Today, the ruins of the Tandoyants Surb Astvatsatsin Church, or the Church of the Holy Mother of God, remain in the courtyard at 38 David Agmashenebeli Avenue. The entrance to the courtyard is roughly opposite the intersection of the avenue and Mazniashvili Street; from the street itself, the church is barely visible.
During the Soviet years, the building was confiscated and converted first into a club, then into the Kolkheti Cinema. Several generations of Tbilisi residents attended screenings there, unaware they were in a church. Since the 1990s, the building has stood empty and crumbling.
The legal status of the building is complex. In the summer of 2017, the church, formerly owned by the Ministry of Economy, was transferred to the Georgian Patriarchate, after which the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia filed a lawsuit. Tandoyants is among the churches whose ownership is disputed. Research has been conducted on the site.
It's worth coming here with the understanding that there's almost nothing to see: these are ruins and an archaeological site, not a functioning church.
🕍 What to see
Remains of walls and masonry in the courtyard, traces of a cinema conversion, and the surrounding development of old Chugureti.
💰 Free or paid
The tour is free. Access to the courtyard may be restricted due to construction work and the state of the structure.
Have you seen Tandoyants with your own eyes? Leave a review: let us know if the courtyard is open and what's happening there now.
