Stalin's dacha on Lake Ritsa is not luxurious, but while traveling in Abkhazia, it is worth visiting. It is not only a historical landmark, but also a picturesque place with unique green mountains.
At first glance, it may seem that the generalissimo's dacha should be luxurious and pompous. But this is far from the case. It is a green one-storey building, large in area, but executed in a state-owned style.
History and description of Stalin's dacha
This is the only dacha of Joseph Vissarionovich, which is accessible to tourists. By visiting this place, you can touch the Soviet history and learn about the character and habits of the Generalissimo. There is a hotel on the territory of the dacha; earlier in this building there was a guard. It is possible to spend the night in one of the rooms where Stalin lived only with the permission of the President of Abkhazia.
The history of this place began in 1937, when a hunting lodge for officials appeared on the territory near the lake. And in 1947 it was dismantled and a one-storey summer cottage with an area of 500 sq.m. was built. The project was led by architect Andrey Burov, and the process was supervised by Mihran Merzhanyants. For the safety of the generalissimo, who was afraid of assassination attempts, the building was painted green. Thanks to this, it was impossible to see him in the territory, buried in lindens and greenery.
The house has several bedrooms, furnished in the same style, a reception hall, a cinema room, a bathroom. There is no office here, since Stalin came to the lake only to have a rest. All furniture is made to order and from expensive and high quality wood species. And in the bathroom there is a faience bathtub, it keeps the water hot for several hours.
The dacha also houses a pier, a house for guards for 300 people and servants, a sauna, a mixed park with a stream and a stone bridge, and a helipad.
Now on the territory of Stalin's dacha there is another house built in 1961 by N. S. Khrushchev. It was created in the same style, and all buildings have retained the appearance of the Soviet era.
Excursions, address and how to get there
Stalin's dacha is located on the territory of the Ritsa relict national park. To get to this attraction on your own, you need to drive along the M-27 highway. If you go from Sukhum, then Lake Ritsa is located behind the bridge over the Bzyb River, the approximate distance is 1 km. If you go from the Gagra district, then you need to focus on the traffic police post, 1 km after it there will be a lake.
Museum opening hours: from 09.00 to 18.00. the cost of the visit is 150 rubles, the price is current for 2018. Since the building is located on the territory of a national park, you must also pay an environmental fee: for adults it is 350 rubles, for children from 8 to 12 years old - 150 rubles, for children under 8 years old - free of charge.
Visit I. V. Stalin can be as part of an excursion group or independently.
