Search Results - Sumqayit

The first reports of settlements at the present site of Sumgayit were in 1580, although nothing substantial was created on the site until the Soviet Union gained control over the area in the 1920s. In 1935, the Soviet government decided to develop heavy industry in Apsheron Peninsula, and the future location of Sumgayit was chosen from its proximity to Baku and its key position on existing railroad lines.

Between 1938-1941, a thermal power station was constructed to power Baku's growing petroleum industry. This was soon followed by more heavy industries. After a pause due to World War II, more metallurgical and chemical plants were constructed. This rapid growth created a number of jobs, and a need for a resident population. By 1949, Sumgayit gained official city status.

However, as a result of the Soviet planning of that era, the city became heavily polluted. Soon after Azerbaijan's independence, the industrial sectors went into decline. The Apsheron Peninsula (which consists of Sumqayit, Baku and the Abseron rayon) is considered by scientists to be the most ecologically devastated part of Azerbaijan. The city is known for its children's cemetery, known as the "Baby Cemetery" which contains the many graves of infants born with deformities and mental retardation that were further complicated by the lack of adequate medical care for the poor.^[1] In 2007, Time magazine placed Sumqayit on their list of The World's Most Polluted Places.^[2] Scientific American, has also placed Sumqayit on their top ten most polluted places in the world.