Tbilisi, Lado Gudiashvili Square 2

History of the Building

In the historical district of Tbilisi, on Lado Gudiashvili Square 2, stands one of the oldest houses in the city. Most of Tbilisi’s residents call it “Lermontov's House” even today.

The editorial office of “Literary Georgia,” the newspaper of the Georgian Writers’ Union, worked in this building for decades following its first publication in 1931.

Earlier, this building hosted the headquarters of the Russian Imperial Army, and served as a guard-room and hotel of officers, where esteemed Russian poet, Mikheil Lermontov (1814-1841), stayed overnight in 1838.         

However, due to the colors of the balconies, the locals often called it “Sky Blue House”  as well.

Parts of the building were constructed during the different periods, with the right side dating back to 1830 and the left one going back to 1850. The basement, with a brick cove, is much older than the house itself. 

The Architecture of the Building

The façade of this house includes almost all principal styles common in Tbilisi at that time, including art-deco, architecture-constructive mixture known as “Russian classicism,” traditional wooden balconies, and musharabi, brought from Islamic culture. 

The Building Today

This is one of the oldest and most distinguished examples of an Old Tbilisi house. Luckily, it has been preserved almost entirely in its initial appearance, so now you can learn more about the typical urban architecture of the city throughout the ages!