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So there is a very famous Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia and it is definitely going strong. But there is another far less well known Stalin Museum in Batumi, Georgia that I had heard mentioned somewhere.

Today I decided to go have a look for it since I hadn't found it in my wanderings. When I found it, it was looking a bit derelict:

Batumi Stalin Museum 2008 vs 2012
The photo on the left is from the Wikipedia stub article and was taken in 2008. The photo on the right was taken by me today in 2012.

There were plaques by the gates in Russian and Georgian stating that Stalin lived here, but there was a big padlock on the gate and no sign of any kind indicating that it is now or ever was a museum.

The museum does have a listing on the "Georgian Museums" website, but it is not mentioned at all on the "Museums" page of the "Tourism Adjara" website.

So has this museum closed for good or is it just on some kind of hiatus awaiting the 2012 summer tourist season and in need of a tidy up?

hippietrail
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2 Answers2

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I tried to visit it today. No signs of a museum there. Guy from hardware store nearby led us to a steel fence and we made our way inside. Stalin's postument is no longer there and we found a guy lying on a bed surrounded with vodka and beer bottles and ashtray full of fags, he himself looked as Stalin with his moustache and hairstyle;) So I don't think that it is to be opened in near future... especially according to the hen wandering in the garden.

Lukasz
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I went to the Batumi one about a year and a half ago. All three rooms of the museum were open and there were staff on hand to sell tickets.

There was no indication at the time that it was going to be shut down.

SigueSigueBen
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