Apollo Cinema

The "Apollo" Cinema was built in 1910–1911 in the Art Nouveau style. Remarkably, this building was originally intended for horses and used as a stable before being repurposed into an "electro-theatre".

Its first owner, Mrs. Browal, of German descent, did everything to make "Apollo" the most popular cinema in the city: new releases of world cinema were screened here, and the local press especially noted the "clean air essential for health" that prevailed in the hall. By 1919, posters invited spectators to "world blockbusters" and "Italian masterpieces." By the early 1920s, "Apollo" was one of seven cinemas in Batumi, a city with a population of only 30-40 thousand people.

During the Soviet era, the cinema underwent name changes: in the late 1930s it became "Internatsional," and in the early 1990s "Iberia." However, in the 2000s historical justice prevailed. The building was restored, regaining not only its original Art Nouveau facade, but also its proud name: "Apollo."

Today Apollo, which celebrated its centenary in 2011, is the oldest cinema in Batumi. Currently, the cinema is closed for restoration and is temporarily not operating.