a city under republic jurisdiction in the Georgian SSR. Located in the Gardabani Steppe on the Kura River, 27 km southeast of Tbilisi. Railroad station on the Tbilisi-Baku line. Population, 121,000(1975; 62,000in 1959; 98,000in 1970).
Rustavi arose in connection with the construction of the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant. In addition to ferrous-metallurgical enterprises, Rustavi has a chemical combine and a plant for the production of chemical fibers. It also has a plant for the production of cranes, a plant for the repair of construction and road machinery, a repair and machine shop, a plant for the manufacture of metal structural components, a cement plant, the Tsen-trolit Plant, a prefabricated-housing combine, combines for the manufacture of reinforced-concrete products, building materials, and wood products, and other enterprises. The Tbilisi State Regional Electric Power Plant is near the city. Rustavi has a chemical and metallurgical technicum and a music school. It also has a drama theater and a museum of local lore.
Rustavi consists of two sections separated by the broad Kura River floodplain. The left-bank section was laid out and constructed according to a project drawn up in 1944 by M. N. Ne-printsev, Z. Kurdiani, N. Kurdiani, D. Melikishvili, and L. Kobaladze. The right-bank section was laid out and constructed according to a project drawn up in 1955 by M. N. Nep-rintsev, I. Chkhenkeli, and D. Melikishvili. An ancient city on the left bank was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century; excavations have uncovered the remains of walls and building foundations.
Rustavi’s architecture is dominated by the large structures of the industrial zone and by picturesque residential areas. The significant buildings erected in the 1950’s and 1960’s include the Metallurgists’ Palace of Culture (1956, M. N. Neprintsev), the stadium, with a sports hall and indoor swimming pool (1956–57, D. A. Melikishvili), and the Public Organizations Center (1959, T. Kashakashvili). Current construction work is following a comprehensive plan approved in 1972 (chief architect L. Z. Sumbadze, architects D. A. Melikishvili, V. S. Paper-ashvili, L. P. Goshadze, Sh. A. Bagashvili, and T. D. Tsereteli). A monument to V. I. Lenin (1961; sculptor, V. Topuridze; architects, V. Nasaridze and D. Papinashvili) has been erected in Rustavi.