The city of Gagra is located on the shore of the Black Sea, in the northwest of Georgia.
Although these lands have been inhabited since ancient times, the resort here appeared only at the beginning of the XX century — largely thanks to the efforts of Prince A. P. Oldenburgsky (1844–1932).
Through his efforts, electricity, a water supply system, and a telegraph were installed in the city, a subtropical technical school was opened, and the resort complex “Gagripshskaya Climatic Station” was created.
The building of the “Gagripsh” restaurant (the building with the clock) depicted on the postcard was seen by Prince Oldenburgsky in 1902 at the World’s Fair in Paris, where it had been brought as an exhibit from Norway.
The wooden structure was delivered to Gagra by sea in disassembled form and assembled on site without a single nail or metal fastener.
It was here that the official opening of the resort took place on 9 January 1903.
The neighboring multi-storey building is the “New” Hotel, which received its first guests in 1906.
It became the first reinforced-concrete structure in Gagra and was designed for 130 guests.