Visiting Gori

In the heart of Georgia is the small city of Gori. It might seem like any other city in the country, but it’s actually the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. This was something I didn’t know until I traveled here: Stalin wasn’t Russian, but Georgian. He was born in Gori in 1878 to a poor family, and the small house where he spent his early childhood has been preserved. The photo above shows the home where he was born and raised during the first years of his life.

The main attraction in Stalin’s hometown is the large museum dedicated to his life and political career. The surrounding photos are all from inside the museum, including gifts presented to him by other countries and governments. As I’m half Lebanese, I had to photograph the gift above with Stalin’s portrait carved into cedar wood. Below is one of his desks, along with his famous armored train.

I found the train to be the highlight of the museum because you’re allowed to go inside and explore it yourself. Stalin generally preferred traveling by train rather than by air, so this armored railway carriage was used for some of his long-distance journeys. You can imagine that some of those trips across the Soviet Union were incredibly long, so in many ways the train served as a mobile residence and office. It’s surprisingly luxurious inside and remains in excellent condition considering its age.