During the time of the totalitarian regime, "The Great Leader of All Times and Nations", Comrade Stalin acted in the form of an ascetic and unmercenary, deliberately emphasizing that "people's welfare is first of all," and a full-length overcoat is enough for him. But the case was not at all like that. No matter how classified the materials about his secret desire to relax on a grand scale, many even in those days knew what the "sincere rejection of luxury" would result in the state treasury and how many lives were laid on it. Only today we can safely look into some of the residences (there were 20 of them!) Joseph Stalin.
The dachas of the "Great Leader of All Times and Nations" Comrade Stalin.
The nearby dacha is one of the most famous residences of Joseph Stalin.
Of course, the so-called summer cottages were not simple holiday houses, but real palaces with inconceivable fortifications and even bunkers, because the “Great Leader of All Times and Nations” was very much afraid for his life, constantly expecting an assassination attempt, and this panicky mood was felt even in little things. Therefore, all facilities were built in strict secrecy by carefully selected specialists who immediately became employees of the Ministry of State Security (MGB).
Note: MGB (1946-1953) is one of the names of the special state security body, created back in 1923. Initially, it was called OGPU (United State Political Administration, 1923-1934), later this department became part of the NKVD of the USSR (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR, 1934-1946). The most terrible and dark events that took place in the country in those years are connected with the active activity of this body.
The plan of Stalin's "near" or Kuntsevskaya dacha (Moscow). | Photo: diletant.media.
Large living room at the "near dacha" (Kuntsevo, Moscow). | Photo: diletant.media.
View from the courtyard to the Kuntsevskaya dacha. | Photo: diletant.media.
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Considering the immense appetites of Joseph Vissarionovich and the desire to rest in the best places of the vast Motherland, his dachas can be found in the Moscow region, Crimea, Sochi, Abkhazia and Georgia. Naturally, he especially loved and appreciated some residences, and in some he only occasionally appeared, and there were those where the leader was seen only once or he did not appear at all. Therefore, the Novate. Ru experts decided to collect material about the dachas most significant for the Father of the peoples and tell in general terms what unites them all.
The facades of all dachas were painted green so that they could be invisible from the air (New Matsesta, Sochi). | Photo: diletant.media.
Most of all, Joseph Vissarionovich loved the so-called "close" or Kuntsevskaya dacha, located near the Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora in the village of Volynskoye. Here he not only preferred to rest, but actually lived for 20 years. The residence was designed by the architect Miron Merzhanov and built in 1933-1934 under the personal leadership of the leader, who approved every little detail and paid special attention to his own safety.
The leader of the proletariat spent most of his time in his offices (Museum at the dacha "New Matsesta", Sochi). | Photo: diletant.media.
His favorite dacha, like everyone else, was painted green in order to prevent the discovery of a secret object from the sky, and under some buildings were equipped with real bunkers. Also, the entire territory was surrounded by several types of fences, ranging from barbed wire to six-meter fences. But that's not all, the outer perimeter of several kilometers (the area of each estate ranges from 50-100 hectares!) Was guarded by NKVD units, whose number reached 1000 people during the visits of the leader of the proletariat.
Corridor at the "near" dacha of Joseph Stalin in Kuntsevo (Moscow). | Photo: gazeta.ru.
The airspace was covered by air defense and anti-aircraft units located around each residence, while the sky was always closed for flights over them. The internal territory was properly guarded by almost a hundred military personnel (everything depended on the situation in the region and the territory of the dacha itself).
Telephone sets, which were installed in all the dachas of the leader (Dacha in Kuntsevo). | Photo: gazeta.ru.
In addition to security, each state dacha had attendants (service personnel): a team of maids and waiters, several drivers, janitors, gardeners, nurses were also on duty around the clock, there was a personal hairdresser and, most importantly, a toxicologist whose duties included checking the condition of products and ready meals before serving. As a rule, about 50 servants were present at each dacha around the clock, and if the “Great Leader of All Times and Nations” organized banquets, then their number doubled.
By order of Andropov, the dacha in Semenovskoye was repainted in light colors, but in Stalin's time it was green. | Photo: diletant.media.
Almost all dachas had the same layout and interior, because Stalin did not like variety, the only exceptions were some residences in the southern regions, where he only rested, so there was no office there. So, for example, the residence, better known as the "distant dacha", located in the park of the estate "Semenovskoe-Otrada", was a copy of the "near" one with only minor interior changes.
Fireplace in the Big Living Room at the "distant dacha" of the leader of the people ("Semenovskoye").
