Stalin's Pride

  Gori, Georgia
Saturday, May 17, 2008

Many cities in the world are proud on their succeesful sons. In Prague, Czech Republic, many landmarks are related somehow to Franz Kafka's life, the glorious writer. In Liverpool, UK, you will see something that related to the Beatles almost every place you look. In Salzburg, Mozart's portrait decorates every second building in the city. But can you imagine a whole city, devoted to immortalize the charachters of one of the most controversial leaders in the 20th century? I knew I should expect some statues and pictures of the dictator, but nothing has prepared me to what I discovered in my 6 hours visit to Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili's hometown.

The marshrutka entered Gori and arrived at the central bus station, which was located just under Gori fortress. Before going to Stalin's museum, (which is one of my interests - not Michal's), we wanted to visit the ancient settlement of Uplistsikhe ("god's fortress"), a few kilometers away from Gori's centre.

I was looking for a good looking taxi. A day before living Georgia, I deserve a little civilization for a change...

I found a white-haired taxi driver eating a lavashi, and standing just next to a new Opel Astra. In Georgia, it considered as a luxury, since most of the taxis are at least 15-20 years old (if not more than that).

"Uplistsikhe?" I asked him, hoped I said it correctly. He symbolized "20" on this palm, which I understood as 20 lari and an additional silent positive answer, and invited us to enter his taxi.

He took us to the site, and said he will wait for us until we finish. We entered the site and met a local guide, speaking fluent English with noticable local accent. He offered his services as an English tour guide, and after a brief consultation with Michal we agreed. We knew there are no signs in there, and there is no chance to really understand anything without a guidance.

Uplistsikhe is an ancient settlement, carved in the soft limestone (which millions of years ago was covered by the sea) of the Caucasus. The first archeological findings are dated to the 15th century BC - more than 3,000 years ago. Throughout history, several buildings were built in this place. There were first evidence for creating wine, bakeries, sewege and even pharmacy. 

The urban engineer of Uplistsikhe has done a wonderful job; the main street of the town is sticking out and seen from many view points in town ("This is their Rustaveli street", I told Michal). Next to it there was a wide zone that was dedicated to trading, and enables the visitor imagine a terrific busy market. Some other community institutes made of stone were located along the main street. A pagan temple, remarkable by its pillars of the altar, was built not too far from the market. In ancient times, according to our guide, there were periods that human victims were sacrified to the gods.

The strategic location of Uplistsikhe made its wishers want to conquer it in order to rule Kartli province and its surroundings in the 7-9th centuries. So declared the Kings of Abkhazia, Princes of Kakheti and other conquereres who wished to gain influence in Kartli. 

Around the main street, many houses were seen pretty well. During the first millenium, Uplistsikhe was the hometown of the kings of Unified Georgia in Kartli province. In 1122, after heavy fights against the Seljuk conquerers, Tbilisi, then Tiflis, has been freed by the soldiers of King David the Builder. A while afterwards, Uplistsikhe lost its importance among the Georgians. The last nail in Uplistsikhe's coffin was the Mongol invations to Georgia, which destroyed not only Tbilisi, but also demolished Uplistsikhe completely.

The most interesting finding in Uplistsikhe, in my opinion, was the pharmacy. Archeologists found remains of many types of herbs used for medicine. in a structure made of stone, and looked like an ancient version of present-day pharmacies.

The kind guide took a photo of me with Michal when the view of Uplistsikhe is in the back of us. We said goodbye to him, and went back to the taxi driver. It looked like we disturbed him in a conversation he had with other taxi drivers on the site's parking lot, but he was also looked glad to see us. After 20 minutes drive, he stopped at the front of Stalin's museum - the magnificent museum dedicated to the leader of the Soviet Union who was born right here, in Gori. We thanked the driver, and he even shaked my hand for blessing.

We entered the royal museum - a fascinating old building with beautiful decorations on its walls and ceiling. A big off-white statue of Joseph Stalin greeted us at the entrance. We bought tickets, and entered the first room of exhibition.

The museum, a really impressive one, considering the fact that it is dedicated to one person's life and generally, is full of exhibits, documents and pictures from the dictator's life, from his childhood in Gori, through his periods in Batumi and later in jail, and until he became the leader of the Communist party, and later - the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, all the exhibits are accompanies by signs in Georgian and Russian only.

We asked for a guided tour, and a mature guide - an elegant woman in her mid 50's - came to guide us in fluent English. Her speaking, though, was highly informative but sounds like she reads it from somewhere, or - in worst case - memorized the whole text. A lot of information has streamed into my mind, but since I'm familiar with the history of the Soviet Union and WWII, which Stalin had a significant position in it, I enjoyed it very much.

More than the inhabits, I was amazed of the honour that the people of this city (and the managers of this museum) share to Stalin. All over the former Soviet countries, including Russia, a statue or any other recognition of Stalin is barely common, but in Gori - he is part of the everyday life! His spirit dwells in this city, and the museum is the best expression for it.

We went through his life, and got some details about his family - mainly his children and his mother, Ekaterine, who always hoped her third son, and the only one who survived after birth, will be a priest. His deathmask - a standard bronze pouring - is well kept in a special neat room after the main halls of the museum. Stalin's original furniture from his office in Moscow was brought to the museum, and also presents he got from other leaders and people with influence around the world. His uniforms are kept near the office.

We went outside. A wide park has seen fron there, in the middle of the wide avenue which is also the main street of Gori - Stalinis Gamziri (Stalin Avenue). In front of us, a big structure, similar to a temple and made of marble and stylized decorated poles, stood still. The guide took us to the right, to see Stalin's train wagon. The wagon took Stalin from Moscow to participate in Yalta conference in Crimea peninsula, in February 1945, three months before WWII has ended in the victory of the Allies. 

I knew that we are about to visit Stalin's house, which was preserved since the 1930's, when his mother still lived there. But I was completely shocked when I figured out that the old, crumbled and terribly tiny house is located just... inside the structure that looked like a temple! Wow, there people really admire this man...

In his house there was his bed, table and other modest furnitures from his early life. All of them, in good condition and surely original. 100 years ago in Georgia, these were the houses - small, modest, and sufficient for basic living only.

I thanked the guide very much for her guided tour. I was impressed that the tour was free, and the guide insisted not to receive a tip from me. I have no idea why, and couldn't even guess...

We went to Stalinis Moedani to eat lunch (we went to a terrible restaurant - Coffee House - don't go there!), which was awful for me and worst for Michal, who had nothing to eat there but Khachapuri. Again.

Now it was the right place to go to our last stop before home - Tbilisi. We went to the bus terminal by walk in the sunny and cloudless weather, and even had time to see the market nearby. I bought some old coins there, and a pear lemonade (did I tell you that "lemonade" in Georgia is a carbonated fruit beverage that has many tasted but not lemon?). Afterwards we bought tickets for the BUS (the only one we had in Georgia) that took us from Gori in a bumpy road directly to Didube central station in Tbilisi for the last time.

Well, we thought it would be the last time. It wasn't.