Vake buildings and what they mean for a farewell
Old four- and five-storey buildings
Many houses on Chavchavadze, Abashidze, Paliashvili and the surrounding streets have no lift at all, or only a small cabin added later. On the other hand, the staircases in these buildings are wide, and a coffin can turn on the landing without touching the walls. Four of our people come to these addresses and take the coffin up and down on foot. In many of these entrances the steps are marble or stone and turn slippery in damp weather, so we lay rubber strips on the stairs and move slowly and carefully.
High ceilings and spacious rooms
The great advantage of the old Vake flats is that a refrigerated coffin fits comfortably in the living room and receiving visitors is easy. That is why Vake families often choose a farewell at home: it follows tradition and saves the cost of a hall.
New towers and private houses
New high-rise buildings usually have a goods lift, and the crew uses it after arranging access with security in advance. Private houses, especially in Bagebi and along the road to Turtle Lake, have large yards but narrow, steep streets that are sometimes icy in winter. For an address like this the driver checks beforehand where the hearse will be able to turn round.
Where Vake families bury their loved ones
Vake has its own historic cemetery, but it is practically closed to new burials. So the choice depends on whether the family already has an ancestral grave there.
| Cemetery | Journey from Vake | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Vake cemetery | under ten minutes | an old historic cemetery; no new plots, so burial is possible only into a grave the family already owns, with the burial card and proof of kinship; narrow paths, and in many places the coffin can only be carried by hand |
| Vashlijvari | twenty to twenty-five minutes | the nearest large cemetery, reached via Saburtalo; whether a new plot can be had we check on the day you call |
| Mukhatgverdi | thirty to forty minutes | the main source of new plots; the most common choice for Vake families without an ancestral grave |
Opening a family grave at Vake cemetery calls for particular care: the graves here are often stone or concrete vaults, packed closely together among old trees and railings. Our stonemasons raise the slab manually or using a compact crane without damaging neighbouring graves, and for the lowering we have a narrow folding lowering device that fits even along paths like these.
When the children live abroad
In Vake it often happens that an elderly parent lives in the Tbilisi flat and the children have settled in Europe, America or some other country. The news reaches them at night by phone, and the first question is always the same: how do we arrange everything before we can fly in? We have a set procedure for exactly this situation.
- One trusted person on the spot: our team only goes into the flat with a relative, neighbour or friend present, while the children make every decision via WhatsApp or video call.
- The funeral after they arrive: embalming and a refrigerated coffin make it possible to extend the farewell to seven days or longer, while the family finds tickets and flies home.
- Paperwork from a distance: one of our staff obtains the death certificate, and if a signature is needed, the son or daughter can give a power of attorney at a Georgian consulate or before a local notary.
- Paying by card: we send the estimate by WhatsApp, and you can pay from abroad by card or wire, in instalments too.
- A ceremony for those who cannot make it: at the family's request we film the panikhida (the Orthodox memorial service) and the burial, or stream them live to relatives who are unable to travel.
If a neighbour living alone dies
In Vake's old buildings many elderly people live alone, and it is often a neighbour rather than the family who discovers the death. At such a moment people do not know what they are allowed to do and what they are obliged to do. The procedure is as follows:
- Touch nothing and call 112. A doctor and the police will come together, because the death occurred without family members present.
- Find the relatives' contact details. Neighbours or the building's senior resident often have them; sometimes they are written down in the flat, on a wall or on the fridge. The police can trace the family through the identity records.
- The body will be taken for examination. A forensic examination is normally needed here, and afterwards only a relative, or someone holding their power of attorney, can collect the body.
- We get in touch with the family. If the neighbour or the police have found the relatives, we can contact them and arrange everything remotely, including transport from the forensic bureau.
The neighbour takes on no financial or legal obligations whatsoever. Their role is to make the call and, if possible, pass on the family's contact details.
