IIn 1784,the tower was founded on the site of the Ossetian village Dzaug on the right bank of the river Terek, Russian troops built the Vladikavkaz fortress, which had the purpose of serving as a security point for the routes of communication between Russia and Georgia. The Georgian Military Highway, crossing the mountains, was constructed in 1799 to link the city with Georgia to the south, and in 1875 a railway was built to connect it to Rostov-on-Don and Baku in Azerbaijan. Vladikavkaz has become an important industrial centre for the region, with smelting, refining, chemicals and manufacturing industries.