Distance matters in the first hour
The first hour after a death is the hardest, and every minute counts: the doctor has left, the family is alone and waiting for the crew. If the funeral agency is on the other side of town, a hearse heading for Saburtalo can sit in evening traffic for more than an hour. From our base to any home on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue, Nutsubidze Street, Peking Avenue, Kazbegi Avenue or Tsintsadze Street is only a few kilometres.
Being close is not only about speed. For a Saburtalo family our office is within walking distance: you can drop in, look at coffins and wreaths, sign the estimate and talk to the coordinator face to face rather than over the phone. For many people that personal contact matters a great deal.
Features of the district and how we handle them
Tower blocks and cramped lifts
A large share of the housing here is Soviet-era blocks of nine and sixteen storeys, where a coffin will not fit flat into the passenger lift. In these buildings the crew works in one of three ways. If the goods lift is running, the coffin goes down in it. If not, our staff bring the deceased down by the staircase on a purpose-made stretcher, with the coffin ready outside the entrance. For the upper floors two extra people join the crew so that the descent is calm and careful. All of this is already in the price; it is not something relatives need to plan for.
New gated complexes
Recent residential complexes often have a fence, a barrier, security staff and an underground car park that a vehicle the height of a hearse cannot enter. While you are on the phone, the operator will note the name of the complex, and one of our staff will contact security or the management company beforehand so that the gates are opened and the vehicle can pull up at the right entrance. If there is a service lift, we use it - that is easier on the neighbours, too.
Traffic on the avenues
Vazha-Pshavela and Kazbegi avenues, between eight and ten in the morning and five and eight in the evening, are among the most congested stretches in the city. We plan the funeral procession so that it sets off before or after those hours, and our drivers know the back streets that shorten the way to the cemetery. The bus carrying mourners always follows immediately behind the hearse, so the convoy does not split up at junctions and everyone arrives together.
The Nutsubidze plateau and the slopes
In the upper part of the plateau some courtyards are separated from the street by flights of steps, and in winter the road up the slope ices over. For these addresses the crew comes with extra hands and, depending on the weather, the hearse stops on the street below and the coffin is carried up by hand.
The nearest cemeteries
Saburtalo families traditionally bury their loved ones at two large cemeteries, while older family graves are often in the city's central cemeteries. The times in the table are averages, not counting traffic.
| Cemetery | Travel time | What the family should know |
|---|---|---|
| Vashlijvari | ten to fifteen minutes | right beside the district; whether new plots are available we confirm with the administration on the day you call; some sections are reached only by narrow paths where bearers take the coffin on foot |
| Mukhatgverdi | twenty to thirty-five minutes | the largest cemetery in the city, where new plots are allocated more often; cars can drive up to the sections; this is the trip on which a bus for mourners is most often needed |
| The old cemeteries (Vake, Vera, Kukia) | fifteen to twenty-five minutes | hardly any new burials accepted; interment only in a grave the family already holds, with the burial card as proof |
When choosing a cemetery a family usually thinks about distance, but it is worth thinking about the memorial days to come as well. From the district Vashlijvari is easy to reach on foot or by public transport, whereas older relatives will need a car to get to Mukhatgverdi. When you first get in touch, the coordinator will talk you through both options in light of available plots and prices.
Farewell and wake in the district
Both of our Saburtalo funeral halls are in the district itself: a small one for a farewell among family, and a large one for hundreds of mourners, with a courtyard that takes up to thirty cars. This is especially helpful when the family lives on a high floor and receiving a steady stream of visitors in the flat is difficult. From the hall the procession reaches Vashlijvari in under ten minutes.
For the kelekhi - the Georgian wake, a shared meal after the burial - we have several partner restaurants in the district with a separate room for a mourning table, all of them on the way to the cemeteries. If the family holds the wake in the courtyard or at home, we bring the marquee, tables and tableware from our own store within half an hour.
