Moscow - Stalin’s dacha

In western Moscow and in a district called Kuntsevo lies Stalin’s dacha. This was his personal residence between 1933 until his death in 1953. It was here that he returned after working days in the Kremlin and often accompanied by other dignitaries in the innermost political circle such as Khrushchev, Beria, Malenkov, Molotov, Voroshilov, Bulganin, Kaganovich and Mikoyan. There were all sorts of luxuries and a court of private servants to serve Stalin, his family and guests. In Kuntsevo the atmosphere was more relaxed than in Kremlin. Here also the consumtion of alcohol was common, not scarcely in large quantity.

Stalin expected his guests to become drunk as it made them more talkative and exposed. That made them vulnerable and could be used against them. Film and music were also included in these gatherings. These drinking parties and events often lasted until well into the night or morning. This meant that they only got a few hours of sleep before they expected to appear in the Kremlin. It was also in Kuntsevo that Stalin’s servants found him unconscious on the floor of his study on 1 March 1953. Stalin had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage earlier in the night. Stalin never awoke from the coma and died on March 5, 1953.