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Black gold runs through the veins of Baku

The first thing a visitor senses upon arriving in Baku is the smell of methaneIt, like sulfur, comes from the gas and oil exploitation that surrounds Azerbaijan’s capital, both in and out of the waters of the Caspian Sea that bathe the city.

This year, the Climate Summit will host a special scenario: which is considered the oil city of the worldFrom the glorious past, but also from the present, deeply linked to hydrocarbons.

When Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev gave this assurance in his opening speech at COP29 “Oil and gas are a gift from God“, His words shook the summit, angering both activists and even delegations from other countries, but they did nothing more than reflect the uniqueness of this Caucasus state, where the first industrial The oil well was established.

Entrance gate of Villa Petrolia, with images of the Nobel brothers To. gentle

Villa Petrolia, symbol of the power of the Black Gold Giants

In some places it can be better appreciated. Baku’s historical connection with black gold lies in the aptly named Villa Petrolia. The mansion, a striking Byzantine-style building that contrasts with the modern blocks and wide avenues that surround it, was built in 1884 by the Nobel brothers, oil magnates, as their “second home” in Baku.

The creators of dynamite and the awards named after him were the children of Sweden’s Alfred Nobel. Leader in industrial exploitation of oil Which accumulated in the soil and water of this peninsula in the Caspian along with their company Brothers Nobel Oil Company (Branobel).

At that time, the house, surrounded by gardens, was an oasis of peace called full oil district black city (“Black City”) The way pollution permeates everythingThere, major oil executives met in English club-style rooms, while employees lived in adjacent barracks.

The “Black City” of Baku in 1905. Carl Bulla/Wikimedia Commons

The function of this chalet has not changed that much, in addition to now being a museum, it is located in Special Nobel Baku Oil ClubAnd that on the day of this journalist’s visit it organizes a private meeting at the highest level. High-end cars keep arriving, while its old fireplaces work at full capacity to try to warm the interior on a cold November morning.

Visitors near Nobel Residence To . gentle

From “Black City” to “White City”: Baku’s Great Transformation

“Everything is black: walls, earth, air and skyYou can smell the oil and inhale the smoke, and the stench suffocates you. You walk among clouds of smoke covering the sky.” This is how a Turkish traveler described what the “Black City” was like in 1890.

And although a certain smell remains, practically everything has changed since then. At the beginning of this century, the government proposed a radical transformation of the district, of which only the Nobel Residence remains, in order to cleanse its dark past and rename it. The “White City”, a “new, modern city center“, according to the country’s current president. According to official data from the Azeri executive, this reconstruction will cover 1,650 hectares and accommodate 280,000 inhabitants when completed.

The entrance to the “White City” with the Caspian Sea in the background To. gentle

“What has been a “black city” for centuries will become white, clean, Flowers will grow and it will be a nice place to visit of Azerbaijan,” his father, historical Azeri leader Heydar Aliyev, predicted.

In addition to Villa Petrolia, there are also the remains of some of the world’s first oil tanks from the mid-19th century. The city displays them with pride, just as many posters remind us that the first refineries were also born here. Or the first oil pipeline. At the end of that century, Azerbaijan produced 90% of the world’s oil.

The remains of primitive oil tanks, with the modern buildings of the “White City” in the background To. gentle

Paris buildings and British cabins with refineries in the background

In their place, there are now parks on these polluted lands where Baku’s ubiquitous stray cats roam, delighting visiting wealthy families mainly of national, Russian and Turkish tourists.

There are also modern style buildings and other buildings, although they have just been built, They mimic the historical routes of Paris or London, to such an extent that they have specific booths. And English mailbox.

It may be London, but it’s Baku To. gentle

All this does not hide the fact that, wherever you look, the fossil industry still exists in Baku. in the waters of the Caspian Oil well needles remain visible, and many refineries continue to operate Just a few kilometers away from full capacity.

He 90% of exports and almost half of the country’s GDP are related to gas and oil.That’s according to International Energy Agency data, which shows why Baku is so reluctant to give up its historic source of funding, even in the middle of the COP. According to the BBC, the Azeri government has tried to take advantage of the summit to expand its gas production.

The park that replaces the old “Black City” with its typical stray cats of the city To. gentle

From Soviet nationalization to collapse

The supremacy of the Nobel Prize ended with The Soviet Revolution of 1917, which nationalized the oil industry in a country that became part of the USSRIn previous years, the “Black City” and oil wells were the site of strikes, kidnappings and attacks against oil giants organized by one of the leaders of this revolution, joseph stalin,

After the end of the USSR and the independence of Azerbaijan, in the nineties, the decline of this district became worse and until its renovation in 2008, Villa Petrolia itself was on the verge of ruin after years of abandonment.

Entrance to the Nobel Brothers Museum To. gentle

Now, the government wants the “White City” to lead its Image-washing goes beyond one neighborhood: it’s the entire country.

The climate summit, as has happened on previous occasions, will be a fundamental part of this new external aspect, although diplomatic success will depend on whether it is able to achieve an ambitious agreement for the future of the planet, based on oil. It has been flowing in the veins of Baku for centuries.

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