New Year Celebration Funded from the New Budget

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

New Year celebrations will last till January 20 in Batumi. City budget spent 242 150 lari on the purpose. Part of the money was allocated from 2014 budget. Batumi City Hall spent 136 566 lari on the decoration of the New Year tree and the city. 105 584 lari was spent on culture events. 87 213 lari was spent from the new 2014 budget.

Head of Batumi City Hall financial service Archil Vanadze said Batumi City Hall had not announced tender for the organization of New Year celebrations and decorations. “We could not announce tender on singers. The government of Adjara Autonomous Republic allowed us to organize concerts.”

This year, New Year events took place on the Europe Square in Batumi. They started on December 25. The New Year Tree was illuminated on December 26. Father-frost arrived there by special bus; chairman of Adjara Government Archil Khabadze and Batumi Mayor Jemal Ananidze also attended the New Year celebrations.

Batumi residents met New 2014 Year with musical group Shini and singer Maya Baratashvili. Europe Square was particularly overcrowded on January 11, when free concert of the Russian group Via Gra was held. The group was invited to Batumi by the Hotel Golden Palace for the opening ceremony. 

Sweets, books and toys will be sold in wooden huts in Europe Square till January 20. Carousels for children were installed on the square.