A Soviet time-warp in Tbilisi

You will find this gem of a museum tucked away on a small, unassuming side-street in Tbilisi. The only hint of something unusual is the big black door whose red centerpiece is resplendent with a pair of golden hammer and sickle motifs. The museum within preserves the house that was used by Stalin and his associates to produce Bolshevik propaganda leaflets between 1903 and 1906 on a printing press cleverly hidden in a chamber whose access was through a tunnel near the bottom of a well.

The guides are elderly and proud communists: by the door is a shrine to past and present communist world leaders. They speak Russian or Georgian, but through a combination of mime, models and diagrams it is easy enough to understand the story of the press if you don’t share a language. The museum is clearly aging now and is enveloped in the faded charm of post-Soviet neglect which adds infinitely intrigue of this time-warped place.

Entry is free, but the guides will encourage small donations when you sign the visitors’ book after your tour.

Photo source: Obscura