The Building I of the National Library

The Building I of the National LibraryIn 1931, the building of the former Landowners’ Real Estate Bank was delivered to the National Library. Now, this building represents only one of the blocks of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, but the entire library is located within five buildings and three of them are recognized as prominent architectural monuments.The former Landowners’ Real Estate Bank or a Georgian Bank, now the first building of the National Parliamentary Library was built (located in the corner of L. Gudiashvili and N. Vachandze streets) in 1913-1916.In 1912, the competition terms of the bank construction project indicated that the building should be designed in "Georgian style”. With this requirement in view, the first price was awarded to the project designed by the architect Anatoli Kalgin and the painter Henry Hrinevski. Both contestants were thoroughly knowledgeable of the Medieval Georgian architecture (Anatoly Kalgin had already done the measuring of the Bolnisi Sioni Church and a number of other monuments located in Tao-Klarjeti, as well as the reconstruction project of the Bana Monastery; as for Henry Hrinevski, he was an expert of ornamentation and adornments characteristic to Georgian monasteries and it was him who illuminated the works of an outstanding Georgian writer and public figure, Ilia Chavchavadze). The façade decoration of the library is copied from the adornments of the facades of the Georgian monastic monuments of the 10th-13th centuries whereas carving of the ornaments of extraordinary shape was accomplished by Neophite and Lavrenti Agladzes.

A vast gallery or logia built upon a number of columns from the Gudiashvili street side, as well as the side gallery and a tower erected in the corner with ornamented casements and rhombs are determining the characteristic feature of the entire building. Paintings of the interior, vestibule and arches of the former operational hall (today’s reading hall), the plastic forms of the stone balustrade characteristic to modern style and other architectural elements make this building an accomplished pattern of old Georgian architectural motives, which have played an important role in further development of Georgian architecture. The ornamented door of the library is done by Botkoveli. The woodworks in the first and third blocks of the library were done by Ilia Mamatsashvili. See The Museum of Books - Virtual Exhibition

 

The Building II of the National Library

The Building II of the National Library

 

The building of the second block of the National Library (located in the corner of the Gudiashvili and Purtseladze streets), represents a reasonable continuation of the first block. This is a former building of a branch of the Volga-Kama Bank, which was built by the architect G. Kosiakov in 1915.

You would read the following lines in mass media facilities of those days: "On June 12, the Tiflis Branch of the Volga-Kama Bank moved to their own building. The branch started its activities in Tiflis, in 1908 and a year later, they opened the affiliated agencies in Yerevan and Ganja. Construction of this new building located in the corner of Baron and Loris-Melikov streets was started in 1914, according to the project drafted by the architect-Academician G.A. Kosiakov. The land was purchased from Countess Melikova and half of this land, approximately 300 square ? was delivered by the bank to the Tiflis Landowners’ Real Estate Bank, which is also engaged in construction of a beautiful building for their own needs. The Volga-Kama building is large and fine-looking; it contains 30 rooms and a nice storage area as well as the flats for their staff and workers. The building is equipped by central heating”. (People’s Messenger, 1916, N598, pg.2).

Architecture of the second block of the library should be regarded as a replica of the neo-classical style. The heavy rustication of the façade of the first floor is creating a contrasting picture with the plain surface of the second and third floors. A broad protruded part is accentuated on the façade, in which a gigantic arch-type portal is cut.

 

The Building III of the National Library

The Building III of the National Library

 

The third building of the third block or the former office of the State Bank was built in 1910 (N7, L. Gudiashvili street), under the project drafted by Micheil Okhanjanov and R. Golenishchev. It is one of the best among the modern style buildings which have survived in present-day Tbilisi. Decoration of the portal located at the rear end of the façade the shaped capitals of gigantic rusticated columns, the sculptured decorations of the waved belt layer, the waved fronton with a high relief of an eagle etc. speak for the modern style. The interior as well as the plastic architectural elements and the glass-window ceiling also bear the signs of modern style. The building is circled in the corner of the Gudiashvili and Purtseladze streets, with a balcony all round it. The modern style is vividly represented in the interior part of the building as well.

 

 

 

 

 

The Building IV of the National Library

The Building IV of the National Library

 

Building 4 was designed by architect V. Zhitovsky in 1973. This ten-storey structure is the largest book depository in Georgia built to meet the library space planning standards. The structure adjoins Building 2 in Purtseladze Street and forms a courtyard with Buildings 1 and 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Building V of National Library

In spring 2014, the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia acquired a building in Nicaea Street, Kutaisi, which has since been used as an additional book depository. Presently, building V bears the name of Niko Nikoladze.

 

The Building VI of National Library

The Building VI of the National Library

 

In 1971, a four floor building decorated with white basalt stone columns was constructed in order to locate the Public Book Chamber (architect: T. Chogovadze). Attached to the building is a vast, six floor repository, in which a real treasury of printed production in Georgian language is accumulated. In 2006, the Public Book Chamber with its funds and the building was delivered to the National Library. 

After the renovation, the building was renamed King Vakhtang VI Building and opened to the public on October 17, 2017.

 

 

 

Avlabari Illegal Printing House  Museum

From 2012 Avlabari Illegal Printing House is the part of National Parliamentary Library of Georgia. In 1903, an underground print house was set up in the basement of a single-storey house in Kaspi Street.
The print house operated for two years. There were two floor plans of the building: one of an unassuming dwelling authorized by city officials, and the other with an underground basement and secret passages kept by the revolutionaries.
The printing machine imported from Baku was disassembled, sneaked down into the basement and reassembled. The types were provided by workers of other, legal print houses. Between 1903 and 1906 thousands of flyers, pamphlets, books and newspapers were printed in Russian, Georgian and Armenian.
A bell was hidden in the wall to alert those under ground. If the bell was rung once, it meant “Stop immediately!” If twice, “False alarm, back to work!” If three times, it meant “Come upstairs, lunch time!”
On April 15, 1906, the police launched an attack on the print house, burnt the down and blew up the print house. In 1937, the print house was reopened as a museum, and, in 2012, its ownership was transferred to the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia.