Batumi (Georgian ბათუმი [ Batumi ] , until 1936 - Batum [2]) - city and port in Georgia , on the Black Sea coast , the capital of Autonomous Republic of Adjara , the main tourist center of modern Georgia . [6]
In using the name suggests Svan . bat "stone" . Settlement at the site of the city , there seems a long time ago : The first mention of Batumi ( Batus ) found in the Greek philosopher IV century BC Aristotle. Author Pliny the Elder , I century AD . e . mentions port Batus Latin name - "deep" , which is a reinterpretation of the local name . In the Middle Ages the city was called Bat , 1878 Batumi , Batumi since 1939 . [1]
In the early Middle Ages was part Lazica later united Georgian state , then ruled by princes Megrel Duchy of Odisha . In the XIII and XIV centuries, the city was ruled by princes of Guria. In 1547 was conquered by the Ottomans baht , who owned the city for almost 300 years. In 1878 the city was liberated by the joint Russian -Georgian army became part of Russia on the Berlin Peace Treaty between the Russian and Ottoman empires , and was called Batum [1]. In 1878-1886 he was a free port , which played an important role in the development of the city . [7] In 1936 it was renamed in Batumi [2].
Batumi today is the most important cultural , economic and tourist center of Georgia . Most of the buildings in the city dates back to the XIX century. The city is the ancient fortress of "Tamara" and the Orthodox Church (former Roman Catholic cathedral ) . In Batumi live 205,000 people , the population density - 7293.8 per km ², most of the population are Georgians , parishioners of the Georgian Orthodox Church . [7]
Physico- geografichekaya characteristic [edit | edit source code ]
Location [edit | edit source code ]
Batumi is the capital of Autonomous Republic of Adjara , on the Black Sea coast. The city is located in the lowlands Kahaberskoy , 2-3 meters above sea level. Lowland resembles a crescent shape , which stretched over seven miles from north to west . The main part of Batumi Batumi adjacent to the bay, in the northern part Kahabrskoy lowlands along rivers and Bartskhana Korolistskali . City's total area is 19 km2 [8]
Climate [edit | edit source code ]
Annual rainfall in Batumi - 2131 mm. October - the wettest month ( 272 mm ) in May - is the driest (77 mm). Batumi , as well as the entire coastal Adjara different humid subtropical climate and a high thermal regime. Usually in Batumi almost no snow (snow is not more than 12 days per year) . Average relative humidity - 70-80%. [8]
The first information [edit | edit source code ]
The first information about Batumi found in the Greek philosopher IV century BC Aristotle, where he is referred to as Colchian Batus city . Under the same name the city was known to the Roman writer Pliny the Elder and the Greek geographer Flavius Arrian . Batus word in Latin means depth. Among the cities of Georgia and the Black Sea port of Batumi is the deepest Sukhumi after [9].
Conducted in the suburbs of Batumi archaeological excavations have established that the population lived in Batumi already in I-II millennium BC. e . and had developed trade relations with its neighbors. Batumi was the heart of an ancient fortress located in the pillar of Tamara , who was the cultural and economic center of the river valley Korolistskali [9].
In the II century BC. e . Batumi was a Roman garrison , but already in the V century holy king Vakhtang I Gorgasali city back under his own power . [9]
In VI, VII and VIII centuries Batumi and nearby territory belonged to inherit Egrisi . Known to exist in the feudal period settlements around Batumi Fortress [9].
Ottoman Batumi [edit | edit source code ]
During the life of Tao Klardjeti kingdom city , as well as all of Adjara , was part of Tao- Klardzheti ruled eristavis [9].
In the future, the land ruled by a dynasty Gurieli Batumi . In the XV century , during the reign of Kakhaber Gurieli , the Ottomans conquered Batumi , but growth Gurieli soon expelled the Ottomans from their land . After his death in 1564 Rostom Gurieli , Ottoman troops again entered the territory of Batumi. Soon the city became the center of an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire - Sandzak . Batumi sanjak occupied the area from the river to Korolistskali Chorokhi and Adzharistskali . In this period appeared in Adjara and Islam [9].
In 1873, Batumi was the residence Lazikan governorship , which ruled ruler Sandzak - mutesarif . Mutesarif obeyed Trabzon wali [9].
Return to the Georgian border [edit | edit source code ]
Batumi , Lev Lagorio , the picture in 1881 .
In XIX begins accession of Georgia to the Russian Empire . During the Russian - Turkish war of 1877-1878 . actively began the creation of armed groups in Imereti , Kartli , Samegrelo , Guria and Kakheti . During the war, fought for the return of Batumi about 30,000 Georgians. March 3, 1878 in San Stefano peace treaty was signed . Ottoman Empire instead of the monetary indemnity paid ancestral Georgian lands, among whom was Adjara . During the Congress of Berlin , providing a revision of the peace treaty of San Stefano, Prince Gorchakov managed to defend Batumi and Adjara . [9]
August 25, 1878 in Batumi entered Sviatopolk- General Dmitry Mirsky , who at Freedom Square devrish Pasha handed over the keys of the city. It was decided to create Batumi district , which consisted of Batumi , Adjara and Artvin District. Status of Batumi was largely determined by the British, which swept the idea of giving Batumi free port status [9].
Due to the status of a free port city of Batumi grew and began to take the shape of a modern European city . However, in the same period was marked by the deterioration of the social situation in Batumi the local population, and the emergence of smuggling. Freeport was liquidated in 1886. June 12, 1883 Batumi district was annexed to Kutaisi province . The city does not have its own government, which prevented its normal development. Because of this, in 1885, 90 residents of Batumi made a motion to grant the status of the city of Batumi , which was approved April 28, 1888 . In 1903 the Batumi district stood out Kutaisi province [9].
