Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi

The Georgian National Museum was officially established in late 2004 as part of an initiative to unify Georgia’s major museums and elevate their research, educational, and preservation capacities. It combines several prominent institutions under one umbrella-including the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, the Art Museum of Georgia, the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, and the Museum of Soviet Occupation, among others.

Spanning multiple floors, the museum delivers a sweeping journey through Georgia’s past-starting from its earliest human history to its modern era. Highlights include the remains of the Homo ergaster fossils discovered in Dmanisi town-around 1.8 million years old and one of the earliest human presences outside of Africa-displayed in the Simon Janashia Museum section. Visitors can also admire exquisite treasures from the Archaeological Treasury: ancient Colchian gold, silver ornaments, coins, jewelry, and artifacts from Bronze Age to medieval times.

Beyond archaeology, the museum addresses the 20th century and Soviet era with honesty and clarity. The Museum of the Soviet Occupation, housed within the complex, presents archival documents, personal files, and visual materials chronicling Georgia’s turbulent experience under Soviet rule from 1921 to 1991.

Complementing its archaeology and history exhibits, the museum also spotlights cultural dimensions-folk traditions, ethnography, modern and contemporary art, and Georgian artistry. Some branches feature Oriental, Russian, and Western European artworks; others showcase ethnographic displays or folk architecture.