Zlatoust is a city located in the Chelyabinsk Oblast of Russia. It is situated on the Ay River, approximately 160 kilometers (99 miles) west of the regional center, Chelyabinsk.
According to census data, the population of the city has fluctuated over recent decades. The 2010 census recorded a population of 174,962, following figures of 194,551 in 2002 and 207,794 during the 1989 Soviet census.