Estates, addresses and finding your entrance
Varketili is split into several parts: the First, Second and Third estates (locals call them "massivs") and Upper Varketili, which climbs the hillside. Many buildings are known not by a street name but by the number of the estate, the quarter and the block, and a single block number sometimes covers several separate entrances. So when you phone, the operator will ask not only for the address but also for what is nearby: the metro station, a school, a corner shop or a bus stop.
At night the quickest way is for someone from the family to wait outside the entrance with a phone in hand as the crew arrives. The crew leader rings on the way, and the driver flashes the headlights so you know the car has found you. On a night call this simple habit often saves more than ten minutes.
In recent years new towers of twenty storeys and more have gone up between the older blocks. They usually have a goods lift that takes a coffin without trouble, but the courtyard entrance is often closed by a barrier or a gate. In that case the crew leader contacts the building manager or the security staff in advance, so the hearse can pull up at the door and the lift is kept free for the team.
A small flat: where to hold the farewell
Most flats in Varketili have two or three rooms, and when the family is large a farewell at home becomes difficult: the refrigerated coffin fills an entire room while people crowd into a narrow hallway and onto the stairs. A family has three options, and each has its own advantages.
| Place | Works best when | What it needs and what it costs |
|---|---|---|
| In the flat | the family is small, few guests are expected, or custom requires it | refrigerated coffin, 80 GEL a day; we clear one room completely and our crew moves the furniture |
| In the courtyard, under a tent | the warm months, a big courtyard and supportive neighbours | tent from 250 GEL plus benches and lighting; overnight the coffin goes back to the flat or to our hall |
| In a funeral hall | winter, a large number of mourners, a tiny flat or elderly neighbours | our nearest hall lies towards Isani-Samgori, fifteen to twenty minutes away; 450 GEL per day |
Many families combine these: during the day they receive people in the courtyard under a tent, and at night the deceased rests at home, in the refrigerated coffin, surrounded by the family. That way the custom is honoured and the flat does not turn into a corridor for strangers.
Several generations under one roof: who needs what kind of help
When grandparents, parents and children all live in one flat, a loss touches everyone at once, and the family also has to look after each other. Our crew and coordinator keep this in mind:
- Children: during the first hours, while the crew prepares the deceased and sets up the refrigerated coffin, young children are usually better off with relatives or neighbours. On the days of the farewell they can stay with the family if the family decides so.
- An elderly husband or wife: at an advanced age, losing a lifelong partner is hard on the body as well as the heart. Make sure their medicines are within reach and that during the farewell they have a separate room, or a neighbour's flat, where they can rest. If needed, we will help call a doctor.
- The night vigil: by tradition, close family spend the night beside the coffin. A small flat holds only a handful of people, and neighbours often lend their own flat for the night to relatives arriving from elsewhere. This old custom is still very much alive in the blocks of Varketili.
- Work and school: family members who work often have to show their employer a copy of the death certificate. We hand you several copies the same day.
Upper Varketili: slopes and winter ice
Upper Varketili is built on a hill, and some of its streets are so steep that in icy winter weather they are dangerous for a heavy vehicle. On such days the hearse stops on a lower street, and six crew members carry the coffin up or down the final stretch by hand. The crew brings sand and anti-slip matting for the entrance, so that neither our people nor your guests slip.
In buildings on the slope, one entrance is often at street level and another several floors further down. The operator will ask which entrance is closer to the flat, so the crew does not carry the coffin up or down more floors than necessary. In summer, on the other hand, homes on the slope get very hot, so for Upper Varketili we often bring a twin-compressor refrigerated coffin that cools more powerfully.
Guests on the metro: the end of the line as a meeting point
Varketili station is the terminus of metro line one, and most mourners from other districts travel by metro. We build the arrangements around that:
- Gathering point: in the death notice and in messages to guests, give the metro station as the landmark. From there it is a few minutes on foot or by bus to the house.
