Gori and Uplistsikhe

Archaeologists have unearthed numerous temples and findings relating to a sun goddess, worshipped prior to the arrival of Christianity. When Christianity arrived in Georgia, the city lost importance in favor of the new centers of Christian culture, most notably Mtskheta and Tbilisi. Nevertheless, life continued in Uplistsikhe, Christian structures have been built, and for a short time, Christianity and the old faith coexisted in the city.

The cave town can be divided into a lower, a central and an upper area, covering an area of almost 40,000 square meters. The central area, which contains most of the rock-cut structures, is connected to the lower area by narrow tunnel. Most of the rock-cut structures are without any decorative elements, aside from some of the larger structures, which contain some stone carvings.

At the top of the complex is a Christian stone basilica, dating from the 10th century. The rock-cut structures include a large hall, called Tamaris Darbazi, pagan places of sacrifice, dwellings, as well as functional buildings, like a pharmacy, a bakery, a prison, and even an amphitheater. The rock-cut structures are connected by tunnels, while other tunnels had the purpose of an emergency escape route.

Uplistsikhe is remarkable for the unique combination of styles from rock-cut cultures of the region, most notably from Cappadocia (in modern Turkey) and Northern Iran. Most of the unearthed artifacts can be seen at the National Museum in Tbilisi.

The Uplistsikhe cave complex has been on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage program since 2007.

Gori has long been synonymous with Joseph Stalin, who was born and went to school here. During his rule of the Soviet Union the town’s centre was rebuilt to his neoclassical tastes, and even today much of the downtown area is defined by its Stalinist architecture. The large Stalin Museum is the town’s best-known attraction. The Museum stands around the house where Stalin was born into the family of shoemaker Vissarion Dzhugashvili.

Stalin Museum is dedicated to all aspects of the well-known leader’s life. It consists of three sections displaying rare exhibits: the originals of letters and notes, photos, military annals, maps, schemes of battles, Stalin’s personal things – photos of his sons Jacob and Vasily, letters, the generalissimo’s uniform.

The special showpiece is Stalin’s personal armored railroad carriage with splendid for that times interior, which displays Venetian glass mirrors, carved furniture.

The carriage has been recently placed next to the museum as transferred from North-Caucasian railway in 1985. Wagon remained practically in the same form as Stalin used during trips to the Yalta and the Tehran Conference. The car interior has been neither altered nor restored.

Everything here is as it was during Stalin’s lifetime : an office with a table, phone and sofa, a bathroom and guardians coupe.