26 Years Since Fall of Sokhumi

26 Years have passed since Georgia lost control over Sokhumi, the capital city of currently Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia. On the 27th of September, 1993, Sokhumi – the amazingly beautiful capital of Abkhazia, fell – thousands of Georgians were forced to flee the city and became internally displaced. Thousands of people died in the war.

Today, Georgia commemorates those who were the victims of the Sokhumi Massacre.

On the 14th of August 1992, a military confrontation started in Abkhazia. In September 1993, the Abkhazian armed group (separatist forces) created by the Head of Abkhazia’s High Council Vladislav Ardzinba, violated the ceasefire agreement initiated by the United Nations and guaranteed by the Russian Federation, which barred both sides from performing military operations. As part of the ceasefire, Georgian forces had withdrawn their heavy artillery and tanks from Sokhumi.

Abkhaz, Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus, Cossack and Russian militants stormed Sukhumi early in the morning. Confronted by large numbers of combatants, the Georgian army units that remained in the city were unable to prevent the separatist advance into the city. By noon, separatist militants and their allies had taken over television buildings and bridges. Georgian forces retreated to the Government building of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, where they intended to provide security for members of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic Government. By late afternoon, the city was overrun by separatists and their allies.

Soon the forces overran the whole territory of Abkhazia, except a small region of the Kodori Gorge (which remained under the control of the Georgian warlord Emzar Kvitsiani until July 2006 and later the Tbilisi government until August 2008). The total defeat of the Georgian government forces was followed by the ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population. 200,000 - 250,000 refugees (mainly Georgians) were forced out of Abkhazia.

Throughout the war, Abkhaz forces were supported and represented by Russian air forces and soldiers. After the fall of Sukhumi, thousands of people fled the city by the sea, while the majority fled on foot through the Kodori gorge in the mountains, where many died of cold and hunger.

Photo: Refugees fleeing Abkhazia after the war   

Related Story: 27 Years since War in Abkhazia

By Ana Dumbadze