Famous People Born In Tbilisi

Tigran Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian chess player who achieved the grandmaster title in 1952. Nicknamed Iron Tigran, Petrosian was the World Chess Champion between 1963 and 1969. Regarded as one of the best chess players in Armenia during his generation, Tigran Petrosian is credited with popularizing the game in Armenia. He also won the USSR Chess Championship on four occasions.

Elena Satine is a Georgian-American singer and actress known for playing important roles in American TV series, such as Magic City, Revenge, and The Gifted. She is also known for playing superhero characters, such as Mera and Lorelei in Smallville and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. respectively.

Ekaterine "Kato" Svanidze, a shy girl from a poor Georgian family, was the first of Joseph Stalin’s two wives. Stalin, then 24, fell in love with a 16-year-old Kato while studying together at the Tiflis Spiritual Seminary. She died a year after the birth of their son, Yakov.

Russian naval officer and explorer Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich was the brother-in-law of the last emperor of Russia, Emperor Nicholas II. He played a significant role in the development of Russian military aviation during WWI. He spent his later life in exile in Paris and conducted many archaeological expeditions.

Sergey Yosifovich Paradzhanov was a Soviet film director, artist, and screenwriter. He is best remembered for making important contributions to world cinema with films like The Color of Pomegranates and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Sergei Parajanov is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest filmmakers in cinema history.

Tamta is a Georgian-Greek singer who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 where she represented Cyprus with the song Replay; Tamta finished 13th in the contest. Over the years, Tamta has become a household name in Greece and Georgia, having appeared in popular TV shows like Super Idol Greece, X Factor Georgia, and The X Factor Greece.

Zurab Tsereteli is a Georgian painter, architect, and sculptor best known for his large-scale and controversial monuments. An influential figure, Tsereteli has been serving as the Russian Academy of Arts' President since 1997. Zurab Tsereteli is the recipient of several prestigious awards and honors, such as the USSR State Prize, Lenin Prize, and Russian Federation State Prize. 

The son of actor-director Revaz Gabriadze, Georgian-Russian actor and filmmaker Levan Gabriadze is best known to audiences for directing the supernatural horror film Unfriended. He has also acted in films such as Kin-dza-dza! and directed the animated film Rezo, which was based on his father’s memories.