Lagodekhi

Lagodechi (Georgian ლაგოდეხი ) is a city in eastern Georgia, in the Kakheti region. It is the administrative seat of the homonymous municipality Lagodechi and has about 7,500 inhabitants ( 2009).

Location

Lagodechi is located about 125 km due east of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. The capital of the region of Kakheti, Telavi, is located about 70 kilometers west.

The main ridge of the Greater Caucasus begins immediately northeast of Lagodechi from the Alazani Valley ascend. The Alazani is a left tributary of the Kura. The tri-border region of Georgia with Russia and Azerbaijan is located about 15 kilometers northeast of Lagodechi. The Tschodoridag lying near, but already on the territory of Dagestan reaches a height of 3569 m.

Population

The majority of the population is provided by ethnic Georgians. In the municipality the population share of Azerbaijanis with 22.3% is relatively high: Lagodechi is adjacent to the northeast of Azerbeidschan.

History

The village was mentioned for the first time in the 8th century, when it belonged to the province Heretien. Since the 11th century, when Lagodechi came to the Kingdom of Kakheti with the area, is there a Georgian Orthodox monastery, today seat of the dioceses of this Church.

In the Soviet period the city became the administrative center of a Rajons same name, first received the status of an urban-type settlement and 1962, the city rights.

Note: 1959-2002 census data, in 2009 calculation

Culture and sights

In the above the city to the Russian border rising mountains of the Greater Caucasus, the Lagodechi National Park stretches.

Economy and infrastructure

In the city there are companies in the food and beverage industries (tobacco, wine, fruit preserves, essential oils). It is surrounded by an agricultural area.

By Lagodechi the Highway 5 south of Tbilisi extends to the Azerbaijani border. The border crossing is located about five kilometers east of the city. On the Azerbaijani side, the highway connects to M 5; there is the closest town to the more than ten kilometers away Balakən. The Lagodechi nearest train station in Georgia is located in the south-west just 40 kilometers away Znori city, where a spur track of the route Tbilisi - Telavi ends.