Batum was the end of the line on the Transcaucasian railway so the town had an international flair. The port was always full of ships on their way to other places. Surrounding the town were large and dismal swamps and the town was known for a rich history having been a Greek Colony (Bathus), a fortified Roman fort, part of the Ottoman Empire and the last sea port annexed by Russia in 1878.

It is known as one of the places the young Joseph Stalin cut his teeth inciting protests, strikes and general unrest around 1901. Batum was also providing the world with 50% of its oil via a rickety pipeline over mountainous terrain from the Caspian Sea.