Weapons Equipment Vehicles Books Science and technology. Cool stuff. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? During the Soviet Era, the USSR built sanatoriums across the state created for comrades who needed rest and relaxation, with Tskaltubo emerging as one of the most popular places for workers and the upper echelons alike.
At its zenith, , people visited a year, with four trains coming in daily from Moscow. Stalin himself was a devotee. Workers came to Tskaltubo, which was home to 22 sanatoria, as part of a state-funded programme called putevki. It required citizens to take compulsory spa holidays for at least two weeks each year not such a bad idea if you ask me. But now the sanatoriums, which blend classical Stalinist design with ethnic Georgian decor, have fallen into disrepair.
When the Soviet Union crumbled in , they were left to crumble with it. While chipped marble columns give way to smashed windows, dilapidated stairways and rubble-covered floors, the grandiose character of the buildings lives on. And, nestled among the thriving palm trees and peeling posters for political candidates, there is life in them yet.
They are now inhabited by victims of war: in , a vicious battle erupted between government forces and separatists who fought for the independence of Abkhazia, a disputed autonomous republic in northwestern Georgia, and tens of thousands of people were displaced. After being driven out of their homes by conflict, Abkhazian refugees transformed the sanatoria in Tskaltubo by constructing make-shift homes and tending to vegetable patches.
We even see a couple of chickens wandering aimlessly alongside people sitting playing with an abacus. Television is the most popular medium although online media are gaining ground as news sources. The constitution provides for freedom of speech, and journalists often criticise officials. Freedom House says the media are "robust and competitive, but frequently partisan".
Some key dates in Georgia's modern history:. Soviet - later Russian - peacekeepers are deployed. Georgian parliament. Georgia revealed travel site. Government of Georgia in English. In the morning we'll drive back north towards the surreal mining town of Chiatura , a steampunk city famous for his extensive network of rickety but still functioning cable cars from the Soviet 50s.
For those interested in visiting Abkhazia : transfer to the de facto Georgian-Abkhaz border at Inguri for a 5-day tour to the secessionist Republic of Abkhazia.
The price does not include : single supplement, international flights, meals, drinks and tips, visas if required, entrance to attractions not listed in the itinerary, insurance. The route of this tour has been carefully designed after several research trips in the region. It is, however, always possible to slightly modify the itinerary according to the needs and the suggestions of the participants. Our motto is flexibility. Soviet Tours.
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