The first buildings on Rustaveli Avenue appeared in the mid-nineteenth century when it was still known as Golovin Avenue. The oldest of these is the Vorontsov Palace, built in 1818 and later becoming the Palace of Student Youth. It was there on May 26, 1918, that Georgia declared its independence from the Russian Empire. Later, on Rustaveli Avenue, the Opera House (completed in 1896) and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1897) were built. The latter was destroyed by the Soviet authorities—today, the Georgian Parliament stands in its place.
Rustaveli Avenue
