Wedding Palace, Tblisi, Georgia, 1984, Viktor Djorbenadze.
“One of Eduard Shevardnadze’s (de facto communist leader of Georgia from 1975 to 2003) secularizing pet projects, the Wedding Palace was intended to provide stubbornly-Orthodox Georgians with an elegant alternative to the traditional cathedral wedding. It was apparently abandoned throughout the 1990s, until it was purchased in 2001 by Arkady (“Badri”) Patarkatsishvili, a wealthy businessman. After facing criminal allegations in Russia, he returned to Georgia, became extensively involved in local sports and politics, and even ran for president in 2008–he came in third, with 7% of the vote. Around this time, Georgian news stations variously accused him of corruption and bribery (likely), and even murder (less likely). He died of heart failure in 2008 at his mansion in England, although much suspicion surrounds his death and rumor has it that he was “eliminated” by the Georgian authorities. The palace is thought to remain in the possession of his widow.”
Text from here
Image 03 Source
All other Images Source
