Stalin's Historic Wine Cellar Unveiled in Tbilisi After 100 Years

A historic wine cellar containing around 40,000 rare bottles once owned by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has been opened to the public for the first time in Tbilisi, Georgia. The collection, owned by the Georgian government, includes rare French and Georgian wines dating back to the early 19th century. Stalin, born in Georgia and known as a wine enthusiast, inherited part of the collection from the Russian tsars after the 1917 revolution and later added Georgian wines he favored.

The Georgian government plans to auction some of the bottles internationally, using the proceeds to establish a wine studies school in the country. Irakli Gilauri, a local winery owner involved in the project, stated that the auction is expected to attract collectors worldwide and elevate Georgia's status on the international wine collecting map. The cellar had remained closed to the public for many years before this recent unveiling.