Chelyabinsk is Russia’s seventh most populated city and the second largest in the Ural Federal District. An important industrial centre specialising in metallurgy and military production, it is also one of Russia’s most polluted cities. During the 1930s, Chelyabinsk underwent industrial expansion as part of Stalin’s five-year plans, including constructing the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Combine. During World War II, the city’s industries produced 18,000 tanks, 48,500 tank diesel engines, and 17 million units of ammunition, earning it the nickname ‘Tankograd.’ Today, the city is home to several important heavy industries and promotes itself as an exciting business hub with enormous potential.^[1] Nevertheless, Chelyabinsk suffers from the same ecological problems as the Urals’ other industrial cities.