Stalin - a saint or the Devil’s messenger

Georgia Diary 5 last

Stalin - a saint or the Devil’s messenger

L: Stalin's statue at Gori R: The house where he was born

Last week I mentioned visiting Jvari monastery and Uplistsikhe rock town. It was evening and the sun was moving towards the west when enroute Tbilisi, we stopped in Gori, a small town marked on the world map because it was here that Joseph Stalin, Soviet politician and revolutionary, was born and spent the first few years of his life.

There is a museum in the Central Square which was officially dedicated to Stalin in 1957.

The complex consists of the main building with the exhibits and the two-storey-house where he was born. The railway carriage he used for travelling in his days as a leader, is parked outside.

As you enter the large building, you see marble stairs with a red carpet and Stalin’s statue on the landing.

On going up further you pass through six halls to watch a permanent display of the Bolshevik leader’s photographs, letters, battle plans, personal items, pieces of furniture, presents given to him by other countries of the world, photos of his family, and not to miss an overdose of his busts in plaster, wood and stone. The exhibits have information given in Georgian and Russian, and only a few have English description. We were lucky the kind guide took us around explaining everything in near perfect English. 

By the time you have seen all the halls, you are soaked in information about his life, constructive role in Soviet history and activities before and during the revolution. But something is amiss. You realise that the narrative does not present a holistic view. The dark side of his character is missing, his bitter ties with his family find no mention.

Inset: India's gift to Stalin, a greetings letter written on a grain of rice

On the side of the building is preserved the small house where Stalin lived for the first four years of his life (top photo). At that time, Stalin’s shoemaker father had a workshop on the ground floor while the family lived on the first floor, we were told. One cannot go inside to see.Today, the Joseph Stalin State Museum is officially recognized as a cultural heritage monument in Georgia and is funded and protected by the Ministry of Culture and Monuments of Georgia (museumstudiesabroad.org).

Another component of the museum is the green railway carriage parked outside. Stalin was reportedly afraid of flying and he used this rail car to travel within Russia and Tehran and Yalta conferences. A railway man’s wife, I am familiar with what a fully-furnished railway carriage (saloon in general parlance) is, yet this one dating back to the 1930s and 40s, is not only air-conditioned (nearly a century ago), but armour-plated, even had a bathtub.

L: Stalin's office in the carriage R: Sitting & dining room

As you leave the premises, whether liking the man or hating him, you realise this is how the dictator would have liked his museum to be - a memorial to Ioseb Jughashvili, the Georgian boy from Gori who grew up to rewrite history as a fierce Russian ‘socialist’ leader.

That night, one member of our small group went off to participate in a five km run organised by a running club. He later told us that there were people from various nationalities, there was almost no small talk or introductions among the group. Runners had come in full gear and with head torches too, but it started to pour after about an hour. The 500m inclining ground became muddy and slippery, making it risky to continue. It was then that the runners tried to help one another and almost everyone completed the run by around 2.00a.m.

The rainy night run

We woke to a very wet day and we were to leave Tbilisi at night. With the whole day to ourselves, we decided to stay indoors and what better way than to spend some time at the Georgian National Museum on Rustavelli Avenue close by, to soak in some more information about Georgia’s past.

The museum where a unique collection of natural, human history and cultural history of the Caucasus and the Near east are preserved and exhibited, functions as a scientific-educational institution.  

The basement of the four storey-building has the treasury and mostly archeological exhibits are showcased on the ground floor.

Pashmina shawls from Kashmir, India, on display in National Museum, Tbilisi

On the first floor are displayed exhibits depicting the ancient history of Georgia from the 2nd century BC. In addition to the weaponry, jewellery, coins and several other items is one of oldest, believed to be about 1.8 million years old, humanoid skulls (Homo Georgicus), found in Dmanisi. The Museum of the Soviet Occupation occupies the top floor.

Art-lovers can enjoy the masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, of not only Western European and Russian decorative art, but also Oriental art and Christian art pieces.

There are collections of works by 18^th- 19^th century Georgian artists from Russia, European or even Eastern countries.

The display of animals and birds found of Georgia and the region, was attracting a big crowd, so lifelike they seemed, and I too stopped to take pictures.

Top: Bodies of those killed lying on the ground Bottom: Incomplete list of public figures and citizens shot in the period of the Soviet occupation

But what saddened my heart were the exhibits proving Soviet aggression and cruelty from 1920 to around 1938. The order Shoot them as mad dogs, written in red paint on the wooden floor, felt like a jolt. What is this lunacy in us humans that though we call ourselves social and evolved beings, yet we illustrate such oppression and savagery against our fellow beings? The Stalin Museum at Gori now seemed so incomplete. Our mood was sombre and reflective as we walked out of the museum to prepare for our flight back home.

 Even if you don't know the language,
 the writing on the wall
tells you the mood of the people.

• Most young people can speak workable English, so it is not difficult to find your way about in urban areas.
• Georgian is a Kartvalian language, i.e. language used in the Caucasus region and the letters of the script seemed like a mix of Greek and Thai to me.
• Surprisingly, internet was available everywhere, even where people were not living.
• You can download Bolt (like our Uber and Ola) to hail a ride. The drivers do not make a face if you are going a very short distance.
• Even though I wrote about the presence of unowned dogs and cats, places are clean, there is no litter or garbage anywhere.
• Though Georgia is a Eurasian country, it is not expensive like Europe. Most of the western brands are also available here.

My impressions- whether I go to Georgia again or not, the images of the beautiful, lush green meadows and hills would remain in my memory and yes, Georgian is among my new favourites now. 

(Concluded)  

                                  -Anupama S Mani