The building in the center of the city, adorned with magnificent statues typical for Antique time is Kutaisi Opera House. Kutaisi has an important role in the history of Georgian opera. It’s partly because that the founder of Georgian opera, Meliton Balanchivadze (by the way also the father of one of the worldwide famous ballet master George Balanchine), was born and had received elementary education in a little village near Kutaisi. Zakaria Paliashvili, the composer of famous Georgian operas “Abesalom and Eteri” and “Daisi”, was also born and raised in Kutaisi. One can pay a visit to his house-museum on the Varlamishvili street. At the place where nowadays Kutaisi Opera House is located, at that time Kutaisi Theatre was holding shows. At different times there were different establishments, but all of them were connected to music. In 1969 new building was erected. Georgian, as well as internationally famous operas like Traviata, Rigoletto, Pagliacci (Clowns), are staged here till today. Kutaisi Opera house was renovated in 2010 and it was opened on the 29th of December.