Evidence of ‘Russian aggression’ in Stalin museum
Published 27 September, 2008, 07:39
Less than two months after the conflict in South Ossetia, the Georgian government is opening an exhibition of Russian aggression. Ironically, the exhibition will be housed in Gori in the museum of Stalin – a place dedicated to the former Soviet leader who hailed from the town and was himself accused of considerable aggression against his own people.
The new exhibition is still empty but in December within its walls visitors will be able to experience the story of the Georgian war and for many it is a tragic one.
“During the war we had the idea to have this exhibition. We will show photographs, pieces of bombs and documents about what happened in Gori. It was a very stressful time for the people of the city because in World War Two we fought with the Russians against the Nazis – Georgians, Ossetians and Jews were all on the same side. We would never have believed something like this could have happened,” said Mzia Naotchaschvili, director of research at the Stalin Museum.
Olga Topchishvili, one of the most experienced tour guides in the museum, did not escape Gori during the war. She doesn’t agree with the exhibition.
“I don’t know what they’re going to show here. Some people from the Ministry of Culture decided it. The Russian soldiers behaved very well from what I saw and as I heard from other people. We didn’t have any problems with them. They took their position at the entrance to the city and stayed there. Some people gave them food and their commanders brought supplies to the city, gave it to the churches, who gave it to us,” Olga recalls.
Indeed, in Gori, the remnants of the recent conflict are now hard to discern, apartment blocks damaged during the fighting have been repaired quickly.
While Gori remains the only city in the former USSR still hosting the statue of the controversial leader, one of the main attractions inside the museum is the personal carriage of Joseph Stalin, in which he travelled the former Soviet Union. Never would he have imagined that one day it would be part of the museum of Russian aggression in Georgia.
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