The Georgian city of Rustavi is located 25 kilometers from Tbilisi. This is the youngest city in modern Georgia. He turns 60 this year. Why do children there play in a real plane after lunch, adults learn the art of sculpture right in the park, and prisoners sell their works of applied art via the Internet?
Reason one. Take a trip through time
Some half an hour drive from Tbilisi, and you find yourself in a city that is a real museum of the Soviet era. In 1948, Rustavi officially appeared on the map of Georgia. The city of metallurgists, steelmakers, chemists, for many years it was the flagship of the heavy industry of Soviet Georgia. The main, that is, the city-forming enterprise, is the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant.
The administrative building of the once prosperous enterprise is a real gem of Soviet architecture. What is worth only a bas-relief! They say that Comrade Stalin himself gave instructions to the architects. In the first post-war five-year plan, the construction of such a giant as this plant was a matter of honor for a huge country. Everything had to be pompous and rich!
True, now almost nothing remains of the plant. Just a huge area. The enterprise began to fade after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But tens of thousands of workers and engineers worked here at one time! They came to work from all over Georgia. The enterprise was one of the first in terms of the number of heroes of labor and shock workers of production.
“I came to this plant right after school,” says Pavel Tsereteli, Doctor of Technical Sciences. – It was 1951, that is, only three years after the birth of the new city. At that time, only one blast furnace operated at the enterprise. And years later, we began to produce more than three percent of the output of the entire heavy metallurgy of the country! The city was built together with the workshops of the plant.
The second reason. Visit the largest pedestrian square
The largest city square in Georgia is located in the city of Rustavi. And it's pedestrian. There is a square in front of the city council building. Taking a selfie here is a must!
By the way, Rustavi is divided into two parts: new and old. And they are divided by the Kura River. The old one is Stalinist architecture. New - Khrushchev. Although you can meet in the city and high-rise buildings.
However, fans of the era of industrialization will be much more interested in visiting the outskirts, where you can enjoy almost surreal landscapes. These are abandoned railway stations, rusty wagons, frames of dilapidated buildings. Everything here looks like the scenery for a horror movie.
Reason three. Find the ruins of an ancient fortress and a clearing of mysterious sculptures
The city is not lost in time and continues to live. Breathe in fresh air and take a walk in the central park of Rustavi - this is another reason to visit the city. Here you can walk along the alley of umbrellas, where multi-colored umbrellas suspended three meters from the ground form a cheerful and multi-colored roof moving under the wind.
And you can wander into a clearing of mysterious sculptures. Here, muscular men, armed with special hammers, are working hard on a huge boulder. Having tied their heads with bandanas and wearing respirators so as not to breathe stone dust, they chip off small fragments from a shapeless block of stone.
The fact is that every year an international symposium of sculptors is held in Rustavi. This is such a master class when Georgian and foreign masters teach the secrets of monumental art to students of the Academy of Arts. The symposium ends, but the works remain in the park.
“For me, such a project is the first real opportunity to feel the stone,” says student Tamara Toidze. – Of course, we work in workshops, but, believe me, being here and watching how experienced craftsmen create their compositions is worth a lot. Every morning I come from Tbilisi with pleasure and look forward to the start of a creative day.”
A little further, there is another jump in time: the ruins of an ancient fortress. They are said to be at least 15 centuries old. The fact is that in the place of Rustavi at one time there was a great city - the capital of the kingdom of Kukheti. (Not to be confused with Kakheti).
Farmers lived here. Therefore, craftsmen built irrigation canals. In Georgian, "ru" is translated as a channel. And "tavi" is the head, the source. So, Rustavi is translated as the source of the channel. Now everything is clear.
“The kingdom went through different periods,” says archaeologist Mate Akhalaia. – There was a time when it included the lands of Kakheti and Kartli. Therefore, the population was quite large. They grew wheat, grapes, made wine, animal husbandry was developed. And this fortress served as the center. And it was built on a plain, unlike many of the fortresses of Georgia, which stood on the tops of mountains.”
