ABOUT THE PUTKARADZE FAMILY

The surname Putkaradze is one of the oldest in Georgia and is mentioned in the list of surnames of the 12th – 13th centuries - "The Chronicles of the Souls of Tibet". Among the 588 mentioned are "Ivan the beekeeper and Guguna the beekeeper". The surname was founded by a certain Putkara, whose root is the name of the insect Putkari. In fact, the basis for the formation of the surname is agricultural activity, namely beekeeping. Based on this, the settlement was called Sapukreti, and the local residents, based on their agricultural activity, were called Putkaradze. Sapukreti was such a village, located in the Machakhli Gorge of the Khelvachauri Municipality of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. In fact, the village of Saputkreti was the original home, or "nest," of the Putkaradze family, from where they settled in various regions of the country.

In 2024, 8,689 Putkaradzes lived in Georgia, ranking 25th among the more than 15,000 surnames prevalent in the country. Putkaradzes live in almost every city and municipality in Georgia. In particular, in Batumi city - 2270, in Shuakhevi municipality - 1686, in Khelvachauri municipality - 1313, in Ozurgeti municipality - 520, in Kobuleti municipality - 459, in Tbilisi city - 384, in Zestaponi municipality - 301, in Kutaisi city - 174, in Lanchkhuti municipality - 161, in Zugdidi municipality - 138, in Vani municipality - 98, in Tskaltubo municipality - 90, in Dedoplistskaro municipality - 89, in Khoni municipality - 71, and the rest in various municipalities.
The settlement of the Putkaradzes from the village of Saputkreti took place after the arrival of the Turkish invaders in the 1670s, mainly in the Mareti Gorge of the Shuakhevi Municipality, towards the Imereti and Samegrelo regions. The Putkaradzes who have settled in various municipalities of Georgia since the 1970s are from the Shuakhevi Municipality.

In order to clarify the place of the great Putkaradze family among the Georgian families living in Georgia, to familiarize and bring together the Putkaradzes settled throughout the country, the Putkaradze Family Society was established on May 14, 2014, and Roland Putkaradze was elected as its first chairman, who still successfully leads the activities of the society today. In 2015, the Putkaradze family flag, coat of arms and icon were created and painted by the artist Guram Putkaradze and his son Dato Putkaradze. On November 29, 2015, the family name and the family icon were blessed and consecrated by Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II in the Mtskheta Principality Monastery. On the same day, a gala dinner for 150 representatives of the Putkaradze family was held in Mtskheta.
The Putkaradze Family Society, with the help of the Lord and the cooperation of the family representatives, continues to actively continue its activities for the development of the country, the preservation of Georgian traditions and identity, as well as the consolidation of the family.