A lost burial card at Vake cemetery
The most common obstacle to a burial in an old family grave is that the family has lost the burial card or the original permit. This can be put right: the cemetery administration's archive can find the record by surname, roughly when the previous interment took place, and the cemetery section. Our coordinator carries out the search personally, and all the family needs to provide is proof of kinship, for example birth certificates linking the deceased to the family member already buried there. Usually a single day is enough, and the date of the funeral stays as planned.
Hall farewell and wake in the district
Our Vake funeral hall stands on a quiet street away from the main avenue and holds up to a hundred people. The family has its own room with a terrace where they can rest and step away from the flow of visitors. There is a church nearby, so no transport is needed for the panikhida. The hall is a real help when an old building has a very narrow staircase or when elderly neighbours would find crowds difficult.
For the kelekhi (a Georgian wake: the meal that follows the burial) in Vake and the neighbouring districts we work with several partner restaurants that have a private room. If the burial is at Mukhatgverdi, we often recommend a restaurant near the cemetery, so guests do not have to drive back into town and out again. And if the family wants the wake at home, the spacious living room of an old Vake flat can seat up to thirty people: we bring tables, chairs and tableware in the morning, move the furniture, and put everything back in place in the evening.
Parking and guests
On Vake's central streets parking is limited and paid, and a badly parked car gets towed away. On farewell days, when dozens of guests arrive by car, this often becomes a real problem. We suggest naming the nearest car parks in the obituary notice or in the message to guests, and bringing elderly guests by taxi or on our bus. A member of our staff clears a space for the hearse by the entrance in advance, and throughout the farewell that same person greets guests at the door and shows them the way.
Prices in Vake
| Service | Cost | What matters in Vake |
|---|---|---|
| Hearse with crew | from 150 GEL | four bearers for a building without a lift come as standard |
| Refrigerated coffin | 80 GEL per day | sits easily in the living room of an old flat |
| Embalming for a longer farewell | from 500 GEL | buys time while relatives fly in from overseas |
| Opening a family grave at Vake cemetery | from 600 GEL | a stone or concrete vault, handled by stonemasons |
| Funeral hall in Vake | 450 GEL per day | family room with a terrace, church close by |
| Filming or live streaming the ceremony | from 150 GEL | for loved ones abroad |
These are the services Vake families ask about most. Every other item - from the cemetery plot to the headstone a year later - is listed with its starting price on our services page, and the rates are identical across the city.
Frequently asked questions
Vake call-outs: how soon will the crew arrive?
Usually half an hour, and up to forty minutes on Chavchavadze Avenue in the evening rush. For Bagebi and the area towards Turtle Lake the driver phones ahead to check the access.
How does a farewell work in an old building with no lift?
A four-person crew manages the stairs in both directions. On Vake's wide staircases this is no trouble, and we cover slippery steps with rubber strips. There is no surcharge for it.
Can someone be buried at Vake cemetery?
Only if members of your family already rest there and the burial card, or another document showing who lies in that grave, has survived. The cemetery practically never releases fresh plots, so in other cases we suggest Vashlijvari or Mukhatgverdi.
The children are abroad. Can the funeral wait until they arrive?
Yes. A doctor carries out the embalming, the refrigerated coffin stays at home, and in this way the family can wait a week or longer for everyone to arrive. We handle all the arrangements in those days, agreeing each step with the children over WhatsApp and video calls.
Can the panikhida be shown to people who cannot come?
Yes - if the family asks, we film the ceremony or broadcast it live through a private link. Vake families whose relatives live in different countries often need exactly this.
Where can guests leave their cars?
In central Vake parking is paid and limited. Point guests to the nearest car parks in advance, and for a large number of people we will offer a bus that collects them from an agreed meeting point.
In Vake every house and every family carries its own history, and the farewell should be worthy of it. Whether you are in Tbilisi or overseas, the line stays open through the night: +995 568 33 03 18. Within half an hour a crew reaches your Vake address, while relatives, wherever they happen to be, take every decision together with us.