You can get acquainted with the past in the ethnographic museum located next to the park. Ancient manuscripts, maps, archaeological finds are stored here. By the way, representatives of the Rustaveli family have lived in this territory since the 8th century. Therefore, there is a version that the great Georgian poet of the 12th - 13th centuries, the author of the epic "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" Shota Rustaveli, also comes from here.
“The first information about the settlement on the site of Rustavi appeared in the chronicle “Krtlis tskhovreba,” says Museum Director Nazibrola Pachikashvili. – This historical document testifies that the city was one of the oldest settlements in the region. However, during the period of unrest, from the 12th to the middle of the 17th century, it was under the yoke of foreign conquerors. Mongols, Seljuk Turks, Persians - whoever did not conquer these lands. In the end, people began to leave them and went to the mountains in order to be saved.
By the beginning of the 19th century, according to sources, there was only desert in this place. The re-development of the territory began after the Great Patriotic War.
Reason four. Buy a souvenir in an unusual store
POWs also worked on the construction of Rustavi and enterprises located in the city. That is why here, along with residential areas, so-called special institutions began to be built. Subsequently, Rustavi strict regime colonies appeared in their place. No, we do not advise tourists to be here. However, guests of the city can buy souvenirs made by the hands of prisoners in a specialized store. That's reason number four.
From felted wool, craftswomen seem to be able to make anything they want. Felt in Georgian is “teka”, many women know how to handle it from childhood.
“I myself am from Western Georgia. There, our grandmothers always made felt, and then decorated it. These products are now in fashion,” says prisoner Tamar Basharadze.
The works are exhibited in a small pavilion. Any souvenir shop can envy its assortment. Bijouterie, panels, tapestries, paintings and icons. Everything is done by the hands of the prisoners. At the same time, many of them still had nothing to do with needlework. For example, the plastic surgeon Elena Gelashvili held only a surgical needle in her hands. Now - embroider.
“The girls supported me, taught me needlework, and now I enjoy spending hours at work,” she says.
This work brings income: the products of craftswomen are sold via the Internet, money is credited to their personal accounts. The director of the women's colony Nestan Verulashvili, one of the authors of the idea, herself sought permission in various instances. Now she intends to move on.
“We want to open a bakery and a small cafe in our colony. After all, many of our prisoners know how to cook very well,” she told a MIR 24 correspondent. According to her, the most important thing is that women prisoners do not lose hope and are ready to return to society.
Reason five. Visit a kindergarten located on the plane
It is thanks to this old Yak-40 that the Rustavi preschool institution became known throughout Georgia. There are legends about how an aircraft that plied sky-high distances ended up here. Some say it flew in and landed on the football field. Someone claims that it was written off, disassembled, and then reassembled, but already for the flight of a childhood dream.
“We brought him here with the help of a tractor. At night, when there was almost no traffic,” says the director of the kindergarten Garry Chapidze. - When we drove along the highway, as in the movie "The Adventures of Italians in Russia", the car drivers were in shock. And the residents of Rustavi, who saw this from the windows and told their neighbors in the morning, were considered crazy.”
The crew goes on a flight every day, after an afternoon snack. In the cabin, instead of chairs, there are small tables and chairs, books and soft toys - everything that is useful in flight. Who is the passenger here and who is the flight attendant is not important. The main thing is the unusual environment that the kids like so much.
“They come to us, but they don’t want to leave,” says teacher Maka Samkharadze. - Those who are older and have already flown on airplanes, then come and say that they were not afraid at all. We do not forbid them anything - they can touch and switch anything they want.
High school student Saba Chapidze comes to participate in an impromptu flight right after school. Helps educators and tries on a future profession. He dreams of becoming a pilot and has already decided: he will enter the aviation industry.
“I often bring my classmates here,” he says. “They love it too. Actually, I want to have classes here for schoolchildren, say, in physics.”
The idea to leave the plane on the territory of the kindergarten saved it from being melted down. Now the veteran is not only in perfect condition, but also brings joy to children. Educators say that after such a flight, the kids fall asleep better.
