Exist

Human, Labor –
The Meaning of Life and Beauty

Trade Union Cultural Center

Zurab Tsereteli

1970-1971

The mosaic at the Trade Union Cultural Centre in the Saburtalo district was Zurab Tsereteli's first monumental work in his native Tbilisi, even though by that point he had already gained recognition for his decoration of the resort complex in Pitsunda. The panel covers 550 square metres. The overarching theme — "Human, Labour: the Meaning and Beauty of Life" — is treated by the artist in an unconventional way, without the straightforward illustrative approach typical of Soviet mosaics. Rather than a parade of workers and farmers, the work is a plastic and visual meditation on labour expressed through form, rhythm, and colour.

For his mosaic works in Tbilisi and at the Lenin Memorial in Ulyanovsk, Tsereteli was awarded the USSR State Prize in 1970. International recognition came even sooner: a prominent Mexican muralist personally congratulated Tsereteli on the Trade Union Cultural Centre work, writing that he "masters the complex technique of wall painting with great plastic force and creative imagination" and has "entered the boundless spaces of the art of the future."

Beyond the exterior mosaic, the building's interior preserves unique stained-glass works and reliefs by Tsereteli as well — a rare case where the monumental vision extended seamlessly from facade to interior. Today the Trade Union Cultural Centre remains an active cultural hub in Saburtalo, and its mosaic stands as one of the finest examples of Soviet modernism in Georgia

About Project

Mosaics of Tbilisi is a visual project exploring the vanishing mosaics scattered across the city. Many of them are slowly razing or disappearing, often without documentation or preservation. Alongside the visuals, the project invites visitors to notice, explore, and reconnect with this fragile layer of Tbilisi’s urban memory

Text me if you have questions or find a mistake

mosaicsoftbilisi@gmail.com