Soviet Cable Car Network, Chiatura, Georgia

The Cable Car Network in Chiatura is a remarkable and rusty relic of the Soviet era. Built to connect the steep mining town to the surrounding manganese-rich hillsides, this network was a part of daily life for the region’s workers. These steel cabins once carried miners, residents and ore across the mountains. While some of the original lines remain unused, others have undergone renovations and are now part of a more modern transport system.

I visited the town in 2022, near the end of my Georgia & Armenia Tour.

History of the Chiatura Cable Cars

Soviet-era Chiatura grew rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thanks to the vast manganese deposits found in the surrounding mountains. Perched high on the cliffs above the town, accessing the mines was difficult and time-consuming for workers. In 1954, engineers installed a new aerial ropeway system to resolve this. Over the following years, workers built up to 17 lines, some carrying ore as well as people. The cabin systems became an essential part of daily life, powering both the mining industry as well as aiding the transport of residents across the terrain.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, mining operations began to decline. With the major employment gone, the town’s population declined as a result. Without regular use, maintenance of the cable lines was no longer a necessity. Many lines remained in service with original equipment well into the 2010s, but safety concerns and corrosion eventually forced widespread suspension of all service.

Soviet Stalinist & Modernist stations & the infamous “Metal Coffins”

The stations of the cable car network reflect mid-century Soviet industrial design, spanning both Stalinist and Modernist architectural styles. The design of each station features reinforced concrete, wide glass panels, visible workings, and striking geometric layouts.

Some of the steepest lines included grades of 40-50 degrees, making them unusually steep even among aerial ropeways. Because of their topography-driven routes, station position was dictated by the terrain. Upper stations are perched on hillsides; lower stations are adjacent to factory yards or housing blocks.

The cable car cabins themselves earned the nickname “Metal Coffins”. They were small, enclosed metal boxes with minimal ventilation. As the doors closed, the resemblance to coffins became readily apparent!

Chiatura’s new transport system, alongside the renovation of the Soviet-era cable cars

By the In the early 2000s, the cable car network was rapidly declining, and parts of the system became unsafe. A handful of the original lines remained operational until around 2016-17, but increasingly with emergency stoppages and limited service.

In 2021, a modernisation project began, and four new two-way lines were installed to replace older infrastructure on core routes. These new lines carry modern gondolas with 15-person capacities and newly built stations. At the same time, some of the original lines are being preserved or restored for heritage and tourism. The “Upper Rgani” line reopened in late 2024 as a rehabilitated version of its 1966 predecessor. Currently the “Perevisa” line is under refurbishment and expected to relaunch in 2026.