285px|thumb|Zestaponi Theatre

285px|thumb|Zestaponi railway station

285px|thumb|View from Shorapani fortress

Zestaponi (, ) is the administrative center of Zestaponi District in Western Georgia. Zestaponi is the center of an ancient, historical part of Georgia – Margveti, which is a part of Imereti province. Zestaponi is the center of Margveti's Eparchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Zestaponi is situated in the furthest east of the Colchis Plateau, and is built on both banks of the Qvirila River.

It is an important industrial center, with a large ferro-alloy plant processing manganese ore from nearby Chiatura. Zestaponi is in the Kolkheti lowlands, a semi-tropical region with relatively cold winters averaging in January and hot summers averaging in August. The surrounding countryside is a wine-growing region. The British steel trading company Stemcor acquired the ferro-alloy plant in February 2006.

On October 20, 2024, the ferroallow plant ceased operations for 6 months, after having operated nonstop for 365 days a year since opening in 1933.

Two other plants in the Zestaponi / Shorapani area produce electrical products, aluminum and copper cable and wire. There were more plants in the Soviet era producing fireproof clay, marble and clothing. Zestaponi is also one of the winery centers of Georgia. Wine prepared from the Tsitsqa and Tsolikouri species is widely known.

There are many historical monuments in the Zestaponi region: Zeda Saqara (11th century), Tabakini (6th century), Tseva (11th century), Sanakhshire and other churches, and castles from the early Middle Ages in Shrosha and Shorapani. Shorapani (Sarapanis) is the toponymy, that is mentioned in old Greek mythology. That was Sarapanis that Jason and his Argonaut friends approached during their travel in old Colchis (Kolkhida).

Sports and culture

The local football club, FC Zestaponi, plays in the top league in Georgia and twice won the Georgian championship in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 season. The local women's basketball team was champion of Georgia in 2011. The city's stadium was built by Zestaponi Ferro-alloy Plant in 1952 and since its renovation has a capacity of 4,600.

The writer Boris Akunin and philosopher Tengiz Tsereteli were born in Zestaponi. The psychologist and philosopher Dimitri Uznadze was born in the nearby village of Sakara in 1886. Famous Georgian actors Shalva Ghambashidze, Ushangi Chkheidze, Sergo and Bukhuti Zakariadze were also born in Zestaponi. World wrestling (Greco-Roman) champion Mikhail Saladze is from Zestaponi.

Climate

Notable people

  • Dimitri Uznadze - psychologist
  • Boris Akunin - writer
  • Shalva Dadiani - novelist, playwright and actor
  • Zaza Tavadze - is a former chairman of the Constitutional Court of Georgia

Twin towns – sister cities

Zestaponi is twinned with:

  • Tauragė, Lithuania
  • Kiryat Bialik, Israel

See also

  • Imereti

References

Zestafoni.Ge