Makharadze
Makharadze
until 1934, Ozurgety), a city (since 1840); center of Makharadze Raion, Georgian SSR. Located on the Natanebi River (Black Sea basin) on the Batumi-Samtredia highway, it is linked by a railroad branch line (18 km) with the Samtredia-Batumi line. Population, 22,000 (1970).
Makharadze has tea and silk winding and twisting factories, bentonite grinding and tire repair plants, and a cannery. A food industry technicum and a medical school are located in the city. A museum of local lore and a drama theater are also there. Near Makharadze are all-Union scientific research institutes of tea and subtropical crops and the tea industry. The city was renamed in honor of F. I. Makharadze.