 As part of the region of Lori, the village of Shamlugh became part of the Borchali uyezd in 1880, within the Tiflis Governorate of the Russian Empire.Between 1887 and 1914, the Shamlugh copper mine along with the mine of Akhtala were exploited by the "Compagnie Française des Mines d'Akhtala".In late 1918, Armenia and Georgia fought a border war over Lori.