Tbilisi: the ideas that emerged from a well

A printing press underground

At 7 Kaspi Street in Avlabari, a network of activists established a clandestine printing house in 1903, associated with the young Stalin’s revolutionary activity. Newspapers, proclamations and pamphlets opposing tsarist autocracy were printed in Georgian, Russian and Armenian, connecting working-class struggles across the Caucasus beyond language barriers.

The German machine, manufactured in Augsburg in 1893, was smuggled in piece by piece and assembled underground. To reach the workshop, activists descended a well and followed a system of passages and internal ladders. Its depth helped conceal the noise of printing, while trusted lookouts above ground watched for police.

Source: Advantour · Wander-Lush

Preserving the tools of memory

In 1906, tsarist police discovered and destroyed the operation. The site was reconstructed and opened as a museum in 1937, with a staircase into the underground chamber. Its machinery reminds us that spreading ideas required equipment, paper, collective labour and people willing to take risks. Revolutionary organisation was also built one letter at a time.

This modest museum keeps that memory alive through the dedication of communist activists and supporters, many of them older people committed to the Soviet legacy. During this 2025 visit, admission was free and a donation was requested to help preserve the site. Its history also lives on in those who keep its doors open.

Source: Advantour · Wander-Lush

From underground to Sololaki

Milo then leaves the underground workshop for the heights of Sololaki. Here stands Kartlis Deda, the Mother of Georgia, a monument first erected in 1958 during the Soviet period. Her bowl of wine expresses hospitality towards peaceful visitors; her sword, readiness to defend her homeland.

Source: Georgia Travel

Milo takes a break

The final stop is at the table: Adjarian khachapuri, boat-shaped bread filled with cheese and topped with egg and butter. Stir the centre while it is hot, then tear bread from the edges for dipping. After so much history, Milo deserves a break too.

Source: Georgia Travel