Tbilisi to seize homes from five families for Heydar Aliyev cultural centre project
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre planned in Tbilisi
The Georgian government plans to build a Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Tbilisi’s historic Abanotubani district. Authorities have designated the area as “necessary for public needs”.
This status allows the state to expropriate residential and commercial properties from five families living in the area.
An order signed by Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili grants the Company for Asset Management and Development the authority to carry out the expropriations, enabling the state to seize private property in exchange for advance compensation.
The decision was published on 3 April, shortly before Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Tbilisi. Heydar Aliyev, after whom the centre is to be named, was his father and predecessor as Azerbaijan’s leader.
The key intrigue of Ilham Aliyev’s visit was his meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and widely seen as Georgia’s informal leader.
According to the decision, the project concerns one of the old buildings where 24 owners are registered in total. The state-selected company has already reached agreements with some of them and purchased their properties voluntarily. However, it failed to reach a deal with five families. Their holdings include residential units and attic spaces of varying sizes.
Officials say compensation was offered in advance, based on an assessment by the National Bureau of Forensic Expertise, but no agreement was reached. The company then applied to the ministry to initiate expropriation proceedings.
The decision stresses that property rights are protected by the constitution, but are not absolute and may be restricted in cases of public necessity. It also notes that any disputes over compensation should be settled in court.
Residents have one month to appeal the decision.
The project предусматривает (planned development) a multifunctional cultural complex on a 5,380-square-metre site. It will include a concert hall, educational spaces, a children’s theatre and public areas. The main foyer will be connected to the historic “Old Bath” building, which the designers say will create architectural harmony between old and new.
The document also states that the centre is envisioned as a platform for regional cooperation, based on the historical ties between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The project aims to promote a multi-ethnic cultural space, as well as cultural tourism and international events.
Heydar Aliyev was one of the most influential political figures in Azerbaijan, playing a key role in shaping the country’s modern political system.
He was born in 1923 and began his career in the Soviet security services. He later rose to lead the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, first as First Secretary of the Communist Party and then as a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee — one of the highest political positions in the Soviet Union at the time.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Aliyev became president of independent Azerbaijan in 1993 and led the country until 2003. His rule is associated with increased state centralisation, the restoration of political stability, and major international agreements in the oil sector.
His legacy is often viewed in contrasting terms: on the one hand, as a period of stability and economic growth; on the other, as a time of growing authoritarianism and restrictions on political opposition.
Heydar Aliyev died in 2003, but his political course has been continued by his son, Ilham Aliyev.
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre planned in Tbilisi
