Overview
Baghdati is a town and the administrative center of Baghdati Municipality in the Imereti region of western Georgia. Known for its picturesque setting, historical significance, and agricultural traditions, particularly viticulture, Baghdati offers a blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty. The town and its surrounding villages are recognized for their neat houses, fruit orchards, and vineyards. Baghdati is also notable as the birthplace of the famous Russian Futurist poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, and for a period in the 20th century, the town bore his name. The area is home to balneological resorts like Sairme and Zekari, known for their healing waters and natural environment.
Geographical Location
Baghdati is situated in the Imereti region, approximately 25 kilometers south-southeast of Kutaisi, the regional capital. The town is built on the banks of the Khanistskali River, a tributary of the Rioni, at an altitude of about 200-232 meters above sea level. The municipality lies within the Khanistskali River basin and is characterized by a predominantly mountainous terrain, with a smaller portion being lowland. The northern branches of the Meskheti Range descend rapidly towards the Imereti lowland in this area. The Ajameti Managed Reserve, known for its relict Imeretian Oak forests, is also located within the municipality. Baghdati experiences a moderately humid subtropical climate with moderately cold winters and long, warm summers.
History
While archaeological evidence suggests human settlement in the Baghdati area dates back to ancient times, with finds from the Neolithic Age, the town of Baghdati is first mentioned in historical sources at the beginning of the 17th or early 18th century. According to some historical accounts, the oldest place in the Baghdati territory is the village of Dimi, where King Parnavaz of Iberia is said to have built a fortification called Dimna in the 4th century BC. During the Antique Age, this area, including the nearby ancient city of Vartsikhe (Rodopolis), was a geopolitically and economically significant territory, involved in the export of timber, wine, honey, and other goods.
In the 18th century, the Ottomans occupied Baghdati and constructed a fortress there, which was reportedly used for the trade of prisoners. The name “Baghdati” is suggested by some to derive from Old Persian, meaning “God’s gift” (similar to Baghdad), while another local preference links it to “a place of the garden.” Earlier, the location of the Ottoman fortress was known as Tkhmeli Castle.
A significant chapter in Baghdati’s more recent history is its association with Vladimir Mayakovsky. The renowned poet was born in Baghdati (then part of the Russian Empire) in 1893. In 1940, a decade after his death, Baghdati was renamed Maiakovski in his honor. This name remained until the late 1990s when its historical name, Baghdati, was restored. The town was granted official town status in 1981 while it was still named Maiakovski. The Vladimir Mayakovsky House-Museum in Baghdati (specifically in the village of Chkvishi, which is often considered part of Baghdati for this historical context) preserves his memory.
Population
According to the 2014 Georgian census, the town of Baghdati had a population of 3,707. The wider Baghdati Municipality had a population of 21,582 in the same census. More recent estimates for the municipality (2020) indicated a population of around 18,701. The overwhelming majority of the population in the municipality are ethnic Georgians (over 99% as per the 2014 census).
Politics (Historical Context)
Historically, Baghdati and its surrounding territory were part of the Kingdom of Imereti. As such, its political structure would have been aligned with the feudal system prevalent in the kingdom, with local lords and an overarching royal authority. During the Russian Imperial period, after the annexation of Imereti, the area was incorporated into the Kutaisi Governorate. Baghdati itself became a separate administrative district (raion) in 1930 during the Soviet era. Throughout these periods, its administrative and political significance was primarily as a local center within the broader regional structures. In modern Georgia, Baghdati Municipality has a local self-government system, with an elected Municipal Assembly (Sakrebulo) and a Mayor, responsible for local governance.
Administrative Divisions
Baghdati Municipality is an administrative-territorial unit within the Imereti region of Georgia. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Baghdati. Besides the town itself, the municipality comprises 24-25 villages, which are typically grouped into administrative units or communities (თემი – temi). Some of the notable villages and historical sites within the municipality include Dimi, Vartsikhe, Obcha, Tsitelkhevi, Khani, Rokiti, and the village of Chkvishi (Mayakovsky’s birthplace). The Vani and Baghdati Eparchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church also covers this area, with numerous functioning churches within the municipality.
