Sanatorium Medea

Sanatorium Medea was constructed in 1962 as part of the vast Soviet network of health resorts and sanatoriums in Georgia. The building was commissioned by the Central Union of Consumer Societies of the USSR and was originally known as the Centrosoyuz Sanatorium.

Medea, just like Sanatorium Imereti, reflected the Soviet belief that rest, medical treatment and carefully designed surroundings could contribute to workers' health and productivity. Its monumental entrance, broad staircases, colonnades and spacious interiors were designed to create an atmosphere of grandeur while providing accommodation and facilities for those undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. It could accommodate approximately 320 patients.

For several decades, Medea operated as a functioning health resort during the height of the Soviet Union. However, the collapse of the USSR in 1991 brought an abrupt end to the system that had supported these large sanatorium complexes. Like many Soviet-era resorts, Medea ceased operating in its original capacity and gradually fell into disrepair.

During the early 1990s, the building took on an entirely different role. Following the war in Abkhazia, people displaced by the conflict were given shelter in former sanatoriums, including Medea. Rooms that had once accommodated holidaymakers and patients became homes for displaced families.

Over the following decades, the building deteriorated, but it was certainly not forgotten. People from all over the world come to photograph this impressive building. The site is not fenced, allowing visitors to freely walk around the grounds. For photographers hoping to capture the building without other people in the frame, early morning is usually the best time to visit.