Kutaisi (/kuːˈtaɪsiː/koo-TY-see,^[5]Georgian:ქუთაისიpronounced[ˈkʰut̪ʰais̪i]^ⓘ) is a city in theImereti region of theRepublic of Georgia. One of theoldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is thethird-most populous city in Georgia afterTbilisi andBatumi. It lies 221 kilometres (137 miles) west of Tbilisi, on theRioni River, and is the capital of Imereti.

Kutaisi ქუთაისი
City
Top to bottom: Downtown Kutaisi & White Bridge as seen from Mount Gora, A downtown street, Bagrati Cathedral in 2014
Flag Seal
Kutaisi Kutaisi (Imereti) Show map of Georgia Kutaisi Kutaisi (Imereti) Show map of Imereti
Coordinates:42°15′0″N42°42′0″E / 42.25000°N 42.70000°E /42.25000; 42.70000
Country	Georgia
Region (Mkhare)	Imereti
Established	13th century BC[a][b]
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Body	Kutaisi City Assembly
• Mayor	David Eremeishvili
Area
• Total	67.7 km2 (26.1 sq mi)
Elevation	80 m (260 ft)
Population  (2024)[3]
• Total	125,589
• Rank	4th in Georgia
• Density	1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Population by ethnicity[4]
• Georgians	99.0 %
• Russians	0.36 %
• Ukrainians	0.10 %
• Armenians	0.09 %
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Time)
Postal code	4600-4699
Area code	(+995) 431
Climate	Cfa
Website	kutaisi.gov.ge

Historically one of the major cities of Georgia, it served as the political center ofColchis in theMiddle Ages as the capital of theKingdom of Abkhazia^[6] andKingdom of Georgia and later as the capital of theKingdom of Imereti. From October 2012 to December 2018, Kutaisi was the seat of theParliament of Georgia as an effort to decentralize the Georgian government.

Archaeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of theColchis in the sixth to fifth centuries BC.^[7] It is believed that, inArgonautica, aGreekepic poem aboutJason and theArgonauts and their journey to Colchis, authorApollonius Rhodius considered Kutaisi their final destination as well as the residence of KingAeëtes.

Later, it was the capital of the kingdom ofLazica until being occupied briefly by theArabs. AnArab invasion into western Georgia was repelled byAbkhazians jointly with Lazic andIberian allies in 736, towardsc.786,Leon II won his full independence from theByzantine Empire and transferred his capital to Kutaisi, thus unifying Lazica and Abasgia via a dynastic union. The latter led theunification of the Georgian monarchy in the 11th century.

From 1008 to 1122, Kutaisi served as the capital of theKingdom of Georgia, and, from the 15th century until 1810, it was the capital of theKingdom of Imereti. In 1508, the city was conquered bySelim I, who was the son ofBayezid II, the sultan of theOttoman Empire.

During the 17th century, Imeretian kings made many appeals to theRussian Empire 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 the Ottomans. Only in the reign ofCatherine the Great, in 1768, were troops of generalGottlieb Heinrich Totleben sent to join the forces of KingHeraclius II of Georgia, who hoped to reconquer the Ottoman-held southern Georgian lands, with Russian help. Totleben helped KingSolomon I of Imereti to recover his capital, Kutaisi, on August 6, 1770.

Finally, theRussian-Turkish wars ended in 1810 with theannexation of the Imeretian Kingdom by the Russian Empire. The city was the administrative capital of theKutaisi uezd and the largerKutaisi Governorate, which included much of west Georgia.

In March 1879, the city was the site of ablood libel trial that attracted attention all over the Russian Empire. NineGeorgian Jews fromSachkhere were falsely accused of killing a Christian girl and using her blood for allegedly Jewish religious purposes.^[8] The trial took place at the Kutaisi Circuit Court, which had been established in 1868 as one of several new courts in the Caucasus created byTsar Alexander II.'s Judicial Reform. After a ten-day trial, with nearly 70 witnesses, the nine defendants were acquitted as the defense lawyers Petr Aleksandrov, Lev Kupernik and Moisei Kikodze convinced the judges that the accusations against the Jewish men were mostly based on false testimony.^[8]

