I wouldn't be surprised by digital photography today. We take photos everywhere and always. The photo has replaced the need to describe memorable moments. If we're happy, we wonder if we want to share our mood and location with others, take a photo, and of course – check in on social media.

You might be surprised but it hasn't started today. Memorable inscriptions on the photo and the location also appeared along with the birth of the photo. So maybe the term 'checkin' is new, but the theme is very old.

Rome, Paris, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, and Odessa were also "stacked" in Batumi. Yes, it happened more often than you can imagine. The reason was not only the beauty and charm of Batumi but also the names of the photographers working here and their professionalism.

You all probably know the phrase "Privet Iz Batuma". Its full version sounded like "Shliu Privet Iz Batuma". The bearer of this name worked with a well-equipped photo studio with a glass-roofed pavilion for the locals and visitors of the city today in the well-known café area. Visiting this studio and taking photos here was about as mandatory as walking down Batumi Boulevard. Although not only in Batumi, these commemorative cards were also received, with similar inscriptions being sent from Odessa, Moscow and other cities, as they were a network of photovoltaics. But of course, we are interested in Batumi.

Simon Eru, Egorov, Antonopoulos, Glaudan - these are the photographers whose thanks to the photos of today's Batumi can be seen. The high quality and artistic value of the photos clearly show the everyday presence of the old Batumi and Batumelebi. Paved streets, churches, alleys of old boulevards, open cafes and cobblestoned towns. The fashion trends, made visible through these photos, clearly confirm the reason for the astonishment read in the memories of foreign visitors - "what was coming to France for a few weeks wore in Tbilisi and Batumi". This was accompanied by the international eclecticism that manifested itself in the garment as well as the essence of urban life.

The photographers kept original photos of Nurigel Lake. Churches whose ruins are now other buildings, a railroad running through the city, a small but quite productive and impressive period of Porto Franco. After all, the city we still love and have been amazed at for its sophistication for years.

It was satisfying to walk in the streets of Batumi. And to this delightful walk was crowned with a commemorative photo, “check in.“