- Funeral-day bus: guests gather at the station early, and our bus brings them to the house, then to the cemetery and afterwards to the memorial meal.
- Late evening: the metro closes at midnight, and after the wake or the night vigil elderly guests are often left without transport. Our bus or one of our cars will then take them home.
A dignified funeral on a modest budget: a real estimate
For many families in Varketili, cost is the main worry, and that is completely natural. Below is a real and frequently seen estimate: two days of farewell, in the courtyard by day and in the flat at night, a memorial meal (the Georgian "kelekhi") in the courtyard cooked by neighbours, and burial in a new plot.
- budget package: coffin, cover, hearse, preparation of the body and paperwork - 1,200 GEL;
- refrigerated coffin for two days - 160 GEL;
- courtyard tent with lighting - 250 GEL;
- tables, chairs and tableware for a wake of thirty guests - 180 GEL;
- grave preparation and burial - 400 GEL.
The total comes to about 2,190 GEL, plus the cemetery fee paid against a receipt and the food for the wake, which the family and neighbours buy themselves. If male relatives carry the coffin themselves, there is no cost for pallbearers. And if there is already an ancestral grave in the family, preparation is fifty GEL cheaper, and instead of paying for a new plot you pay only the fee for opening the grave, which is usually lower.
Several sources can help cover part of the cost. For bills above two thousand GEL we let you spread payment over as many as six months with no interest, and the last part can be paid after the funeral, once the contributions from mourners have been collected. For socially vulnerable families the city municipality runs a programme that partly reimburses funeral expenses, and its terms are revised periodically. The coordinator will explain what is required right now and prepare the invoice and receipts for the application.
Cemeteries and the drive out of Varketili
Mukhatgverdi lies on the far side of the city from Varketili, fifty to sixty minutes away, and the procession has to go either through the centre or round by the bypass. On this route a bus for guests is almost essential, and we schedule departure for the middle of the day, between the morning and evening rush hours. There are municipal cemeteries further east and closer to the district, but free ground there is often scarce, so we check availability on the very first day. Many Varketili families have ancestral graves in the regions, in Kvemo Kartli and Kakheti; in that case the hearse is charged at one and a half GEL per kilometre, counting the road there and back.
Frequently asked questions
How soon will the crew reach our estate in Varketili?
Within forty-five minutes, and at night often in half an hour. On the steep streets of Upper Varketili in winter, the driver will ring ahead and tell you where the hearse will stop.
Our flat is small. Where is it best to hold the farewell?
In the warm months, usually in the courtyard under a tent, with the deceased back at home overnight in the refrigerated coffin. In winter, or if you expect a lot of people, our hall fifteen to twenty minutes from Varketili is more comfortable.
What does the most economical yet dignified funeral cost?
A typical two-day farewell in the courtyard, with a wake cooked by neighbours and burial in a new plot, comes to roughly 2,190 GEL plus the cemetery fee. With an ancestral grave the total is lower.
Does the state help with funeral costs?
For socially vulnerable families the municipality has a programme that partly reimburses burial expenses, and its conditions change. The coordinator will explain the current rules and prepare all the receipts needed for the application.
How will mourners from other districts get here?
Most come by metro to Varketili station. On the funeral day a bus collects guests at the station, and after the wake, when the metro has already closed, we drive elderly guests home.
Can we pay part of the bill after the funeral?
Yes. We take no prepayment, and when costs exceed two thousand GEL you can split payments across six months at zero interest. Many families settle the final part with the money mourners leave for the family.
Mukhatgverdi is very far. How long does the procession take?
Fifty to sixty minutes, so we set the departure for midday, clear of the traffic, and recommend a bus for guests. As an alternative, on the day you phone we check free plots at the municipal cemeteries in the east of the city.
A dignified farewell does not have to be expensive, and in Varketili we prove that every day. Simply let the dispatcher at +995 568 33 03 18 know the estate and block number: the car pulls up at your building within forty-five minutes, and in that same hour the coordinator draws up an estimate that suits your family.