Tbilisi Marriott Then And Now

On the left is what was then the Continental Hotel on Chavchavadze Avenue in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1992. On the right is as it appears today as the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel.

The tank picture was taken during the civil war in which the Ghamsakhurdia government was overthrown and which eventually brought former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze to the presidency. When this photo was taken was taken, my good friend and collecting mentor Boria was fighting room-to-room upstairs. He says the tank turned the corner and its main gun failed. It carried on a few feet using its machine gun to sweep the park down the street until it was hit with an anti-tank round. He says the crew miraculously escaped.