The city of Rustavi is one of the oldest Georgian cities, but its modern appearance was determined by the Soviet plan of industrialization. In the 1940s, the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant was founded and the new city was built practically from scratch. Rustavi is also called the town of forty brothers — labourers and German prisoners of war were brought in from all over the USSR. The town eventually became the center of heavy industry. Like many mono-cities, Rustavi, at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union had its industrial chains broken and many enterprises were no longer able to exist. More than half of the population lost their jobs, and the main steel factory was gradually destroyed.

The younger generation, living in Rustavi for years, may never have visited the industrial zone and are unaware of the real situation. However, recently a group of activists has gathered in the city, demanding from the government and the enterprises’ administration to strictly control the ecological situation — to install monitoring devices and to filter harmful waste. The problem is far from being solved, and the effects of land and air pollution will continue for a long time.