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8/7/1959 - Stalin’s Birthplace and a Visit to a Georgian Collective Farm by John Hanessian, Jr.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS J August Stalin Birthplace Visit Hotel lutourist Georgian Collective Farm Tbilisi Georgian S S R U S S R Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenu New York New York Dear Mr Rogers Thirty miles capital Georgia small Gori famous birthplace Josef Stalin We drove early morning visit place oollective farms As Tbilisi hotel refused serve breakfest prior A M dined regal splendor Gori Hotel The manager order returning every minutes check wauted They coffee would chocolate instead Our dining reality small private salon It adjacent spacious sparsely furnished lobby whibh inhabited Gori Georgia members local population seriousl playing backgammon As waited breakfa I strolled watched Soon I invited which I minutes I backslapping noisy hilarity Our breakfest turned tastiest experienced U S S R It accompanied appetizing local bread followed bottle Georgian called oukouzhaui This first experience drinking after breakfest Rom And I admit Mauager Gori Hotel Friend tasted We quick visit marble membrial across street which built around Stalin wooden birthplace started collective kilometers outside Gori Other hotel paved streets marble stone memorial Stalin there Gori The towns people taken their notoriety calmly allowing disturb their ancient omfortable leasto Stalin Birthplace Surrounded useum JH We entrauce manager Turk estani surname Piran He waved office where joined agronomist general secretary administrative assistant general before being shown around Piran short informal speech statistics percentages We comfortably around large green colored topoed table infront flanked eight portraits Stalin Lenin other A television shortwave receiver prominently displayed array telephones Following manager little soeech vited questions challenge which accepted great relish This particular ective emphasizes cultivation vineyards atotal OOO belonging The established families cludes families total population It growing O people annually Mem bership those years Group member meetings monthly The IOOO cattle sheep OO OOO chickens Some IO hectares devoted fruit orchards peaches apples pears Collective Farm Manager Piran etables other products grown Mr Pirau reviewed these statistics great pride particularly emphasizing owned I0 tractors trucks combines passenger operating power station We asked manager little about himself With hesitation persuaded inform He Joined inception remaining manager since He married children private salary rubles month times ional average figures which varies somewhat depending productiono This collective divides productive workers production brigades having about members In workers accumulated total productive labor average worker The Government returns income Government Government fixed prices wines fruit products From distributed among rubles ploughed capital assets devoted elderly people In recent payment rubles kilograms grain potatoes other crops umulated Thus average worker rubles monthly installments throughout given additional I0 kilograms grain At collective workers allowed build their homes other workers They permitted their homes valued average rubles should decide leave largely fictitious since replying question manager admitted people Why should They everything Each Job collective evaluated terms The definition particular depends complexity importance collective Fay collective farmer determined quality expended measured number manages accumulate during The total productive pectation calculated Government basis standard norms which previously established Con sideration taken special features collective In collective farmer accumulate cases highly skilled tractor operators these figures these figures depending norms particular Income varies about IO O rubles kilograms On brigade whose figures I examined members accumulated members eight members managed gather highest being This compares laborer averages perhaps I0 rubles annually On brigade mentioned above incomes ranged from20 I rubles average rubles Families allowed maintain private plots totalling hectares about hectare family their produce neighboring villages Gori Each family about I000 rubles annually Government The manager staff mostly administrative In addition reported three physicians three nurses certain medical facilities Although declined these facilities introduce medical staff manager quickly cellar where given numerous samples vodka wines prepared Children Collective Farm Following hospitality proceeded carefully guided The first typical homestead earthen floors large grain families their bread daily bedrooms primitive furniture crude kitchen running water electricity apiary front effectively msaged large Most homes electricity radios refrigerators semblance sanitary plumbin We visited outdoor public convenience which indescribably filthy There church collective members encouraged clubs There weekly movies wrestling Sundays The several Government owned managed shops which supply those items produced At repeated request finally taken school The manager informed school teachers Government primary secondary pupils The building extremely dilapidated portions appeared danger imminent collpse although repair place The school about useable rooms instruction library about volumes office cubbyhole about IO Facilities eqipment We expressed wonder that4 teachers could building The manager becoming somewhat embarrassed questions explained students several As school buildin continue Mr Piran suddenly decided enough enough He stalked Ve stayed candy crowd children workman But guide become visibly distressed departure insisted leave As drove narrowly escaping potholes passed manager turned stared questioners Yours sincerely John Hanessian Jr Received New York November