Stir Around Tchreli Abano

 Nino Kimadze

“Tiflis Hamkari” protested removal of the dome during restoration of “Tchreli Abano” (motley baths).  According to the information published on social network by “Tiflis Hamkari”, removal of the dome is vandalism. 

“Tchreli Abano” and each part of it: a dome, a supporting column and pillar bases are old, from the period when the bath was built. Arriving at the place, they told us that the historical pillar bases are damaged and they are changing them with new ones. However, the bases have no through-cracks and  dismantling and it was not necessary to bring them down. It is inadmissible to change antiquity only because it is damaged. Authenticity of some monuments is outlined by this kind of old details, “representative of “Tiflis Hamkari” Tsira Elisashvili told humanrights.ge. 

Representatives of the “Georgian Cultural Heritage” responded to the statement of Tsira Elisashvili and said “Tiflis Hamkari” is not competent in the field. They have removed, cleaned and reinforced domes not only for “Tchreli Abano” but for other culture heritage monuments too which were rehabilitated. 

Representatives of “Hamkari” think that revetment of baths with new materials is encroachment of the cultural heritage and this fact must be combated. 

“The bath was made in 1984 during the Soviet time rehabilitation and, we think that, changing it, just because it is from Soviet period, is not right. The generations were brought up on this Soviet building and it has become the part of our cultural heritage,”- said Tsira Elisashvili.

Humanrights.ge also contacted the head of Agency for Cultural Heritage Nikoloz Antidze. According to him, the stir started by the “Tiflis Hamkari” is unfounded. As Antidze said, first they should have heard the opinion of professionals and asked the responsible organizations whether the monument is really damaged or not. 

According to him, the bath was seriously damaged and required urgent rehabilitation. 

“The project is agreed and very qualified architect-restorers work on it. The domes were much damaged; they were spinning during the heavy wind. It was built in 80-s and of course it requires restoration. At this stage the domes are removed, they are being restored and after that will be returned to their place,” Nikoloz Antidze said. 

Natia Murachashvili, a head of PR department at the Cultural heritage Agency, also talks about the importance of the rehabilitation. According to her, the process of restoration is being implemented not with some violations but in contrary, in compliance with all norms. If not this type of methods of working, the process of collapse and destruction would become worse.  

Humanrights.ge contacted the director of LLC Kad Style, architect-restorer Irakli Gamkrelidze. According to him, the dome of the bath is much damaged and it required to be brought down for reconstruction-restoration. As he said, the domes were brought down in accordance to standards and rules on restoration and security. 

According to Gamkrelidze, the sculptor of Patriarch is working on glazed and ceramic tiles. 

“These figures were made by Uzbeks and they have a form of truncated pyramids. We will use some of the old figures that are not damaged and others will be replaced by new ones. New figures will be identical to the old,”- said the architect. 

According to Irakli Gamkrelidze, the domes, after the full reconstruction-restoration, will be carefully returned to the top of the pre-cleaned and strengthened portal, under supervision of the architect. 

The restoration of Motley Baths in Abanotubani will be finished in 2016.