The Cave Town, known as Uplistsikhe, is the oldest urban settlement in Georgia. Dating all the way back to 2,000BCE, humans have been living in these cave complexes up until the 14th Century when the highly friendly Mongols came knocking. For over 3,000 years this impressive area had ritual caves, wine making caves, and even an apothecary.

Christianity would come to this cave town as the religion spread through out the country, who’s followers would eventually build a church on the highest peak in the 9th Century.

The cave homes themselves clearly have hearths, and there’s holes cut into the rock outside to collect water. There’s even a jail, which is just a giant hole in the rock to lob criminals in, and humiliate them.

It was a bit of a slog getting up there. Initially there’s stairs, but most of the climb is uncut rock, and generally you’re using the water cut paths in the rock to make your way up. It’s not crazy difficult, but unexpected. Thankfully there was no slipping or falling.

It’s hard no to be curious about a museum dedicated to Joseph Stalin, in his home town of Gori. Would it celebrate him? Condemn him? Or just cover his life and stay neutral?

It starts with his humble life, joining with the underground anti monarchy movement, and siding with the Bolsheviks and their leader, a young lad named Lenin. After Lenin’s death, Stalin would rise to lead the rebellion, murdering the monarchy, and the creation of Soviet Russian.

There’s some brief recognition of state taking over grain production, leading to the shocking famine across Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. An estimated over 7 million people died of starvation. Yes, you read that right, over 7 million deaths due to government policy who’s goal was to dominate bread production in Europe.

But quickly we move over that, and now it’s World War II. Newspaper prints from Russian and Georgia, announcing how Stalin has won the war. It’s not a entirely inaccurate statement, Soviets did enter Berlin first and crushed Hitler. But hey, can’t we all accept team work! The Americans in the museum would have been very confused.

Finally the museum ends with the Death of Stalin (also an excellent movie). One if his death masks is here (Georgia has two of his death masks), and not much else. His burial place had to be moved from the mausoleum that Lenin was buried in, and to just outside the Kremlin. This was due to the new leader of the USSR, Nikita Khrushche, took power and denounced Stalin as a butcher and monster. This would lead to pro Stalin protests, and as the cult of personality was still strong amongst the population.

What’s interesting the cult of Stalin still exists today. The older generation here still believe the propaganda, so effective it was, and revere Stalin as a great leader. The new generation, however, don’t have that delusion, and even anti Russian sentiment and protests have begun in Georgia.

I does feel that Georgia’s current generation are all for the EU, and have turned their back on Russia. Stalin would not be impressed.