Senaki (; ) is a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around between the rivers Tekhura/i and Tsivi, at an elevation of 28–38 meters above sea level. Senaki is the center of the Senaki Municipality and serves as a residence of Metropolitans of Senaki and Ckhorotskhu Eparchy of the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Etymology According to Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani the name "Senaki" (სენაკი) means "small room" or "chapel" in Georgian. From 1935 to 1976 the town was called "Mikha Tskhakaya" in honor of the Georgian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Mikhail Tskhakaya. In 1976 the name was simplified to "Tskhakaya". After 1989, the town was given back its original name. History The geographical name "Senaki" first appears in the 17th century referring to the old trade settlement and cathedral on the right river bank of the river Tekhura/i. Historically, the city was the administrative center of Senaki Uyezd of the Kutaisi Governorate. After the beginning of the construction of the Poti-Tbilisi railway line (1872), the center was relocated to its current location, 5 km away from the old settlement. Senaki was one of the important centers of the mutiny against the Bolsheviks in 1924 as well as the center of the Georgia military mutiny of 1998. The town used to be an important military airbase during the Soviet period. The Second Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Army is now stationed on the same base. It was renewed after 2005 to meet NATO standards. The town was also the site of a battle during the 2008 South Ossetia war. Demography and population Historically Senaki is known as a distinctly mono-ethnic town with a majority of Georgians. According to the 2002 state census 98% of the total population were ethnic Georgians. The oldest official data about the population of Senaki stems from the 1897 census and counted 1248 people (927 – male, 321 – female). The 1950s-1970s were an important period for the development of Senaki which also affected the growth of the population. The 2014 census counted 21.596 people (including IDPs from Abkhazia). Today, besides Georgians (99,4%), Russians (0.19%), Armenians (0.18%), Assyrians (0.11%) and others (0.12%) are living in Senaki. During Soviet times a lot of Jews were living in the town. They mostly left town in the late 1970s. Economics Senaki is an important station of the Tbilisi – Poti and Tbilisi – Zugdidi railway lines. It