Ready to see the dark side of Tiflis? At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, this city resembled the Wild West: shootouts, high-profile scams, and daring robberies took place here almost daily. The city's crime reports were full of stories that could have been the plots of novels.
On our tour, we will immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of that era and tell you about the most notorious crimes that shook Tiflis:
- The daring robbery of the state bank — the Bolsheviks staged a raid right in the city center, taking away a huge sum of money
- The arson of the city theater — what made the tenant destroy one of the city's main cultural venues?
- The shocking murder of the seminary rector — an expelled student decided to take revenge in the most radical way
- The mysterious disappearance of Ivan Machabeli, director of the Noble Land Bank — where did he go and what happened to his successor, Ilya Chavchavadze?
- Real estate fraud — scams pulled off by Avetik Dovlatov, ancestor of the famous writer Sergei Dovlatov
But it wasn't just crime that kept the city on edge! You will learn:
- How the people of Tiflis organized fistfights, which often ended in death
- Who managed to escape from the city prison and how
- Where the gallows stood in Tiflis and who was executed on it
- Why the prostitutes of Tiflis became the muses of the artist Niko Pirosmani
- How cognac magnate David Sarajishvili became the prototype for the wealthy Kislansky in the novel The Twelve Chairs.
This is not just a tour, but a real journey into the criminal past of Tiflis — a city where life was bustling, conspiracies were hatched, and crimes were committed that are still talked about today.
Duration: 2-2.5 hours
Where we start: Freedom Square, Galaktion Tabidze Street, house 2, near the city hall building (near the griffins).
Where we finish: Alexander Griboyedov Street, 22
Organizational details:
Тбилиси Глазами Инженера
