Parliament of Georgia and Site of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Gunib Square)

The Parliament of Georgia stands on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi, Georgia, on ground once occupied by the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The cathedral was a Russian Orthodox church built in the late 19th century, between 1871 and 1897, as a symbol of imperial rule in the Caucasus and in memory of the Russian soldiers who died in the conquest of the region. Soviet authorities demolished it in the 1930s to clear the site for a new government building. The Soviet-era structure, completed in the late 1930s in a monumental style with a long colonnaded facade, was used by the Georgian SSR government and later became the seat of the national parliament. The building is closely tied to 9 April 1989, when Soviet troops dispersed a peaceful pro-independence rally in front of it, killing about 20 people and injuring many more. The event is commemorated every year, and a memorial stands near the parliament. In January 1992 the building was damaged by fighting during the overthrow of the first president, and it was later repaired. For some years the legislature sat in Kutaisi, but sessions have since returned to Tbilisi. The interior is not open to the public, so visitors view the exterior and the plaza, which is also a venue for demonstrations. Nearby are the Kashveti Church of St George, the National Museum and the rest of Rustaveli Avenue's institutions. The site is best understood as an outdoor history lesson, and a guide or reading in advance enriches the visit. Security staff may restrict access during sessions or protests.