Each tourist will be able to discover Rustavi in his own way. By the way, this city is also called the automobile capital of Georgia. Since the largest car market in the country is located here. So if you decide, you can buy a car for yourself, and go further on it.
(რუსთავი) is the capital of the district and the third largest city in the country with almost 120,000 inhabitants. It is believed that Shota Rustaveli was born here, and the Rustavi channel, the author of the "pink revolution", was born here. With all this, the city has a persistent image of an uninteresting place. Indeed, the modern life of the city began in 1941 in connection with the construction of a large metallurgical plant. Rustavi received city status only in 1948.
Now Rustavi is a strange city, not like other Georgian cities. It is flat, modern, without buildings of the 19th century and without ancient temples. There is a very special atmosphere here.
Story
People began to settle in the territory of Rustavi quite a long time ago. In the era of the Trialeti culture, there were still tropical swamps, unsuitable for life, but already in the Late Bronze Age, there must have been something here. On Mount Yagludzha, archaeologists have found settlements of the Hellenistic period. The foundations of a 5th-century building have now been excavated near the Cathedral. Apparently, civilization came here when irrigation canals began to be built here. One such canal exists to this day near the fortress. The fortress itself was built at the beginning of the 5th century. There is even a link to the name of King Trdat (395-406), who would have dug a canal and built a fortress. It is difficult to say what came of this, because after three or four years the Georgian kingdom temporarily ceased to exist under the onslaught of the Persians.
Vakhtang Gorgosal founded the episcopal chair here and the city became the center of the Kukheti region - until the 12th century, this word was used to call the entire space from the Kura to the Gombori Range.
In 736 the city was burned down by Mervan the Deaf, but survived. During the invasion of the Seljuks, he was burned again, and again survived. In the era, Rustavi begins to flourish, but the Khazar invasions and Mongol raids gradually destroy the city. In the post-Mongolian period, Rustavi no longer plays any serious role and turns into a small village. Interesting events took place here at the time when the right wing of the 11th army was advancing on Tbilisi through Rustavi. On February 17, 1921, the Red Army stormed the heights of Yagludzh and installed artillery there. The bombardment of Tbilisi was planned from here, but the Georgian armored trains managed to drive the Soviet artillery from the heights.
Around town
Now Rustavi exists as if from two parts. One part on the left bank is older, built up with Stalin-style buildings. The Right Bank is the Khrushchev era. There are high-rise buildings painted in cheerful colors. Everything is very lively, cheerful, cute. It's not bad to live here.
Interesting things are located in the old part of the city, this is a fortress, a museum, a cathedral and something else.
The main street of old Rustavi is Merab Kostava street, which starts from the bridge over the Kura (there is an iron pyramid with a hint of the Louvre) and rests on the metallurgical plant. 1600 meters long, in the middle of the central square. Moreover, if from the bridge to Kostava Square it is a street and casing along the edges, then from the square to the plant it is an alley in the center and streets from the edges. The whole life of the city is concentrated on Kostava.
central square. It is also Freedom Square, it is also Lenin Square earlier. Here stands the official building of the former city committee. Lenin had already been removed from the square, he was standing where a composition of stones is now opposite the city committee. Now on the square you can find "Liberty Bank" with an ATM and a boring expensive cafe "Giorgiy".
If you walk from the square to the bridge, there will be several markets and near the bridge on the left side there is a good cafe where you can find khinkali (50 tetri), khachapuri, three types of beer, meat and something else. Well, and the ubiquitous Rkatsiteli at 3 lari per liter.
Leaves Freedom Square to the north Rustaveli street(where without it), which after 1500 meters rests on the Station Square and the Station. Goes south from Freedom Square Pirosmani street, which is slightly bent to the left and there is also a nice park, also in the form of an arc. Along Pirosmani you can go to the theater, then to two clinics and the intersection with Levan Iosebidze Street. Someone clever thought of dividing it into three parts and assigning different names to each part ... Here you can turn right and go along Iosebidze to the local history museum.
