Welcome to this week’s edition of the Abkhazia Weekly Brief. As anticipated, this week has been a continuation of the last. The public protested against the proposed “apartment law”. Following the unrest, social media was flooded with a parliamentary flash mob under the banner “No to Apartments.” Parliament members held meetings with voters, promising not to support the bill.
War heroes, scientists, public figures, writers, elders, tour guides, musicians, chess players, and others, including some government officials and Bzhania's supporters, voiced their opposition to the president's initiative. Presidential advisor Bagrat Khutaba, head of the CSI under the president Viacheslav Chirikba, head of the Academy of Sciences Zurab Dzhopua, the Council of Elders of Ochamchira district, youth, and many others joined the protests, emphasising that the country's interests outweigh any position. The Gagra assembly protested by voting against the construction of the apartments. Even the threatening presence of Aslan Bzhania at the administration meeting couldn't defuse the situation.
Only the deputies who initiated the bill remained inactive; some quickly left the country, while others stayed silent.
This effectively amounted to a vote of no confidence in the district heads, the government, the Constitutional Court leadership, the State Security Service, and primarily the president. When it became clear the bill would fail in parliament, the deputies “expressed gratitude to the people of Abkhazia for their active civic stance,” and, reminding themselves or Bzhania “of the importance of maintaining harmony and stability in our country,” made a compromise decision to withdraw the bill.
However, this decision leaves the authorities room for manoeuvre. They can reintroduce the document later, and identical bills from the president's administration, concerning apartments and investor incentives, remain under consideration, posing equal or greater threats to statehood.
The pro-presidential party “Amtsakhara” views the withdrawal of the apartment bill from Abkhazia's parliament as temporary. Party chairman Lesik Tsugba noted that deputies were compelled to postpone the decision due to political pressure. Opposition forces are calling for a legislative moratorium on apartment construction. Despite this, Tsugba insists the bill would benefit Abkhazia's economy and asserts that the leadership is open to discussions on the issue.
“We are absolutely convinced that the bill poses no threat to the country; on the contrary, it will improve the economic situation in eastern Abkhazia. Furthermore, the country's leadership has repeatedly stated its willingness to discuss all contentious points and clarify every aspect of the document. However, the excessive politicisation of such an important issue led to the bill being withdrawn from parliament. To prevent the destabilisation of the political situation in the republic, the deputies were forced to postpone the adoption of this economically beneficial project, which could lead us to economic sovereignty.”
— Lesik Tsugba
A public meeting was held on 26 July at the Abkhazian State Drama Theatre to discuss the socio-political situation in the republic. Veterans, elders, and various public figures criticised President Aslan Bzhania’s initiatives, particularly the apartment construction proposal. They called for a legislative ban on apartments and raised issues on demographics, urban policy, social protection, ecology, anti-corruption, and the promotion of the Abkhaz language and moral code. Historian Guram Gumba suggested forming a council to prevent laws that contradict Abkhaz interests. Attendees demanded a parliamentary bill to ban apartment and apart-hotel construction.
A fatal accident occurred in the Gagra district. Two cars collided on the highway in the village of Tsandrypsh, resulting in two death and five people being taken to a medical facility, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia.
Aslan Dzhopua, under the influence of alcohol, lost control and collided with a Mazda. The driver, Alexander Pasyukov, and passenger Yulia Pasyukova, died. Two minor passengers were injured and taken to the Gagra Central District Hospital.
In another accident on 27 July, a tour bus and a car collided in Gagra. A Russian tourist driving the car failed to yield to the bus, resulting in the collision. Seven people were hospitalized; six were treated and released, while one passenger sustained a pelvic fracture but is not in danger. The incident is under investigation.
Nearly 30,000 foreign vehicles were insured in Abkhazia in the first half of 2024. Deputy Director of the First Insurance Company of Abkhazia, Akhra Ketsba, noted a slight increase in the number of insured cars with Russian plates entering the republic. Compared to the same period in 2023, almost 2,000 more vehicles were insured this year.
At a recent Church Council meeting, Archpriest Vissarion (Apliaa), head of the Abkhazian Orthodox Church, expressed ongoing concerns about the church's legal status, stressing the need for canonical support to prevent harm to the Orthodox community. Igumen Ignaty (Kiut) highlighted the strong spiritual ties between the Abkhazian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, emphasising their shared history and mutual support.
