The University of Georgia
Nino Laghidze, Doctor of Architecture/Head of the Architecture and Design Department
Tbilisi/Georgia
n.laghidze@ug.edu.ge

 

Abstract

This paper examines the architectural and creative activity of the distinguished Georgian architect Giorgi (Gogi) Chakhava during the 1960s–1980s, both in the republics of the Soviet Union and beyond its borders. This period coincided with the rise of socialist modernism, also referred to as Soviet modernist architecture. Emerging in opposition to Stalinist neoclassicism, this movement emphasized functionalism, industrialized construction, the extensive use of reinforced concrete, and large-scale, frequently futuristic architectural forms.

During the Khrushchev Thaw, Soviet architecture gradually became more receptive to international professional developments. Specialized architectural journals began to circulate more widely, exchanges among architects from socialist countries intensified, and projects designed by leading Soviet architects were implemented in politically aligned states. The international character of modernism therefore became one of the defining features of architectural production during this period.

The study aims to analyze Chakhava’s work from the 1960s to the 1980s and to determine its place within the broader contexts of Soviet and international modernist architecture. Particular attention is devoted to projects implemented in Alushta, Yalta, Tashkent, Afghanistan, Benghazi, Israel, and other locations. Some of these buildings and structures have survived and continue to perform significant functions.

Chakhava’s architecture is distinguished by an original synthesis of historical architectural traditions and contemporary forms, a creative engagement with international architectural experience, and the innovative application of modern technologies. His projects demonstrate particular sensitivity to the relationship between architecture, spatial organization, natural topography, and the surrounding ecosystem. From this perspective, Chakhava may be regarded as an important innovator not only in Georgian architecture but also within the broader history of international architectural culture.

The research employs source-critical and monographic methods. It draws on administrative documents, decrees, design proposals, architectural plans, photographs, and archival materials preserved within Chakhava’s creative legacy. Soviet and local periodicals from the 1960s–1980s, as well as relevant scholarly literature, are also examined.

 

The study argues that the development of Soviet modernism was shaped simultaneously by political directives, technological innovation, and renewed engagement with Western architectural experience. An analysis of Chakhava’s work contributes to a deeper understanding of the transnational character of Soviet modernism, its regional variations, and the impact of the Georgian architect’s projects on the urban environments of the cities and countries in which they were implemented.

Keywords: Soviet modernist architecture, Political context of architecture, Industrial production, Reinforced concrete structures, Architectural culture.