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Regional Museum of Rustavi city I recommend a visit, although it will be of interest mainly to historians and archaeologists. The museum has a number of advantages. The first is that it already works. Secondly, there is quite a lot of archaeological material here, which is valuable against the background of the closing of the historical museum in Tbilisi. Here you can see ceramics, glass, bronze swords, coins of the 12th-13th centuries and several stones with inscriptions on. All this is on the first floor. On the second, as usual, gray modernity.
Coordinates: 41°32"17"N 45°0"31"E |
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The museum is open from 11 to 17, a break from 14 to 15. Entrance fee is 2 GEL. Photographing - 5 GEL. There is a tour guide. The exhibits are not signed, only small texts with general information are provided - in Russian and Georgian.
Near the museum, Iosebidze Street turns into Odisharia Street, goes another 180 meters and ends in a park. This is a nice park, although very run down. I even found an aviary for birds there... Through the park you can go straight to Kura. Almost immediately there will be a bridge across the Rustavi Canal and behind the canal on the left you will see the towers of the Rustavi Fortress.
Rustavi fortress. This is a strange multi-layered structure built of stones and bricks, and there is also one tower made of unbaked bricks. The perimeter of the walls is 450 meters. Some foundations have been excavated in the northern part, but it is difficult to say what was there. Explicit temples are not noticeable, which is strange.
Rustavi fortress Coordinates: 41°32"6"N 45°0"14"E |
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But if you leave the museum to the park and turn left, then on the right side there will be thickets of the garden of the city hospital, and on the left - the garden of the Rustavi Cathedral. This is a newly built cathedral named after King Vakhtang Gorgosal, strangely ascetic in appearance, as if built in the 5th century. A little to the north is a small Annunciation Church.
Near the cathedral there is another interesting place - across the street, to the east. There, in the middle of the wasteland, you can see a canopy. In that place, archaeologists found the foundation of a house from the 4th century and a cemetery of a later period. It was there that steles with inscriptions on were found.
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New Rustavi. This is a settlement that stretches 4 kilometers from the highway to the river (along the line of Megobroba Avenue). It is built up with the architecture of the late Soviet era. Buildings facing the highway and the main streets are painted in joyful colors. Buildings in the depths of blocks look a little gloomier. As in the old town, there is a lot of greenery here, especially pine trees. The new Rustavi has a certain modest charm of modernism, it is not boring here and there is no sleepy lull, as it happens in the Georgian provinces. There is some symbolism in the fact that the Rustavi-2 TV channel was the informational author of the Rose Revolution.
Yet New Rustavi is even less Georgian in spirit than Old Rustavi.
Infrastructure
Food in Rustavi is available in the form of street sales of shawarma, khachapuri, etc. Prices are approximately Tbilisi. With cafes, everything is more modest. Right on Freedom Square there is one, but boring, and there is also a "beer bar" near the bridge (to Kostava), where it is already more fun.
I didn’t notice any hotels in the city at all, although there are probably some. I'm not sure that someone will go here with an overnight stay, although there is some sense in this.
The rest of the shops are about the same as in Tbilisi - they cluster on Kostava and nearby.
hit
Rustavi minibuses originate in the Didube market, go through the whole city along the embankment, then along Gorgosali, pass away from the Ortachal bus station and then arrive in Rustavi in 20 minutes, passing along Kostava past the city hall, where you can get off. They cost 1 lari 30 tetri, although the journey is only 10 kilometers.
Minibuses to Tbilisi must be caught on Kostava, at the bridge or at the exit. They will conveniently go through the center of Tbilisi.
Neighborhood
Of the interesting things in the vicinity of Rustavi, I would name the Rustavi forest and the Yagludja ridge. The rest is abandoned air defense bases and the Vaziani military airfield.
Rustavi forest (რუსთავის ტყე).
This forest starts from the fortress and stretches along the river for 4 kilometers. a rare case of a large tract of forest on a plain. Now it is somewhat spoiled by roads and incomprehensible buildings, but potentially it is a good park or even a semi-reserve with magnificent views of the Yagludzha ridge. At the moment, this is the best place in the area for setting up a tent.
