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Tsinandali Museum Complex For most people, Tsinandali is synonymous with a fruity and lively white wine, but few know that this tasty white wine, as we know it today, was born in the Tsinandali Princely House. The Tsinandali Princely House was not only the cradle of the wine of the same name, but also the cultural centre of eastern Georgia and a meeting place for Georgian, European and Russian writers of the 19th century, such as Alexander Dumas, Alexander Pushkin and Alexander Griboyedov. Tsinandali was also a piece of Europe in the wild Caucasus, with the first royal concert grand piano, billiard tables, European classical music and a modern lifestyle. The estate had a magnificent English garden that still fascinates visitors today, and finally, Tsinandali was the place where wine was pressed and bottled using European methods for the first time in Georgia. History of Tsinandali house In 1680, King Erecle I gave the village of Tsinandali to the Chavchavadze family in gratitude for their loyalty and service to the country. A century later, Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze became the right-hand man of Georgian King Irakli II. During this time, Garsevan expanded his lands, enlarged Tsinandali and built a spacious residence to the north of the current Prince's House. Garsevan was also the first official Georgian ambassador to Russia and co-authored the Georgievski Treaty of 1783, which placed Eastern Georgia under the sovereignty and protection of the Russian Empire. Garsevan's son, Alexander Chavchavadze, became a general in the Russian army, a poet and the founder of Georgian Romanticism. As well as being a high-ranking officer and a talented poet, Alexander was the godchild of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great and the Russian Emperor Alexander I. However, being the Empress's godchild did not prevent Alexander from taking part in an uprising against the Russian annexation of Georgia, for which he was arrested and deported to Tambov in central Russia. Thanks to his connections, he was soon released. After his retirement, Alexander Chavchavadze returned to Tsinandali, had the princely house built and founded a winery. The princely house in Tsinandali became the cultural centre of eastern Georgia. Writers and poets from Georgia, Tsarist Russia and Europe met here and cultivated the modern European lifestyle. However, the carefree life of the princely house was not to last for long. On 4 July 1854, the troops of the North Caucasian military leader Shamil invaded Kakheti. The invaders looted the princely house, burned down the garden and kidnapped several members of Alexander's family and servants. The hostages were released only after a ransom of 40,000 rubles was paid. Alexander's son, Dawit Chavchavadze, partially restored the Princely House in the two years following the sacking, but was unable to maintain the complex financially. In 1886 he sold the Tsinandali mansion, gardens and wine cellar to the Russian Imperial family, the Romanovs. The Princely House of Tsinandali under the Russian Emperors A new era began at Tsinandali in 1886. The Princely House was thoroughly restored and the architecture modernised. The Georgian-born architect Alexander Ozerov, who was well known at the time, was commissioned to rebuild the house. In addition to the house, the wine cellar, garden and outbuildings were also restored. After the restoration, Tsinandali became the summer residence of the Russian Imperial family and was often visited by Emperor Alexander III, among others. House of Chavchavadze family in the Soviet era During the Soviet era, the manor house was converted into a hotel and a Kakhetian wine-growing collective farm. The complex was reconstructed several times and the authentic image of the house was largely changed. Although Tsinandali was turned into a hotel, the house and its surroundings did not lose their popularity and continued to be visited by Soviet poets. Shortly after the Second World War, in 1946, the Georgian writer Giorgi Leonidze, together with other writers and poets, opened a museum in the Tsinandali Mansion. Tsinandali Princely House today In 2007, the Georgian company Silk Road Group leased the house, park and outbuildings for several years, and after a year of restoration, the museum and park were reopened to visitors. Today the Tsinandali House Museum is run by Maia Kokochashvili, a descendant of the Chavchavadze princes, and her team. Park of Tsinandali The first park of Tsinandali was laid out together with the princely house in the 18th century, but the current design dates back to the 19th century. The French landscape architect Arnold Regel was invited to design the garden. The garden was originally 18 acres and contained a total of 400 different species of exotic and endemic plants and trees. The garden included Japanese loquats, Japanese sultana trees, quinces, olive trees, persimmon trees, paper mulberry trees, palm lilies and chestnut trees. Today, the garden is still carefully tended and its diversity is a great attraction for visitors. Many visitors rave about the different varieties of giant magnolias that stand at the entrance to the park and bloom in different colours at the same time. Tsinandali Wine Cellar The Tsinandali Winery is the birthplace of modern and classic Georgian winemaking. Prince Alexander Chavchavadze built a stately cellar at Tsinandali in the 19th century, where he pressed and bottled wines using both Georgian and European methods. As well as typical Georgian grape varieties such as Saperavi and Rqaciteli, Prince Alexander also planted European varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon in Kakheti. It is interesting to note that Georgian wines were first bottled in Tsinandali. In Soviet times, a wine factory was established in Tsinandali and the winery was expanded. Today the Tsinandali Wine Cellar is still in operation and open to visitors. The cellar holds a total of 16,500 bottles of wine. The oldest wines of the winery are Polish Honey (1814); Château d'Yquem (1861) and the first bottled Georgian wine - a Saperawi from the 1841 vintage. Tsinandali Music festival The first 15-day music festival took place in Tsinandali in 2019. The focus was on classical music, with both local and foreign composers. The event was held on a smaller scale in the coronavirus year 2020 and is planned as an annual highlight in the future. A 12,000-seat amphitheatre with a sliding roof was built especially for the festival on the grounds of the Princely House. The project was designed by French architect Xavier Fabre. The festival and the amphitheatre for the concerts were largely funded by the Silk Road Group. Radisson Hotel in Tsinandali In 2018, the Silk Road Group, which operates the entire grounds of the Tsinandali Princely House, built a five-star Radisson hotel at the back of the park, about 100 metres from the Princely House. On following trip, you will visit Tsinandali |
