Ozurgeti (Georgian: ოზურგეთი [ɔzurgɛtʰi]) is the capital of the western Georgian province of Guria. It was formerly known as Macharadze or Makharadze (named in honor of Filipp Makharadze). It is a regional center of tea and hazelnut processing.
Ozurgeti was founded in the late Middle Ages, and is first mentioned by name in 1578 in the New Georgian Chronicles (ახალი ქართლის ცხოვრობა, akhali qartlis tskhovroba).[1] It became the centre of Guria soon after, serving as an important centre for trade and the home of the rulers of the Principality of Guria. The later discovery of a hoard of 270 silver coins under the city, the “Ozurgeti Treasure,” is testament to this.
On December 14, 1846 Ozurgeti was designated as a city.[2] At that time there were just over 300 residents, though the population grew as the city gained importance: by 1865 it had grown to over 700. It served as a strategic place for the course of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). It was the fourth city in Georgia to have a legal printing press, which began in 1891. On December 26, 1923 a rail line had been established, connecting Ozurgeti with the rest of the country. It was renamed “Makharadze” on July 9, 1934, in honour of the Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze. It would revert to its original name on May 15, 1989.
The Ozurgeti Dramatic Theatre overlooks the city’s central square. It is named in honor of Alexander Tsutsunava, whose statue stands in an adjoining park. It was founded in 1868, and the first production was a performance by local amateur actors. A new theater building was constructed in 1914. In 1933, another new building was constructed. In 1962, the theater was moved to yet another building, the five-storey Soviet Neoclassical-style structure in which it currently resides. It is one of the largest theaters in Georgia. In 1968, a large centennial celebration was held in the building and the theater was named after Tsutsunava. In 2005, the Ministry of Culture and the Theater Workers’ Union declared the Ozurgeti Dramatic Theater to be the best regional theater in Georgia.