Georgian Olympic Museum

A little known museum in Tbilisi, Georgia, is the Georgian Olympic Museum. The Georgian National Olympic Committee (GNOC) is an umbrella organization for the Georgia Olympic Academy, the Georgian Olympians’ Association, the Olympic Museum, and 12 regional bodies.

The GNOC was established in 1989 and gained full recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1993. GNOC is now housed in the National Olympic Committee House – and one room is dedicated to the Olympic Museum. It is not signposted – you just walk into the Committee House (a recently renovated building specifically for the GNOC) and it’s on the right hand side.

The museum has an interactive ‘table’ that displays information about each individual Olympic medal winner, as well as several videos screening the medallists’ performances at their respective Olympic Games since Helsinki in 1952 to the present day.

In glass cases on the walls are displays of clothing worn by the Georgian Olympians. For example, there is the T-shirt of Victor Saneev (1945-), who was a three time Olympic champion and silver medallist in the triple jump (1968, 1972, and 1976); the 1980 judo kimono of Shota Khabareli (1958-); and the sporting costume of weight lifter Georgi Asanidze (1975-), who was a two time Olympian (2000 and 2004).

Items of Olympic equipment include the racing skis of Koba Tsakadze (1934-), who was a four time Olympian in ski-jumping (1956, 1960, 1964, and 1972); the 2010 skating boots of Elene Gedevanishvili (1990-), three time Olympian in figure skating (2006, 2010, and 2014); the 1964 fencing mask of Nugzar Asatiani (1937-1992); and the 1980 javelin of Saida Gunba (1959-).

There is also the luge sled of Nodar Kumaritashvili (1988-2010) who died at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games in Canada, in a luge accident during practice. A commemorative stamp with Nodar’s image and luge is enlarged and displayed on the wall opposite the luge sled.

The front gardens of the GNOC House has two arches with gold-plated stars representing each gold medal won by a Georgian athlete since 1952.

Comments

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog