He Built a Tbilisi Landmark, Lost It to the Soviets and Died in Its Basement — Now Its Hidden Levels Have Been Found

Renovation work on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue has uncovered underground levels beneath the historic Melik-Azaryants building, revealing a long-hidden section of one of the Georgian capital’s best-known architectural landmarks.

Excavations are continuing at the building, located at 37 Rustaveli Ave. Previous reports have suggested that up to 2,000 square meters, or about 21,500 square feet, of hidden space may exist beneath the property.

The discovery brings new attention to the remarkable history of the building and the Armenian businessman who commissioned it more than a century ago.

Alexander Melik-Azaryants, born in Tbilisi in 1847, was a prominent Armenian businessman, industrialist and philanthropist who became one of Georgia’s wealthiest residents. His business interests included copper mines, oil refineries, oil fields in Baku, a quarry and real estate.

He commissioned the massive apartment building on what was then Olginskaya Street in 1912. Construction took three years.

Designed by St. Petersburg-based architect Nikolai Obolonsky, with contributions from Czech sculptor A. Novak, the building stood out for its towers, bay windows, ornate facade and expansive commercial spaces.

Building on the site was difficult because of underground water, requiring engineers to construct a deep, heavily reinforced foundation. Those extensive underground structures are now drawing renewed interest as excavation work continues.

The property was unusually modern for its time. It had independent electricity, water, heating and telephone systems. The complex also included shops, a photography studio, a barbershop and a taxi stand, along with a garden featuring a fountain and exotic plants.

Behind the ambitious project was a family tragedy.

Melik-Azaryants’ daughter, Taguhi, died in 1904 at age 22. The building is widely believed to have been designed partly as a memorial to her. Decorative wreaths and windows resembling teardrops have been interpreted as symbols of mourning incorporated into its facade.

Melik-Azaryants would eventually lose the building — and his fortune — following the Soviet takeover of Georgia.

Soviet authorities nationalized the property in 1921. Once among the region’s wealthiest businessmen, Melik-Azaryants was reportedly forced to live in a small basement room in the building he had commissioned. He died in poverty in 1923.

The building was later divided into communal apartments for working families, while the street was renamed Lenin Street.

Its history also became intertwined with the Soviet repression that followed. Konstantin “Kote” Kandareli and his wife, Elena, moved into the building in 1929. It would become their final address before the events of the Soviet purges in 1937.

More than a century after Melik-Azaryants built the landmark, work beneath one of Tbilisi’s busiest avenues is now bringing another part of its history back into view.

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