In the USSR, dachas were very common and the opportunity to purchase a dacha was available to a large number of people. Dachas were used as a place to relax and grow garden crops. However, in those years, dachas were more of a privilege than a pleasure – it was not very easy to get to them, and in conditions of a shortage of household appliances and building materials, their construction was labor-intensive. Nevertheless, many Soviet people had their own dacha, where they spent the summer and sought to improve the territory and grow crops.
Stalin’s dachas
Stalin had several dachas, which he used for rest and work. One of the most famous is the dacha in Gagra on the Black Sea coast, which he called “Klimovka”. Here Stalin spent his last vacation in 1952.
Another famous dacha was Malakhovka, near Moscow. Built in 1933, this dacha became a place where Stalin spent many weekends and received foreign guests. It was equipped with a security system and was used as a place for conferences and secret meetings.
Stalin also had a dacha in Sochi, which he called “Kurortnaya”. This large villa was put up for sale after his death and was bought by the famous Soviet film director Georgy Daneliya, who restored it and made it a museum.