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, the president of Georgia, signed a constitutional amendment relocating the parliament to Kutaisi.^[9] On 26 May 2012, Saakashvili inaugurated the newParliament building in Kutaisi. This was done in an effort to decentralize power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia, although it has been criticized as marginalizing the legislature, and also for the demolition of a Soviet War Memorial formerly at the new building's location.^[10] The subsequent government of theGeorgian Dream passed a new constitution that moved the parliament back to Tbilisi, effective from January 2019.^[11]

The landmark of the city is the ruinedBagrati Cathedral, built byBagrat III, king of Georgia, in the early 11th century. TheGelati Monastery a few km east of the city, is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. One of the famous churches in Georgia isMotsameta 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 ofdinosaurs; ruins ofGeguti Palace, which was one of the residences of Georgian monarchs; "Okros Chardakhi" – Georgian Kings' Palace; theMtatsminda Pantheon, where many notable citizens are buried.

TheKutaisi Synagogue was built in 1885.

•  
  A street in central Kutaisi
•  
  Church of Annunciation
•  
  Court of Appeals
•  
  Kutaisi Public School
•  
  Localsynagogue built in 1886
•  
  Kutaisi State Opera
•  
  Akaki Tsereteli State University

• Kutaisi State Historical Museum
• Kutaisi Museum of Sport
• Kutaisi Museum of Martial Art
• Museum of Zakaria Paliashvili
• Kutaisi State Historical Archive
• Kutaisi State Scientific-Universal Library
• Akaki Tsereteli State University
• David Kakabadze Kutaisi Fine Art Gallery

• 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

Higher educational institutions in Kutaisi:

• Akaki Tsereteli State University
• Kutaisi International University
• Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture
• Kutaisi University (Unik)

• Cadets Military Lyceum of Georgia

• Georgian Writers' Union
• Georgian Painters' Union
• Folk Palace

Local newspapers include:Kutaisi,Imeretis Moabe,Akhali Gazeti, andKutaisuri Versia. Other publications includeChveneburebi, a journal published by theMinistry of Diaspora Issues, andGantiadi, 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.

Kutaisi is located along both banks of theRioni River. The city lies at an elevation of 125–300 metres (410–984 feet)above sea level. To the east and northeast Kutaisi is bounded by the NorthernImereti Foothills, to the north by theSamgurali Range, and to the west and the south by theColchis Plain.

Kutaisi is surrounded bydeciduous 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 stormingRioni River in the middle of the city is heard far beyond its banks.

Kutaisi has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with a well-defined on-shore/monsoonal flow (characteristic of theColchis Plain) during the autumn and winter months. The summers are generally hot, while the winters are wet and cool. The average annual temperature in the city is 14.8 °C (58.6 °F). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 5.4 °C (41.7 °F) while August is the hottest month with an average temperature of 24.7 °C (76.5 °F). The absolute minimum recorded temperature is −17.0 °C (1.4 °F) and the absolute maximum is 43.1 °C (109.6 °F) recorded on 30 July 2000.^[12]

Average annual precipitation is around 1,500 mm (59.06 in). Rain may fall in every season of the year. The city often experiences heavy, wet snowfall (snowfall of 30 cm / 12 in or more per single snowstorm is not uncommon) in the winter, but the snow cover usually does not last for more than a week. There are roughly 15.5 days a year with snow depth.^[12] Kutaisi experiences powerful easterly winds in the summer which descend from the nearby mountains.

There are 13 administrative units in Kutaisi:

1. Avtokarkhana
2. Gamarjveba
3. Gumati
4. Vakisubani
5. Kakhianouri
6. Mukhnari
7. Nikea
8. Sapichkhia
9. Sulkhan-Saba
10. Ukimerioni
11. City-museum
12. Dzelkviani
13. Zastava

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^[c]

• Ioseb Khakhaleishvili (GD) (2020–)
• Giorgi Chighvaria (GD) (2017–2020)
• Shota Murghulia (GD) (2014–2017)

TheKutaisi city council (Sakrebulo) governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held onOctober 2, 2021, and the results were as follows:

Kutaisi has traditionally been an important industrial center in Georgia, but after the collapse of theSoviet Union 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.

