Tsinandali - Chavchavadze Museum

Tsinandali

House Museum of Alexander Chavchavadze

Tsinandali is a village in Kakheti, Georgia, noted for the estate and its historic winery which once belonged to the 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze. It is situated in the district of Telavi, 79 km east of Tbilisi.

A manor in the village of Tsinandali is an ancestral estate, a palace of princely family of Chavchavadze. There are many amazing, beautiful and tragic events in the history of Georgia are connected with him. The manor in Tsinandali is the reflection of his aspirations. He not only applied European architectural techniques in the construction and inner planning, he laid out an English garden around his palace. Moreover, there were not only trees, but also gardeners who came from the Great Britain. He did not stop on this. Chavchavadze invited the best winemakers from Europe, with whom he built the first wine factory that produces wines according to European technologies.

The history of the Chavchavadze family and their ancestral estate is closely tied with the history of Georgia. Today there is a museum busy with tourists from all over the world. The interior of the 19h century has almost been fully restored. It was also possible to collect touching material evidences from the relatives of the bygone period: suzane, embroidered by the daughters of Chavchavadze, the picture of Imam Shamil painted by Anna Ilinichna held in captivity. The museum has the working desk of the poet, the first grand piano, personal things and books. There are regular art exhibitions held in the museum, and basement of the building hosts Kakhetian wine tasting ceremonies.

If you are in Kakheti, make sure to touch the history of the most famous family in Georgia.