“Stalin had 15 scenic seaside villas, some of them czarist palaces, on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia. In 2002, I visited and photographed these extraordinarily well-preserved Stalinist time capsules.”

British historian, television presenter and author

Simon Jonathan Sebag Montefiore is a British historian, television presenter, and writer of history books and novels. He is known for works that bring large historical subjects to a broad readership. His books include Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, Jerusalem: The Biography, The Romanovs: 1613 to 1918, and The World: A Family History of Humanity. His work often ranges across rulers, empires, and the longer sweep of history.