Freedom Square and Old City Hall
Why is it significant?
Begin your journey in the monumental heart of modern Tbilisi at Freedom Square, historically known as Erivan Square during the imperial Russian era.
Key Facts
| Place | Freedom Square and Old City Hall |
|---|---|
| Address | Freedom Square, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Geo Coordinates | 41.69340, 44.80150 |
| Part of Walk | Sololaki: Belle Époque Mansions and Mother of Georgia |
| Generated | Generated |
Begin your journey in the monumental heart of modern Tbilisi at Freedom Square, historically known as Erivan Square during the imperial Russian era. Laid out in the early nineteenth century following the dismantling of the medieval city ramparts, this grand public forum marks the dynamic transition from the winding lanes of Old Kala to the stately boulevards of Sololaki. At the square's center rises a soaring forty-four-meter granite column crowned by the dazzling golden statue of Saint George slaying the dragon, sculpted by Zurab Tsereteli in 2006.
Look toward the southern edge of the plaza to admire the former City Hall building, masterfully redesigned in the late nineteenth century in a distinctive Moorish Revival style. The facade features delicate horseshoe arches, intricate terracotta ornamentation, and a prominent clock tower that has chimed over city assemblies for generations. Nearby, archaeological excavations have exposed substantial stone foundations of the medieval Kala ramparts and round defense towers, preserved in an open trench for public viewing.
Freedom Square has served as the epic stage for the most pivotal moments in modern Georgian history. In 1907, a daring daylight bank robbery was orchestrated here by Bolshevik militants led by young Joseph Stalin, making global headlines and fueling revolutionary underground funds. Decades later, in 1989 and 1991, hundreds of thousands of Georgians packed this plaza to demand independence from the Soviet Union, followed in November 2003 by the peaceful Rose Revolution that reshaped the Caucasus.
Sunlight reflects brilliantly from the golden armor of Saint George as traffic circulates around the grand roundabout. The plaza hums with civic vitality, surrounded by elegant neoclassical facades, banks, and boutique hotels that reflect the capital's modern prosperity. Leaving the roaring traffic behind, you prepare to enter the quiet, aristocratic nineteenth-century enclave of Sololaki.
Walk southwest down Dadiani Street to enter the romantic embrace of Lado Gudiashvili Square.