RFE/RL: Tskaltubo's Soviet-era sanatoriums go up for auction — with heavy investment strings attached
The government listed ten crumbling sanatoriums in the former spa town of Tskaltubo in an online auction that opened on 20 October and closes on 15 November. Starting prices range from about $1 million to $3.5 million (around $3.3 million for the best-known, Medea), but buyers must also commit to far larger renovations — $24 million over five years in Medea's case. RFE/RL notes that three of seven earlier sales returned to state ownership, that Ivanishvili's 2019 pledge to restore the buildings was dropped, and that some displaced families from Abkhazia and South Ossetia still live there.
Feature published by RFE/RL on 23 October (background, not breaking news). RFE/RL is funded by the US government. Figures as reported by RFE/RL.
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