Rustaveli Avenue
Encyclopedia
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
named after the medieval Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli was a Georgian poet of the 12th century, and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. He is author of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" , the Georgian national epic poem....
. The Avenue starts at Freedom Square and extends for about 1.5 km in length, before it turns into an extension of Kostavas Kucha (Kostava Street). Rustaveli is often considered as the main thoroughfare of Tbilisi due to a large number of governmental, public, cultural, and business buildings that are located along or near the Avenue. The Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies...
, Kashveti Church
Kashveti Church
The Kashveti Church of St. George is a Georgian Orthodox Church in central Tbilisi, located across from the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue....
, the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia
Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia
The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia , formerly known as the State Museum of History of Georgia, is one of the main history museums in Tbilisi, Georgia, which displays the country’s principal archaeological findings....
(part of the Georgian National Museum
Georgian National Museum
The Georgian National Museum is a museum network in Georgia that brings together several leading museums from various parts of the country. The Georgian National Museum was established within the framework of structural, institutional and legal reforms aimed at modernizing the management of the...
), the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre
Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre
Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is situated on Rustaveli Avenue, in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the oldest opera house in Georgia...
, the Rustaveli State Academic Theater
Rustaveli State Academic Theater
Rustaveli State Academic Theater also known as Rustaveli National Theatre is located on Rustaveli Avenue, in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia...
, the Rustaveli Museum
Rustaveli Museum
The Rustaveli Museum is a museum in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is located on Rustaveli Avenue...
, and the Georgian Academy of Sciences
Georgian Academy of Sciences
The Georgian National Academy of Sciences is a main learned society of the Georgia. It was named Georgian SSR Academy of Sciences until November 1990...
, among others, are all located on Rustaveli. The thoroughfare is served by the Tbilisi Metro
Tbilisi Metro
The Tbilisi Metro is a rapid transit Metro system in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Opened in 1966 it became the fourth Metro system in the former Soviet Union. Like most ex-Soviet Metros, most of the stations are very deep and vividly decorated....
and buses.
In 1989, tens of thousands of Georgians
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
gathered before the House of Government on Rustaveli Avenue. An attack by the Soviet spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
forces killed many protesters in the April 9 tragedy.
In 2007, the avenue was site of anti-government protests
2007 Georgian demonstrations
The 2007 Georgian demonstrations were a series of anti-government protests in Georgia. The demonstrations peaked on November 2, 2007, when 50,000-100,000 rallied in downtown Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. People protested against the allegedly corrupt government of president Mikheil Saakashvili...
.