Georgia 🇬🇪 Russian-Georgian friendship monument, 15th July 2026

This landmark you are referring to is the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument (also known as the Treaty of Georgievsk Monument or Gudauri Panorama). It is located along the dramatic Georgian Military Highway near the Jvari Pass, overlooking the deep gorge of "Devil's Valley" in the Greater Caucasus.

The monument was erected in 1983 to commemorate the bicentennial (200th anniversary) of the Treaty of Georgievsk. 

The 1783 Treaty was signed between the Russian Empire (under Catherine II) and the East Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, with the original treaty Georgia was established as a Russian protectorate in exchange for military protection against Persian and Ottoman invasions, in this way, Georgia surrendered control of its foreign policy to the Russian Tsar. 

For many Georgians, the "friendship" celebrated by the monument is viewed with bitter irony. Following the treaty, Russia ultimately violated the agreement, annexed Georgian territories into its empire in the 19th century, and later incorporated the nation into the Soviet Uniin.

It was designed by the celebrated Soviet-Georgian architect Giorgi Chakhava (noted for his highly complex architectural structures) and famous artist Zurab Tsereteli, It features a massive, brutalist-style concrete and stone cylinder built right on the edge of a sheer cliff. Inside, a giant tile mural spans the entire inner wall. The left side highlights figures from traditional Georgian history and mythology, the right side portrays Russian Soviet-era themes (like the October Revolution and the Great Patriotic War), and the center features a mother protecting her child to symbolize future generations. It includes famous verses from the iconic Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli translated into both Russian and Georgian, emphasizing the ideals of loyalty and support. 

Today, following the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and subsequent severing of diplomatic relations, the political message of the monument has broken down. While it now serves as a complex cultural relic of Soviet propaganda, it remains one of Georgia's most popular tourist stops.