Ridge Yagludzha (იალღუჯის ქედი).
The Yagludja Ridge begins somewhere above Lake Kumisi and stretches east for 10 kilometers, practically rests on New Rustavi and bends along the bank of the Kura, where it forms beautiful cliffs that are clearly visible from the Rustavi forest. These cliffs are very seductive in terms of archaeological and geological interest.
In Soviet times, mechanical engineering, heavy industry, metallurgy and other important strategic industrial complexes developed actively on the territory of Rustavi. Accordingly, as in most small cities in the post-Soviet space, Rustavi experienced a rather serious crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, everything is gradually returning to normal and Rustavi is looking forward to prosperity, which, they say, is not far off.
How to get there
The best way to get to Rustavi is by plane from Moscow to Tbilisi and a small "bus tour" 25 kilometers to Rustavi.
Climate
The climate in Rustavi is quite moderate, in the coldest months in this city of Georgia, the thermometer does not rise above +7 degrees Celsius, and from the beginning of April the air begins to warm up systematically from +18 to +35 degrees. In autumn it gets cold, up to plus fifteen. Thus, the best time to visit Rustavi is spring and early summer, when there is still no strong heat, but it is not necessary to bring a triple sheepskin coat with you.
How to navigate
The city of Rustavi itself is conditionally divided by the Kura River into the right and left banks. Historically, the left bank began to be built up a little earlier and now it is an open-air monument of Soviet reality. The left bank was already developed at a more modern stage, in this part of the new city more or less new buildings predominate, as well as houses, better known among the people as "Khrushchev".
A few guests of Rustavi usually use a visit to the south-eastern part of the city as a sightseeing tour. Or rather, the southeastern suburbs, in which most of the architectural heritage of the early Middle Ages is located.
David Gareji
So, a rather extensive complex of monasteries called David Gareji is located a few tens of kilometers from Rustavi. In total, cave monasteries in the rock today managed to count about two dozen, some of which still continue to operate. The main one of the entire monastery complex is considered to be the most monumental - St. David's Lavra. All cells are carved directly into the rocks, and ancient frescoes with images of saints of royal blood are still preserved on the walls. A prominent place in the list of Georgian saints is occupied by Queen Tamara, with whose reign the population of Georgia is still associated with the best years of their native state.
Bolnisi Zion
Bolnisi Zion is another major architectural heritage site of the era of early Georgian Christianity, the oldest temple on the territory of modern Georgia, built at the end of the 5th century AD, but perfectly preserved to this day. It is this temple that the majority of the indigenous population of Georgia revere the most and rightfully consider it the main object of the heritage of their ancestors.
Rustavi cross
The highest point of Rustavi is located at a height of 762 meters, which can be reached by climbing a unique structure of Georgian engineers and architects - the Rustavi Cross. The entire climb takes place without any special means and takes about forty-five minutes for an adult with normal weight and good health. From above, you can see the panorama of the Yagludzh ridge, large plains near the city and attractive Georgian landscapes.
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| City | |||
| cargo. რუსთავი | |||
| 41°32′ N. sh. 45°00′ E d. | |||
| A country | |||
| Region | |||
| Municipality | |||
| Chapter | Irakli Tabakhua | ||
| History and geography | |||
| Based | 4th century | ||
| City with | 1948 | ||
| Square |
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| Center height | 350 m | ||
| Timezone | UTC+4 | ||
| Population | |||
| Population | 127,839 people (2018) | ||
| Nationalities | Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Russians, Armenians, Ossetians | ||
| Confessions | orthodox, Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims |
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| Official language | Georgian | ||
| Digital IDs | |||
| Telephone code | +995 341 | ||
| Postcode | 3700 | ||
| rustavi.gov.ge (cargo) (English) |
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Rustavi(Georgian რუსთავი) - a city in the southeast, located on the banks of the river, 11 kilometers southeast of.
Population
As of January 1, 2018, the population of the city as a municipality was 127,839 inhabitants, as of January 1, 2014 - 122,900 inhabitants, as of January 1, 2005 - 115,500 inhabitants.
