Near Isani metro station, at 9 Lekh Kachinski Street, stands an eight-story apartment building, a relic of 1972. Once robust and imposing, it now bears the weight of its age. Over the years, it has endured multiple earthquakes, including a tremor in 2003, which have shaken its foundation. Another earthquake two years ago brought it to the brink of collapse.

Seventy-six families live within its aging walls. Throughout the years, it has quietly observed the ebb and flow of time. Familiar with the daily routines of its residents—their meals, their sleep, their joys, and their struggles—the building now faces an uncertain future.

The lower levels of the building suffer the most, bearing the weight of its wear and tear. Nana Akhalbedashvili, 68, a lifelong resident of the third floor, knows this all too well. Cracks snake through her kitchen and living room, while the floors slope and bits of plaster rain down from above. Despite this, Nana remains. After all, she shares the space with 68 years of memories. “This place is my home, and leaving it feels like giving up part of myself. So, I moved my children to a safer place. Now, I'm the only one left in this apartment."

The fate of 9 Lekh Kachinski Street is just one example in a city full of crumbling residential buildings. From the sprawling districts of Varketili and Gldani to the tranquil neighborhoods of Digomi and Saburtalo, these structures loom ominously, each bearing witness to the city’s ongoing housing crisis and rapid urbanization.

These buildings’ history goes back to the aftermath of the Second World War, a time of unprecedented housing shortages in the Soviet Union. To meet the demand, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev called on factories to churn out prefabricated concrete components, enabling the quick assembly of entire buildings. The speed came at the expense of quality and design.

The apartments in the buildings typically consisted of one or two rooms, with minimal and inconvenient living spaces, poor planning, relatively low ceilings, and unappealing appearances. These buildings were designed to last for 60 years and were initially considered temporary structures. Some have reached the end of their lifespan and others remain structurally sound but have started to deteriorate over time due to factors such as lack of maintenance, aging infrastructure, and environmental conditions.

The worn-down state of the building at 9 Lech Kachinski carries a deep sentimental significance for 21-year-old Salome Giorgadze. Her great grandfather, Davit Grigolishvili, was the visionary behind its construction back in 1972. Though Salome's knowledge of her grandfather is mostly gleaned from family tales, she holds dear the image of him poring over books from the living room shelf, his generosity, and his gesture of providing apartments to his employees after completing the building. Salome fondly recalls that the eighth and ninth floors now house the descendants of her grandfather's once devoted workers.

 “I often tease my mom and grandma about this building, joking that grandpa didn't do a great job with it. But you know, I think it's kind of a symbol of the Soviet era. Like, it's just hanging in there, but you can tell it's going to fall apart eventually, just like the Soviet did,” she says. 

That's why Salome supports including the building in the Tbilisi City Hall’s Replacement of Dilapidated Multi-Apartment Residential Buildings program. 

The Tbilisi Development Fund, a department of Tbilisi City Hall, initiated the Replacement of Dilapidated Multi-Apartment Residential Buildings program in May 2022. Its aim is to swap old buildings with modern ones. “The program marks the inaugural stride in independent Georgia's history towards addressing the critical issue of dilapidated residential buildings within the capital with dignity,” explains Deputy Director of the Tbilisi Development Fund Kvara Chartolani. 

The regulation, passed by the Tbilisi City Council in May 2022 and revised in January 2023, applies to all residential buildings in Tbilisi categorized as unsafe for habitation. Residents may be offered relocation to newly constructed buildings, either within the same neighborhood or on alternative land parcels. Apartment owners will receive an equivalent area to their previous living quarters in the new building, excluding attics, basements and garages.

The Replacement of Dilapidated Multi-Apartment Residential Buildings program represents a significant stride towards addressing the critical issue of aging residential structures within the capital. But its scope does not reach everyone. 

For instance, 9 Lech Kachinski was not included on the list. Maia Tsitsishvili, the chairperson of the building, recounts the residents' tireless efforts to seek assistance. Initially, they appealed to the Administration of Isani District and later directly to the Tbilisi City Hall. However, their plight gained attention only after a televised protest by the building's residents last summer.

Despite their advocacy, the sole action taken to address the precarious state of the building was a forensic examination by the Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau. According to the bureau's report, the building's instability stems from uneven foundations. Tsitsishvili received this report on March 11, accompanied by a comment from the city hall indicating that further examination was necessary before it could be included in the replacement program.

In response, the residents requested a more thorough investigation. City Hall has not responded to date. 

There are other concerns about the program. For instance, a significant amendment made on January 27, 2023 raised a number of concerns about the program. On February 9, 2023, the Association of Those Affected by Construction filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this provision, which states: "The city government has the right to discuss the issue of replacing the dilapidated house on another plot of land without obtaining the full consent of the interested parties.”

"It fails to withstand reasonable scrutiny, and it is unclear which segment of society would benefit from forcibly seizing property from owners and imposing such unjust and demeaning conditions upon them. The vague and unspecified nature of 'another piece of land' adds further ambiguity,” the association asserted. 

Despite the lawsuit, the program remains unchanged to this day, continuing its operations as altered back in 2023. Tbilisi Development Fund’s Chartolani explained that new multi-apartment residential buildings are currently under construction at four addresses within the project, providing renovated apartments for 120 families. Additionally, conceptual design projects and detailed engineering documentation for future replacement buildings are actively being prepared at 24 addresses, aiming to offer renovated residential apartments to approximately 900 families.

Urbanist Zurab Bakradze underscores the need to prioritize local populations’ resettlement in their old neighborhoods if they desire. “Indeed, this constitutes a deportation of these individuals from their homeland. The planning of these areas should prioritize the accommodation of the local population who wish to remain,” he said. “This must serve as the foundational principle. We are no longer living in Stalinism…”

The story was produced in the framework of Chai Khana Fellowship program - Spring 2024

This feature story was prepared with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) South Caucasus Regional Office. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of FES.