| Kuntsevo Dacha | |
|---|---|
Бли́жняя да́ча | |
 Gate to the dacha | |
  Location within Moscow | |
| Alternative names | Blizhnyaya Dacha |
| General information | |
| Type | Dacha |
| Location | Kuntsevo,Moscow, Russia |
| Coordinates | 55°43′28″N37°29′09″E / 55.72444°N 37.48583°E /55.72444; 37.48583 |
| Completed | 1934 |
| Client | Joseph Stalin |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Miron Merzhanov |
Stalin's Dacha, also known as theKuntsevo Dacha,[1] (Russian:Ку́нцевская да́ча,romanized: Kuntsevskaya dacha) wasJoseph Stalin's personal residence between Moscow andDavydkovo (then inMoscow Oblast, now part ofMoscow'sFili district), where he lived for the last two decades of his life anddied on 5 March 1953. The dacha is located in a forest not far from the modern-dayVictory Park.[2]
Also called the "nearerdacha" (Russian:Ближняя дача,romanized: Blizhnyaya Dacha, as distinct from the"far dachas"), it was built in 1933–34 toMiron Merzhanov's designs.[3] A second floor was added to the original building in 1943. Stalin lived in the Kuntsevo dacha (which incorporated a bomb-shelter) duringWorld War II. There, he played host to such high-profile guests asWinston Churchill (in August 1942[4])andMao Zedong[2] (in December 1949).
The dacha is located at the heart of a densely woodedbirch forest; its defenses included a double-perimeter fence, camouflaged 30-millimeter antiaircraft guns, and a security force of three hundredNKVD (after 1946,MGB) special troops.[5] The grounds included a small pond, apple and lemon trees, a rose garden and a watermelon patch which Stalin liked to cultivate.[6] There was also a sports ground for playinggorodki.[2]
Upon entering the dacha, there was a lobby with twocloakrooms. To the left, a door opened to Stalin's personal study, where he spent most of the day. Directly in front, a door opened to the large dining room, while to the right there was a long, narrow corridor.
The rectangular dining room was dominated by a long polished table and covered with rose colored carpets.[6] The room was decorated with images ofVladimir Lenin and of the writerMaxim Gorky. It was in this room that Stalin welcomed theSoviet Politburo for meetings and late-night dinners and where important decisions were often made. An "almost invisible" door located on one side of the dining room led to a kitchen and Stalin's bedroom.[6]
On the left-hand side of the dacha, there was Stalin's personal study (where he spent most of the day when at Kuntsevo) with his large war-time desk, a radio that was a gift fromWinston Churchill (presented during Churchill's first visit to Moscow, in August 1942) and acouch; Stalin usually slept on this couch, instead of in his bedroom.[6] The bathroom was located next to Stalin's study.
On the right-hand side, the long narrow corridor led initially to two bedrooms (mostly used for accommodating occasional guests) and eventually to a large openveranda. Stalin spent much time on this veranda; even during very cold winter weather, he would often sit in a chair, wearing a warm sheepskin coat and a fur hat.[6] He also liked to read books and reports and feed the birds while on the veranda.[6]
Stalin seldom visited the second floor of the dacha, although an elevator had been installed on his orders. The entire upper floor was originally intended to accommodate his daughterSvetlana Alliluyeva, but she seldom stayed there for more than a few days each year. As a result, the upstairs rooms remained dark and empty for most of the time.[6]
After Stalin's death theMarx–Engels–Lenin–Stalin Institute set up a commission to make arrangements for a Stalin museum at Kuntsevo.[7]Nikita Khrushchev rejected the idea, and for several decades the dacha remained unoccupied.
Stalin's daughter Svetlana reported that a copy of the famous paintingReply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks was hung somewhere on the ground floor of the dacha but was not clear on the precise location.[6]
The building remains shrouded in secrecy: the grounds are fenced and closed to the public. However, the dacha is still preserved in good condition, along with all of Stalin's personal belongings, including his study with the war-time desk and the sofa where he slept.[8]
Upon becomingPresident of the Russian Federation in 2000,Vladimir Putin summoned the most powerful businessoligarchs of Russia to Kuntsevo in whatSergei Pugachev (a participant in that meeting) described as a "very symbolic" move; another participant,Mikhail Khodorkovsky, said that by summoning them to Kuntsevo and by sitting in Stalin's office, Putin "wanted us to understand that we, as big businessmen, may have some power, but it is nothing compared to his power as the head of state."[8] (Khodorkovsky "did not take that message to heart" and wound up serving ten years in prison on charges oftax evasion.[8])
[Churchill] was driven to the Kremlin for his first encounter with the Soviet leader at 7 p.m. on 12 August. [...] Churchill felt that they parted after four hours in an atmosphere of goodwill. He returned to 'State Villa No. 7' (Stalin's dacha at Kuntsevo, which had been placed at his disposal during the visit [...].
