The Armenian Report say that renovation work on Tbilisi’s historic Melik-Azaryants building has uncovered previously hidden underground levels beneath the landmark on Rustaveli Avenue.
Excavations are continuing at the building at 37 Rustaveli Ave., with previous reports suggesting that the underground space could cover up to 2,000 square meters.
The discovery has also brought renewed attention to the history of the building and its original owner, Alexander Melik-Azaryants, a prominent Armenian businessman, industrialist and philanthropist who was born in Tbilisi in 1847 and became one of the wealthiest residents of Georgia.
Melik-Azaryants commissioned the building in 1912. Designed by architect Nikolai Obolonsky, it was completed three years later and became known for its distinctive towers, bay windows and ornate facade.
The building had unusually advanced infrastructure for its time, including independent electricity, water, heating and telephone systems, as well as shops and other commercial spaces.
Its construction was particularly challenging because of underground water at the site, requiring a deep and heavily reinforced foundation. The recently uncovered underground levels are believed to be connected to these extensive foundations.
Melik-Azaryants lost the property after the Soviet takeover of Georgia. The building was nationalized in 1921, and the businessman was reportedly forced to live in a small basement room inside the building he had commissioned. He died in poverty in 1923.
More than a century after its construction, rehabilitation work is now revealing another hidden part of the history of one of Tbilisi’s best-known landmarks.
