Batumi, Rustaveli Street No. 1
Brief description of the monument:
The first theater building in Batumi was constructed in 1884 on the estate of a person named Ananiev. In 1891, the city added another theater building when lawyer Yurkevich leased an iron warehouse from merchant Marshos and converted it into a theater, which became known as the (Iron Theater.) At the beginning of the 20th century, another theater known as the (Shmaevski Theater) appeared in Batumi, which could hold up to 900 spectators.
During World War I, in 1918, following the arrival of British occupying forces in Batumi, the building was repurposed into a café chantant. Subsequently, in 1952, the current Ilia Chavchavadze State Drama Theater of Batumi was built on the same site, designed by architect I. Teplitski.
This large, rectangular building stands in the center of a green park, isolated from the surrounding urban development. The façade, made of terracotta brick and decorated with matching-colored decorative plaster, is clearly visible from all sides. The three-story structure, elevated on a high basement, is designed in the form of a basilica with a wide central nave covered with a gable roof, and narrower side sections with single-pitched roofs.
The main façade of the building is grand, featuring a portico with three floors, supported by square Corinthian columns, and topped with a pediment. The building s longitudinal walls are decorated with paired Corinthian pilasters.
In 2010, the building underwent rehabilitation, during which its façades were renewed. The cornices, capitals, and bases of the columns and pilasters were gilded, and sculpted theatrical masks were placed in the pediment and along the longitudinal walls.
The Batumi Theater building is one of the most prominent architectural monuments from the Soviet period. Its location and scale play a dominant role in shaping the urban space of this part of the city.
