Givi Kvarchia: "Military Bases: A Double-Edged Sword of Protection and Threat
Any military base or basing point can serve as both protection and a potential threat.
Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the meeting, he gave an interview to the Russian newspaper "Izvestia", in which he made several statements.
To further delve into the essence of the meeting and its broader implications, ex-deputy of the Abkhazian parliament and spokesperson for the "Aamta" expert fund, Givi Kvarchia, shared his insights, addressing the anticipations and apprehensions tied to the summit, as well as reflecting on the president's key remarks.
Any military base or basing point can serve as both protection and a potential threat. However, our discussions about the Ochamchira port began before the military operation in Ukraine unfolded. To put it simply, it's a double-edged sword, but from our perspective, it represents more of a security measure than a threat, in my view.
Tales of War: Georgian Narratives and Their Justifications 30 Years On, by Alexey Lomiya
In 1993, the Abkhazian population, numbering only one hundred thousand, stood unwavering against five million Georgians and emerged victorious. This required every single person to perform extraordinary feats.
I have always found social networks intriguing. They often spring surprises. One such anomaly presented itself on one of the world's most frequented platforms.
While scrolling through my feed, an engaging conversation caught my eye. It was a spirited exchange between young representatives of our nation and their Georgian counterparts. On the surface, it seemed like a typical debate with each side passionately defending their patriotic views, discussing the events leading up to and during the 1992-1993 war.
Admittedly, I have grown weary of engaging with opposing viewpoints, so I took a step back, preserving my own peace. Nonetheless, I perused the discussions, curious about unique takes on historical events. Under usual circumstances, I would have briefly noted the conversation and moved on. However, one participant's remarks grabbed my attention. He claimed firsthand knowledge of the war, having experienced its gruelling challenges and perils. This piqued my interest, prompting me to delve deeper into his profile. Surprisingly, it wasn't a facade – the account belonged to a genuine individual with authentic photos and details. I've always been wary of those who hide behind whimsical usernames or fabricated identities. As I looked through his pictures, I recognised him. He was among the prominent figures in Georgia's youth elite before the war, known for his basketball prowess. And when war broke out, he eventually joined the Georgian army, actively serving until the war's end.
Abkhazia's Historical Struggles: A Historical Letter by Arkhip Labakhua and Ivan Tarba
One of the most distasteful aspects of the charges laid against the Abkhazians was that they were not the ‘true’ Abkhazians of history.
Recent years have seen the resurgence of an old claim, suggesting that the Abkhazians are not the true historical inhabitants of Abkhazia. This claim, deeply entrenched in some perspectives, rests on arguments advanced by Pavle Ingorokva, a Georgian auto-didact who wrote on literature and history.
As two Abkhazian politicians Arkhip Labakhua and Ivan Tarba noted in a letter sent to the Presidium of the Communist Party on 19 April 1957, ‘Ingorokva strives “to lay a foundation” for his anti-scholarly thesis by means of the falsification of historical documents and pseudo-scholarly linguistic exercises on toponyms’, positing that today's Abkhazians migrated to Transcaucasia only in the 17th century, displacing and subsequently adopting the name of the 'true' Abkhazians, who, according to him, were originally a Georgian tribe.
This letter of Labakhua and Tarba, which counters Ingorokva's arguments, is documented in detail in the book "Abkhaziya: dokumenty svidetel´stvujut 1937-1953" (Abkhazia: Documents Bear Witness 1937-1953), pages 556-562.
31 Years of Silence: Remembering Tevfik Esenç and the Ubykh Language
Tevfik Esenç passed away 31 years ago, on October 7, 1992, in Türkiye. With his death, the Ubykh language also passed away, as he was the last native speaker.
Until 1864, marking the end of the Russian-Caucasus War, the Ubykh people resided along the eastern shore of the Black Sea near Sochi, north-west of Abkhazia. It's challenging to estimate the Ubykh population in the mid-19th century, but some Russian sources suggest a figure of 40,000-50,000.
By the end of February 1864, Russian forces had the Ubykhs surrounded. On March 6, 1864, they ceased resistance. The Ubykh elders initiated armistice talks with the Russians. As per Tsar Alexander II's wishes, the Russians demanded:
“Those wishing to go to Turkey should assemble in encampments on the sea coast at the mouths of the rivers Shakhe, Vardane, and Sochi, where Turkish ships may come. Those who wish to join us should immediately move to the Kuban, where land will be allotted to them.”
In March 1864, with their villages aflame, roughly 30,000 Ubykhs journeyed to the coast to head to the Ottoman Empire (Türkiye). A handful of families were relocated to the Kuban and subsequently settled in the Kostroma province. Other Northwest Caucasian peoples faced similar displacements. The Tsar’s governor-general in the Caucasus, the Grand Duke Michael, announced “the end of the Caucasian war” on May 21, 1864.
Shalva Inal-ipa's Masterpiece on Abkhaz Names Translated and Released in Türkiye
A seminal work by the late renowned Abkhaz scholar of Caucasian studies, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Sh. D. Inal-ipa (1916-1995), on the study of Abkhaz personal names and surnames has been translated into Turkish by Ece Trapsh. Published by Apra Yayincilik, the book is now available under the title "Abhaz Antroponimleri."
Initially written in Russian, the monograph offers an in-depth study of Abkhaz anthroponymy, delving into the history, etymology, and classification of names from historical, social, and local perspectives. Accompanying the original content are extensive lists of Abkhaz names and surnames, as well as detailed tables showcasing Abkhaz tamgas (seals or marks) and the coats of arms of princely families.
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