Crumbling buildings, opulent architecture, empty baths and the odd elderly resident wandering around: this is what a sprawling spa once loved by Joseph Stalin now looks like.
The team behind the YouTube channel Yes Theory ventured to Tskaltubo in west-central Georgia, to investigate what the once-thriving holiday destination looks like after it was abandoned in the 1990s.
They begin by meeting a young man named Lucas who grew up very close to the crumbling city and he reveals that many of the grandiose buildings were built by German prisoners of war captured by the Soviet Union during World War II.
Once the town of Tskaltubo was founded, it served as a health spa offering a variety of therapeutic treatments.
During Soviet rule, which ran from 1936 to 1991, Georgians were allowed only two vacations a year and were sent to state-sponsored complexes, including Tskaltubo.
The team behind the YouTube channel Yes Theory ventured to Tskaltubo in west-central Georgia, to investigate what the once-thriving vacation spot looks like after it was abandoned in the 1990s.
Many of the grandiose buildings were built by German prisoners of war captured by the Soviet Union during World War II
Once the town of Tskaltubo was founded, it served as a health spa offering a variety of therapeutic treatments
During Soviet rule, which ran from 1936 to 1991, Georgians were allowed only two vacations a year and were sent to state-sponsored complexes, including Tskaltubo.
More than 120,000 visitors came to the city’s spas and bathhouses every year
Lucas explains in the video that his grandmother worked in the city when it was in full swing, and more than 120,000 visitors visited the spas and bathhouses every year.
Vintage footage from the documentary shows holidaymakers enjoying the cozy surroundings of the seaside resort and bathing in the mineral-rich spring water.
However, because Lucas was born in 2000, he said he never saw Tskaltubo in its heyday and would instead explore the abandoned buildings with friends.
As the film crew wanders through the vast grounds, they comment on how creepy it feels.
In one scene they gain access to one building, which appears to be completely preserved.
One of the team members says: ‘It feels very spooky when a place hasn’t been moved for decades.
‘The bed is still made and the lamps are still in the position they used to be.’
In another part of the documentary, the YouTube creators enter a bathhouse built especially for Stalin.
Vintage footage from the documentary shows holidaymakers enjoying the cozy surroundings of the seaside resort and bathing in the mineral-rich spring water
A private bathroom built for Stalin, which he used only once before his death in 1953
As the film crew wanders through the vast grounds, they comment on how creepy it feels
The Yes Theory team delves further into the interior of Tskaltubo and meets a woman who has lived in the abandoned city for 33 years. She explains that she ended up there after being displaced due to the war in the Abkhazia region
The only signs of life seen from outside her apartment are steam coming from a vent and laundry hanging from a balcony
This is one of several buildings in Tskaltubo that are still in use, including a spa hotel where the Yes Theory team stays.
As they enter the bathhouse, Lucas explains that 4,000 extra workers had been hired to build it because “they had a deadline for Stalin to come here.”
The building included a private bathroom for the murderous dictator – which he used only once before his death in 1953 – and as they look at the mosaic-decorated room, one of the film crew says it makes him “a little disgusted.”
The Yes Theory team delves further into the interior of Tskaltubo and meets a woman who has lived in the abandoned city for 33 years.
The only signs of life in her apartment from the outside are steam coming from a vent and laundry hanging from a balcony.
She explains that she ended up there after being displaced due to the war in the region of Abkhazia where she came from.
Her husband was shot and she fled to Tskaltubo alone.
The filmmakers reveal that after the spa complexes closed, the buildings were used to resettle internally displaced people from war-torn areas.
The lady reveals that she never intended to stay in Tskaltubo for so long, and that she still dreams of returning home one day.
After a few days exploring the ghost town, the Yes Theory team considers it an unforgettable experience.
They conclude: ‘Arriving with a very limited understanding of this country’s history, through this semi-abandoned Soviet town we were able to vaguely open the door to the past and paint a clearer picture of what those challenging times were like for Georgia.
“We believe that studying our past is imperative in order not to repeat the same mistakes tomorrow and that is why we hope that we, as the next generation, will listen to these stories and choose more wisely for a future of peace once and for all .’