Calendar Home
Previous Day

November 24, 2002

Next Day
Stalin's hometown! We head west across Georgia to Gori. Here stands the only public museum dedicated to Iosif Dzhugshvili. Dzhugshvili changed his name to Man of Steel, which, in Georgian, is Stalin; maybe he read Superman comics. The name Stalin is a little more catchy than Dzhugshvili. Even though he caused the death of millions, his birthplace has charm. Gori is an ancient city with a hilltop fortress that's stood there since before Christ. Persians, Mongols, Turks, they've all come here as conquerers but anyone who is fascinated by Stalin can't miss Gori.
The lovable Stalin as a young man and his first wife.
Stalin and Mom, aren't they cute?
Partnership of evil, Stalin and the founder of the KGB.
The word's only public statue of Stalin proudly stands in his hometown, Gori.
Near Gori we find Uplistsikhe, a cave city founded 1000 years before Christ, a place of pagan rituals.
A cave with a view: Georgian kings hid in Uplistsikhe during the Arab occupation. The Arabs couldn't find this place because they couldn't properly pronounce "Uplistsikhe" in order to ask for directions.
Hitchers can't be choosers - it's a bumpy ride but it beats walking.