The short answer: the Chronicles of Georgia is a vast open-air monument on a hill at the northern end of the Tbilisi Sea, a reservoir on the north-eastern edge of the city. Designed by Zurab Tsereteli and started in 1985, it is a ring of 16 pillars about 35 m tall, covered in bronze reliefs of Georgian kings, heroes and scenes from the life of Christ, and it was never fully finished. Entry is free, it takes about an hour, and it is 20–30 minutes from the centre by taxi or car. Below: what you're looking at, how to get there and what else the reservoir offers.
What the monument shows
The monument stands on Keeni Hill, above the northern point of the Tbilisi Sea [1]. Its 16 pillars, each between 30 and 35 m high, are covered in bronze reliefs [1]. Broadly, the lower parts show scenes from the life of Christ, and the upper parts show the kings, queens and heroes of Georgian history [1], along with scenes of Georgian life such as the grape harvest [2]. Look also for the grapevine cross of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia [1].
A small chapel, the Church of the Annunciation, stands within the complex, with murals of biblical scenes in the cloisonné enamel technique [2]. It is part of the monument's religious side and usually open to visitors.
Tsereteli, who also made many large public sculptures abroad, designed the Chronicles in the early 1980s and began building it in 1985; work continued on and off for years and it remains unfinished [1][2]. That is part of its character: raw concrete, unfinished edges, and the scale of a late-Soviet dream in a residential district of apartment blocks.
Visiting
- Entry: free; it is an open-air site with no ticket office [2][3].
- Time: about an hour to walk around the pillars and look at the details; up to two if you add the chapel and the view.
- Steps: a long flight of steps leads up from the road below [1]; there is also a small car park right next to the monument [3], so you can skip the climb by car or taxi.
- Light: afternoon light shows the bronze reliefs well; early morning is quietest [2].
- Weather: the hill is exposed and windy. Bring a layer in winter and water and a hat in summer; there is little shade.
- Dress: modest clothes if you want to go into the chapel: shoulders and knees covered, and women cover their hair.
Getting there
By taxi or car
The simplest way: 20–30 minutes from central Tbilisi with Bolt or another ride app, and the driver can drop you at the top [3]. With a private driver it combines easily with other sights on the city's north side.
By public transport
Take the metro (Red Line) to Ghrmaghele station, then bus 360 for about 20 minutes to the Cadet Corps stop, and walk about 850 m, 10–15 minutes, to the monument [2][3]. It works well, but allow about an hour each way from the centre.
The Tbilisi Sea
The "sea" below the monument is a reservoir, created in 1953 by filling a basin that had held three salt lakes with water from the Iori river [4]. It is about 8.75 km long and supplies much of Tbilisi's drinking water as well as irrigation [4]. It is also called the Tbilisi Reservoir or the Samgori Reservoir [4].
For locals it is a summer escape. There are beach areas for swimming, cafés and walking paths along parts of the shore, and it is noticeably breezier than the centre on a hot day [2]. Outside summer it is quiet, and the reason to come is the view from the Chronicles over the water to the hills.
Planning a half day
Most visitors come for an hour or two and head back into the centre. A simple plan: leave the Old Town after lunch, spend an hour at the Chronicles when the afternoon light is on the reliefs, go down towards the water if it is summer, and be back in the centre for dinner. In hot weather go late in the afternoon; in winter go in the middle of the day, when it is warmest and before the light fades.
For photos, the pillars are so tall that a wide-angle lens, or your phone's wide mode, helps. Stand back at the edge of the plaza to fit several pillars in one frame, then walk in close to pick out single figures in the bronze.
Is it worth the trip?
It suits travellers with more than two days in Tbilisi, fans of Soviet-era and monumental art, photographers, and anyone curious about how Georgia tells its own history. On a short first visit, the Old Town, Narikala and the baths come first; see our self-guided Old Town walking route and Tbilisi in 1, 2 or 3 days. As a half-day outing with a car, though, it is one of the more memorable sights in the city, and it takes you into the Tbilisi most visitors never see.
Seeing Tbilisi with us
Our trips are private: your own car and English-speaking driver-guide, for 1–8 travellers. The private Tbilisi Old Town walk covers Metekhi, Narikala by cable car, the baths, Sioni and the clock tower on foot in about five hours; the Chronicles is not on that route, since it needs a car. If you'd like both, build your own Tbilisi day and we quote a car and driver for the Chronicles and the Tbilisi Sea. Back in the centre in the evening, the private Tbilisi food and wine walk goes from the Dezerter Bazaar to a natural-wine bar in the Old Town. See the tour pages for the current price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Chronicle of Georgia": en.wikipedia.org
- Wander-Lush, "10 things to know before you visit the Chronicles of Georgia": wander-lush.org
- Journal of Nomads, "How to get to the Chronicles of Georgia in Tbilisi": journalofnomads.com
- Wikipedia, "Tbilisi Sea": en.wikipedia.org
Last checked: September 2026. Bus routes and numbers in Tbilisi change from time to time; check a journey planner before you set off.
