Most people think of Joseph Stalin as an evil tyrant who was responsible for the death of millions of people and is almost on a par with Hitler.

But not 73-year-old Nazi Stefanishvili, or her friends who have formed a fan club for the great dictator in the town where he was born.

Although Stalin's rule was marked by mass repression, labour camps and famine, Mrs Stefanishvili says she has admired him since her childhood and over the years has filled a room in her daughter's house with memorabilia.

'Every morning I go to the room to say good morning to Stalin,' she said.

Loyal to the end: This is the United Communist Party of Georgia, a group who still revere Stalin, 60 years after he died

Nazi Stefanishvili, a 73-year-old retired economist, poses for a portrait in a room dedicated to Stalin at her home in Gori, Georgia

Although he led the Soviet Union - which was dominated by Russia - for nearly three decades, Stalin was not Russian, but Georgian.

Nowadays Russia and Georgia are at loggerheads - they went to war in 2008 - and few Russians or Georgians have anything good to say about the man born Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili.

Mrs Stefanishvili, a retired economist, says: 'I have paintings, a lot of books about Stalin, busts, old newspapers, souvenirs. Most I bought, others were gifts, some were even found in the garbage.'

Georgia became independent of the rapidly collapsing Soviet Union in 1991 and since then most of the memorials to Stalin have been dismantled, most recently in 2010 when authorities removed a statue of the dictator from Gori's central square.

But Stalin is still revered by a small group of mainly elderly supporters who stress his role in the industrialisation of the Soviet Union and in defeating Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Retired builder Vasili Sidamonidze, 70, poses for a portrait at his home in Gori, Georgia. He says: 'Unfortunately, Stalin is not popular nowadays. Our people don't respect him'

'Unfortunately, Stalin is not popular nowadays. Our people don't respect him. Only we, members of the Communist Party, respect him,' said retired builder Vasili Sidamonidze, 70, who has a huge painting of Stalin at his home.

'I always try to attend Stalin's birthday anniversaries in Gori. Unfortunately many people don't want to join us even if they live nearby. They look at us from their windows,' he added.

Every year a few dozen people mark Stalin's birthday by gathering outside a Gori museum dedicated to the dictator, where they make speeches and walk to the square, demanding the statue be replaced.

Retired driver Ushangi Davitashvili, 86, poses for a portrait at his home in Tbilisi. He says Stalin got a bad press. 'He saved the world from fascism. He cared about people. Under his rule there was no unemployment. We had free education and healthcare. He was a great man,' he said

Retired economist Otar Chigladze, 82, poses for a portrait at his home in Gori. 'I travelled a lot around the USSR and never missed a chance to buy Stalin memorabilia,' he said

Retired builder Shalva Didebashvili, 78, poses for a portrait at his home in Mtskheta, Georgia. 'What Jesus Christ is for many religious people, Stalin is the same for me,' he said

'I cannot say how many people support us but we have regional offices all around Georgia,' said 77-year-old Jiuli Sikmashvili, one of the leaders of the United Communist Party of Georgia.

'Unfortunately the youth don't want to join our party, so our members are mostly elderly people,' he added.

The communist parties, which tend to be pro-Russian, are not popular in Georgia, which wants to move out of Moscow's sphere of influence and join NATO and the European Union.

Following a 2011 law, dozens of Soviet-era monuments and symbols were removed and street names which referred to Georgia's communist past changed.

Retired engineer Guram Kardanakhishvili, 86, poses for a portrait at his home where he lives alone in Tbilisi. 'I have been a fan of Stalin since school,' he said

Natia Babunashvili, 40, poses for a portrait with her children, 13-year-old Giorgi (left) and Tamuna, 14 (right), at her home in Tbilisi. She says: 'My father was a party boss in one of the regions of Soviet Georgia and he taught me to love Stalin from childhood'

Retired railway worker Suliko Berdzenishvili, 82, poses for a portrait at his home in Tbilisi. He said he goes to Stalin's hometown of Gori every year to mark his birthday

Natia Babunashvili, who lives in the capital, Tbilisi, is one of the few Stalinists who are under 60.

The 40-year-old said: 'My father was a party boss in one of the regions of Soviet Georgia and he taught me to love Stalin from childhood.

'I tell my children of my childhood during Soviet times...how good my life was, how happy I was in the USSR. They form their own opinions but they share my views for now,' said Natia, whose children are aged 13 and 14.

Retired librarian Tsitsino Tsintsadze, 77, poses for a portrait at her home in Tbilisi. She said: 'I have portraits of Stalin, books about him, souvenirs. Some I bought, some were given to me. My relatives and friends know about my love of Stalin and often gift me memorabilia'

Levan Gongadze, 87, poses for a portrait at his home in Tbilisi. 'I have been a fan of Stalin all my life, but there was a time when I almost changed my mind'