According to Archpriest Vissarion, the Republic of Abkhazia and its Church have always been and will remain independent from the Georgian Church. The inclusion of the Abkhazian Church under the Georgian Church’s jurisdiction was largely due to political events in the 20th century. “The Soviet doctrine somehow incorporated it into the Georgian Church,” noted Archpriest Vissarion. The Russian Orthodox Church recognises the canonical and legal validity of this. However, the Abkhazian people cannot accept their Church being part of the Georgian Church. “We cannot say today that the Abkhazians want this. It is absolute madness. I want both Orthodox and non-Orthodox to understand and conclude that this is unacceptable. We need to correct this,” said Archpriest Vissarion.
President Aslan Bzhania has appointed Temur Akhiba as the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia. Previously, Akhiba was released from his position as Chairman of the State Security Service (SGB) of Abkhazia. He has been awarded the military rank of Major General.
Another appointment was Dmitry Kuchuberiya, who has been named Acting Chairman of the State Security Service of Abkhazia. Kuchuberiya previously held the position of Deputy Chairman of the SGB.
Funds from the republican budget have been allocated to various infrastructure projects across different regions in Abkhazia. For the main list of objects, a total of 178.717 million rubles (approximately 2.14 million dollars) has been distributed for construction, repair, and reconstruction. Additionally, 78.512 million rubles (approximately 942,144 dollars) have been allocated for further projects, totalling over 257.229 million rubles (around 3.08 million dollars) for the year 2024.
The newspaper “Republic of Abkhazia” has once again highlighted the issue of illegal tour guides. Abkhazia has around 500 licensed guides, all of whom undergo special training courses by the Ministry of Tourism and regularly update their qualifications.
The article, written by Khibla Sabekia, expresses serious concerns about the unhealthy competition posed by illegal guides from Russia. These unlicensed guides often lack accurate information about Abkhazia and fabricate stories, sometimes presenting outright falsehoods and historical inaccuracies. For instance, tourists have been misled to believe that Abkhazians fought Ossetians, rather than Georgian invaders, in their War of Independence. Such misinformation is deemed both criminal and unacceptable. Additionally, illegal guides often do not ensure the safety of their tourists, meaning that in the event of an incident, the responsibility would fall on Abkhazia’s reputation.
The Investigative Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office has completed its procedural review of the fire that occurred on January 21, 2024, at the National Art Gallery, the premises of the “Centre for International Settlements of Abkhazia” bank, and the Abkhazian Artists’ Union.The General Prosecutor’s Office identified the probable cause as a short circuit, overload, or high resistance in the electrical wiring. Experts determined that the fire started in the space between the roof and the ceiling above the bank's storage and server room. No evidence of arson was found.
Following the investigation, authorities decided not to initiate a criminal case due to the lack of evidence for arson and no signs of negligence or careless destruction of property by Vitaly Dzhaniya, the head of the Artists’ Union. The General Prosecutor’s Office recommended that the Ministry of Emergency Situations introduce amendments to fire safety legislation.
The fourth concert of the Eytsikәashow dance project took place on 25 July at the Abkhazian State Philharmonic. Participants performed Chechen and Adyghe (Circassian) dances, judged on a 1 to 10 scale by a jury. The duo “Amatsys” leads with 477 points, followed by “Ashwawardin Amzujakua” with 475, and “Amtsapsh” with 471. The next tasks include Abkhazian dances.
Opera singer Hibla Gerzmava has gifted a Bösendorfer 225 grand piano to the Pitsunda Temple. “I have a special connection to these mighty walls. As a little girl, I used to run barefoot at the foot of the Pitsunda Temple, growing up listening to the organ and dreaming of becoming an organist. My love for music was born in this temple, and every concert here is a return to my roots, to a place of power, for which I am deeply grateful. I dream and consider it my personal duty to ensure that music always resonates within the Pitsunda Temple. I am happy that this year our charitable foundation managed to present such a gift,” said Hibla Gerzmava.
The ancient Abkhazian ritual of Ацуныҳәа (Atsynyhua) was held in Kutol village, where villagers prayed for blessings and a good corn harvest.
Amiran Dzhopua led the ceremony, holding a walnut stick with the heart and liver of a sacrificial bull in one hand and a glass of Abkhazian wine in the other, reciting prayers facing the sunrise. Participants then shared the sacrificial offerings, believing this would make their prayers come true.
The event continued with a feast featuring traditional dishes like mamalyga and achash. The day concluded with rain, seen as a sign of the ritual's effectiveness.
Hoping to share another issue with you next Sunday. Have a great day and a wonderful week!