PANTHÉON

Gaponov Street climbs up to the charming hill of Mtsvané Kvavila, which is home to the "pantheon" of Kutaisi. For 150 years, this cemetery has housed the tombs of the most illustrious Kutaissians. Among them, the father of the choreographer Georges Balanchine, Méliton Balanchivadzé. This impressive site also contains a 19th century Russian church and the remains of the monastery that once stood here. They include a small 1013 basilica, the interior of which contains superb medieval frescoes, as well as a 16th-century tower.