New Tiflis project: Century-old interior paintings found during renovation works

Restoration works in a historic area of Tbilisi has revealed century-old indoor paintings in another historical residential house on Aghmashenebeli Ave.

Entrance walls and the staircase at the 26 Aghmashenebeli Ave house revealed a series of receded paintings after the upper surface paint was removed during the building’s rehabilitation works.

Featuring decorative illustrations and scenes of varying size, the pieces of art were ‘lost’ when the walls were repainted with a plain appearance "decades ago", said the Tbilisi Development Fund in one of its regular progress reports on the restoration activities.

The paintings were revealed after the upper paint surface was removed during restoration works. Photo from the Tbilisi Development Fund/Facebook.

The Fund said the house had been commissioned in 1903 by city resident Giorgi Abuladze and was built in an area owned by his spouse Nina.

Built in classicist and renaissance architectural styles, the three-storey residential building's entrance featured a ceramic tile floor as well as main door and balconies made of "ancient" metal.

The residential house is one of the Cultural Heritage Monuments found along the avenue. Photo from the Tbilisi Development Fund/Facebook.

The discovered paintings will be fully restored and preserved in their initial form in the building's entrance hall.

The expansive rehabilitation of one of Tbilisi's central streets was launched early this year within the New Tiflis project, a Governmental initiative for reinvigorating the historic avenue and boosting the capital's tourist potential.

The floor of the entrance hall features a ceramic tile floor. Photo from the Tbilisi Development Fund/Facebook.

The many historic monuments and century-old houses on the avenue have been under intensive restoration work since then, with involved experts coming across old paintings on walls of their entrance halls.

The rehabilitation of houses, yards and infrastructure on Aghmashenebeli Ave is expected to conclude in late 2016.