Nestled in the historic Avlabari District of Tbilisi, Stalin’s Underground Printing House stands as a testament to the power of ideas and the lengths to which revolutionaries will go to disseminate them. As Wilhelm Elfes poignantly stated in the introduction to his 1954 book on the subject, “Police can arrest and even kill people, but they are powerless to suppress the idea. The idea is stronger than the police.” This sentiment encapsulates the spirit of the underground printing house, which played a pivotal role in the anti-tsarist movement in the early 20th century.
The underground printing house was established in 1903 by a young revolutionary named Josef Jughashvili, who would later be known to the world as Joseph Stalin. Understanding the critical role of printed propaganda in the struggle against oppression, Stalin orchestrated the construction of this clandestine facility deep beneath a typical Georgian home. The secrecy surrounding its creation was paramount; construction workers were constantly rotated to ensure that no single individual could reveal the layout of the printing house.
Located approximately 15 meters below the surface, the printing house was ingeniously designed. From the street, it appeared like any other wooden home in the area, but a well in the yard concealed the entrance to a network of underground tunnels. These tunnels connected to the printing chamber, where revolutionary pamphlets and articles were produced in Georgian, Russian, Armenian, and Azeri, and distributed throughout Georgia, Russia, and even Europe.
From 1903 to 1906, the printing house operated as a hub of revolutionary activity. Young communists gathered here, fueled by the desire to overthrow the Russian Empire and establish a Soviet government. Among the many visitors was the 24-year-old Stalin, who frequently contributed to the creation of revolutionary literature. The printing house became a vital source of anti-tsarist propaganda, with materials meticulously printed and prepared for distribution.
However, this clandestine operation was not destined to remain hidden forever. On April 15, 1906, police received a tip-off about the printing house’s location. Despite an initial thorough search of the premises, the authorities failed to uncover the illegal operation until they examined the well and discovered the entrance to the underground tunnels. Upon descending into the depths, they found the printing press and a trove of revolutionary materials. In a swift act of destruction, the police set fire to the house above and detonated explosives in the basement, flooding the printing chamber and effectively ending its operations.
Following Stalin’s rise to power, the remnants of the printing house were transformed into a museum in 1937, under the watchful eye of Lavrenti Beria, the notorious head of the KGB. Stairs were added to provide access to sections of the chamber that remained intact, and the original printing press, along with other artifacts, was displayed. However, as the Soviet Union began to crumble in the 1990s, the museum fell into neglect, largely forgotten due to its communist associations.
In 2001, the site was officially registered as the Illegal Printing House Museum of Josef Stalin, and a decade later, it was transferred to the National Library of Georgia. In 2019, it was recognized as a national cultural heritage monument, highlighting its significance in Georgian history. Today, the museum is located at Kaspi Street N7, and it features an array of Soviet-era memorabilia, including original printed materials, maps detailing distribution routes, and photographs of revolutionary activists.
Visitors to the museum can explore the exhibition hall, which showcases the restored 1893 printing press that once produced the revolutionary pamphlets. The museum serves as a poignant reminder of a tumultuous period in history and the impact of printed propaganda in shaping political landscapes.