Tbilisi City Assembly Building's History

Tbilisi City Hall was built at the beginning of the 19th century. The building has undergone several reconstructions. Originally, it was a two-story building. Tbilisi City Hall before reconstruction. Before 1897 the first floor accommodated the first city police department and the second floor - the Chancellery of the Police Chief of the City. In 1869 the first floor was rented out to accommodate shops there for the annual rental revenues of 5 000 rubles. Tbilisi City Council started work in 1875. Later on, during Dimitri Kipiani's rule, some of the council members proposed to reconstruct and extend the building. A special commission was set up to discuss the matter. At the end of 1878 the Council announced a competition for identification of the Council Building Design. However, the competition produced no results. The Archive has preserved a few building designs: 1. Architect Schtern's design in the renaissance style;

2. Unknown author's design also in the renaissance style;

3. Also unknown author's design in the Russian style. Later on, at one of the Council Meetings, N. Nikoladze proposed that the City House be built in the Georgian-Armenian style. In November 1881, the Council assigned A. G. Ozerov, the Chief Architect of Tbilisi, to draw up the City House Reconstruction Design. The Council approved the Reconstruction Design. Architect Ozerov's DesignMunicipal Government House Plan before reconstructionLater on, the votes of the voting members drew again. Some members voted for reconstruction. Others voted for building a new building. The City Council voted for reconstruction of the building with 24 against 13.

The construction lasted two years (1882-1884).

Council Meeting Hall - Red HallThe Council Meeting Hall /Red Hall/ was built after the reconstruction of 1886. The Georgian national architectural elements were used in its interior design.On September 11, 1905, the Police staged a bloody retaliation in the Meeting Hall against those present at the meeting who protested against their dissolution. Later on, the City House underwent a few more reconstructions. In particular, in 1910 according to Architect K. N. Tatishev's design the third floor was built on the right flank. Besides, a three-floor building was built as an extension from the side of G. Tabidze Street. A similar extension was made in 1912 from the side of Sh. Dadiani Street.

After reconstruction

So far, the building has seen no other major reconstruction though there have been a multitude of ideas and unfulfilled projects. One of the ideas that emerged in 1934 was to impose Lenin's Monument on top of the Council Building. The other idea (1975) was to build a new building of the Executive Committee of the Tbilisi City Council.