Tobacco in Tiflis had been known since time immemorial. Most of Transcaucasian tobacco was exported to Russia, mainly to Rostov-on-Don, where it was processed and then returned to Tiflis.
In 1883, the so-called "Tobacco Statute" was adopted, which was intended to stimulate the development of tobacco-processing factories.
Alongside small-scale production, in that period it was possible to single out 7 large factories manufacturing cigarettes and papirosy. The oldest factory in Tiflis, owned by Enfiadzhyants Ambartsum Nikolaevich, opened in 1852 (300 workers). The factory had 6 papirosy machines and 2 tube-making machines installed. The equipment was ordered from Moscow and Western Europe. The factory produced 35,000 papirosy per day.
In 1893, the products of A. Enfiadzhyants' factory received the highest award at the World’s Fair in Chicago, as well as more than 10 large gold and other medals at World and Russian exhibitions.