Bolnisi

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Bolnisi is the home of one of the oldest Christian churches in Georgia. It is commonly known as Bolnisi Sioni (Sioni being Georgian for Zion and a designation used by many of their churches). This church dates to the 4th century CE and features some pagan elements in its stonework. The original roof is missing but has been replaced with a modern covering.

The current seat of the Bolnisi region is the town of Bolnisi. It lost a significant portion of its non-Georgian population after the fall of the Soviet Union and currently has an estimated 10,000 inhabitants.

The town was originally settled by Germans and was named Ekaterinasburg in the early 19th century CE. After the occupation of the Red Army in the 1920s it was renamed to Rosa Luxemborg after the German communist. During World War II the town was once again renamed as Bolnisi, and the majority of the original German descendants were relocated to Siberia and Kazakstan.

The economy is mostly agrarian with the notable exceptions of a winery, brewery, and a gold mine in the village of Ratevani.

Categories: Geography articles that need to be wikified | Towns in Georgia (country)