# The Chronicles of Georgia (DD-028)

> On Keeni Hill at the north edge of Tbilisi, above the Tbilisi Sea reservoir, stand 16 bronze-clad pillars 30 to 35 meters tall. Sculptor Zurab Tsereteli began the Chronicle of Georgia (Sakartvelos Matiane) in 1985. Work dragged on through the Soviet collapse until 2003, and the monument was never fully finished. The upper sections show kings, queens and heroes of Georgian history, and the lower sections tell the life of Christ. The hilltop had once been earmarked for a 100-meter statue of Stalin.

- Department: Locations (also History)
- First published: 2026-03-06
- Last updated: 2026-03-06
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/chronicles-of-georgia/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1940s**: The Tbilisi hilltop is set aside for a 100-meter Stalin monument that's never built
- **1980**: The site goes to Zurab Tsereteli's project
- **1985**: Tsereteli begins the Chronicle of Georgia
- **2003**: Construction stops, with the monument never fully finished

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=chronicles-of-georgia

## Quick facts

- **DD-028-F01**: The Chronicle of Georgia's 16 pillars rise 30 to 35 meters above the Tbilisi Sea. It was begun in 1985 and is still technically unfinished. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Sixteen giant pillars))_
- **DD-028-F02**: The hill under the Chronicle of Georgia was once reserved for a 100-meter statue of Stalin. _(Write-up · Exhibit G (Stalin's hill))_

## Write-up

Georgia's 'Stonehenge' is 16 bronze pillars up to 35 meters tall. Zurab Tsereteli's Chronicle of Georgia, above the Tbilisi Sea, begun 1985.

1. **On a hill above the 'sea'**: The monument stands on Keeni Hill in Tbilisi's Nadzaladevi District, at the top of a long stairway overlooking the Tbilisi Sea. The 'sea' is a reservoir on the city's northern edge.
2. **Begun in 1985, never quite finished**: Zurab Tsereteli started the project in 1985. Funding faltered with perestroika and the Soviet collapse, and construction ran in fits and starts until 2003. Some elements were never installed.
3. **Sixteen giant pillars**: Sixteen columns between 30 and 35 meters tall rise from a foundation of roughly 80 by 80 meters: 12 form the outer walls and 4 stand inside. Georgia's state art portal lists each at 35 meters.
4. **History on top, Christ below**: The upper halves of the pillars show Georgian kings, queens and heroes. The central tier has 64 key historical figures, from King Parnavaz to St. Nino. The lower halves depict the life of Christ.
5. **Bronze, not carved stone**: The reliefs are bronze and copper alloy, which gives the monument its greenish tone. Georgia's art portal describes the work as bronze.
6. **A chapel and a vine cross**: The grounds also hold the grapevine cross of St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia, and a small chapel.
7. **Stalin's hill**: In the 1940s the hilltop was set aside for a 100-meter monument to Stalin, and a foundation was even laid. It was never built, and in 1980 the site went to Tsereteli's project.

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- [Heavenly Lake (DD-019)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/heavenly-lake/): Another place-with-a-story that's tied to a famous lake.
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- [The White Temple (DD-042)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-white-temple/): Another monumental art site loaded with symbolism.
- [Unlimited Bladeworks (DD-572)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/unlimited-bladeworks/): Another monument to Georgian history, near Tbilisi
- [Buzludzha (DD-573)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buzludzha/): Another monumental project from the late Soviet era
- [The Wailing Wall (DD-673)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-wailing-wall/): Another landmark layered with history
- [Arch of Titus (DD-690)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/arch-of-titus/): Another monument carved with a nation's history
- [Haus des Glockenspiels (DD-698)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/haus-des-glockenspiels/): Another monument that tells its story in pictures

