An unsettling tour of Stalin's Sochi dacha, his favorite retreat

Even a bloodthirsty and paranoid despot likes to unwind.

For Joseph Stalin, the best place to clear his head was in the refreshing mountain air of Sochi. The camouflaged sanctuary in leafy Green Grove was his favorite among his many dachas, or villas. There he could enjoy all the amenities that his stature and predilections called for: a shallow indoor pool (he couldn't swim), a billiard table (rigged in his favor), a study/cinema (with bulletproof sofa for repose), and much more.

This slideshow wraps up Yahoo Homes' Flickr Focus of the Week, Stalin's Sochi dacha -- looking into every nook and cranny we could find. Click the photo above to enter the unsettling home of one of history's darkest characters.

And click here to join Yahoo Homes' Flickr group and perhaps submit your own candidate for our new Flickr Focus of the Week feature.