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Rustavi ( ka, რუსთავი ) is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli and southeast of capital Tbilisi. It has a population of 130,100 (2021), making it the fourth most populous city in Georgia. Its economy is dominated by the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant.


History

Rustavi is one of the ancient towns of Georgia. The history of Rustavi has two phases: an early history from ancient times until the city was destroyed in the 13th century and modern history from the Soviet era to the present.


Early history

The foundation of Rustavi is dated from time immemorial. 11th-century
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
chronicler,
Leonti Mroveli Leonti Mroveli ( ka, ლეონტი მროველი) was the 11th-century Georgian chronicler, presumably an ecclesiastic. ''Mroveli'' is not his last name, but the adjective for the diocese of Ruisi, whose bishop he probably was.Rayfiel ...
in his work "'' Georgian Chronicles''" connects foundation of the city to Kartlos, the eponymous ancestor of
Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
, whose wife have founded town along Kura river called Bostan-Kalaki ( lit. "''city of gardens''"). The same chronicler, who also worked on “''The life of the Kings''”, mentions the town Rustavi among those castles, which opposed Alexander the Great's army, although it is proved that Alexander has never invaded Iberia. Rustavi is mentioned among such ancient towns as Uplistsikhe, Urbnisi, Mtskheta and Sarkineti. It could be assumed that Rustavi as a city had been founded at least in the 5th–4th centuries B.C. Besides the manuscripts, the excavations of the castle Rustavi prove that Rustavi was an important political and administrative center of Iberia. In late 4th century A.D
Trdat of Iberia Tiridates (Parthian language, Parthian: 𐭕𐭉𐭓𐭉𐭃𐭕, Tīridāt, xcl, wikt:Տրդատ, Տրդատ, ''Trdat'') is a word of Iranian languages, Iranian origin (“given by the god Tishtrya, Tir”). It may refer to: Parthia * Tiridates I ...
had built a church and a canal in Rustavi. During the reign of Vakhtang I of Iberia (5th century) Rustavi took an important part in the political life in Kingdom of Iberia. At the beginning of the 6th century, in 503, Sassanids conquered Iberia and turned it into ordinary Persian province ruled by a '' marzpan'' (governor). However, Byzantine Emperor
Heraclius Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...
's offensive in 627 and 628 brought final victory over the Persians and ensured Byzantine predominance in Georgia, until the invasion of the Arabs. In struggle against Arab occupation Rustavi belonged to
Principality of Kakheti The Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti ( ka, კახეთ-ჰერეთის სამეფო, tr) or just the First Kingdom of Kakheti was an early Medieval monarchy in eastern Georgia, centered at the province of Kakheti, with its capital first ...
, the latter would form Kakhetian kingdom, whose ruler Kvirike III the Great would install Eristavi (duke) in Rustavi. On Kvirike's death, Kakheti was temporarily annexed to the Kingdom of Georgia. As soon as Arabs were defeated, in 1068 Georgia was invaded by resurgent Turk-Seljuks from Central Asia, under the command of Sultan
Alp Arslan Alp Arslan was the second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to the south and northwest, and his v ...
. There was a terrible battle between king Bagrat IV of Georgia and Seljuks, where Bagrat was bitterly defeated and as a result, the king of Kakheti gained independence and got into closer contact with the Turkish-Seljuks to secure independence in this way. After Seljukid invasions of Georgia, allied forces took Tbilisi and Rustavi and gave it to Emir of Tbilisi. During that time Rustavi saw decline, its economy was ruined and due to its strategic location it only remained as a well-fortified town in hands of emirs in Tbilisi. In 1069 Bagrat IV defeated emir Fadlun and captured the fortress of Rustavi, Partskhisi and Agarani. During the anti-Seljuk campaigns led by David IV Rustavi played an essential role in securing Georgia's southern boundaries. Rustavi was finally destroyed after
Timur's invasion of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia, a Christian kingdom in the Caucasus, was subjected, between 1386 and 1403, to several disastrous invasions by the armies of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, whose vast empire stretched, at its greatest extent, from Central ...
.


