The Mletskiy Ascent is a section of the Georgian Military Road between Zemo-Mleta and Gudauri. It consists of a sharply winding route with six stages carved into a mountain canyon.
Work on the construction of the Mletskiy Ascent began in the mid-19th century, based on a project by Polish engineer Boleslav Ignatievich Statkovsky (1825-1898), who had spent three years studying similar roads in the Alps. Before the Mletskiy Ascent, neither Georgia nor the Russian Empire had ever undertaken construction in such conditions. The work was overseen by the poet and public figure Grigol Orbeliani (1804-1883).
The section of the road was officially opened on August 30, 1861, in the presence of Statkovsky and Orbeliani. After Statkovsky cut the red ribbon at the start of the ascent, a cavalry squadron marched along the road, followed by the first civilian transport.