Kutaisi

Kutaisi is a major city in the Republic of Georgia located 221 kilometres west of Tbilisi. Serving as the capital of the Imereti region, the municipality lies along the Rioni River and supports a population of 135,201 residents.

Daily movement through the urban center connects deep historical foundations with present-day routines. Citizens navigate a landscape that once functioned as the political center of Colchis and later as the capital for the Kingdom of Abkhazia, the Kingdom of Georgia, and the Kingdom of Imereti. Daily activity also reflects periods of political transition, including the years between October 2012 and December 2018 when the city hosted the seat of the Parliament of Georgia.

Rhythms of daily life intensify significantly during Kutaisoba, the most important holiday celebrated annually on 2 May. On this specific day, the population crowds into the central park alongside children to participate in community events. Festivities feature masked participants, performances, traditional Georgian dances, and folk music. Following old traditions, children sell chamomiles to collect money for the poor, while families head to the nearby forest for barbecues and games. Participants wear traditional Chokha clothing, martial arts competitions take place, and airplanes drop written lyrics authored by writers from Kutaisi from the sky.

Outside of festive dates, the everyday movement of the population is shaped by economic shifts that followed the country's independence on 9 April 1991 and subsequent economic collapse. While many inhabitants must work abroad, small-scale trade prevails among the remaining populace as daily commerce moves through the historic urban environment.