Modern history

Rustavi was rebuilt as a major industrial center during the Soviet era. The development of Rustavi was part of Joseph Stalin's accelerated industrialization process, and included ironworks, steelworks, chemical plants and an important railway station on the Tbilisi
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
railroad line. Rustavi is the site of approximately 90 large and medium-sized industrial plants. The core of the city's industrial activity was the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, constructed in 1941–1950 to process
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
from nearby Azerbaijan. Stalin brought workers from various regions in Georgia, specifically from the poorer rural provinces of Western Georgia. Rustavi became a key industrial centre for the Transcaucasus region. The industrial activity expanded to include the manufacture of
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
products, cement, chemicals, and synthetic fibers. May 1944 was a significant time in the history of modern Rustavi. Geologists began to define the soil of the place where the metallurgical works were to be built. The area was nearly empty, and there were only temporary lodgings and slums available. many people arrived at Rustavi, coming from different parts of Georgia. The first newspaper came out on 30 August 1944. It was called “Metallurgiisatvis” (meaning "For Metallurgy" in Georgian). Rustavi celebrated frequent housewarming parties as many people migrated to the city each day. In 1948 the first streets were “baptized” in Rustavi. The first street was named after the Young Communist League, the second, after the builders of Rustavi, and the third, after its ancient name Bostan-Kalaki. On 19 January 1948, a decree of the Supreme Soviet of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic declared Rustavi a town of republican importance. On 27 April 1950, the whole town celebrated the production of the first industrial Georgian steel. It was founded on the roots of the famous ancestors Khalibs. German
POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
s who were captured in World War II were enlisted to build the city of Rustavi. Modern Rustavi is divided into two parts—''Dzveli Rustavi'' (Old Rustavi) and ''Akhali Rustavi'' (New Rustavi). Old Rustavi adheres to Stalinist architectural style while New Rustavi is dominated by a multitude of Soviet-era block apartments. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 proved disastrous for Rustavi, as it also caused the collapse of the integrated Soviet economy of which the city was a key part. Most of its industrial plants were shut down and 65% of the city's population became unemployed, with the attendant social problems of high crime and acute poverty that such a situation brings. The population shrank from 160,000 in the mid-1990s to 116,000 in 2002 as residents moved elsewhere in search of work. New York-based artist
Greg Lindquist Greg Lindquist (born May 9, 1979) is an American artist, painter and sculptor based in New York City. Biography Greg Lindquist was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, graduated from Emsley A. Laney High School in 1997, studied art and English at ...
(b. 1979) has documented Rustavi's crumbling concrete factories in his paintings and installations, such as the exhibition "Nonpasts" in 2010. Lindquist has also worked with Georgian collaborators, such as artist Gio Sumbadze (b. 1976), in projects that address the current social, cultural and political significance of these architectures. In 2010, the Laura Palmer Foundation staged an exhibition at the Ministry of Transportation building (
Tbilisi Roads Ministry Building The Bank of Georgia headquarters ( ka, საქართველოს ბანკის სათავო ოფისი) is a building in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was designed by architects George Chakhava and Zurab JalaghaniaUdo Kultermann: '' ...
) in which Lindquist and Sumbadze installed paintings addressing the history of Georgia's transportation system. This BOMB magazin
interview
with La Toya Frazier for the exhibition "Planet of Slums" addresses many of the complexities of Lindquist's work in the Republic of Georgia.


Demographics

At the beginning of 2021, Rustavi had more than 130,072 inhabitants, an increase of 4% since the 2014 census. This increase makes Rustavi the fourth most populous city in Georgia, just behind
Kutaisi Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...
, which is suffering from ongoing contraction. Rustavi experienced rapid growth due to
industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
under Stalin. Since the regained Georgian independence in 1991 and the years of civil war and crisis that followed, many residents (e)migrated due to unemployment. The low point was reached around 2002, and growth clearly picked up in the 2010s while industrial activities and employment have resumed. In 2014, the ethnic composition of Rustavi was almost 92%
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
, with minority communities of
Azerbaijanis Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...
(3.7%), Armenians (1.6%) and Russians (1.2%). Remarkably enough, more than 500 Ossetians (0.4%) lived in the city. Other ethnic minorities included 315 Ukrainians, 239 Yazidis, over 166 Greeks, 55
Assyrians Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * Assyrian ...
and smaller numbers of
Kists The Kists ( ka, ქისტები ''kist'ebi'', ce, Kistoj, Kisti, Nokhcho, Nakhcho) are a Chechen subethnos in Georgia. They primarily live in the Pankisi Gorge, in the eastern Georgian region of Kakheti, where there are approximately 9,0 ...
, Jews, Abkhazian and
Bosha Bosha may refer to: * The Kingdom of Garo The Kingdom of Garo, also known as Bosha after its ruling dynasty, was an Oromo-Sidama kingdom in the Horn of Africa. Established by the Sidama people, it was situated on the periphery of the Gibe regi ...
. The proportions of the ethnic minorities in the city has not always been this way. Especially in the Soviet period these were completely different, with striking numbers of Russians. The city also had a substantial Ossetian community. Migration during and after the fall of the Soviet Union and due to civil conflicts has made the city much more mono-ethnic Georgian.


