
The main façade of the Tiflis Orthodox Theological Seminary, designed by the Bernardazzi brothers and completed in 1838, photographed by D. Jermakov.
The Tiflis Orthodox Theological Seminary building, designed by Swiss-Italian architects Giovanni and Giuseppe Bernardazzi, was completed in 1838 on what was then Paskevich-Erivansky Square (today Freedom Square) in central Tiflis. The neoclassical structure features a monumental Ionic portico, arched arcade at street level, and a balustraded balcony. This photograph by Dmitri Jermakov (Yermakov), one of the most important photographers of 19th-century Caucasus, captures everyday street life with horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians in front of the seminary. The seminary later housed a hotel and eventually became the Art Museum of Georgia in 1950.