Chiatura
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Chiatura ჭიათურა | |
|---|---|
 The town of Chiatura. | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| Mkhare | Imereti |
| Population (2008) | |
• Total | 19,587 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+5 |
Chiatura (Georgian: ჭიათურა) is a city in the Imereti region of Western Georgia. In 1989, it had a population of about 30,000.
Geography and History
It is inland, in a mountain valley on the banks of the Kvirila River, and since 1879 has been a major centre of manganese production in the Caucasus. There is a rail link to transport manganese ore to the ferro-alloy plant in Zestaphoni. In Chiatura are located the Tsereteli State Theater, 10 schools, Faculty of the Georgian Technical University, and the Mgvimevi Cathedral (10th-11th centuries).Manganese production rose to 60% of global output by 1905. During the 1905 Russian Revolution Chiatura was the only Bolshevik stronghold in mostly Menshevik Georgia. 3,700 miners worked 18 hours a day sleeping in the mines, always covered in soot. They didn't even have baths. Joseph Stalin persuaded them to back Bolshevism during a debate with the Mensheviks. They preferred his simple 15 minute speech to his rivals' oratory. They called him 'sergeant major Koba'. He set up a printing press, protection racket and 'red battle squads'. Stalin put Vano Kiasashvili in charge of the armed miners. The mine owners actually sheltered him as he would protect them from thieves in return and he destroyed mines whose owners refused to pay up.[1] In 1906 a gold train carrying the miners' wages was attacked by Kote Tsintsadze's Druzhina (Bolshevik Expropriators' Club). They fought for two hours, killing a Gendarme and soldier, and stealing 21,000 roubles.[2] The miners went on a successful 55 day strike June–July 1913. They demanded an 8 hour day, higher wages and no more night work. The police allowed the RSDRP to lead the strike provided they didn't make any political demands.[3] They were supported by fellow strikers in Batumi and Poti.[4]
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
References
- ^ Simon Sebag Montefiore, Young Stalin, pp 111-3
- ^ Simon Sebag Montefiore, Young Stalin, page 130
- ^ Ronald Grigor Suny, The making of the Georgian nation, page 178
- ^ http://mmcworkers.ge/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=27&lang=en