City governance

Rustavi is a self-governing city. The representative body of the city is the City Council, and the executive body is the City Hall. Administratively, Rustavi is divided into 10 territorial bodies: #David Agmashenebeli district #Old Rustavi district #Shota Rustaveli district #Zhiuli Shartava district #
Giorgi Chkondideli district Internati, officially is known as Giorgi Chkondideli District ( ka, ჭყონდიდელის დასახლება), is a suburb of Rustavi, south-eastern Georgia, which is situated in the eastern part of the city and is separat ...
#Ilia Chavchavadze district #Vakhtang Gorgasali district #Iakob Tsurtaveli district #Nikoloz Baratashvili district #district named after the 13 Assyrian fathers


City council

Rustavi City Assembly (
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
: რუსთავის საკრებულო, Rustavi Sakrebulo) is the representative body in Rustavi City that consists of 35 members as of 2021, who are elected every four years. The last election for the ''sakrebulo'' was held in
October 2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
. Rustavi was one of only seven municipalities where the ruling Georgian Dream party failed to secure a council majority in 2021.


Mayor

The most recent mayoral election was held on 2 October 2021, with a runoff on 30 October which Nino Latsabidze ( Georgian Dream) won from Davit Kirkitadze ( United National Movement). The results were as follows: Previously elected mayors of Rustavi * Irakli Tabagua ( GD) (2017–2021) * Davit Jikia ( GD) (2014–2017)


Climate

Rustavi has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
( Köppen climate classification: ''Cfa'') with hot summers and relatively cold winters.


Sports


Rustavi Race Circuit

The last of the racetracks built in the USSR. Competitions started in the end of 1979 and the track hosted eleven USSR Championship events until 1989. Prior to 2009 the condition of the
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
had deteriorated. That same year the area was sold to the private company Stromos on the State auction. After total reconstruction in 2011–2012, the
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
reopened and has hosted a number of racing events, such as the
TCR International Series The TCR International Series was an international touring car championship. The championship was promoted by World Sporting Consulting (WSC), founded by former World Touring Car Championship manager Marcello Lotti. It was marketed as a cost-eff ...
, Formula Alfa series, Legends championship, BMW Annual Festival,
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street adj ...
and
drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...
competitions, amateur races and many more. The city is home to the basketball club
BC Rustavi BC Rustavi ( ka, საკალათბურთო კლუბი რუსთავი) is a professional basketball club based in the city of Rustavi, Georgia. The club competes in the Georgian Superliga, and plays its home games in the Rusta ...
of the
Georgian Superliga The Georgian Basketball Super League ( ka, საკალათბურთო სუპერლიგა, Sakalatburto Superliga), also known as the Georgian Top League, is the highest professional basketball league in Georgia. The first season ...
. It plays its home games in the Rustavi sports arena.


Notable people

*
Robert Tedeyev Robert Sklyarovich Tedeyev (russian: Роберт Склярович Тедеев; born 23 January 1986) is a former Russian professional football player. Club career He made his Russian Football National League debut for FC Oryol FC Oryol ...
(born 1986), former Russian professional football player


Twin towns – sister cities

Rustavi is twinned with: * Akmenė, Lithuania * Cherkasy, Ukraine * İnegöl, Turkey *
Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...
, Ukraine *
Kiruna (; se, Giron ; fi, Kiiruna ) is the northernmost Stad (Sweden), city in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland, Sweden, Lapland. It had 17,002 inhabitants in 2016 and is the seat of Kiruna Municipality (population: 23,167 in 2016) in Norr ...
, Sweden * Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine * Łódź, Poland * Panevėžys, Lithuania * Płock, Poland * Sumqayit, Azerbaijan *
Zhodzina Zhodzina (officially transliterated as Žodzina, also spelled Zhodino, be, Жо́дзіна, , russian: Жо́дино, , pl, Żodzino, is a city in Belarus, located in the Minsk Region, 50 km north-east of Minsk. The city covers an area of ...
, Belarus


See also

*
List of monuments in Rustavi This is a list of monuments in Rustavi, Georgia, which are listed on the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. List See also * List of monuments in Georgia References {{reflist Rustavi Rustavi ( ka, რუსთ ...
*
Rustavi City Assembly Rustavi Municipal Assembly (Georgian: რუსთავის საკრებულო) is a representative body in the city of Rustavi, Georgia. currently consisting of 35 members; of these, 28 are proportional representatives and 7 are elec ...
*
Internati Internati, officially is known as Giorgi Chkondideli District ( ka, ჭყონდიდელის დასახლება), is a suburb of Rustavi, south-eastern Georgia, which is situated in the eastern part of the city and is separated ...
* Rustavi 2, television broadcasting company *
Rustavi Steel In 2011, Rustavi Steel LLC was established to acquire the assets of the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant. Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, one of Georgia’s largest industrial enterprises, is situated 30 kilometres to the south of Georgia's capital Tbili ...
* Rustavi International Motorpark


References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Kvemo Kartli Self-governing cities in Georgia (country) Municipalities of Kvemo Kartli