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Gurjaani Municipality
Municipality
Vachnadziani monastery
Location of the municipality within Georgia
Country	Georgia
Region	Kakheti
Capital	Gurjaani
Government
• mayor	Zurab Utiashvili
Area
• Land	846 km (327 sq mi)
Population
• Total	54,337
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Standard Time)
Website	www.gurjaani.gov.ge

Gurjaani (Georgian: გურჯაანის მუნიციპალიტეტი, Gurjaanis municiṗaliṫeṫi) is an administrative-territorial unit in eastern Georgia, Kakheti region. Until 1917, the territory of Gurjaani municipality was part of Telavi Mazra of Tbilisi Governorate; since 1921 it has been included in Telavi Mazra; Since 1930, it has been an independent district in Kakheti region, then it became a separate district. It has been a municipality since 2006.

The population was 54,337 as of the 2014 census, and it has an area of 846 km (327 sq mi).

History

Gurjaani is a municipality located in the Kakheti region. It has been inhabited since ancient times; a stone age human settlement has been discovered. The municipality's territory was densely populated both in the Bronze Age and the Ancient and Feudal Ages. The name Gurjaani has a Turkish origin: the word "Gurj" is Turkish and means Georgian, and "Gurjaani" means a settlement of Georgians.

A large part of the territory of Gurjaani municipality was within Hereti under Saeristavo (principality) of Vejini. From the 70s of the 15th centuries, after the abolition of the principalities in Kakheti, there were several shrines (of Vejini, Veliszikhe, Kalauri, Shashiani, Akhasheni, Jimiti, Chumlaki and others).

Administrative divisions and population

Gurjaani municipality is a set of settlements with administrative boundaries and an administrative centre - the city of Gurjaani. Gurjaani municipality has an elected representative (council) and an executive body (town hall), a registered population, property, budget, and income. The municipality is a legal entity under public law. The City Council and Mayor of Gurjaani Municipality are elected for a term of 4 years. The last elections were held in 2021.

Twenty-four administrative units are united in the municipality and is divided into one city (ქალაქი, kalaki), and 29 villages (სოფელი, sopeli):

Cities

• Gurjaani

Villages

• Akhasheni
• Velistsikhe
• Kardenakhi
• Bakurtsikhe
• Gurjaani
• Vazisubani
• Ziari
• Cheremi
• Qitaani
• Pkhoveli
• Naniani
• Jimiti
• Kachreti
• Makharadze
• Darcheti
• Kodalo
• Arashenda
• Melaani
• Chalaubani
• Kolagi
• Vejini
• Dzirkoki
• Chandari
• Chumlaqi
• Zegaani
• Mukuzani
• Shashiani
• Kalauri
• Vachnadzeani

Geography and climate

Five other municipalities border Gurjaani Municipality. It borders Sagarejo Municipality to the west, Signagi Municipality to the southeast, Telavi Municipality to the northwest, Qvareli Municipality to the north, and Lagodekhi Municipality to the east. Gurjaani municipality is the smallest administrative-territorial unit within the Kakheti region. Its area is 846.0 km. Agricultural fields occupy 39,430 ha, and the total area covered by forest is 27,730 ha. The administrative centre is the city of Gurjaani.

The territory of Gurjaani municipality belongs to the region of moderate humid subtropical climate. The plain has a moderately humid climate with mild winters and hot summers in the east. Gombori ridge has a moderately humid climate characterized by a long summer. The Iori plateau has a dry subtropical steppe climate with moderately cold winters and hot summers.

The average annual temperature is 12.4 °C, the average temperature of the coldest month of the year, January, is 0.9 °C, and the average temperature of the hottest month, August, is 23.6 °C. The average annual volume of precipitation is up to 800 mm in most parts of the territory, and it decreases to 500-600 mm in the plateau part of the territory. The main river of the municipality is Alazani, with short tributaries of small water (Chermishkhevi, Shromiskhevi, Chalaubniskhevi, Tsiliana and others).

