GEORGIA - Gori

15:28 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Gori is known as the birthplace of the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. A museum that has honoured the life of Joseph Stalin since 1957 is now a tourist attraction that mostly attracts foreign tourists and a few die-hard Communists.


From Kazbegi, I continued on to Gori.


A welcome to Gori signboard.


Originally a statue of Stalin stood outside the Town Hall of Gori. It was removed in 2010 as part of the country’s de-Sovietization process.


Public Service Hall of Gori.


Gori Fortress on the hilltop.


The city of Gori.


Georgian souvenirs sold in Gori emphasizes on Joseph Stalin. 






Gori Tourism Information Center just beside the Joseph Stalin Museum.


A Georgian lady at the information center giving directions to tourists. Requested some English brochure from her, She is indeed very friendly.


The main attraction of Gori is none other than Jospeh Stalin’s Musuem.


The main building of Joseph Stalin Museum.


Stalin’s personal railway carriage is being displayed at one side of the museum.








There is a souvenir shop inside the museum for those who fancy buying Stalin related souvenir. Did I buy? Of course not! He is known as the harshest dictator, even the Russian doesn’t like him.


The opening hours of the museum is 10a.m. to 5p.m. everyday except general holidays. The ticket cost 10 lari for per adult, 1 lari for school pupil (including visiting the wagon), 10 lari for students (including visiting the wagon) and the cost of visiting the wagon is 5 lari per person.


Our tickets.




This is the ground floor of the museum. Most of the exhibitions are placed on the upper floor.


The full figure statue of Stalin.




The interior of Joseph Stalin Museum is rather grand and richly decorated.






Painting and sculpture that are dedicated to Stalin.




A carpet woven with Stalin’s figure.


Our English-speaking tour guide explaining Stalin’s background to us. I had to rely on a guide to explain things as the exhibits descriptions are in Russian and Georgian.


Joseph Stalin when he was a young boy. The painting was painted by himself.


Stalin when he was young.


A portrait of Joseph Stalin when he was 23 years old.


The model of Stalin’s house.


Some 47,000 exhibits are divided into six halls. The exhibits includes photographs, paintings, newspaper, Stalin’s personal belongings and death mask.


It is said that the museum is a falsification of history and it’s a Soviet propaganda to legitimise the bloodiest regime in history.   


Well, I didn’t know what was written anyway. Just here to look at the exhibits.







Arms of the Soviet Union and all Soviet republics. There were 15 countries as part of the Soviet Union. Wonder why there are 16 flags at the picture above.


The victory hall of Soviet Union in World War II. Many still say it was Stalin who led Soviet Union to victory in World War II.




Stalin with his daughter and sons.




The death mask of Stalin was taken shortly after his death.


Stalin was born Josef Dzhugashvili in Gori in 1878 and died in 1953.


Stalin was embalmed and laid to rest in Lenin’s Mausoleum.


Thousands of people came to pay their last respect. In 1961 however, Stalin’s body was removed from the mausoleum and buried near the Kremlin wall.


These are gifts made to Stalin by other countries.






Gifts from China.


This was how Stalin’s office looked like.


And this is his original desk.




The Motherland Calls. A model of the statue from the Museum of Defence in Volgograd in 1974. 


The crest of Soviet Union.


In the 2008, Russian Air Force deployed cluster bomb in Gori, resulting in civilians injuries and death.


A room that depicts Soviet prison.








Opposite to the museum is a small wooden hut where Stalin was born.




Stalin’s father rented the one room on the left and maintained a shoe workshop in the basement.






Lastly, I visited the green colour railway carriage that Stalin used from 1941 onwards.


The carriage was armour plated and weighs 83 tonnes.


I also got to see the interior of the carriage.






The carriage has everything from bedroom, bathroom to dining room.


Overall, a visit to this museum gave me an insight into Joseph Stalin’s life. Well, Gori was just a stopover, time to continue on with my journey.