Behind the iron curtain: Inside an abandoned Soviet holiday resort

Tucked away in the Caucus mountain range, Racha, western Georgia, the holiday resort has been left neglected for decades.

With it’s picturesque scenery it’s easy to understand why this little known secret has been described by many as the ‘Georgian Switzerland’ and was a holiday getaway for many people in the Soviet Union at its height.

Photographer Ioanna Sakellaraki, 27, documented the forgotten holiday resort in the area.

She said: “By coincidence during a day hike in the surrounding area I had heard that this region of Georgia had some of the best kept secrets of soviet times.

The resort is named Shovi and is known for its carbonated water and its rejuvenating mineral water.”

One of the region’s claims to fame is that Joseph Stalin was a big fan of its red wine and he even had a retirement home built there.

Established in 1926 just a few years after the Soviet Union was created, Shovi quickly became a holiday hotspot for the Soviet elite not only in Georgia but through out eastern Europe.

However multiple wars in the region and the collapse of the Soviet Union has led to the demise of many of the old hotels in the resort.

Many of the of the hotels in the resort had built in cinemas and restaurants and it also boasted a sanatorium for those seeking to enjoy the health benefits of the local water.

Little is known as to why the resort was abandoned but recent investment in the area has seen an increase of tourists rediscovering this gem of the past.

Ioanna said: “I’m not sure why it was abandoned but there are obviously reconstruction plans and the area has had some investment interest.

Describing how she felt when she discovered the resort, Ionanna said: “It was fascinating, felt like an old treasure from the past found in the middle of nowhere. The most astonishing part for me was getting in the basement of a building and finding out the old soviet cinema room.”