Overview
Samtredia is a town and the administrative center of Samtredia Municipality in the Imereti region of western Georgia. It holds significant importance as one of Georgia’s vital transport hubs, where crucial roads and railway lines converge. Its development is closely linked to the expansion of the railway network in the late 19th century. While historically a more sparsely populated and swampy area, Samtredia has evolved into a notable town with a diversified economy that once included food and wood production, alongside its primary transportation role. The surrounding municipality is home to several historical and cultural monuments.
Geographical Location
Samtredia is situated in the Imereti region, lying within the Kolkheti Lowland. The town itself is located on a plain between the Rioni River and its tributary, the Tskhenistsqali River. It sits at an elevation of approximately 25 meters above sea level.
The municipality is strategically positioned at a crossroads connecting Imereti with the regions of Guria and Samegrelo. Major transportation routes leading towards the Black Sea coast, including Ajara and Abkhazia (currently a contested territory), pass through or near Samtredia. The Kopitnari Airport (now David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport) is located about 10 kilometers from the town, further enhancing its role as a transport node. The climate in Samtredia is humid subtropical, characterized by mild, warm winters and hot summers. The main river in the municipality is the Rioni, which divides its territory into two almost equal parts.
History
Compared to many ancient settlements in Georgia, Samtredia is a relatively young town. Historical sources first mention it as a village in the second half of the 18th century. At that time, the area was largely a swampy forest with an unfavorable climate for settlement.
The pivotal moment in Samtredia’s development came with the construction of the Poti-Tbilisi railway line in the 1870s. The establishment of a crucial railway junction at Samtredia spurred its growth. People began to settle in the area, the marshes were drained, the forests were cleared for agriculture, and the climate gradually improved. By 1872, with the railway functioning, it was referred to as Daba Samtredia (a small town or urban-type settlement).
Samtredia officially acquired town status in 1921. Throughout the Soviet period, its local economy diversified beyond just transportation to include food processing and wood production industries. The first school in the town was built in 1895.
Due to its strategic location as a major transport junction, Samtredia played a prominent role during periods of civil unrest in Georgia. In the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Samtredia railway junction was blockaded on several occasions by different political factions, highlighting its critical importance for the country’s transportation and economy, as well as for neighboring countries like Armenia that relied on Georgian railways. The town was also a battleground during the Georgian Civil War in 1993. Since then, Samtredia has been stable, though it experienced economic decline in the post-Soviet period, from which it has been gradually recovering.
Population
As of the 2014 all-Georgia census, the population of the town of Samtredia was 25,318. More recent estimates suggest a figure of around 21,063 as of January 1, 2024.
The Samtredia Municipality had a population of 48,562 according to the 2014 census. A 2020 estimate for the municipality indicated a population of around 44,048. The majority of the population in the municipality is ethnic Georgian (around 98.4% in 2014), with a small Armenian community (around 0.8%).
Politics (Historical Context)
Prior to its development as a railway hub, the area of present-day Samtredia was part of the historical territories of the Kingdom of Imereti. Its emergence as a significant settlement and administrative center is directly linked to the infrastructure developments of the late 19th and early 20th centuries under the Russian Empire.
During the Soviet era, Samtredia was established as the center of the Samtredia district (raion), with the corresponding Soviet administrative structures. Its strategic importance often placed it at the center of political events, particularly during the transition period of the early 1990s. In contemporary Georgia, Samtredia is the administrative center of Samtredia Municipality, which operates under a system of local self-government, including an elected Municipal Assembly (Sakrebulo) and a Mayor.
Administrative Divisions
Samtredia Municipality is an administrative-territorial unit within the Imereti region of Georgia. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Samtredia. The municipality includes the town of Samtredia and a number of surrounding villages and communities. The administrative units within Samtredia Municipality include:
The municipality is home to several historical and cultural sites, including the ruins of the Telepisi Fortress and various medieval churches located in its villages.