According to the All-Union Population Census of 1989, 158,661 people lived in Rustavi. According to the 2002 census, the population of the city was 116,384, at the beginning of 2008 - 117,300 people, at the beginning of 2011 - 120,800 people.
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Story
Rustavi ("the beginning of the irrigation canal" in Georgian) is one of the oldest cities that played a significant role in its history. Georgian historian of the 11th century. Leonty Mroveli mentions Rustavi among the fortresses that opposed the troops of Alexander the Great. This allows us to date the founding of Rustavi to the 5th-4th centuries. BC e.
In his work The Life of the Kings, Leonty Mroveli writes that King Trdat, the 28th king of Kartli (end of the 4th century BC), built a church and a canal. Academician Nikolos Berdzenishvili writes that since then Rustavi has been regarded as an important administrative center.
During the reign of Vakhtang Gorgasali (5th century), Rustavi plays a prominent role in the political life of Georgia. A bishopric is established in Rustavi, which existed until the 13th century, when it was destroyed by the Mongols. Then the bishopric was transferred to Martkopi, but Bishop Martkopi bore the title of Rustavi (Rustaveli).
The political significance of Rustavi is also confirmed by archaeological research in the Rustavi fortress; ruins of structures dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries were discovered. n. e.
In 1068, the Seljuk Turks invaded Georgia under the leadership of Sultan Alp-Arslan.
In 1097, David the Builder stopped paying tribute to the Seljuk Turks. In 1104 he united Kakheti-Hereti. In 1105 he defeated the army of the Emir of Ganja. Only Tbilisi, Rustavi, Samshvilde, Somkhiti and Agarani remained in Muslim hands. In 1110 David took Samshvilde, in 1115 - Rustavi, in 1122 - Tbilisi.
In 1265, the troops of Berk Khan, the ruler of the Golden Horde, invaded the Caucasus. Georgia fought simultaneously with two enemies - Iran and the Mongols. Rustavi was again destroyed to the ground by the troops of Tamerlane.
During the industrialization period, Rustavi became an important industrial center. There were metallurgical enterprises, chemical plants, as well as an important railway station on the Tbilisi-Baku branch. About 90 large and medium industrial enterprises were built in Rustavi.
Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, built in 1941-1950, became the main industrial center. for the purpose of processing iron from neighboring Azerbaijan. The workers were gathered from all over the republic, including the poorest agricultural regions of Western Georgia. Not only metallurgy developed, but also the production of cement, chemicals and synthetic fibers. On August 30, 1944, the first local newspaper appeared - "Metallurgiisatvis" (translated from Georgian - "For Metallurgy"). In 1948, new streets appeared, the first of which was named after the Komsomol, the second - in honor of the builders of Rustavi, and the third - after the ancient settlement of Bostan-Kalaki.
On January 19, 1948, by a decree of the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR, Rustavi was given the status of a city of republican significance. On April 27, 1950, the whole city celebrated the production of the first industrial steel in Georgia. German prisoners of war also took part in the construction of the city.
Modern Rustavi is divided into two parts - Dzveli Rustavi (Old Rustavi) and Akhali Rustavi (New Rustavi). The former is dominated by Stalinist architecture (1944, architects M. N. Neprintsev, Z. Kurdiani, N. Kurdiani, D. Melikishvili, L. Kobaladze), while the latter is dominated by Soviet block construction (1955, architects Neprintsev, I. Chkhenkeli, Melikishvili).
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a catastrophe for Rustavi, as it destroyed the integration into the Soviet economy, which ensured the activity of the city-forming enterprises. Most industrial enterprises were closed and 65% of the population lost their jobs, which led to an increase in crime and poverty. The number of inhabitants fell from 160,000 in the mid-1990s to 116,000 in 2002.
New York-based artist Greg Lindquist has documented the destruction of the Rustavi cement plants in his paintings and installations (Nonpasts, 2010).
