Mtatsminda Pantheon, Tbilisi

Formally established in 1929, the Pantheon was inaugurated to mark the centenary of the death of Russian writer and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov, who was laid to rest here alongside his Georgian wife Nino Chavchavadze. This act set the foundation for what would become a revered necropolis honoring Georgia’s most luminaries.

Within the sanctuary of Saint David’s Church “Mamadaviti”, the Pantheon holds the graves of around 53 eminent figures from the 19th and 20th centuries-writers, artists, scientists, and national heroes whose contributions shaped Georgian identity. Among the most notable is Ilia Chavchavadze, the revered writer known as the “uncrowned king of Georgia,” whose grave is marked by the poignant statue Grieving Georgia, sculpted by Iakob Nikoladze in Paris in 1909.

Gravestones and monuments-crafted by giants of Georgian sculpture like Nikoladze, Elguja Amashukeli, and Merab Berdzenishvili-serve as both memorials and public art, set against the lush backdrop of forested slopes and panoramic urban vistas.