National Youth and Children's Palace
მოსწავლე ახალგაზრდობის ეროვნული სასახლე
National Palace in september 2023
Former names	Viceroy's palace; Pioneers' palace
General information
Architectural style	Renaissance
Address	6, Rustaveli Ave.
Town or city	Tbilisi
Country	Georgia
Current tenants	Tbilisi National Youth and Children's Palace.
Completed	1818; 207 years ago (1818)
Renovated	First renovation – 1847; 178 years ago (1847) Second renovation - 1869; 156 years ago (1869) (current façade) 3rd renovation – 1941; 84 years ago (1941)
Renovation cost	3rd renovation - up to 15 million rubles 4th renovation - 33.7 million GEL (est.)[1]
Renovating team
Architect(s)	First renovation – Nikolay Semionov Second renovation (current façade)- Otto Jakob Simonson 3rd renovation – Archil Kurdiani 4th renovation - Merab Bochoidze[2]
Website
youthpalace.ge nationalpalace.ge
Cultural Heritage Monument of Georgia
Official name	Youth Palace
Designated	October 1, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-10-01)
Item Number in Cultural Heritage Portal	4976
Date of entry in the registry	October 11, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-10-11)

National Youth and Children's Palace (Georgian: მოსწავლე ახალგაზრდობის ეროვნული სასახლე), sometimes referred to as Pioneers' Palace, National Palace, or by its original name, Viceroy's Palace, is a historical building located on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The original building, constructed in 1802, after the establishment of the Imperial Russian Rule in Georgia, served as the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus in Tiflis. After several reconstructions, a new palace was built in 1818, designed by architect Braunmiller. The palace was reconstructed in 1847, by architect Nikolai Semyonov, who gave the palace a classical look and constructed a garden on the left side of the palace. It underwent a second renovation in 1869, led by Otto Jakob Simonson [de], a German architect working in Tbilisi. He enlarged the palace and gave it a Renaissance look.^[3]

During the various periods of Russian Imperial rule in Georgia, the palace was sometimes the residence and palace of the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus, and sometimes of the Viceroy.

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the palace housed the government of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. On May 26, 1918, the federation announced its dissolution and the National Council of Georgia, convened at the palace on the same day, declared Georgia's independence at 5:10 p.m. Two days later, the independence of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and the First Republic of Armenia was declared in the palace. Following the declaration of independence, the palace housed the government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and the National Council, which, following the 1919 parliamentary elections, was replaced by the Constituent Assembly of Georgia. On February 21, 1921, the palace hosted the adoption of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic by the Constituent Assembly.

After the Sovietization of Georgia, the palace housed the Georgian Revolutionary Committee, then the governments of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and Soviet Georgia.^[4] In 1937, the soviet government decided to open a Pioneers Palace, a nonformal educational institution for children. After the reconstruction, the palace reopened on May 2, 1941, to house the educational institution for children with learning, art and cultural, musical, theatrical, botanical studios, etc. Since 1941, the palace has been housing Tbilisi National Youth and Children's Palace.^[5]

The Palace is listed as a Cultural Heritage Monument of Georgia.^[6]

Prior to the 19th century, the area of present day Rustaveli Avenue, Freedom Square, Orbeliani Square and Tchanturia Street was behind the city walls of Tiflis and was called Garetubani [Peripheries]^[7]. This area was cultivated with gardens and vineyards that belonged to the Georgian Royal Family.^[8]

After the Russian conquest of the Caucasus and the annexation of the Georgian Kingdoms, Russian authority was established in Georgia. Russian Empire appointed Karl Knorring the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus.^[3] In 1802, in Garetubani, Georgain Architects constructed a two-building complex ^[7] for the Commander-in-Chief, where he could work and live.

This complex was demolished and a new classical building was constructed in 1807.

In 1818, the previous buildings were demolished, and Architect Braunmiller constructed a new palace on the same site. Later, the building underwent an enlargement, with the small rooms replaced by larger ones, including private apartments for the commander-in-chief, study rooms, a pool room, clerks’ rooms, a Winter Garden, and more.^[3][9]

In 1844, Petersburg architect Nikolay Semionov drastically changed the outlook of the palace. He gave it a classical look and installed sculptures of Hercules and Minerva on the facade.^[10][3]

By the end of 1850, there was a proposal to construct a new, even greater building for the Viceroy on the Gunib Square, where the present day Parliament building stands, but realization of the project failed and it was decided to remodel the old one.^[3]

In 1865, German architect Otto Jakob Simonson [de], who was invited by the Viceroy of Caucasus to work under his administration on several projects, started the reconstruction of the palace.^[11]

Plan of the façade by Otto Jacob Simonson

Simonson expanded the palace, moved its side wings forward and slightly changed the main façade. He enlarged the central reception, designed a large foyer, a grand staircase and a large dining room with a portico and a salon in the north part of the palace and designed a working office of the Viceroy, reception, living room and an exhibition hall with a terrace and a wide, open staircase to the garden in the south part of the palace. He also constructed entertainment spaces and spaces for staff.^[11] Simonson gave the palace a Renaissance facade and decorated its interior with stucco. He designed the ballroom in the Persian style, adorned its ceilings with stalactite vaulting, encrusted and curved its walls with ornamental mirrors, installed Stained glass windows and hung gilded chandeliers. He also added marble chimneys in halls, living rooms, reception, foyer and in the lobby.^[12] Simonson finished the reconstruction in 1869.