The last of the stationary tracks built in the USSR for ring racing. The first races took place at the end of 1979. The stages of the USSR championships were held at the Rustavi circuit 11 times (1979-1989). After the collapse of the USSR, the track was not reconstructed, the road surface fell into disrepair. In 2009, a piece of land with a ruined grandstand and a dilapidated road surface was purchased at a public auction by the private company Stromos, which is reconstructing the complex in accordance with the requirements of Category II FIA.
culture
The Georgian State Academic Ensemble "Rustavi" was founded in 1968. For 35 years he has held more than 3,000 concerts and successfully performed in more than 50 countries around the world.
Economy
In August 2007, the first supermarket of the national network "Populi" was opened in Rustavi.
The city is home to the Carriage Building Holding, which includes the Electric Carriage Repair Plant, which is mainly engaged in the repair of cars, the Carriage Building Company, a new enterprise mainly focused on the construction of cars, and the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, which mainly produces parts for cars .
Also in the city is the largest automotive market in the Caucasus, which is a key point for the re-export of cars from Georgia to neighboring countries, as well as many enterprises for the repair, maintenance and tuning of cars.
Transport
A trolleybus system operated from 1971-2009. Now public transport is represented by fixed-route taxis.
Climate
| Month | Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | August | Sept. | Oct. | November | Dec. | Year |
| Average temperature [°C] | 6 | 7.7 | 12,9 | 18,2 | 23,4 | 27.5 | 30.8 | 30.8 | 26.0 | 19.8 | 12.9 | 7.5 | 18.7 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 19 | 26 | 30 | 51 | 78 | 76 | 45 | 48 | 36 | 38 | 30 | 21 | 498 |
Sport
The city is home to the Rustavi football club, which plays in the Georgian Football Championship. The club plays its home games at the Polady Stadium.
twin cities
Chapters
- Mamuka Chikovani
Gallery
Notes
- The population of the regions and municipalities of Georgia at the beginning of the year in 1994-2018 (indefinite) (unavailable link). National Statistical Service of Georgia. Retrieved October 29, 2018. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018.(English)
- Population of municipalities and regions of Georgia at the beginning of the year in 2000-2016 (indefinite) (unavailable link). National Statistical Service of Georgia. Date of access 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.(English)
- Demoscope Weekly - App. Handbook of statistical indicators.
- Ethnic composition of Georgia according to the 2002 census (English)
- The national composition of the population of Georgia, its regions and settlements according to the 2014 census
Links
- City official website
- Rustavi - a short guide.
- // Dictionary of modern geographical names / Rus. geogr. about. Moscow center; Under total ed. acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. Institute of Geography RAS. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria, 2006.
- Motorsport in the USSR. Rustavi race track
- Professional Motorsport World, April-June 2011
Rustavi from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Rustavi.
- Hot tours to Georgia
- Tours for May Worldwide
Rustavi is probably the youngest Georgian city, it was formed practically from scratch as a working settlement. It received a full-fledged city status only in the middle of the last century, when mass industrialization began. In Soviet times, mechanical engineering, heavy industry and metallurgy were actively developing here, and after the collapse of the USSR, all this collapsed, and, like in most small cities in the post-Soviet space, a serious crisis occurred in Rustavi. However, everything is gradually returning to normal, and the city is waiting for its second heyday, which, they say, is not far off.
It is precisely because of the industrial past that Rustavi does not have many sights, and compared to other Georgian cities there is nothing to see here - it definitely does not claim to be a popular tourist center. But it is precisely with its dissimilarity and originality that it is interesting.
How to get there
Rustavi is located 25 km from Tbilisi. The most convenient way to get there is by minibus, which departs from the Didube metro station, but you can “slow down” them along the way - they follow the whole city (first along the embankment, then along Gorgasali Street and through the Ortachal bus station). The journey takes 20-30 minutes, the fare is 1.50-2.30 GEL. Minibuses run frequently throughout the day, you do not need to come to the station at a specific time. Prices on the page are for November 2018.
It is most convenient to look for minibuses from Rustavi to Tbilisi on Kostava Avenue, near the bridge or at the exit from the city.
