One Man Who Ruled Them All

A Visit To A Museum And A Secret Printing Press In Tbilisi Offers A History Buff Insight Into The Life Of Russian Dictator Joseph Stalin

- Pranjali Bhonde Pethe

Stalin was a Georgian, did you know?” asked my guide Eka, as she pulled out a picture of a young man—chiselled features, chestnut brown hair held back in a pompadour, and a checked scarf neatly tucked in his coat. Most in our motley group of eight, out exploring with Tbilisi Free Walking Tours, had thought he was Russian. That’s all it took to plant the bug in my head. Over the next few days, as I roamed the Georgian capital—where medieval churches, cobbled streets, and vine-green verandahs abound—I also set myself on the Soviet politician’s trail.