In Soviet Georgia, it became the seat of the Ambrolauri district ("raion") in 1930 and acquired the city status in 1966. In 1934, Ambrolauri was renamed into Enukidze after the Soviet statesman Avel Yenukidze, on whose execution in 1937, the city's old name was restored. In 1968, Ambrolauri had a population of 4,400. The city was damaged in the 1991 Racha earthquake. It, further, experienced a decline in population and economic activity in the years of post-Soviet crisis. Ambrolauri became the seat of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regional administration in 1995. As a result of the local government reform in 2014, Ambrolauri was split from the homonymous municipality as a self-governing city and the city's population directly elected its first ever mayor. Ambrolauri is a self-governing city with its own municipal governance—a representative council ("sakrebulo") and an executive body headed by a mayor. Like in Georgia's other self-governing territorial subdivisions, the city's population directly elects both the council and mayor for a four-year term. Ambrolauri is the seat of the State Commissioner (or governor), representing Georgia's central government in the city of Ambrolauri and four other municipalities grouped together into the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region. Ambrolauri also houses the bodies of local self-government of the Ambrolauri Municipality, which is a separate self-governing community. Ambrolauri is home to the Museum of Fine Arts, and a theatre. The environs of Ambrolauri are rich in historical monuments such as the churches of Barakoni and Nikortsminda. A recreational zone is being developed at Shaori Lake, south of Ambrolauri. Ambrolauri is served by an airport, opened in January 2017, which can serve small planes carrying 15–20 passengers. Its runway is 1.1 km long and a terminal of 600 square meters can serve about 50 people at a time.