Mtatsminda Pantheon (Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures)

The Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures lies on the Mtatsminda hillside above Chonkadze Street in Tbilisi, Georgia, within and beside the compound of the Mamadaviti Church of St David. The church is associated with the 6th-century monk David Garejeli, and the hillside has long been a burial site. The Pantheon was established as a formal necropolis in 1929, during the Soviet period, bringing together the graves of notable Georgians. The tombs range from simple stones to sculpted monuments. Among those buried here are the writer and public figure Ilia Chavchavadze, one of the leaders of the 19th-century national revival, and the independence activist Merab Kostava. The grave of the Russian playwright and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov, who was killed in Tehran in 1829, is in the grounds, alongside that of his wife Nino Chavchavadze, daughter of a Georgian noble family. Other writers, artists, scholars and public figures lie in the pantheon, which functions as a record of Georgian cultural and political history. The setting is a wooded terrace with views over Tbilisi, reached on foot or by the funicular from Chonkadze Street. The site is quiet and contemplative, and it remains in use as a cemetery with memorials and flowers left by visitors. Maintenance has been carried out over time, but the condition of individual graves varies. Visitors should dress and behave respectfully, and photography should not intrude on mourners. The Mamadaviti Church is an active place of worship and is usually open to visitors during the day.