I've also decided to show some photos of my favorite Metro stations to supplement the previous post. Rustaveli station definitely has the nicest exterior with its concrete mural. There is always one and only one door open in each direction at every Metro station and you must always go through that open door and never open any other. Apparently that's an unwritten Georgian law.
The Technical Institute station has the nicest interior design, I think, and is better-lit than most stations. It is all grey, but the ceiling provides its own contrast. It also directs attention to the mosaic-mural.
Finally, Tsarateli station certainly has the most vivid use of color. It's darker inside than my photos indicate, but I felt like editing them to show how it would look if properly lit. Many of the other stations are less interesting and even more poorly lit, but these show off the best of Tbilisi Metro. The best-designed stations seem to have been built in the 1970s.
A side note about police in Georgia. Apparently this country used to be pretty unsafe and the police were unreliable and generally useless. Now the nicest buildings in all of the small towns are police stations, and in Tbilisi they get quite grandiose. It is said that the all-glass walls symbolizes police transparency, but you might notice that half of the panels have walls behind them. XD
Sent from my Olivetti Lettera 22
You need to go to Tblisi more often. Photos are something else! You take pictures like a graphic designer - no bad thing.
ReplyDeleteToo many other places to see in the world, I'm afraid. ;)
DeleteTblisi looks like a really neat place. The night photos are beautiful. When you finish learning Russian you can get a job where I work or visit the area. There are enough Russians here that you can hear it spoken in the stores as well as where I work. There are even businesses that instead of Spanish/English are Russian/English. I enjoy it because I can visit the Russian store for the things like I used to get in PA and enjoy it here in FL.
ReplyDeleteIt is an incredibly fascinating city indeed.
DeleteHaha...finish learning Russian. I'm pretty sure that time will never arrive. I think I'll always be learning important new things.
The Metro stations really are cool.
ReplyDeleteGood going with your Russky! Keep it up.
You probably remember my comment about the Underground on your blog. Not sure how it compares to a Soviet-style Metro, but my opinions of this mode of transport (from a philosophical perspective, at least. I always admired their efficiency) are much, much higher than it had been before using one regularly. The Metro is one of my favourite parts of Tbilisi.
DeleteThose glitzy police stations were funded largely by the EU as part of efforts to push judicial reforms. Other renovations -- such as the Tbilisi-Gori highway -- have similar origins.
ReplyDeleteSeparately, I recommend a google search for "Saakasvhili eats his tie". I'd do the same, given the position Georgia was in under his presidency..
I love the photos, and such beauty in those locations!
ReplyDeleteLearning a language other than French or German is a very difficult thing. I congratulate you on making progress on it.
I'm making it hard on myself because my next language after Russian to learn is Finnish...haha
Deletehello there? where did you learn Russian? was it good for you?
ReplyDelete