Draft:Seylanov Brothers House

The Seilanov Brothers' House is a residential building constructed in 1911 and located at 18 Galaktion Tabidze Street, in the Sololaki district of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is best known for its historic painted entrance hall, decorated by the renowned artist and decorator Benedict (Beno) Telingater.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, under the influence of European architectural trends, richly decorated entrance halls became an important feature of residential buildings in Tbilisi and served as a symbol of their owners' social status. Marble floors, mosaic decorations, interior staircases, and hand-painted walls reflected the wealth and prestige of the building's proprietors. The three-storey residential building was commissioned and originally owned by the Seilanov brothers, prominent tobacco merchants in early twentieth-century Tbilisi. The construction date ("1911г") and the original owners' surname in Russian ("Братья Сейлановы" - "The Seilanov Brothers") remain preserved in the mosaic floor of the entrance vestibule.

The paintings decorating the walls and ceiling of the entrance hall were created by Benedict (Beno) Telingater, a Jewish-born artist and decorator who worked extensively on residential buildings in Tbilisi and theatres in Baku. Together with other foreign craftsmen, Telingater contributed to the development of interior decoration in Tbilisi, combining elements of Neo-Baroque, Classicism, and the Art Nouveau style.

The entrance vestibule contains six decorative framed panels, five of which depict allegorical representations of different continents and countries of the world. The paintings were executed directly onto plastered walls using oil paint. The decorative paintings and ornamental motifs continue along the semicircular marble staircase leading to the third floor. The upper part of the entrance hall is covered by an original glazed skylight, which illuminates the interior with natural daylight. On the wall of the third floor is the Seilanov family emblem, featuring an intertwined monogram formed from the initials of the brothers' names and surname.

Following the establishment of Soviet rule in Georgia, the Seilanov brothers' property was confiscated, and the house was converted into communal apartments accommodating several families. The interior spaces were subdivided to create additional kitchens and sanitary facilities. During the Soviet period, parts of the entrance hall paintings were covered with beige paint, leaving the original decorative artwork concealed beneath layers of paint and dust for decades. In the 2010s, the entrance hall underwent restoration as part of the Historic Entrance Hall Rehabilitation Programme of the Tbilisi Development Fund. Later paint layers were removed, and Benedict Telingater's original decorative paintings were partially restored.