Sanatorium Medea, located in the quiet spa town of Tskaltubo, Georgia, is one of the most fascinating places I’ve come across. It’s an abandoned Soviet-era sanatorium, and even though it’s been left to crumble for decades, it still has this eerie charm that makes it impossible to ignore. Like so many of Tskaltubo’s old spa resorts, Medea was part of a grand plan to combine healthcare and leisure during the Soviet Union’s heyday.
Back in its prime, Medea was one of the go-to destinations for workers and families sent to Tskaltubo to “take the waters.” The town was famous for its natural radon-carbonate springs, which were believed to have healing properties. The state even funded these trips as part of their healthcare system. It wasn’t just about relaxation—it was about science-backed recovery, at least by Soviet standards.
The building itself is stunning, even in its current state. It has that classic Soviet grandiosity, with massive columns, sweeping staircases, and a main hall that must’ve been impressive when it was filled with light and people. Now, the windows are broken, vines creep up the walls, and pieces of mosaic tiles litter the floor. The decay adds a strange beauty to the place, like time has transformed it into something entirely different from what it was meant to be.
Medea wasn’t just about aesthetics, though. It was a fully functioning sanatorium with treatment rooms where visitors could soak in mineral baths or get massages prescribed by doctors. The grounds were landscaped, with paths for walking and gardens for unwinding. It was a place designed to heal both body and mind, and it’s easy to imagine how peaceful it must have been back then.
But everything changed in the 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed. Tskaltubo’s spa industry went with it, and places like Medea were abandoned almost overnight. For a while, Medea became temporary housing for families displaced by the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. People lived in what were once luxury suites, cooking meals in the rooms and hanging laundry in the courtyards. Most of them have moved on now, but you can still feel the layers of history when you walk through the building.
Exploring Medea today is like stepping into another world. It’s quiet except for the sound of the wind or maybe your own footsteps echoing through the halls. The faded murals, crumbling staircases, and broken doors all tell a story of a place that was once alive with people. It’s haunting but also strangely peaceful.
If you’re visiting Tskaltubo, Medea is worth checking out. The town itself has plenty of other abandoned sanatoriums, but something about Medea stands out. Maybe it’s the architecture, or maybe it’s knowing how much life it used to hold. Just keep in mind that it’s not officially open to the public, so if you go, be careful. Some parts of the building are pretty unstable.