Politics

Gurjaani Municipal Assembly (Georgian: გურჯაანის საკრებულო) is a representative body in Gurjaani Municipality. currently consisting of 39 members. The council is assembled into session regularly, to consider subject matters such as code changes, utilities, taxes, Municipal budget, oversight of Municipal government and more. Municipal Assembly and Mayor are elected every four year. The last election was held in October 2021.

Education

There are 25 public schools and 37 kindergartens in Gurjaani municipality. There are 13 libraries in Gurjaani municipality, and the library named after Shota Rustaveli, located in Gurjaani. A wine library functions based on this library.

Culture

The house museum of the famous Georgian poet Ioseb Noneshvili operates in the village of Kardenakhi. The museum was opened in 1986.

The house museum of the famous Georgian film actor Nato Vachnadze has been open in the village of Gurjaani since 1981. Since 2008, the building has had the status of an immovable monument of cultural heritage.

The Village History Museum, named after Giorgi Maisuradze, is located in the village of Vachnadzian. The museum was opened in 1966 and is located in the residence of nobleman Levan Jandieri, which was built in 1889.

The Memorial Museum of Fame is located in the city of Gurjaan. The museum is a memorial complex and is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the Second World War. There is an amphitheatre on the territory of the museum, and there is a copper monument of "Father of a Soldier" weighing 80 tons and it is 20 meters high. A wall of lost in the war was built, where the names of fallen warriors are engraved.

The museum of Ivane Beritashvili, the famous Georgian academician, and the founder of the Physiological School in Georgia, has been opened in the village of Vejini.

A puppet theatre has been operating in the city of Gurjaan since 1987. Initially, the theatre functioned as a public puppet theatre on the basis of the House of Culture; now, it has the status of a state theatre.

The People's Theater has been operating in Velistsikhe village since 1885. The theatre is named after Vaso Godziashvili.

Festivals and public holidays

Economy

The leading industry is agriculture, mainly viticulture and animal husbandry. Vine culture occupies 20% of agricultural land. The main branch of industry is winemaking; there are several wine and spirits factories in the municipality, as well as small enterprises of other profiles. Railways and highways pass through the territory of the municipality.

Historical landmarks and sightseeing

A lot of historical architectural monuments have been preserved in the territory of Gurjaani municipality. One of their most important is the 8th-9th century Georgian monument, All Saints of Gurjaani, built with cobblestone. An important Georgian architectural monument is the Gurjaani Kvelatsminda Church, located a few kilometres from the village of Vachnadziani.

There is a fortress built of cobblestone near the village of Vejini. There are several churches inside the castle, among which the churches of Ascension of the Resurrection and St. Mary are worth mentioning.

The church of Sabatsminda from the 13th century is preserved near the village of Kardenakhi. The church is quite badly damaged. The Georgian architectural monument "Tsverdabali" stands near Cheremi; there is also Nakalakari.

Other historical monuments include the three-nave basilica of Vazisubani, the "Sanagire" monastery, etc.

Notable people

Notable people of Gurjaani municipality

Photo	name and surname	years	Description
	Kote Abkhazi	1867-1923	Georgian public, political and military figure
	Levan Mughalashvili	1875-1955	Georgian singer, Lotbar
	Ivane Beritashvili	1885-1974	Georgian academician, physiologist, founder of physiological school in Georgia
	Grigol Peradze	1899-1942	Georgian theologian, historian, archimandrite, professor. In 1995, he was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church
	Nato Vachnadze	1904-1953	Georgian film actor
	Ioseb Noneshvili	1918-1980	Georgian poet
	Karlo Koberidze	1931-2017	Georgian writer, poet
	Givi Berikashvili	1933-2017	Georgian theater and cinema actor
	John Malkhaz Shalikashvili	1936-2011	US Army General
	Rostom Saginashvili	1940-2022	Georgian singer (tenor)
	Mzia Davitashvili	1949	Vocalist, singer, teacher
	Revaz Mindorashvili	1976	Georgian athlete, Olympic, world and European champion in freestyle wrestling
	Maka Purtseladze	1988	Georgian chess player

