Chelyabinsk Oblast is the Centre of Russia’s metallurgical industry, which mercilessly leaves its imprint on the environment and on human health. In some places, the situation is on the brink of ecological disaster. The town and surroundings of Karabash are one of Russia’s most devastated regions. Contaminated soil, bare trees, unusable crops, air poisoned by caustic fumes. This is not unusual in Chelyabinsk Oblast. The main culprit is the copper processing industry, generating toxic substances that cause irreversible damage to living organisms. The local inhabitants – natives and participating experts – provide a dismal testimony of the gradual degradation of their region, tellingly illustrated in long takes of the devastated landscape. Will it be possible to prevent the worst and at least stop the construction of a new enormous metal processing plant?