Batumi, Khariton Akhvlediani Street No. 4
Brief description of the monument:
The building is a large two-story structure in the shape of a Latin (U) on the plans, originally owned by merchant Mdoiyants. The house was initially one story, with the second floor added in 1957. After nationalization, from 1922, the building housed the state treasury, and from 1930, it became the location of the Adjara Regional Museum, named after Khariton Akhvlediani. This museum is the successor of Batumi’s first museum, founded in 1908. The museum contains rare examples of the nature of the region, as well as ethnographic and historical materials.
The building faces Khariton Akhvlediani Street with its main plastered and painted façade. The façade is elevated on a slightly projecting rusticated base, with risalits at the corners. The first floor is divided by rectangular openings, and the wall surface is scored with horizontal and vertical lines, creating an uneven rectangular pattern that simulates brickwork. The main entrance door is located in the right risalit, above which is a three-part window. Small windows are positioned beside the flanking windows of the main window. The first-floor windows end with triangular pediments and smooth projections.
Between the floors, there is a sharply protruding cornice belt, and between the upper window framing, a wide decorative belt with a rough surface is placed. The cornice belt rests on sculpted brackets, and the lower part features a series of Ionic columns.
On the second floor, within the risalit frames, large openings are present: a central door flanked by round half-columns and narrow side windows. In front of these side windows, hanging balconies with ornamental metal railings are situated. The wall between the risalits is divided by high, arched windows, with simple framing that continues down to the cornice. In front of the windows, projections with rough surfaces are placed.
The building is topped with a profiled cornice, reinforced by a row of brackets. The architectural style of the façade shows influences from both Modernism and Classicism.
While the building may not stand out for high artistic value, it plays an important role in the development of the street and district’s architectural character.
