Cool and Free Things to Do in Tbilisi (Part II), Tbilisi, Georgia

Freedom Square (also known as Liberty Square) is the city’s primary square. It serves as the border between Old and New Tbilisi and the starting point of Rustaveli Avenue, along with Pushkin, Leonidze, Dadiani, Tabidze, and Apkhazi streets.

When we became part of the Russian Empire in 1801, Tbilisi’s urban layout slowly expanded outside of its walls, right in this area. Before that, it was referred to as Garet Ubani or ‘outside district’ if translated directly from Georgian.

In its 200-year history, the area has undergone several urban and name changes. The Imperial government named it officially for the first time in 1829 as Paskevich-Erivansky Square, or simply Erivansky in short, after Ivan Paskevich, general in the Imperial Army and Count of Erivan (today’s Yerevan, Armenia), who conquered Yerevan during the Russo-Turkish War in 1828-1829.

In 1917, when the Tszar was overthrown in Russia, the local revolutionists named it the Freedom/Liberty Square. However, after Sovietization, it changed its name several times.

At some point, it was named Lavreti Beria Square after the famous and cruel secret police chef for Joseph Stalin, and later, after Lenin. His statue was placed in the center; my mom still calls it Lenin Square. When we gained independence in the 90s, it returned to Freedom/Liberty Square. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).