Museum address: Kutaisi Municipality, 18, Pushkin str., Kutaisi
Date of establishment of the museum: 1922
Legal status of the museum: Legal Entity under Public Law (LEPL) since 2006 unified under the governmental control of Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia
Museum type (profile): Historical
Quantity of stored items: 230 000
Museum collection description: The museum was established in 1921, it houses more then 150 thousand items of cultural heritage of the country (from IX-VII c.c. B.C. up to late medieval times). Among them are: Bronze Age and Antiquity period monuments – archaeological discoveries from western Georgia, rare samples Georgian, Roman, Byzantine and Oriental history, everyday life and culture rare objects, collection of oldest epigraphic monuments and Georgian manuscripts – rare charters, ethnographic materials, significant samples of items (goldsmith works, metalwork, ceramics, leather, glassworks, textiles, woodcuts). Permanent exhibitions are displayed in 10 spaces on two floors. In 2005 had finished reconstruction of the “Gold Treasury” hall, and at the moment the permanent display there is done according the modern standards. In 2006 have started rehabilitation of the museum – a full reconstruction of the facilities according the international standard.
Working hours: Everyday, 10.00 – 18.00
Ticket price: Schoolchildren – 1 GEL., Students – 2 GEL., Adults – 3 GEL. Guide service (in different languages) 10 GEL.
Free admission: Children up to age of 6; Georgian and Foreign Museum staff, ICOM members (cardholders with ID), people with disabilities (upon presentation of valid ID), refugees.
Exhibitions: The permanent exposition presents archeological and ethnological collections, manuscripts and photo-phono collections, secular and religious collections.
Educational Programmes: Educational programs created on the exhibits presented in permanent exposure; “Museum’s Volunteers School Educational Center’s programmes. (Contact: Nona Kartsidze, Tel. 599740087) Program “Little Guide” for school students (Contact: Nino Sarava, Curator of the Art Department, Tel. 593 131419)
Publications: Museum’s Annual journal “Khidi”, newspaper “ Museum’s chronicles”, ”Kutaisi’s archaeology”, “Gelati treasure”, “Georgian churches treasure”, ”Kutaisi Museum’s Manuscripts”, “From history of South Caucasus railway” “Mose Gabashvili-bibliophile”, “Antique materials from Kutaisi Museum”, “The Gospel” (manuscript, 1060).
Total space of the museum: 1500 m²
Display space: 400 m²
Temporary exhibitions: 151 m²
Storage space: 900 m²
The space for restoration: 24 m²
Museum market: 25 m²
Movable monument of Cultural Heritage– 32 exhibits
Museum building’s status: Immovable monument of Cultural Heritage (The order # 3/181, 2007 of Minister of Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection of Georgia).