Services and prices in Saburtalo
Prices in Saburtalo are exactly the same as everywhere else in Tbilisi, and because our base is so close there is never a travel fee or a waiting charge here. Below are the services Saburtalo families need most often.
| Service | Price | Local detail |
|---|---|---|
| Hearse | from 150 GEL | extra staff for a high floor already included |
| Refrigerated coffin | 80 GEL per day | set up within thirty minutes; a sectional model for narrow stairwells |
| Dressing and preparation | from 150 GEL | the specialist comes straight from the office |
| Funeral hall in the district | 300 GEL per day | two halls, courtyard parking |
| Grave preparation at Vashlijvari or Mukhatgverdi | from 400 GEL | gravediggers go out the day before |
| Full arrangement, standard package | from 2,500 GEL | the estimate can also be signed at the office |
Where each figure comes from, and what a modest, typical and more ceremonial funeral budget looks like, is explained on our funeral costs page, and every service also has a page of its own with a full description.
Practical tips for Saburtalo families
- A space by the entrance: the district's courtyards are packed with cars, and while the farewell lasts, mourners arrive by the dozen. Ask the neighbours to keep one space by the entrance free for the hearse, and tell guests where they can park in the neighbouring streets.
- Letting the neighbours know: in tower blocks it is customary to hang an obituary notice with a photo and the hours set for the farewell and the burial on the entrance door. We print it and the crew brings it along - one less errand for the relatives.
- A death in hospital: the stretch along Vazha-Pshavela Avenue is one of the densest medical areas in the city. If your loved one died in a clinic in the district, the crew will be there in ten minutes, and the certificate and release of the body are handled within the same hour.
- A call-out at night: in a tower block every sound at night carries through the whole stairwell. On night calls the crew works especially quietly and covers the entrance and the lift with soft protective padding.
- Flat or hall: if the flat has fewer than two rooms, or relations with the neighbours are strained, a hall is often the calmer choice. The coordinator will help you decide, taking into account the size of the family and the number of guests expected.
How a call-out to a Saburtalo address works
- The call: the operator notes the address, the floor, the type of lift and, for a new complex, the security contact. We give the price in the same conversation.
- Leaving the base: the crew sets out from the office in Vake with a coffin, a shroud and, if needed, a refrigerated coffin. The journey to you takes up to half an hour.
- On arrival: the staff check the doctor's certificate, prepare the deceased, set up the refrigerated coffin or carefully bring the coffin down to the hearse. The dressing specialist arrives within the same hour.
- The same day: the coordinator obtains the death certificate, checks for a plot at Vashlijvari or Mukhatgverdi and by evening sends the family a complete funeral plan.
- The day of the funeral: the procession avoids the rush hours, the grave has been prepared in advance, and the wake at a local restaurant or in the courtyard begins as soon as everyone returns from the cemetery.
Frequently asked questions
How soon can you get to Saburtalo?
Thirty minutes at most, whatever the hour, because the office and vehicles are next door in Vake. In the evening rush hour it may take a little longer, and the operator will warn you of that in advance.
Our building's lift is too small for a coffin - what happens?
In Saburtalo's Soviet blocks this is an everyday situation. Our team brings your loved one down the staircase on a carrying stretcher, and the coffin stays by the door below. Extra staff come for a high floor, and the price does not go up.
Can the hearse get into a gated complex?
Yes. We contact security or the management company beforehand so that they open the gates and let the vehicle through to the entrance. A hearse is too tall for an underground car park, so we drive in through the courtyard entrance instead.
Which cemetery is closest to Saburtalo?
Vashlijvari, ten to fifteen minutes away. Mukhatgverdi is twenty to thirty-five minutes, and new plots are allocated there more often. We check availability at both on the day you get in touch.
Can I come to the office and see the coffins?
Yes, the office on Paliashvili Street in Vake is open around the clock. You can look at coffins and wreaths, speak to a coordinator and sign the estimate on the spot.
Can we hold the wake outside our block of flats, in the shared yard?
Yes, if the courtyard has room and the neighbours do not object. We bring the marquee, tables, chairs, tableware and ready-made dishes in the morning, and in the evening we take everything down and tidy the courtyard. A permit for a shared courtyard is not usually required, but a word with whoever chairs the residents' association is sensible.
Is there a funeral hall in Saburtalo?
Yes, both of our halls are right in the district, with parking in the courtyard. They are a lifesaver when the family lives high up and hosting many people in the flat is hard. From the hall to Vashlijvari takes less than ten minutes.
In Saburtalo we are not just a service that covers the area - we are your near neighbours, a few minutes' drive away in Vake. One conversation with the duty coordinator, +995 568 33 03 18, sets things moving, or simply walk into the office on Paliashvili Street: the crew will be with you within half an hour, and the coordinator will draw up a full plan the same day, from the cemetery to the wake.