.:Virtual Travel of City KUTAISI:.

A wonderful city in an equally wonderful Georgian locality — Imereti. A city, whose population of 217 000 is a million less than that of Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. Its natives like to refer to it as the "second capital of Georgia", and with good reason.

Kutaisi is one of the ancient cities of the world. Ancient Greek myths and history date its origin back to the "times of Minos" (XVTI — XV cc. B.C.). Ancient Greeks considered Minos, Governor of Crete, and King Aeetes at Cytaea (Kutaisi) to be great, "god-like". The plot of the famous "Argonautica" centres round the "hegemon" city — Kutaisi. In ancient and feudal times Kutaisi was the first city of West Georgia (Colchis, Egrisi, Lazika).

As the VI c. capital of Egrisi Kingdom, Kutaisi had for 20 years been the cause of rivalry between Iran and Byzantine. The Persians having once managed to occupy it, the Byzantines, Georgians' coreligionists, liberated the city. In the late VIII c. Kutaisi became capital of the united Egrisi and Abkhasian Kingdoms. In the X c. the first king of united Georgia, Bagrat III, built the beautiful Bagrat Temple in Kutaisi as a symbol of the country's unity. Thus, in 978 — 1122 Kutaisi was capital of.

United Georgia.

David IV the Builder was crowned there in 1089. In 1106 — 1125 he founded the Gelati Temple and Academy nearpoy. In 1489 — 1810, after the Georgian State's disintegration, Kutaisi was the capital of the Imereti Princedom. Great has been Kutaisi's role in the development of Georgian culture. In the present century great Georgian writers and poets lived and worked there: Akaki Tsereteli and David Kldiashvili, Niko Lortkipanidze and Konstantine Gamsak-hurdia, Shalva Dadiani and Leo Kiacheli. In 1911 the poets-symbolists Paolo lashvili, Titsian Tabidze, Kolau Nadiradze, Valerian Gaprindashvili and others organized in Kutaisi the group, known as "The Blue Horns". In 1914 Galaktion Tabidze's first book of fiery verses was published in Kutaisi.

The Great Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky studied here. It is the hometown of Zakharia Paliashvili, Georgia's musical genius. Georgian classics along with the best samples of the world's musical art — "Rigoletto", "La Traviata", "Tosca", "The Barber of Seville", "Eugene Onegin" — are staged in the local Opera House. Outstanding vocalists perform there. An important event in the city's cultural life was the foundation of the Kutaisi Symphony Orchestra.

The city's rich musical traditions enable Zurab Sotkilava, the People's Artist of the USSR, to arrange large musical festival there. Jacob Nikoladzc, founder of the Georgian school of sculpture and David Kakabadze, the great Georgian painter, Niko Nikoladze, famous public figure and Niko Marr, an outstanding linguist, — used to work in Kutaisi. Vasil Kikvidze, the Civil War's legendary hero, was born there. The Kutaisi Theatre's 100-th anniversary was widely celebrated several years ago.

4,500 students, specializing in mechanical and light industry engineering, study at five full-time and one distance learning department of the Kutaisi Polytechnic Institute. The literary magazine "Gantiadi" is published in Kutaisi and there is a branch of "Sabchota Sakartvelo" Publishing House there.

In April 1976 the grand opening of the Art Gallery took place in Kutaisi. Permanently displayed in its upper halls are the works of famous Georgian sculptors and painters. The Kutaisi artists' spring and autumn exhibitions are held there. The gallery has housed a French posters and an Austrian glass exhibitions.

The Republican, Union and International events taking place in Kutaisi, the city leads the life of a "second capital". Traditional are the annual April meetings of teagrowers in Kutaisi. Also notable are Kutaisi feasts with remarkable polyphonic singing. "Suliko" and "Tsitsinatela", now sung throughout the world, originated there. Kutaisi is a city of strong sports traditions. Five-fold world chess champion Maya Chiburdanidze, famous basketball players Zurab Sakandelidze, Mikhael Korkia and Nikolai Deryugin were brought up in Kutaisi. Three Kutaisi football players T. Sulakvelidze, R. Schengelaya, T. Kostava — used to simultaneously be in the USSR team. The Kutaisi mountaineers, headed by L. Akhvlediani, five-times champion of the USSR, have won a lot of gold medals. To get a panoramic view of the city one has to go up to the Bagrat Temple. The Main Caucasian Range and Mount Khvamli can be seen at a distance. Down below, in the Colchis lowland, flows the Rioni. To the right, in a blue mist, lies the famous resort of Tskaltubo.

On the border between Kutaisi's historic section and new, industrial part, rises the Glory Memorial. It centers on a young horseman with a blade — the herald of victory. Above him, the bells of the triumphal arch are pealing, symbolizing the former victories and those to come.