The Art Palace of Georgia, or the Museum of Cultural History, is a depository of Georgian cultural objects. Located in Tbilisi, the building was designed by a well-known architect of the time, Paul Stern, at the end of the 19th century and is an example of gothic and Islamic architecture. It was commissioned by German Prince Constantine Oldenburg (1850–1906) as a token of the great affection for Agraphina Japaridze, the love of his life.
In 1927, the building became a home for the Museum of Theatre. It houses more than 300,000 items, including manuscripts and archives of great figures such as Zakaria Paliashvili, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Feodor Chaliapin. The collection includes rare editions of books, gramophone records, old posters, Persian miniatures and French engravings. Some of the most striking exhibits are the theatre curtains created in 1913 and the collection of costumes – from theatre, film and choreography – decorated with gold and semi-precious stones and embroidered with special ornaments.