Batumi in the early XX century [edit | edit source code ]
Demonstration in Batumi, 1917
In February 1902 under the direction of Batumi Social Democratic Committee Leninist Iskra trend Batum workers went on strike , which was the reason for the dismissal , on 27 February refinery Rothschild about 400 workers suspected of involvement in the revolutionary movement . The strike committee demanded higher wages , shorter working hours , reinstatement of dismissed , reimbursement delays , respectful treatment of workers and others [10].
On the night of March 8 was arrested 32 people , then Batumi Social Democratic Committee organized a demonstration of strikers , 348 members of which were arrested by police . In protest, March 9 new workers organized 6000th political demonstration . During clashes with police killed 15 people , injured 54 and another 500 arrested . [10]
Soviet Batumi [edit | edit source code ]
March 17 of the same year in Batumi began Bolsheviks organized a rebellion against the Menshevik government of Georgia. According to the decision of the Constituent Assembly members of the government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia left the city and left the country. Georgian troops retreated from the eastern to western Georgia faced the threat of imminent surrender. Realizing the impossibility of continuing hostilities in eastern Georgia , the military decided to stay at the Turkish occupation of South Georgia . [9] While in Moscow were the Soviet- Turkish consultation on the outskirts of Batumi located several thousand soldiers of the Georgian army and national guard. March 18 Georgians under the command of General George Mazniashvili entered into street battles with the Turkish garrison and the next day established control over most of the city . Fallen soldiers buried there on the Freedom Square in Batumi [9]. On the same day entered the city part 18 cd D.Zhloby A.Gekkera 11A , and March 20 in Batumi Batumi established a permanent regional Revolutionary Committee headed C.I.Kavtaradze c [11].
In 1936 the town was renamed in Batumi [2].
One of the most painful pages of the history of Batumi are the events following the 1924 uprising . All members of the national- liberation movement Batumi arrested and executed without trial . Among them was Maj. Gen. George Purtseladze , one of the major figures of the liberation from the Ottoman Empire Batumi [9]. As well as other cities of the USSR suffered from repression Batumi 1937-1938. Batumi , many residents were drafted into the army and fought on many fronts of the Second World War. Of 12 258 soldiers returned home not 4728 people . [9]
Recent history [edit | edit source code ]
After the riots in Georgia in 1989-1991 in Adjara Aslan Abashidze established authority .
In November 2003, Georgia began in opposition rallies , accusing the authorities of rigging the parliamentary elections, which then evolved into the Rose Revolution . Adjara crisis after the night of 5 May 6 , Aslan Abashidze, together with his son George left Adjara [9].
Economy [edit | edit source code ]
Railway ferry " Greifswald " enters a port of Batumi
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica , Eleventh , published in the late XIX - early XX centuries, Batum :
" Exported mainly petroleum and petroleum products , wheat, corn , manganese ore , peanut and palm tree , etc. In 1888, B. was removed from goods worth 23,342,134 p . , Including petroleum products - 27.1 million pounds . wheat - 989 145 n , maize - § 473181 , manganese ore - item 434205 , walnut - 237737 on and so forth in the same year brought in goods B. 7127294 p . , raw and semi-finished goods 5675949 p . 1131815 and articles on p . [13].
After construction in 1883 the railway Baku - Batumi port and connection conversion Batumi pipeline Baku ( 1897-1907 ), he became a major port through which Russia fought a foreign trade in petroleum products [15].
In Soviet times, were built in large industrial enterprises : Oil , Engineering (equipment for the tea industry ) , Shipyard, tea factories , citrus plant ; Batumi on waste tea industry has worked only in the Soviet Union caffeine plant [ 15].
Currently, large industrial facilities are port of Batumi , Batumi Oil Terminal , Batumi Container Terminal . Development of light industry ( footwear, clothing ); working tea and tobacco factory , pharmaceutical factory , coffee factory and others.
Trade and services [edit | edit source code ]
In August 2008 opened in Batumi first supermarket national network «Populi». In September 2010, in Batumi opened its first hypermarket in Adjara network Goodwill.
Batumi is a shop of the Portuguese network accessories " Parfua ."
In Batumi in 2012 opened a restaurant worldwide network of McDonald's.
Culture and Education [edit | edit source code ]
The city is the Batumi State University . Shota Rustaveli Batumi State Maritime Academy and other educational institutions . Currently , the city has Adjara Art Museum , theater Ilia Chavchavadze , circus and other cultural institutions .
Architecture [edit | edit source code ]
" White Restaurant "
Especially beautiful Old Batumi. Most of the buildings dates back to the XIX century.
The city has a fortress "Tamara" and the Catholic Church . Among the buildings of the Soviet era, Drama Theatre (1952) , a movie theater "Tbilisi" (1964).
After coming to power in Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili city began actively to be built and developed , begin to appear skyscrapers . In 2010, completed the construction of the hotel Sheraton, July 15, 2011 the hotel opened Radisson. Built hotels Hilton, Hyatt, Kempinsky, Mandarin oriental and others.
Monuments to Pushkin , Vaja Pshavela , Shota Rustaveli . Numerous fountains . Unique musical fountain with three-dimensional holographic installation. Obelisk of Glory to the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War, with the Eternal Flame (demolished 2012). . Decoration of the city is Seaside Park - Boulevard stretches for 8 km along the beach , and Rustaveli streets Ninoshvili .
Near Batumi, on the Green Cape , the famous botanical garden.