USHGULI 261km 24th - 26th JULY 2026

Went via Kutaisi and then to Tskaltubo which has many abondoned old buildings in this one are on a forested hillside. The one sanatorium was unable to enter as there was a security guard, but visited the Metalurgi Sanatorium where you pay the lady that has lived there for 34 years 5 Lari to explore it. Place is a total mess and there are still some other people that occupy some rooms. Sad state affairs.

On the way up stopped for fuel and the guy was handing me the nozzle when  he pulled the trigger and pushed fuel all over my bike and phone ,luckily it missed me, was not happy.

From there headed north for Ushguli which is paved the entire way following the river and then over Zagari Pass and into Ushguli. Had booked a room at Buba Hotel, the room had four beds, now windows, no cupboards, a shithole. I told the guy I can't  stay there and cancelled my booking with no penalties and moved on. Went up on the hill to Mate Hotel, and what a pleasant surprise,  beautiful clean room, great bathroom and a window with stunning views of  the surrounding mountains.

   The lady you pay to enter Matalurgi Sanatorium. 

    

   MATE HOTEL

    

    View from my room

Sanatorium Metalurgi

Sanatorium Metalurgi was constructed during the mid-Soviet period. It was completed in 1957, a collaborative project including Valerian Kedia and Ioseb Zaalishvili, who were key architects responsible for drawing the plans for the town of Tsktalubo in 1950-1951.

As the name suggests, this sanatorium was built for metallurgical sector workers (მეტალურგ, or met’alurgi, in Georgian). Steelworkers from all over the USSR automatically qualify for state-funded treatment due to the physical demands of their work. The sanatorium served as a hotel, accommodating the workers while they attended nearby bathhouses for treatments.

The sanatorium remained in use until the early 1990s. Following its closure, the building stood empty for a time before becoming home to internally displaced people fleeing the Abkhazian conflict.

Architecture and Layout of Sanatorium Metalurgi

Sanatorium Metalurgi is a large multi-storey concrete building with a symmetrical layout. The main entrance leads into a central circulation space, from which long corridors extend into the accommodation and areas occupying the wings.

This sanatorium is a clear example of Stalinist Empire style, or Stalinist Neoclassicism. This style sought to blend the monumentality of Ancient Rome and Greece with Soviet symbols. This layout symbolised that the “palaces” of the past now belonged to the proletariat (the workers). There are also stone carvings and floral motifs, which are traditional Georgian ecclesiastical patterns that have been incorporated into the Soviet framework. These are notable; they occur around the elevator doors and line some of the hallway ceilings.

The first, and arguably most impressive, line area I explored was the entrance foyer. It was designed to make an immediate statement of “palatial” grandeur to the workers as they arrived for their vacation. The foyer spans two floors; the upper floor is a column-supported mezzanine overlooking the ground floor through a circular mezzanine opening. From the centre of the circular ceiling hangs a grand chandelier, one of the few original Soviet chandeliers that somehow escaped being looted after the fall of the USSR.

Branching off from the central foyer are two oval extensions. To the west is the theatre, or concert hall. Here workers would gather for nightly film screenings and theatre performances, all part of the “cultural health” programme filled with all the usual Soviet ideological messaging and propaganda. The east wing holds the grand dining hall, with floor-to-ceiling arched glass windows offering panoramic views of the (formerly) lush landscaped grounds. Nowadays, a lonely tree grows inside this space (just slightly off-centre!).

Decline and Present Condition

At the time of my visit, Sanatorium Metalurgi was partially occupied. A resident welcomed us upon arrival and graciously allowed me to explore (for a small fee). He disappeared quickly, leaving me to explore the communal spaces of the sanatorium.

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