Main Floor

Upper floor

Palace plans by Otto Jacob Simonson

• 
  Façade
• 
  Viceroy's Cabinet
• 
  Interior of the Palace, c. 1865
• 
  "Mirror" Ballroom
• 
  Staircase to the garden
• 
  Sketch by Simonson

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the palace hosted several distinguished guests. In the 1830s, it was visited by Nicholas I of Russia. In 1858, the Caucasus Viceroy, Prince Aleksandr Baryatinsky, hosted Alexandre Dumas and Jean-Pierre Moynet [fr] at a New Year gala held in the palace.^[13] In August 1873, during his tour of Europe, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was received at the palace by the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich. The Shah spent several days at the residence and later recorded his impressions in his diary.^[14] In November 1914, Emperor Nicholas II stayed at the palace during his tour of the Caucasus.

On March 15, 1917, after receiving a telegram from Petrograd about the abdication of the Tzar, Noe Zhordania, a leading social-democratic politician, along with Isidore Ramishvili visited the palace to inform the Viceroy about the latest political developments in the imperial capital.^[15] On March 20, 1917, Grand Duke Nikolay Nikolayevich, the last Viceroy in the Caucasus left Tiflis for Petrograd.^[16] The Special Transcaucasian Committee, authorized by the provisional government to govern the Caucasus, took over the palace.^[17] Following the October Revolution and the subsequent dissolution of the provisional government in October 1917, the committee immediately lost its authority to govern the territory.^[17] The governance of the territory was handed to the Transcaucasian Commissariat, composed of three Georgians, three Azerbaijanis, three Armenians and two Russians.^[18]

On February 3, 1918, in the White Hall of the palace, Evgeni Gegechkori, the chairmen of the Commissariat, opened a meeting of the deputies elected from Transcaucasia to the Russian Constituent Assembly to discuss the convention of the legislative body.^[19]

On February 23, 1918, the Transcaucasian Commissariat convened the Transcaucasian Seim, a representative and legislative body of state power in the Transcaucasus.

On March 26, 1918, The Seim approved the composition of the government proposed by Gegechkori, effectively abolishing the Commissariat^[20] and on April 22, declared the independence of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic.

On May 26, 1918, the Transcaucasian Seim held its final meeting at the White Hall of the palace. At 3 PM, the Seim declared the Transcaucasian Democratic Federal Republic dissolved. Simultaneously, at 4:50 PM, a session of the Georgian National Council, chaired by Noe Jordania, commenced. The council convened with 42 members and 36 candidates. Noe Jordania delivered a speech and read the Declaration of Independence. The National Council unanimously approved the declaration, which also outlined the number of ministries and the composition of the government.^[21][22]

Two days later, on May 28, 1918, the same White Hall of the palace witnessed the declarations of independence of Azerbaijan by the Azerbaijani National Council and of Armenia. ^[22][23]

The National Council of Georgia and the Government of the Democratic Republic occupied this palace for a year.

In March 1919, Georgia held elections to the Constituent Assembly, where 60% of the electorate participated. The Constituent Assembly replaced the National Council and validated the legal force of the Georgian Declaration of Independence. Following the elections, the Constituent Assembly continued its work in this very palace. After Social Democrats secured victory in the elections, the government was formed exclusively by this party. The Assembly established a Constitutional Commission, which began drafting the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia.

In November 1919, the palace hosted a conference of heads of governments of Transcaucasian republics. On November 23, through the mediation of Georgian Foreign Minister Gegechkori, British High Commissioner Sir Oliver Wardrop and Acting allied High Commissioner, US Army Colonel James C. Ray, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace treaty^[24]

The drafting of the constitution took over a year. However, after the Russian Red Army invaded Georgia in February 1921, the Constituent Assembly was forced to expedite the adoption process. On February 21, 1921, an extraordinary meeting of the assembly convened in the palace, where the Constituent Assembly unanimously adopted the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. ^[25][26]

After the occupation and Sovietization of Georgia, the palace housed the Georgian Revolutionary Committee. From 1922, the palace housed the central executive committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.^[27][5] From 1922 until her death, Keke Geladze, Stalin's mother also lived in the palace.

In 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia decided to establish a Pioneers Palace, a nonformal educational institution for children. Georgian architect Archil Kurdiani [ka] began the reconstruction of the palace to accommodate this purpose.

Following its reconstruction, the interior of the palace was equipped with study rooms, laboratories, workshops, and sports and entertainment halls. Additional facilities included a lecture hall, a puppet theatre, and a reading room. The reconstruction project cost approximately 15 million rubles. The Palace of Pioneers and Students was officially inaugurated on May 2, 1941. Later, the brick fence bordering Rustaveli Avenue was replaced by a metal fence mounted on granite columns adorned with traditional Georgian ornaments.

Over time, the palace underwent significant expansion. On the day of its opening, the institution accommodated around 1,800 children across 24 classrooms in six departments. By 1981, enrollment had increased to approximately 10,000 children participating in activities within 11 departments.

Throughout its history, the palace received visits from several prominent political and public figures, including Dolores Ibárruri, Indira Gandhi, Jorge Amado, Ted Kennedy, Ivan Papanin and others.^[5]

Several Georgian movies, including Keto and Kote, Data Tutashkhia, Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird, Don't Grieve and others were shot in the palace.^[28]

In September 2005, the Tbilisi city government announced plans to establish a state choreographic school within the palace,^[29] appointing renowned ballerina Nino Ananiashvili as its director. As part of this initiative, the existing institution and its students were to be relocated to a different site. The decision sparked public protests in Tbilisi,^[30] with citizens expressing concern over the displacement and repurposing of the palace. Following the public outcry, the government ultimately reconsidered and altered its decision.

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Geographic data related to National Youth and Children's Palace at OpenStreetMap 41°41′46″N 44°47′57″E / 41.6961°N 44.7991°E / 41.6961; 44.7991