Tbilisi People: Real Stories and Tales of the City

Residents of Georgia's capital have many stories to tell about their lives. Indeed, some very interesting events have occurred here.

A hapless thief in the home of an Olympic champion

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

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

The police officers invited the homeowner to come to the station to identify the stolen items and complete the paperwork.

Seeing the young man, confused and frightened, Givi was surprised – was this really a criminal? He asked the boy:

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

"My mother is very ill, and I don't have money for treatment," the hapless thief replied, bursting into tears. "I didn't know whose house it was, otherwise I would never have broken into it."

The police case was closed, but the story continued.

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

Toilet incident

One day, the Czechoslovakian Minister of Culture arrived in Tbilisi on a friendly visit. He wanted to visit the Georgian film studio.

The management of the Georgia Film studio prepared for the honored guest. They brought the grounds and all the rooms into perfect order. Particular attention was paid to the restroom, which, unfortunately, was in a rather poor condition.

A guard was posted near the cleaned restroom to prevent anyone from entering. The guard proved conscientious and kept a close eye on the situation. But he became slightly distracted and suddenly noticed that an unknown individual had successfully passed the security post and entered the restroom. The guard did his duty here too: he kicked the insolent visitor out.

Only later did the situation become clear. The troublemaker turned out to be... the long-awaited guest, the Czechoslovakian Minister of Culture.

Treasure-hunting fox

Many archaeological excavations have been conducted in the vicinity of the Georgian capital. In the first half of the 20th century, a group of scientists from the Tbilisi Ethnographic Museum, led by Otar Tkeshelashvili, worked there. They discovered numerous artifacts from past periods.

A small hillock near the road leading to the Dighomi region particularly attracted the archaeologists. They suspected that this was the site of an ancient settlement.

However, it wasn't the scientists who discovered this interesting site, but a curious fox. It was digging holes in the hillock and unearthed fragments of clay pottery. As it later turned out, these finds date back to the Bronze Age. Such is the fox-archaeologist...

A greedy millionaire and a hundred rubles in change.

In the second half of the 19th century, a millionaire and first-guild merchant named Alexander Melik-Azaryants lived in Tbilisi. He was a stingy man, though he remained a patron of the arts and philanthropist in the memories of the residents of the Georgian capital.

He often rode the horse-drawn tram, which charged 3 kopecks for a ride. The millionaire never carried change. When approaching the right stop, he would hand the tram driver a 100-ruble note. Of course, the conductor didn't have the required change. The cunning passenger would take his 100 rubles and leave the carriage without paying.

This went on for several months. Finally, the owners' patience ran out. They collected 99 rubles 97 kopecks, put them in a bag, and handed them to the tram driver. When Melik-Azaryants handed over 100 rubles yet again, supposedly to pay his fare, the conductor calmly took the bill.

"Your change," he said, handing the passenger a large bag of change.