## Reel vs. record

- **Confirmed from the frames**: the Reel is about the Chronicle of Georgia (Sakartvelos Matiane) by Zurab Tsereteli, on Keeni Hill above the Tbilisi Sea. [Wikipedia; art.gov.ge]
- **Imprecise**: 'created in 1985.' Construction began in 1985 and continued through 2003, and the monument was never fully finished. [art.gov.ge lists it as 1985–2003; Wikipedia; Dolidoki]
- **Wrong technique**: 'carved with dramatic reliefs.' The reliefs are bronze and copper alloy, not carved stone. [art.gov.ge; Wikipedia; Dolidoki]
- **Confirmed**: 'roughly 30–35 meters high', with 16 pillars. Georgia's state art portal gives 35 m for each. [Wikipedia; art.gov.ge]
- **Context**: 'Georgia's Stonehenge' is a popular nickname, not an official name, and the Tbilisi Sea is a reservoir, not a sea. [Tripadvisor; Wikipedia]

## Video: The Chronicles of Georgia: Georgia's 'Stonehenge' Is 16 Bronze Pillars up to 35 Meters Tall

- Duration: 20.2 s · Published: 2026-03-06
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DVjp9lpkcgK.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? The Chronicles of Georgia is a monumental sculptural complex overlooking the Tbilisi sea, created in 1985 by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli. Often called "Georgia's Stonehenge," the site features massive pillars rising roughly 30-35 meters high, carved with dramatic reliefs that depict scenes from Georgian history, royal figures, and Christian iconography. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Which sculptor created the Chronicle of Georgia?**  
A: Zurab Tsereteli began the monument in 1985. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Begun in 1985, never quite finished) · Chronicle of Georgia (Wikipedia); Tsereteli Zurab, portfolio (art.gov.ge, Georgian state art portal); The Chronicles of Georgia Monument in Tbilisi (Dolidoki travel guide))_

**Q: What body of water does the monument overlook?**  
A: It stands on Keeni Hill above the Tbilisi Sea, a reservoir on the city's northern edge. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (On a hill above the 'sea') · Chronicle of Georgia (Wikipedia); 'Through the centuries': memorial complex in Tbilisi by Zurab Tsereteli (Art of Eurasia, 2017))_

**Q: How many pillars make up the Chronicle of Georgia?**  
A: Sixteen columns, 12 in the outer walls and 4 inside, rise 30–35 m. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Sixteen giant pillars) · Chronicle of Georgia (Wikipedia); Tsereteli Zurab, portfolio (art.gov.ge, Georgian state art portal); The Chronicles of Georgia Monument in Tbilisi (Dolidoki travel guide))_

**Q: What do the lower halves of the pillars depict?**  
A: Kings, queens and heroes are on top; the life of Christ is below. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (History on top, Christ below) · Chronicle of Georgia (Wikipedia); 'Through the centuries': memorial complex in Tbilisi by Zurab Tsereteli (Art of Eurasia, 2017))_

**Q: What was once planned for the same hilltop?**  
A: A 100-meter Stalin statue was planned there in the 1940s but never built. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit G (Stalin's hill) · 'Through the centuries': memorial complex in Tbilisi by Zurab Tsereteli (Art of Eurasia, 2017); The Chronicles of Georgia Monument in Tbilisi (Dolidoki travel guide))_

## Sources

- [Chronicle of Georgia (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_of_Georgia)
- [Tsereteli Zurab, portfolio (art.gov.ge, Georgian state art portal)](https://art.gov.ge/en/portfolio/tsereteli-zurab/)
- ['Through the centuries': memorial complex in Tbilisi by Zurab Tsereteli (Art of Eurasia, 2017)](https://doi.org/10.25712/astu.2518-7767.2017.01.006)
- [The Chronicles of Georgia Monument in Tbilisi (Dolidoki travel guide)](https://dolidoki.com/en/chronicles-of-georgia/)
- [Chronicles Of Georgia, Tbilisi (Tripadvisor listing and reviews)](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294195-d7158384-Reviews-Chronicles_Of_Georgia-Tbilisi.html)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "The Chronicles of Georgia." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-028, last updated Mar 6, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/chronicles-of-georgia/