In just 10 years, Branobel became a global actor in the rapidly expanding oil market. But a global company is also local. The business is always found in some physical place that is important to the people who work there.
Finnish know-how helped to pump Kazakh oil
Finnish know-how in engineering made a substantial contribution to pumping Kazakhstan oil in early 20th century and building the first oil pipelines from the Dossor field in western Kazakhstan to the north shore of the Caspian Sea. That made camel caravans obsolete.
Villa Petrolea – an expensive oasis
A harsh climate and many diseases claimed victims among Branobel’s employees in Baku. In 1882, Ludvig Nobel decided to improve the conditions for the Northerners and started construction of Villa Petrolea – a residential district for the company’s employees.
The dream of a small paradise…
On 24 September 1884, Ludvig Nobel writes a letter to his daughter, Anna. He is happy about the acclaim he has received for his own endeavours to create a good life for his employees in the "Villa Petrolia" residential suburb. But the water needed to realise his dream of a green oasis in the semi-desert of Baku is still lacking.
The Untold History of Villa Petrolea
Many untold stories are hidden among the more than nine thousand records of the Nobel company’s activities in the archives in Azerbaijan.