Despite the 2008 war, neither Gori nor its famous Stalin Museum seem to have changed much since my previous visit in 2007.  The tall statue of Stalin still dominates the town square.  The Stalin Museum still provides a positive narrative of Stalin’s life with a  focus on the great Soviet WWII victory, and no mention of any awkward topics.  The only change I noticed was the addition of a small gift shop, where the faithful can buy commemorative tee-shirts and mugs.

I know that Gori suffered some bomb damage in the 2008 war, as well as being briefly occupied by Russian troops.  However there is no longer any visible damage in the central parts of town.   In general, things actually seemed slightly more prosperous than I remembered from 2007.

[Update:  The Gori Stalin statue was removed on 25th June 2010.]