Day 21: A Day with the Rector—Ancient Monasteries, Soviet Propaganda, and an Extreme Border Fish Farm

Saturday was an absolute whirlwind of a day trip, and easily one of our most fascinating cultural experiences yet. We were invited out for the entire day by the school's rector and his son, giving us a completely personal, insider’s look at Georgia's deepest history, its modern geopolitical tensions, and a truly surreal museum tour.

Here is how our incredible Day 21 unfolded:

1. The Twin Monasteries of Mtskheta

Our firs

t destination was the ancient capital of Mtskheta. We stopped at two incredibly significant spiritual hubs:  

• Jvari Monastery: Perched high on top of a rocky hill, this 6th-century monastery looks straight down at the exact point where two massive rivers—the clear Aragvi and the wider Mtkvari—meet in a sharp contrast of colors far below. The view from up there was breathtaking.  

• Svetitskhoveli Cathedral: Next, we went down into the town to visit this massive, historic cathedral. This is the sacred ground where ancient Georgian kings were crowned and where they now lie buried.  

After soaking in the history, we made a quick stop for a local wine tasting to try some regional varieties.  

2. The Stalin Museum in Gori: History vs. Propaganda

From Mtskheta, we drove further west to Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, to visit the infamous state museum dedicated to him.  

The experience inside was completely surreal. The local lady giving us the tour was incredibly old-school and intensely pro-Stalin. Her commentary painted him as an absolutely flawless, heroic, and world-shaping leader.  

Thankfully, we had the rector with us! While the guide was delivering her heavily scripted, one-sided presentation, the rector was quietly whispering the real facts to us on the side. He broke down how the entire exhibition is essentially a massive, unchanged capsule of Soviet propaganda designed purely to hide his atrocities and make him look good. Having that double-layered perspective made the museum trip unforgettable.  

3. Catching Sturgeon at a Restricted Border Fish Farm

For dinner, the rector took us on a drive that felt straight out of a thriller. We went to a specialized fish farm located just 20 kilometers away from the Russian-occupied territory—a heavily militarized zone where it is strictly illegal and dangerous for civilians to cross over.

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The dining experience itself was incredible. We were served Stör (Sturgeon), a premium fish, drizzled with a beautifully sweet and tart traditional Georgian pomegranate sauce, surrounded by a table stacked with typical local and international side dishes.

The highlight of the evening, though, was when Kai and the rector's son grabbed fishing rods and actually managed to catch a few huge sturgeons themselves! The farm staff gutted and fully cleaned the fish on the spot, taking out the organs so they were completely prepared and ready for the rector to take home and throw straight into the pan.

Winding Down

We made it back to Tbilisi late, smelling lightly of river water, garlic, and pomegranate sauce, with our brains completely full of history, politics, and propaganda. It was an intense, eye-opening day that we never could have experienced without the hospitality of our host school's rector.