Sketches from life in Tbilisi: stories and real-life incidents

Residents of the capital of Georgia have many stories to tell about their lives. After all, some very interesting incidents sometimes happened here.

A hapless thief in the home of an Olympic champion

One of the most famous residents of Tbilisi is Givi Kartozia, Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling (1956), European and world champion.

One day a hapless thief broke into his house. The police immediately arrested him, as he was completely inexperienced in such matters.

The police officers invited the owner of the house to the police station for identification of the stolen items and paperwork.

When he saw the young boy, bewildered and frightened, Givi was surprised - was he a criminal? He asked the kid:

- Why steal? Why didn't you come and just ask for help?

- My mother is very sick, and there is no money for treatment," the hapless thief replied, crying. - I didn't know whose house this was, or I wouldn't have broken into it.

That closed the police case, but the story continued.

Givi Kartozia took the kid from the police station. He visited his mother in the hospital, gave her money for the treatment. Givi also took care of the boy: he got a job and helped him find his way in life.

The incident in the toilet

The Minister of Culture of Czechoslovakia came to Tbilisi one day on a friendly visit. He wanted to visit a Georgian film studio.

The management of the Georgian Film Studio prepared to receive the guest of honor. They kept the territory and all the rooms in exemplary order. Special attention was paid to the toilet, because unfortunately, it was in a rather neglected state.

We kept a security guard near the cleaned toilet to make sure no one would go in there. The guard turned out to be conscientious. But he got a little distracted and suddenly discovered that an unknown person had successfully passed the guard post and entered the toilet. The guard did his duty here as well: he kicked the insolent visitor out.

Only later the situation became clearer. The intruder turned out to be ... a long-awaited guest, the Czechoslovak Minister of Culture.

Fox Finder

Many archaeological excavations were conducted in the vicinity of the Georgian capital. In the first half of the 20th century a group of scientists from the Tbilisi Museum of Ethnography, headed by Otar Tkeshelashvili, worked here. They found many objects of material culture of the past.

Archaeologists were especially attracted to a small hill near the road to Digomi district. They assumed that in this place there was a camp of ancient people.

But it was not scientists, but a curious fox, who were the first to discover this interesting monument. She was digging burrows on the hill and dug fragments of pottery made of clay. These findings later turned out to be from the Bronze Age. Such an archeologist fox...

A greedy millionaire and a hundred rubles in change

In the second half of the 19th century, Alexander Melik-Azaryants, a millionaire, a merchant of the first guild, lived in Tbilisi. He was a miserly man, although in the memory of the inhabitants of the Georgian capital he remained a philanthropist and philanthropist.

Often he used horse tram, for the journey which had to be paid for 3 copecks. The millionaire never had any change. Approaching the necessary stop, he gave the carriage driver a hundred-royal bill. Of course, the conductor didn't have the necessary amount of change. The sly passenger would take his 100 rubles and leave without paying the fare.

This had been going on for months. And now the patience of the owners of transport had run out. They collected 99 rubles 97 kopecks, put them in a bag and gave them to the carriage driver.

Once again Melik-Azaryants handed over 100 rubles as if to pay the fare, the conductor nonchalantly took the money.

- Your change," he said, and handed the passenger a large bag of change.