TheAuto 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).^[28] The Kutaisi FIZ was created in 2009 and was established on the initiative of Fresh Electric, anEgypt-based home appliances producer.^[29] 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.^[28]

In 2019, Germansolar panel manufacturerAE 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.^[30] During the same yearChangan Automobile announced plans to construct anelectric car 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.^[31] The factory plans to employ about 3,000 people.^[32]

Kutaisi has a great tradition in sports, with many famous sports clubs.FC Torpedo Kutaisi has participated on the highest level of theSoviet Unionfootball league. After Georgia achieved independence, it won many domestic and international titles.RC AIA Kutaisi won theSoviet Championship several times inrugby, and after independence,national championships and cups. The women's football clubFC Martve takes part at the2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round after becoming champion in theGeorgia women's football championship in 2016.^[33] Kutaisi also has an influential basketball clubBC Kutaisi 2010, 2016 Champion of theGeorgian Superliga, which plays its home games at theKutaisi Sport Palas.

David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport (IATA: KUT, ICAO: UGKO) is an international airport located 14 km (8.70 mi) west of Kutaisi. It is one of three international airports currently in operation inGeorgia.

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) and other major cities across the country. The rail operator on all lines isGeorgian Railways.

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 sellchamomiles. 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,Chokha. 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.

• Aeëtes – King of Kingdom ofColchis
• Bagrat III – King of unitedKingdom of Georgia in 975–1014
• George I – King of unitedKingdom of Georgia in 1014–1027
• Bagrat IV – King of unitedKingdom of Georgia in 1027–1072
• George II – King of unitedKingdom of Georgia in 1072–1089
• David IV – King of unitedKingdom of Georgia in 1089–1125
• Niko Nikoladze (1843–1928) – Georgian public figure
• Meliton Balanchivadze (1862–1937) – Georgian composer
• Zakaria Paliashvili (1871–1933) – Georgian composer
• Iakob Nikoladze (1876–1951) – Georgian sculptor, designer of the previous state flag of Georgia
• Władysław Raczkiewicz (1885–1947) – the first president of thePolish government-in-exile, 1939–1947
• Joseph Orbeli (1887–1961) – orientalist
• David Kakabadze (1889–1952) – Georgian painter
• Victor Dolidze (1890–1933) – Georgian composer
• Veriko Anjaparidze (1897–1987) – Georgian actress
• Petre Otskheli (1907–1937) – Georgian modernist set and costume designer
• Otar Korkia (1923–2005) – Georgian basketball player and coach (Olympic silver medalist)
• Dodo Chichinadze (1924–2009) – Georgian actress
• Tengiz Abuladze (1924–1994) – Georgian film director
• Revaz Gabriadze (1936–2021) – cinematographer, writer, director, production designer
• Revaz Dzodzuashvili (b. 1945) – Georgian football player, World Cup 1966 bronze medalist
• Zurab Sakandelidze (1945–2004) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion
• Mikheil Korkia (1948–2004) – Georgian basketball player, Olympic champion
• Meir Pichhadze (1955–2010) – Israeli painter, Kutaisi native
• Tengiz Sulakvelidze (b. 1956) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup, Euro 1988 silver medalist
• Ramaz Shengelia (1957–2012) – Georgian football player, played in 1982 FIFA World Cup
• Maia Chiburdanidze (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 (b. 1971) – Olympic champion in Wrestling
• Davit Aslanadze (b.1976) – Football player
• Giorgi Kukhalashvili (born 1982), painter
• Katie Melua (b. 1984) – Georgian British singer and songwriter
• Roland Shalamberidze (b. 1958) – Georgian artist
• Nika Sichinava (b. 1994) – Georgian football player, played forYunist Chernihiv andFC Inhulets Petrove.
• Giorgi Vepkhvadze (born 1991) - professional rugby player

Kutaisi istwinned with:^[34]

Kutaisi has cooperation agreements with:^[34]

•  Kaunas, Lithuania
•  Maribor, Slovenia
•  Tartu, Estonia

• Colchis
• Imereti
• The Forest Song

• Newport Kutaisi Twinning Association
• "Kutais (town)" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 955.