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For the rest of Stalin's childhood, Joseph and Yekaterina lived in the home of a priest, Father Charkviani, where the hard-working woman attempted to ensure that her only son would be well-educated enough to escape the drudgery of a lower- class existence. Joseph developed hate or authority. This became more evident when he was in priest school as teenager. Joseph had a reputation for being heartless toward his fellow students, and had been in trouble with the school authorities a few times, but there were no other signs of the direction his career was to take. He seems to have been a self-righteous young man, given his upbringing. At his mother's urging, he applied for and won a small scholarship to the Tiflis Theological Seminary, where he enrolled in September 18944. Yekaterina worked hard to help him afford the tuition, and she had hoped that her son would become a priest. Indeed, even years later, when Stalin ruled all of Russia, she told an interviewer that she would have preferred for him to become a priest. Russia might have preferred it as well. .
All his life, she called him Soso, that is Georgian for little Joseph. Since he was the only surviving child of hers she loved him unconditionally, and was ready to move mountains for him. Little did she know or could have imagined that he would become what he did5. .
It is very hard to say how Stalin felt towards his mother. Did he actually care for her or did he just do what he had to do to keep himself and her safe from his enemies. It is mentioned in history that he did visit her a few times, even though he hated to travel. Must be because of all the exiles and hidings that he had to do in his earlier years. How can an only son not even show up to his own mother's funeral? It has no difference how busy he was or how far he was from her, a telegram and sending Beria on his behalf is not enough. There must have been some bitterness between them for him to act this way.