House of Doctor Platon Gigineishvili

In the very heart of Old Batumi, at 43 Memed Abashidze Avenue, stands an elegant Art Nouveau mansion. It is not merely a handsome building erected in 1892 to a design by an unknown Italian architect, but a monument inextricably linked to the name of Dr. Platon Georgievich Gigineishvili (1879–1949), a distinguished physician and public figure whose life became a symbol of compassion and professionalism.

Platon Georgievich was an iconic figure for his era. He was born on Christmas in 1879 into an affluent Georgian family and received a brilliant education at the medical faculty of Odessa University. Even during his student years, he showed strong character by working side jobs to support his family. He began his professional career in Kherson Governorate, where he not only treated patients, but also helped rescue the wounded during the revolutionary events of 1905.

In 1906, Doctor Gigineishvili returned to Batumi and dedicated his entire life to serving the city. He became one of the pioneers of outpatient healthcare in Adjara and worked tirelessly at the Republican Hospital, heading the therapeutic, tuberculosis, pediatric, and infectious diseases departments. His contribution to fighting the malaria and typhus epidemics that devastated the region was colossal. By actively participating in the swamp drainage campaign, he helped save thousands of lives. In addition to medical practice, Gigineishvili was a public figure: until 1910, he served on the city council and founded orphanages in Makhinjauri and Kobuleti.

However, true renown was brought to him not only by professional achievements, but also by exceptional human kindness. Dr. Gigineishvili never refused help to the poor. He devised a special system: if the doctor saw that a patient was unable to pay for treatment, he wrote out the prescription on a special green form. For the pharmacist, this was a secret signal that the cost of medications would be paid by the doctor himself at the end of the month. During World War II, he supported families of frontline soldiers using these prescriptions. This noble practice became known to the general public only after his death in 1949, when the pharmacist revealed his secret.

The doctor's authority and respect were so great that even in Soviet times, when his other property was confiscated, this house remained in the family's ownership, as a tribute to his invaluable contribution to public healthcare. The building housed not only living quarters, but also the doctor's personal medical office and laboratory.

Today the Gigineishvili House continues to live on, blending history and modernity. The popular restaurant UOLLI was previously located on the ground floor, although it is now closed. The upper floors remain a private residence of the doctor's descendants, where according to accounts, the original interiors and even his medical office have been preserved, making this house a true living heritage.

Visitors can touch history by admiring the building's exterior architecture, where a memorial plaque in honor of the renowned doctor is installed. It is important to note that access to the upper floors, which are private property, is closed to the public.