Building at Dimitri Tavdadebuli Street N51 / S. Zubalashvili Street N27, Batumi
Brief Description of the Building:
Originally built as the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary for the Catholic community of Batumi, this building was constructed between 1898 and 1902, following the initiative of Father Anselm Mgebrishvili and the financial support of Georgian oil magnate and philanthropist, Stefane Zubalashvili. The construction cost approximately 250,000 rubles. The church was consecrated in 1903, with the special invitation of the Bishop of the Tiraspol Diocese, Baron Edward de Rop.
The church is designed in the Neo-Gothic style, constructed from white stone, with decorative elements made from red stone. A central tower is erected at the intersection of the nave and transept, flanked by two large towers on the western side. Notable features include the decorative elements on the façades, colorful stained glass windows, and bronze statues of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. Nino. The interior is renowned for its frescoes, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
During the Soviet period, the church s purpose was changed, and it housed an archive and a high-voltage laboratory at different times. In 1989, the government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara decided to transfer the building to the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is now the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and serves as the main cathedral of the Batumi and Lazeti Diocese.
The church is one of the outstanding architectural monuments of its era and a prime example of Neo-Gothic architecture.
