Samto

Before reading this Atlantic article, I hadn’t even heard of Chiatura, a mining (სამთო – samto) town in the mountains of Imereti. I thought I had heard of, if not visited, all the relatively large towns and cities in Georgia. Little did I know Chiatura is bustling with nearly 20,000 people and, while one doesn’t just stumble into town, we found it worth the trip. 

View from above the city

We literally had less than two hours to visit (public transport set our schedule for us, sadly) but we were able to hit the highlights. 

Profiles of Lenin and Stalin still decorate this city building

Most of the workers in Chiatura mine manganese, an element that is used in metal alloys, especially stainless steel. The mines have been active since manganese was discovered in the late 1800s, although it’s not uncommon for the mines to be closed, like they were after the fall of the Soviet Union and as they have been for the last few months. 

Up, up, up!

There are 17 active cable cars in town, some which are free and others that cost a few tetri. The mining company owns the cable cars – they were installed mostly for the workers to use in the 1950s – but everyone in town uses them, as for some they are the only way to get to school​, work or home. 

Cable car mechanics

I am not good with heights (especially heights combined with moving vehicles) but the ride was smooth and uneventful. We were rewarded with great views of the valley from the top!

Compact Chiatura

Thanks to Hannah for (quickly!) showing us around!