abashidze Batumi" in the night:
A on the beach, also night:
Next to it is the Batumi State University, where I would study with great pleasure (cause it's location оn the beach):
That's it, my notsolong photoessey about Batumi, as I see it, please correct and tell me how this post could better for you :)
Some months ago, user Варандей advised me to share photo essays on our cities, that have more or less interesting architectural style. There are not many towns with an tradition of an uninterupted urban architecture, mainly Tbilisi, Kutaisi, (Sighnaghi) and Batumi. Today I'm going to show you some of Batumi's lovely side.
The town itself was buil in the end of XIX century, when the Russian Empire took it from the Ottomans in 1878 and used it as a Port for Oil tankers, that supplied Europe with oil from Baku. So the beautiful side of Batumian architecture is the Russian Empire Urban Architecture style, that was an intereting phenomen by itself.
After building the port and a city out of Batumi, it became one of the centers of local Georgian, Russian and Armenian cultures. The Turkish influence was wiped out of the cities architecture, and small wooden mosques were replaces by churches and synagogues.
As a West Georgian city, it also served as a cultural spot for Georgian Catholics, who apart of being a small minority, were succesfull in trade, culture and diplomacy (with the Ottomans and European empires). The famous Catholic Georgian merchants, Zubalashvili Brothers, who were at the same time patrons of art, built a Catholic cathedral, probably the biggest one in Georgia and maybe in the South Caucasus, whitch now is occupied by Orthodox Georgians.
There is also a small community of Georgian and Ashkenazi Jews in Batumi, that own a small and prety Synagogue, built in Moorish Revival style in the late XIX/earky XX century.
The Armenian comunity is also presented with a styly church, that I unfortunately didn't shot from another angle.
Along with late XIX/early XX century Russian urban architecture, Batumi is the city of palms and rain.
The weather here is like in London (as they say it, but I've never been to UK myself)
That's the new cathiolic church in the entrance of Batumi and below is the old one (occupied by Orhodox) from inside.
Some ordinary streets:
Batumi is now the second city of Georgia (in soviet times it was Kutaisi) and our goverment loves to visit it, talk and be proud about Batumi. But the bad thing about that is, that our president tries to create a "shiny Batumi" by himself and only, I mean that he is building some new sights and constructing the image of "our government-made beauty" of Batumi. For example the huge Sheraton hotel was build to become the very first sight of Batumi, whitch I think should be not even the 20st.
Reconstructing Batumi:
The "proud symbol of new, free from Abashidze Batumi" in the night:
A on the beach, also night:
Next to it is the Batumi State University, where I would study with great pleasure (cause it's location оn the beach):
That's it, my notsolong photoessey about Batumi, as I see it, please correct and tell me how this post could better for you :)