👂🏿 🤗 👩🏼‍⚖️ House-Museum "Stalin's Cottage" in Sochi 😆 ✒️ ♑️

The figure of Stalin evokes conflicting feelings and emotions not only in the post-Soviet space, but also in the world. The interest in his person of those who are occupied and concerned with world, Russian history and politics, not only does not wane over time, but even taking into account modern geopolitical changes, it is growing. Last but not least, this interest is fueled by the fact that far from all information about his life and death for state security purposes was made public.

Now that it has become possible to open the archives and rethink the tragic and great events that happened at that time, many stories, studies, works, live debates, documentaries and feature films and books about Stalin have appeared. Due to this interest, museums, which display expositions dedicated to the leader of all peoples, received a large influx of visitors. One of the popular museums is the Sochi House-Museum "Stalin's Cottage", located among the magnificent nature of the sanatorium "Green Grove".

Museum History

The famous Stalin's summer house in Sochi, surrounded by the Matsesta Valley on one side and the picturesque Agursky Gorge on the other, is located only 5 kilometers from the center of Sochi and 12 kilometers from the local airport. It occupies 50 hectares of Sochi National Park.

In pre-revolutionary times, this place was called the Mikhailovsky estate and belonged to the wealthy industrialist Zenzinov. After the revolution, a sanatorium was opened in a nationalized building, preserving the buildings themselves and the interior as they were. The former estate is surrounded by deciduous trees, the famous Pizunda cedars, palm trees and flower beds.

In the 30-40s political leaders and heads of various states rested here, enjoying the splendor of nature, healing springs and high altitude air, creating a unique microclimate as a result of mixing several air streams.

Stalin himself gave the order to establish for himself a suburban residence in the Green Grove, which was done in 1937. The residence of the leader in Sochi, like many other political dachas, was designed by architect Merzhanov. The only indication was the abandonment of the fountains. Most often, Joseph Vissarionovich joined the family, usually spending the summer here, only in the autumn.

Today, Stalin's cottage in Sochi has been transformed into a hotel that has preserved the entire surroundings of the Soviet Stalinist empire.

Interior

The appearance and interior of the cottage were not changed and they return the guests straight to the 30s of the XX century. A low-key, painted in gray-green color facade immediately makes it clear about the modest personal needs and unpretentiousness of the former legendary formidable leader of a great power. Surprisingly, the paint on the facade since those times has not spread around and has not faded.

All the interior spaces were left with their original finishes of fine wood. Under the ceilings are placed the original chandeliers that shone on the first owner. You can see Stalin's sofa, which was made by his special order, as well as a fireplace. On the leader’s desk was a silver writing instrument, a gift from Mao Zedong.

The parquet, on which the leader stepped, does not creak even now, traces of time are imperceptible on it. But not only the decoration was preserved by Stalin's cottage in Sochi. Photos from the personal archive, books, furniture, carpets and much more remained the same as during the life of the leader.

At the cottage there is a swimming pool with sea water, which Stalin used, and a cinema where he had fun watching films. There is also a favorite leather sofa full of horsehair. They say such a stuffing can stop even a flying bullet.

In the building on the ground floor there is a museum where you can see the wax figure of Stalin, dressed in uniform and sitting at the desk with a pipe in his hand. Rangers tell visitors scary stories about how the ghost of the leader walks at night over their possessions.

Sightseeing Routes

The staff of the Stalin Museum-Cottage have developed several routes, any of which may be of interest to something special.

During such an excursion, you can find out interesting details about Stalin's life while relaxing in the south, see firsthand the authentic rooms of his son Vasily and Svetlana's daughter, go up to the second floor and look at the beautiful fireplace room, where dinners were given. In the building next door there is a billiard room and a cinema hall (as you know, Stalin was very fond of watching movies).

The leader had prepared 18 residences in different parts of the country. The summer cottage in near Moscow was the most favorite, and the second place was firmly occupied by Stalin's cottage in Sochi, in the Green Grove.

Infrastructure

The territory of the sanatorium is not only the hotel and house-museum "Stalin's Dacha" in Sochi, but also everything that can be useful for a quality and interesting vacation: a pool, billiards, a cinema hall, a restaurant, the menu contains dishes of Georgian cuisine that I preferred to order Stalin himself is at the table, and his favorite wine is Khvanchkara.

Next to the cottage is waiting for guests "Stalin Glade", in which there is a picnic complex. All tourists from this complex are entitled to a place on their own beach at the hotel.

Museum Visiting Conditions

You can visit the house-museum only with a guide who, when examining all the premises of the house, will tell a large number of interesting facts and details about the life and life of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin and his entourage.

Excursions are exclusively group. The cost of the guide 300 rubles. Entrance ticket costs 150 rubles per person. For the opportunity to take pictures in the house you need to pay 60 rubles.

"Stalin's Cottage" in Sochi is waiting for visitors daily, from 9:30 to 18:00 without breaks. A visit to the museum is one of the most popular excursion destinations in Sochi, so it is better to book a ticket in advance.