Church of St. Nicholas

One of the oldest and most revered religious buildings in the city is the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is more than 150 years old. Its recognizable Greek style and rich history make it an integral part of Batumi. The temple is a living testimony to the city's multinational past and the steadfastness of faith.

The church was built in 1865-1871 by the initiative of the Greek community of Batumi during the time when the city was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The initiative was led by the then mayor of the city, Greek Ilia Efremidi. Obtaining permission for construction was not an easy matter, and the Ottoman authorities set a condition: the temple should not have bells. The stone for the construction, as the story goes, was brought from Trabzon, and the land for the temple was donated by Efremidi himself.
The first liturgy took place in 1871, and the church quickly became the center of spiritual and cultural life for the Orthodox Greeks of Batumi. The long-awaited bell ringing began to ring over Batumi only in 1878, when after the Ottomans left, Russian troops entered the city and presented the church with its first bell, which still serves today. At the beginning of the 20th century, the church was enriched with valuable icons of St. Nicholas, the Holy Mother of God, and St. George, presented as a gift by the Greeks from the island of Chios.

Like many other churches, the Church of St. Nicholas was closed for almost two decades during the Soviet period. Its return to believers in 1946 was made possible by the efforts of the Georgian intelligentsia. After its opening, the church was restored with donations from parishioners. For some time, it even served as the cathedral of the Batumi Diocese, until this status was transferred to the newly built Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today, the Church of St. Nicholas is a functioning Orthodox church, a beautiful architectural monument and a living witness to the rich and multi-layered history of Batumi.