Georgian Soviet Mosaics ― Architectural Guide

Monumental, decorative mosaics were created in public spaces of Tbilisi during the Soviet era in the 1970s and 1980s. Yet architectural critics have largely ignored them until now, dismissing them as little more than propagandistic tools that were used to display “advertisements” on building exteriors. The authors of this guide set out to restore the image of Georgian mosaics, arguing that they were architectural artworks in their own right. Colorful mosaics indicate a building’s function, give a structure to its facade, and can even blend in with it to form an artistic whole. Unfortunately, many of them are under threat of demolition, and they have never been systematically studied until now. Hence, the purpose of this publication is also to document them, to analyze their artistic value, and to argue for their preservation. To this end, Nini Palavandishvili and Lena Prents present photographs, maps, and short histories, taking the reader on a journey through the world of Georgian mosaics.