Twin towns – sister Municipalities

• Piaseczno Municipality (Poland)
• Považská Bystrica District (Slovakia)
• Municipality of Laguardia (Spain)
• Pakruojis District Municipality (Lithuania)
• Kuusalu Parish (Estonia)
• Gorodok District of Vitebsk District (Belarus)
• Vinnytsia Oblast (Ukraine)

See also

• List of municipalities in Georgia (country)

References

1. "Მერი".
2. "გეოგრაფია და ბუნება".
3. "გურჯაანი".
4. "ადგილობრივი თვითმმართველობის კოდექსი".
5. გურჯაანის მუნიციპალიტეტი. gurjaani.ge (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
6. ^ გეოგრაფია და ბუნება
7. Climate in Gurjaani, Georgia
8. "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2017" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
9. "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2021" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
10. "საჯარო სკოლები".
11. "საბავშვო ბაღები".
12. "გურჯაანში ღვინის ბიბლიოთეკა გიხსნა".
13. "მუზეუმები გურჯაანის მუნიციპალიტეტში".
14. "იოსებ ნონეშვილის სახლ-მუზეუმი".
15. "Facebook გვერდი".
16. "მუზეუმის შესახებ".
17. "გიორგი მაისურაძის სახელობის მუზეუმი".
18. "დიდების მემორიალური მუზეუმი".
19. "ივანე ბერიტაშვილის მუზეუმი".
20. "გურჯაანის თოჯინების თეატრი".
21. "ველისციხის სახალხო თეატრი".
22. "გურჯაანის ღვინის ფესტივალი".
23. "ხილის ფესტივალი გურჯაანში".
24. "გურჯაანში ხილის ფესტივალი გაიმართა".
25. "გურჯაანში ყველის ფესტივალი გაიმართა".
26. "გურჯაანში ყველისა და კულინარიის ფესტივალი გაიმართა".
27. Local Economic Development Plan Gurjaani
28. "გურჯაანის ყველაწმინდა [Gurjaani Kvelatsminda]". ენციკლოპედია საქართველო, ტ. 3 (in Georgian). National Academy of Sciences of Georgia. 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
29. ^ History of Georgia
30. "Levan Mughalashvili".
31. Ioseb Noneshvili
32. "Karlo Koberidze".
33. როსტომ საგინაშვილი გარდაიცვალა
34. "Mzia Davitashvili".
35. "Maka Furtseladze on FIDE".
36. "Sister Municipalities".

External links

• Official website
• Districts of Georgia, Statoids.com

v t e Municipalities of Georgia
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia	Gagra Gali Gudauta Gulripshi Ochamchire Sokhumi
Autonomous Republic of Adjara	Batumi Keda Khelvachauri Khulo Kobuleti Shuakhevi
Guria	Chokhatauri Lanchkhuti Ozurgeti
Imereti	Kutaisi Baghdati Chiatura Kharagauli Khoni Sachkhere Samtredia Terjola Tkibuli Tsqaltubo Vani Zestafoni
Kakheti	Akhmeta Dedoplistsqaro Gurjaani Kvareli Lagodekhi Sagarejo Sighnaghi Telavi
Mtskheta-Mtianeti	Akhalgori Dusheti Kazbegi Mtskheta Tianeti
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti	Ambrolauri Lentekhi Oni Tsageri
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti	Poti Abasha Chkhorotsku Khobi Martvili Mestia Senaki Tsalenjikha Zugdidi
Samtskhe-Javakheti	Adigeni Akhalkalaki Akhaltsikhe Aspindza Borjomi Ninotsminda
Kvemo Kartli	Rustavi Bolnisi Dmanisi Gardabani Marneuli Tetritsqaro Tsalka
Shida Kartli	Gori Kareli Kaspi Khashuri Java

41°45′N 45°48′E / 41.750°N 45.800°E / 41.750; 45.800

• Municipalities of Kakheti