Gori is Stalin’s hometown. In the city you will find a museum dedicated to the life of the former dictator. A particularly interesting place, although the villagers whisper that the museum guides are not entirely objective. The museum contains all kinds of objects and documents, from Stalin’s early childhood, his early years (when he apparently engaged in poetry) to his political career. Additional information only in Georgian and Russian. Peter had an interview with the Daily Beast, an American news website, about the museum.

For a long time, Gori owned one of the few statues of Stalin that survived the fall of the Soviet Union. After all, most images were instantly taken down. In 1989 the authorities tried to move the statue, but the villagers put a stop to that. Years later, on the night of 24 to 25 June 2010, the statue was removed from its pedestal and placed in the museum.

An underrated highlight of Gori is the gigantic fortress that towers over the city. Even before the birth of Jezus Christ there was a walled fortress here, but the current contours of the fort were given in the 14th century. Over the years devastation has been happened, but it is beautiful to take a walk. By the way, Gori can easily be visited on a day trip from Tbilisi. Travel time is just an hour on the new highway.