View source for Freedom Square, Tbilisi

{{Infobox Historic Site
| name = Freedom Square – Liberty Square
| native_name = თავისუფლების მოედანი
| native_language = Georgian
| image = Freedom Square, Tbilisi, Georgia.jpg
| image_size                = 280px
| caption =
| locmapin = Georgia Tbilisi
| coordinates             = {{coord|41|41|36|N|44|48|06|E|region:GE|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Tbilisi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
| area =
| built = Early 19th century
| architecture = [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] and [[Modern Architecture|Modern]] with some [[Neo-Moorish#Moorish Revival in Europe|Pseudo-moorish]] elements.
| governing_body =
}}
'''Freedom Square''' or '''Liberty Square''' is located in the center of [[Tbilisi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], at the eastern end of [[Rustaveli Avenue]] (in [[Georgian language|Georgian]], it is თავისუფლების მოედანი ''Tavisuplebis moedani'', pronounced {{IPA-ka|tʰavisupʰlebis moedani|}}).
Under [[Imperial Russia]] it was known as '''Erivansky'''<ref>Frederiksen, Martin Demant. A Gate, but Leading Where?’ In Search of Actually Existing Cosmopolitanism in Post-Soviet Tbilisi. Post-cosmopolitan Cities: Explorations of Urban Coexistence, Berghahn Books, August 1, 2012. p. 125</ref> or '''Paskevich-Erivansky<ref>Rydel, Christine. The Ardis anthology of Russian romanticism. Ardish Publishers, 1984. p. 335</ref> Square''' ([[Georgian language|Georgian]]: ერევანსკის მოედანი, ''Erevansk'is moedani'', [[Russian language|Russian]]: Эриванская площадь, ''Erivanskaya ploshchad''.)<ref>Kavkaz Newspaper, #186, August 18 (31), 1910</ref> While part of the [[Soviet Union]], it was '''Beria Square''' ([[Georgian language|Georgian]]: ბერიას მოედანი, ''Berias moedani'') and '''Lenin Square''' ([[Georgian language|Georgian]]: ლენინის მოედანი, ''Leninis moedani'').
==History==
[[File:Yerevan Square, Tbilisi.jpg|thumb|250px|Paskevich-Erivansky Square in the 1870s]]
The square was originally named after [[Ivan Paskevich]], Count of Erivan, a general in the Russian Imperial Army of [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]] descent, who earned his title in honor of his [[Capture of Erivan|conquest of Erivan]] (present-day [[Yerevan]]) for the [[Russian Empire]]. During the Soviet era, the square was renamed twice: first to "[[Lavrentiy Beria|Beria]] Square", and then "Lenin Square".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tbilisi-trip.narod.ru/plSvob.html |title=Площадь свободы |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610114258/http://www.tbilisi-trip.narod.ru/plSvob.html |archive-date=2010-06-10 |language=ru}}</ref> The location was first named Freedom Square in 1918, during the foundation of the First Georgian Republic following the collapse of the Russian Empire.
The Freedom Square was the site of the [[1907 Tiflis bank robbery]]. The Freedom Square has also been the site of various mass demonstrations including those for [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]'s independence (from the [[Soviet Union]]), the [[Rose Revolution]], and others. In 2005 the Freedom Square was the location where [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] and Georgian President [[Mikheil Saakashvili]] addressed a crowd of around 100,000 people in celebration of the 60th anniversary marking the end of [[World War II]]. During this event, Georgian-Armenian [[Vladimir Arutyunian]] threw a live grenade at President Bush while he was speaking in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate him.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4603802.stm | title=Georgian jailed for Bush attack | publisher=BBC News | date=11 January 2006 | access-date=22 January 2012}}</ref>
==Monuments==
Abutting the north side of Freedom Square is a small open space with a fountain and a bust of [[Alexander Pushkin]]. Nearby the famous communist [[Kamo (Bolshevik)|Kamo]] ([[Simon Ter-Petrossian]]) was once buried, but during Stalin's rule his remains were moved to an undisclosed location.<ref>Sebag-Montefiore, Simon (2008). "Prologue: The Bank Robbery". ''Young Stalin''. Random House, Inc. p. 370</ref>
[[Tbilisi City Assembly]] is situated on the square. Other buildings include the former [[Bank of Georgia]] head office and the [[Courtyard by Marriott]] Tbilisi. The square will also accommodate the [[Old Tbilisi]] local government office, the building works of which are already started.
During the Soviet period, the square featured a large statue of [[Vladimir Lenin]], which was built in 1956{{sfn|Burford|2008|p=113}}<ref name="Sydney">{{cite news
| agency = AAP
| title = Communist Purge of Security Chiefs Continues
| date = 1953-07-17
| newspaper = The Sydney Morning Herald
| publisher = [[Fairfax Media]]
| url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=26sTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4606,2178922
| page = 1
| access-date = 2010-12-02
}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and symbolically torn down in August 1991. On November 23, 2006, the [[Freedom Monument (Tbilisi)|Liberty Monument]] depicting [[St George]] slaying the dragon, created by [[Zurab Tsereteli]] was unveiled in the same place.
[[File:Independence Day celebrations.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Georgian Independence Day celebrations on Freedom Square]]
Branching out from this square are six streets: Rustaveli Avenue, Pushkin Street, Kote Apkhazi Street, Shalva Dadiani Street, Galaktion Tabidze Street and Giorgi Leonidze Street.
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:31 - Tbilisi - 1976.jpg|Lenin Square in 1976
File:Freedom Square, Tbilisi.jpg|Freedom Square in 2000s
File:Roses at Liberty Square.jpg|Roses at Liberty Square, Tbilisi
File:2OP 30.JPG|Demonstration for Rose Revolution in Freedom Square
</gallery>
==References==
{{commons category|Freedom Square, Tbilisi}}
===Citation===
{{Reflist}}
===Biography===
* {{cite book | last1 = Burford | first1 = Tim | title = Georgia | series = Bradt Travel Guides | publisher = Bradt Travel Guides | location = Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire | year = 2008 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qQ6R4Fg6rh4C&pg=PA113 | isbn = 978-1-84162-261-3 }}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Squares in Tbilisi]]
[[Category:National squares]]
[[Category:19th-century establishments in Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917)]]