The most striking elements of the decor were fireplaces: decorated with onyx and opal, it is located in the Large dining room, and in the Small - marble of extraordinary beauty. One of the bedrooms deserves special attention, in which the leader most of all liked to rest. It was decorated with a rare tree - a dark oriental plane tree, and all the furniture was made of it. Otherwise, everything was standard.
One of the bedrooms of the Great Leader (New Matsesta, Sochi). | Photo: diletant.media.
The only thing is that in each of the residences it was necessary to equip several bedrooms (at least four) for only one ruler of the Land of Soviets, so that the leader concerned about his safety could change his place of sleep at any time, because then the enemy would not catch him sleeping by surprise.
The interior of the office on the territory of the "distant" dacha, located in the park of the estate "Semenovskoe-Otrada" of Count Orlov. | Photo: diletant.media.
In the offices, as a rule, in addition to the work desk, there were several more sofas, so the leader could spend the whole day in one room. Taking into account the preferences of the owner, the architect Miron Merzhanov for 10 years created tiny rooms for the owner's personal use and huge ones for banquets and receptions of foreign guests (Large and Small drawing rooms) in all of his residences that he managed to build.
Dacha "New Matsesta" on the territory of the sanatorium "Green Grove" (Sochi). | Photo: gazeta.ru. By the way, for these efforts the Father of Peoples "thanked" the architect himself, his wife and his team, declaring them "enemies of the people." For this they were sentenced to 10 years in the camps, which not all survived!
One of Stalin's dachas in Abkhazia. | Photo: gazeta.ru.
The arrangement of the residences was carried out by especially close people who did only what the leader of the Land of Soviets wanted. Since he did not really respect the pretentiousness and pomp, the more luxurious in each of the residences were living rooms and bedrooms for high-ranking guests from abroad.
Dacha "Cold River" is located in Abkhazia (Gagra). | Photo: diletant.media.
At the same time, his apartments cannot be called monastic cells, no one spared money from the treasury for their decoration, he just preferred a more natural finish. Naturally, all the furniture was exclusive, it was made by the Moscow furniture factory "Lux", which fulfills only this kind of government orders.
Dacha "Cold River" was built in 1932 - 1933. on a mountainside at an altitude of about 200 meters above sea level (Abkhazia). | Photo: diletant.media.
Small dining room at Stalin's dacha "New Matsesta" (territory of the sanatorium "Green Grove", Sochi). | Photo: gazeta.ru.
At some dachas located in the southern regions, these are "New Matsesta" and "Riviera" in Sochi, "Sukhumi", "Ritsa" and "Mussera" in Abkhazia, "Koreiz" and "Trapeznikovo" in Crimea - for the leader, they were equipped not only magnificent parks for walks in the fresh air and beaches, but also served sea or healing water in special earthenware baths.
The interiors of all Stalin's dachas did not differ in great variety.
As you know, this material retains heat for a long time, as well as useful natural minerals and substances, therefore it was in them that Stalin arranged healing procedures, given his poor health. They helped relieve seasonal exacerbations of rheumatism, which he suffered for many years.
On Lake Ritsa, Stalin had a dacha built exclusively for recreation (Abkhazia).
Although the health of the Father of Nations was not entirely in order, he regularly organized the famous "dinners" held at his dachas, which began at 10-11 pm and ended at 3-4 am. Of course, he himself did not drink much, but he ordered others to do it in order to find out the true mood of his comrades-in-arms, taking into account the well-known statement - “what is on the mind of a sober person is on the tongue of a drunkard”.
The famous "dinner parties" of the master of the Kremlin at one of the state dachas.
Naturally, the refusal was regarded as wrong thoughts and a fear of blabbering, so everyone drank until they were completely “passed out” or intoxication. And in order to prevent the servants from seeing and hearing all these ugliness, additional devices, all the food and drink were prepared in advance. When the owner suddenly wanted to change food or appliances, he simply uttered a few words in Georgian “fresh tablecloth” - this served as a signal for action.
Dacha in Malaya Sosnovka (South Coast, Crimea).
The waiters took off the tablecloth with lightning speed, along with expensive dishes, crystal glasses and all sorts of delicacies mixed together and carried it out of sight, and then a new table was laid again.
And such "ascetic" entertainments were carried out regularly, despite neither the war nor the famine "The Great Leader of All Times and Nations", together with his comrades-in-arms, fattened and ruled in the "paradise for workers and peasants." Only the last on this holiday of life were left to perform feats, bearing the burden of war and survive in the years of famine, and a special caste of confidants led by their leader posed as ascetics and virtue.
Dacha "Mussery" (Abkhazia).
