Stalin's ageing fan club in Georgia
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Stalin, who was born in Gori in 1878 and died in 1953, is largely reviled today in Georgia, which regained its independence during the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Over the years, his memorials have been dismantled, most recently in 2010 when authorities removed a statue of the dictator from Gori's central square.
But Stalin is still revered by a small group of mainly elderly supporters who stress his role in the industrialisation of the Soviet Union and in defeating Nazi Germany in World War Two.
"Unfortunately, Stalin is not popular nowadays. Our people don't respect him. Only we, members of the (Communist) Party, respect him," said retired builder Vasili Sidamonidze, 70, who keeps a huge painting of Stalin at home.
"I always try to attend Stalin's birthday anniversaries in Gori. Unfortunately many people don't want to join us even if they live nearby. They look at us from their windows."
"He cared for his people. He is very popular among older people because life was better under his rule, there were lower prices and higher salaries but younger people don't know about that," said Guram Kardanakhishvili, a 86-year-old retired engineer.
"I am a fan of his since childhood," said Suliko Berdzenishvili, a 82-year-old retired railway worker. "I go to Stalin's hometown of Gori every year to mark his birthday."
"I have been a fan of Stalin all my life, but there was a time when I almost changed my mind. It was after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party (of the Soviet Union in 1956) when Nikita Krushchev denounced the personality cult and dictatorship of Josef Stalin. But later I realised they weren't right," said Levan Gongadze, 87.
"I have portraits of Stalin, books about him, souvenirs. Some I bought, some were given to me. My relatives and friends know about my love of Stalin and often gift me memorabilia," said Tsitsino Tsintsadze, a 77-year-old retired librarian.
"I traveled a lot around the USSR and never missed a chance to buy Stalin memorabilia. I would earn well and could allow myself to do so," said Otar Chigladze, a 82-year-old retired economist.
"Stalin saved the world from fascism. He cared about people. Under his rule there was no unemployment. We had free education and healthcare. He was a great man," said Ushangi Davitashvili, a 86-year-old retired driver.
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Each Dec. 21, a few dozen people mark his birthday by gathering outside a Gori museum dedicated to Stalin, where they make speeches and walk to the square where a 6-meter-high bronze statue of him once stood, calling for it to be reinstated.
Opponents say it was a symbol of Moscow's still lingering shadow. In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia and recognised its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.
Older Georgians, especially those who had personal and business ties with Russia, resent how much relations have soured. Others say the relationship only brought hardship.
