The Last Generation: Brotseula’s Female Railroaders

In the 1970s, young women from throughout the USSR came to Georgia to work on repairing railway lines at Brotseula, a railway-maintenance hub several kilometers outside of the central Georgian town of Kutaisi. They were paid well for the time and, as temporary employees, thought that they would soon return home. In the meantime, they lived in passenger cars at Brotseula. But most of these 40-some women never did go home. Some married, had families and settled down in Brotseula. The Soviet government eventually constructed apartment buildings for them. Today, only ten still work at Brotseula. They are the last female track workers there and soon will retire.