Abstract

This article explores Michael Eristavi as the last lord of Karalet, tracing how a complex and reform-minded figure sought to strengthen the estates’ economy and cultural life in the region while introducing agricultural and horticultural developments learned in Europe. Drawing on contemporaneous accounts as well as a wide range of archival, museum, documentary, and newspaper evidence, the study analyses his role in modernising viticulture, establishing a pomological garden, and developing livestock, poultry, and beekeeping – alongside his public service as the province’s secretary. The revolutionary crisis in Kartli and the 1924 killings of Michael and his son show how annexation and repression abruptly curtailed a promising legacy.