New home for archived records opens since Soviet times

A new, modern building has opened today that will house precious archived records earlier preserved in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia.

It is the first building of this purpose to open since the Soviet Union era.

This new storage facility will hold 285,000 archival records from seven district of the Kvemo Kartli region. The records showcase lifestyle of Georgian cities such are Tbilisi, Batumil Tskhinvali, Rustavi, Telavi and Sokhumi during the 20^th century.

Furthermore, the historic documents reflect the social and cultural life of those living in villages and towns throughout the region, and details of infrastructure development stages of the region have been preserved in the Kvemo Kartli Regional Archive since 1920.

Other unique documents describing the entry of the Red Army in Georgia in 1921 are also preserved in the archive.

The opening of the Kvemo Kartli Regional Archive’s new building coincided with the 95th anniversary of Georgia’s National Archive.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani attended today’s opening ceremony of the new building.

The first archival building was opened in Kvemo Kartli region in Bilnisi in 1939. It also included Dmanisi, Tetritskaro, Marneuli and Tsalka archival departments.

Step-by-step separate archive departments were formed in regional archives and for decades, seven Districts and Municipal Archives functioned in Kvemo Kartli.