Chieatura, Georgia Stock Photo

The city was established in 1879, when manganese ore mining commenced on the initiative of Akaki Tsereteli, an outstanding Georgian writer and public figure. By 1895, a railway line connected Chiatura to Shorapani station. At that time, Chiatura mine employed several thousands of people and supplied up to 50% of world’s manganese demand.When the Soviet regime collapsed in 1991, the production of manganese struggled to continue and the town suffered a great economic decline.Today though, mine operations are still underway. Under the stewardship of Georgian American Alloys, the Chiatura Mine is capable of producing an estimated 261,000 metric tons of manganese ore per year.