Search for flights to the city of Tbilisi (nearest airport to Rustavi)
Weather in Rustavi
The climate in Rustavi is temperate, in the coldest months in this Georgian city the air temperature does not rise above 6-8 °C. Already in April, the air begins to warm up rapidly, in April-May it is about + 19-22 ° C, and in summer - up to + 35 ° C. Thus, the best time to visit Rustavi is spring, early summer and early autumn when there is no extreme heat.
Rustavi Hotels
Tourists rarely stay overnight in Rustavi, as the city is located very close to Tbilisi: many come here for a walk during the day and leave in the evening.
Therefore, the choice of tourist accommodation here is small, but there are several hotels. The most popular hotel is "Rustavi" 3 *, located near the entrance to the city in its new part. The cost of living is from 20 USD per day for a double room. There are several other small 2 * hotels (or without "stars" at all) - everything is rather ascetic there, but it will do for the night: there is a bed, shower, Wi-Fi, and in some places breakfast. The most expensive hotel in the city is Grand Vejini, located next to the Rustavi International Motorpark race track. The level of service corresponds to 3-4 *, and the high price by local standards is due to the location. Staying here for the night will cost at least 70 USD per day for a double room.
Cafes and restaurants Rustavi
With cafes and restaurants in Rustavi, everything is rather modest. There is a lot of street food here - shawarma, khachapuri, etc., there are several khinkali in the city center, the prices there are about the same as in Tbilisi: khinkali from 0.50 GEL apiece and homemade wine from 3 GEL per liter jug.
The most famous cafe is "Giorgiy", located on Central Square (former Lenin Square), but it is rather boring and unreasonably expensive. Not far from the bridge on Kostava Avenue there is a good beer bar.
Attractions and entertainment Rustavi
The city of Rustavi is conventionally divided into two parts by the Kura River. Historically, the right bank began to be built up a little earlier and now it is an open-air monument of Soviet reality. The left bank was developed later, relatively new buildings prevail in this part of the city. The few guests of Rustavi usually make “excursions” in the southeastern part of the city, more precisely, in the southeastern suburbs, where most of the architectural heritage of the early Middle Ages is located.
A few tens of kilometers from Rustavi there is a complex of monasteries called David Gareji. In total, there are about 20 cave monasteries today, some of them are still active. The main one of the entire monastery complex is considered to be the most monumental - St. David's Lavra. All cells are carved directly into the rocks, and ancient frescoes with images of saints of royal blood are still preserved on the walls, for example, Queen Tamara, with whose reign Georgians still associate the best years of their native state.
Rustavi neighborhood in winter
Bolnisi Zion is another major architectural heritage site from the era of early Georgian Christianity. This is the oldest temple on the territory of modern Georgia, built at the end of the 5th century AD. e., perfectly preserved to this day. It is this temple that the majority of the indigenous population of Georgia revere the most and rightfully consider it the main one in the heritage of their ancestors.
The highest point of Rustavi is located at an altitude of 762 m, you can get to it by climbing a unique building of Georgian engineers and architects - the Rustavi Cross. The entire ascent occurs without any special means, takes about 40-50 minutes and is quite within the power of an adult healthy person. From above, you can see the panorama of the Yagludzh ridge, large plains near the city and attractive Georgian landscapes.
natural attractions
The most interesting in the vicinity of Rustavi is the Rustavi forest and the Yagludja ridge. Rustavi forest starts from the fortress and runs along the river for 4 km. Today, the views spoil the roads and strange buildings a little, but in general, this is a good park where you can come with a tent and enjoy nature.
The Yagludzha Ridge begins above Lake Kumisi and stretches east for 10 km, “rests” on New Rustavi and bends along the bank of the Kura, where it forms beautiful cliffs that can be observed from the Rustavi Cross. This ridge is a kind of natural observation deck from which you can see the whole city, as well as Tbilisi airport, Kumisi lake and even a little Azerbaijan.
Between the Yagludzha ridge and Lake Kumisi there is an abandoned military unit, where old military aircraft and other objects remained. It is forbidden to go there: there is an active shooting range, but you can try to see these places from above from the observation deck.