“Summer Circles” were public entertainment gardens that emerged in the Caucasus during the 1870s.
At this time, Tiflis was experiencing a period of rapid growth, as the construction of the railway turned the city into the administrative center of the Caucasus.
In Tiflis, the “summer circle” was located on the banks of the Vere River, as this was a fashionable area for summer cottages, strolls, and recreation.
Similar to other “summer gardens,” the Vere Summer Circle usually operated late in the evening (roughly from 7PM to 11PM) once the heat had subsided.
The leisure activities offered were quite diverse: there were live performances by musical orchestras (usually military), variety acts, light theatrical plays, and dancing (polka, waltz, etc.).
Newspapers of the time frequently made special mention of the buffets and restaurants, which served both Caucasian and European cuisine.
These “circles” were typically owned by private individuals, though some state-run gardens also existed.
Entrance to such venues was either free or cost a nominal fee (around 20 kopecks).
By the beginning of the XX century, this form of leisure disappeared due to the emergence of new types of entertainment (such as cinematography) and the rapid urban development of the Vere district – the very natural environment that had made the Vere area “semi-rural” and popular for relaxation vanished.
Finally, following the October Revolution, many private enterprises were either closed or nationalised.