

Rustavi became a key industrial centre for the Transcaucasus region. Stalin brought workers from various regions in Georgia, specifically from the poorer rural provinces of Western Georgia. The core of the city's industrial activity was the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, constructed in 1941–1950 to process iron ore from nearby Azerbaijan. Head office of Rustavi Steel Works Kostava Street, Rustavi Rustavi is the site of approximately 90 large and medium-sized industrial plants. 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 railroad line. Rustavi was rebuilt as a major industrial center during the Soviet era. Rustavi was finally destroyed after Timur's invasion of Georgia.

During the anti-Seljuk campaigns led by David IV Rustavi played an essential role in securing Georgia's southern boundaries. In 1069 Bagrat IV defeated emir Fadlun and captured the fortress of Rustavi, Partskhisi and Agarani. 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. After Seljukid invasions of Georgia, allied forces took Tbilisi and Rustavi and gave it to Emir of Tbilisi. 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. 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. On Kvirike's death, Kakheti was temporarily annexed to the Kingdom of Georgia.
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In struggle against Arab occupation Rustavi belonged to Principality of Kakheti, the latter would form Kakhetian kingdom, whose ruler Kvirike III the Great would install Eristavi (duke) in Rustavi. However, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius's offensive in 627 and 628 brought final victory over the Persians and ensured Byzantine predominance in Georgia, until the invasion of the Arabs. At the beginning of the 6th century, in 503, Sassanids conquered Iberia and turned it into ordinary Persian province ruled by a marzpan (governor). In late 4th century A.D Trdat of Iberia had built a church and a canal in Rustavi.ĭuring the reign of Vakhtang I of Iberia (5th century) Rustavi took an important part in the political life in Kingdom of Iberia. Besides the manuscripts, the excavations of the castle Rustavi prove that Rustavi was an important political and administrative center of Iberia. It could be assumed that Rustavi as a city had been founded at least in the 5th–4th centuries B.C. Rustavi is mentioned among such ancient towns as Uplistsikhe, Urbnisi, Mtskheta and Sarkineti. 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. 11th-century Georgian chronicler, Leonti Mroveli in his work " Georgian Chronicles" connects foundation of the city to Kartlos, the eponymous ancestor of Georgians, whose wife have founded town along Kura river called Bostan-Kalaki ( lit. The foundation of Rustavi is dated from time immemorial. 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. Rustavi is one of the ancient towns of Georgia. Its economy is dominated by the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant. It has a population of 132,333 (January 2023 ), making it the fourth most populous city in Georgia. Rustavi ( Georgian: რუსთავი ) is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli and 20 km (12 mi) southeast of capital Tbilisi.
