Ninotsminda (Javakheti)
High plateau town near the Armenian border, a base for the Javakheti lakes, the Phoka convent and the Doukhobor village of Gorelovka.
Ninotsminda (Javakheti)Photo: Alfredovic, CC BY 3.0Ninotsminda is a small town at about 1,950 m on the Javakheti plateau, around 20 km south-east of Akhalkalaki and a short drive from the Bavra crossing into Armenia. Until 1991 it was called Bogdanovka, a name from the Russian Doukhobor settlers who founded it, and it was then renamed Ninotsminda, 'St Nino's holy place', after the saint who brought Christianity to Georgia. Most people here today are Armenian. The town is plain and practical, with a market, a few guesthouses and open views of grassland and old volcanoes.
The landscape around it is the reason to stop. Lake Paravani and the St Nino convent at Phoka lie to the north, and the shallow lakes of Khanchali, Madatapa and Bughdasheni, inside Javakheti National Park, attract cranes and many other waterbirds on migration. In nearby Gorelovka, a small Doukhobor community still keeps its prayer house and customs. Come in summer, when the plateau is green and the roads are clear of snow.
History
The Doukhobors, Russian Christian dissenters who rejected the Orthodox church and military service, were exiled to Javakheti under Tsar Nicholas I in the 1840s and founded villages such as Bogdanovka and Gorelovka. In 1895 thousands of them burned their weapons in protest against conscription, and with help from Leo Tolstoy many emigrated to Canada in 1899. Most of the remaining families left for Russia in the 1990s, and Armenians now form the majority.
What to see and do
- Lake Paravani and the Phoka convent to the north
- Birdwatching on the lakes of Javakheti National Park
- The Doukhobor village of Gorelovka
- Volcanic horizons across the plateau
- The Bavra border crossing into Armenia
How to visit
Getting there
Ninotsminda is about 160 km from Tbilisi via Tsalka and the shore of Lake Paravani, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours by car, and about 20 km (25 minutes) from Akhalkalaki. Marshrutkas link it with Tbilisi and Akhalkalaki.
When to go
June–September; April–May and September for bird migration. Plan half a day; longer for birdwatching here.
- Nights are cold even in July, so pack a warm layer
- Gorelovka's prayer house is a place of worship; ask locally before visiting
- Bring binoculars for the lakes
- Fill the tank before exploring the plateau's back roads
Ninotsminda (Javakheti): FAQ
What was Ninotsminda called before?
Bogdanovka. The town took the name Ninotsminda in 1991, in honour of St Nino, whom tradition says entered Georgia through these mountains.
Who are the Doukhobors of Javakheti?
They are Russian religious dissenters exiled to the plateau in the 1840s. A small community remains in Gorelovka near Ninotsminda, although most families have since moved to Russia or Canada.
Nearby places
Straight-line distance from Ninotsminda (Javakheti).
