So we’ve made it to Gori, a small town slap bang in the middle of the country, and Olivia has swung us a home-stay with a wonderful Georgian lady and her husband. The town itself might be completely overlooked, save for the fact that it is the birthplace of one Joseph Stalin, and the museum here draws in a fair crowd. That and they also have the 4th century cave city of Uplistsikhe close by. It’s worth a stop for sure.
The movable statue
The Stalin museum is something of a contentious issue. The statue of the man himself has been moved so many times, as they’re not really sure they should have one at all. It all depends on how you feel about mass murderers really. During the Russian-Georgian conflict as recently as 2008, Gori was heavily targeted by Russian air strikes. Consequently there was a movement to rename the collection to “The Museum of Russian Aggression.” Thankfully they decided against it, but you only have to read the guest book to get an idea of how people feel about it. However the museum is an excellent experience, including Stalin’s death mask and personal, 80 ton armoured train car, still with original interior. A step back in time indeed.
Stalin’s carriage
You’d be forgiven for thinking sections of the town looks like a movie set. There’s certain back streets that look brand new, and that’s because they pretty much are. There’s a lot of potential here, but most of the new builds stand empty, when it could have a lovely cafe/wine bar culture. One can only assume this is a rebuilding process after the shelling, but it really needs a lift up, and it could draw in a decent amount of tourist dollars in its own right.
Gori from the fort
Uplistsikhe could have been better named, because it’s a devil to pronounce and spell. Lying 10 KM outside Gori centre, it’s a 4th century cave settlement, with a 10th century Basilica at the top. It’s also riddled with lizards, which is pretty cool if you can get one to stand still long enough for a picture.
Closest I could get…
But I think the highlight of our stay was the hospitality shown by our host home-stay family. She was like a mother to us, indeed calling me her son and calling Olivia her daughter, although I’m not really sure why she insisted on calling me George. An incredible cook, her food was out of this world, including back-yard pond caught trout, and her vastly stocked cellar of home-made wine certainly kept us entertained.
Georgian mamma
Of course this was to have an adverse effect when I decided we needed to drink 5 bottles of the stuff, and go party at this strange lagoon bar with a band playing the same songs every night on a boat stage. I woke up with a seriously painful periosteal bruise on my left shoulder. Three weeks later and this has still to properly heal. My flip-flops were found in the garden, and I’ve not one iota of inclination as to how any of this happened.
The Birthplace of Stalin
So we’ve made it to Gori, a small town slap bang in the middle of the country, and Olivia has swung us a home-stay with a wonderful Georgian lady and her husband. The town itself might be completely overlooked, save for the fact that it is the birthplace of one Joseph Stalin, and the museum here draws in a fair crowd. That and they also have the 4th century cave city of Uplistsikhe close by. It’s worth a stop for sure.
The movable statue
The Stalin museum is something of a contentious issue. The statue of the man himself has been moved so many times, as they’re not really sure they should have one at all. It all depends on how you feel about mass murderers really. During the Russian-Georgian conflict as recently as 2008, Gori was heavily targeted by Russian air strikes. Consequently there was a movement to rename the collection to “The Museum of Russian Aggression.” Thankfully they decided against it, but you only have to read the guest book to get an idea of how people feel about it. However the museum is an excellent experience, including Stalin’s death mask and personal, 80 ton armoured train car, still with original interior. A step back in time indeed.
Stalin’s carriage
You’d be forgiven for thinking sections of the town looks like a movie set. There’s certain back streets that look brand new, and that’s because they pretty much are. There’s a lot of potential here, but most of the new builds stand empty, when it could have a lovely cafe/wine bar culture. One can only assume this is a rebuilding process after the shelling, but it really needs a lift up, and it could draw in a decent amount of tourist dollars in its own right.
Gori from the fort
Uplistsikhe could have been better named, because it’s a devil to pronounce and spell. Lying 10 KM outside Gori centre, it’s a 4th century cave settlement, with a 10th century Basilica at the top. It’s also riddled with lizards, which is pretty cool if you can get one to stand still long enough for a picture.
Closest I could get…
But I think the highlight of our stay was the hospitality shown by our host home-stay family. She was like a mother to us, indeed calling me her son and calling Olivia her daughter, although I’m not really sure why she insisted on calling me George. An incredible cook, her food was out of this world, including back-yard pond caught trout, and her vastly stocked cellar of home-made wine certainly kept us entertained.
Georgian mamma
Of course this was to have an adverse effect when I decided we needed to drink 5 bottles of the stuff, and go party at this strange lagoon bar with a band playing the same songs every night on a boat stage. I woke up with a seriously painful periosteal bruise on my left shoulder. Three weeks later and this has still to properly heal. My flip-flops were found in the garden, and I’ve not one iota of inclination as to how any of this happened.
Welcome to Georgia.