Football is a major sport in Abkhazia (a territory in the Caucasus). During Soviet times, the main club within Abkhazia itself was FC Dinamo Sukhumi, but Abkhazian footballers were prominent in the Georgian team FC Dinamo Tbilisi and in other Soviet teams. In 1994, after its declaration of independence from Georgia, Abkhazia organised a nine-team amateur league.
Outside football, many Abkhazian sportsmen participate in international competitions as Russian citizens, especially in boxing and freestyle wrestling. A basketball team based in the capital Sukhumi plays in a Russian league.
Football was the most popular sport in Abkhazia during Soviet times. The main club of the republic, FC Dinamo Sukhumi, played mostly in the lower leagues of Soviet football. However, Abkhazia produced several football talents who played in the top Georgian team FC Dinamo Tbilisi and in other Soviet teams. Natives of Abkhazia Vitaly Daraselia, Nikita (Mkrtych) Simonian, Avtandil Gogoberidze, Niyazbey Dzyapshipa, Giorgi Gavasheli, Temuri Ketsbaia and Akhrik Tsveiba were among the most prominent footballers of the Soviet Union.
Dinamo Sukhumi achieved their best result in 1991 finishing in 10th place in the first league (second tier of Soviet football). [1] They were the only Georgian team to participate in the Soviet football system in 1990–1991 as other Georgian teams left for political reasons before the 1990 season. [2] Several players of the 1990–1991 Dinamo Sukhumi squad including Sergei Ovchinnikov and the Adzhindzhal brothers played later for Russian teams and achieved varying degrees of success, as did Oleg Dolmatov, Dinamo's coach in 1990–1991.
After Abkhazia broke away from Georgia, it organised its own amateur Abkhazian football league in 1994 which is not part of any international football union. The league consists of 9 teams: Nart (Sukhumi), Gagra, Kiaraz (Pitsunda), Samurzakan (Gali), Afon (New Athos), Ertsakhu (Ochamchire), Kudry (Gulripsh) and Abazg-AGU (Sukhumi). [3] The Gagra football club was the 2006 champion. [4] The Abkhazian team will probably participate in the Amateur League of the Southern Federal District (fourth tier of Russian football pyramid). [5]
The Tbilisi-based FC Dinamo Sokhumi, composed chiefly of Georgian IDPs from Sukhumi, play in the Umaglesi Liga, the top division in Georgian football.
Since 2012 Abkhazia has been operating its own national football team and are members of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations. The team includes a number of professional footballers playing in countries such as Russia and Turkey. Many players have played for other national teams such as Feras Esmaeel who played for the Syrian national football team until 2016 and made 81 caps before playing for Abkhazia.
The majority of Abkhazia's population have Russian citizenship, so Abkhazian sportsmen participate in international competitions as Russian citizens. They had their biggest successes in boxing (2005 European Champion David Arshba; [6] 2006 Russian Championship prize-winner Aslan Akhba) and freestyle wrestling (2006 American Airlines Freestyle Wrestling Tournament winner Denis Tsargush [7] ).
The national basketball team of Abkhazia played its first game ever with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 27 May 2015, where Abkhaz team won by 76–59. [8] Abkhaz basketball team "Apsny" also plays in the Russian Basketball League's Third-Tier in Krasnodar Krai.
Vladislav Ardzinba was the first de facto President of Abkhazia. A historian by education, Ardzinba led Abkhazia to de facto independence in the 1992–1993 War with Georgia, but its de jure independence from Georgia remained internationally unrecognised during Ardzinba's two terms as President from 1994 to 2005.
The ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known in Georgia as the genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia — refers to the ethnic cleansing, massacres and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992–1993 and 1998 at the hands of Abkhaz separatists and their allies. Armenians, Greeks, Russians and opposing Abkhazians were also killed. 267,345 Georgian civilians were registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). The ethnic cleansing and massacres of Georgians has been officially recognized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conventions in 1994, 1996 and again in 1997 during the Budapest, Lisbon and Istanbul summits and condemned the "perpetrators of war crimes committed during the conflict." On May 15, 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/62/249 in which it "Emphasizes the importance of preserving the property rights of refugees and internally displaced persons from Abkhazia, Georgia, including victims of reported "ethnic cleansing", and calls upon all Member States to deter persons under their jurisdiction from obtaining property within the territory of Abkhazia, Georgia in violation of the rights of returnees". The UN Security Council passed a series of resolutions in which it appealed for a cease-fire.
Guram Gabiskiria was a Mayor of Sukhumi who was murdered by Abkhaz separatists during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in 1993.
The Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus was a militarised political organisation in the Caucasus, active around the time of before the collapse of the Soviet Union and after, between 1989 and 2000. It played a decisive role in the 1992–1993 war between Abkhazia and Georgia, rallying militants from the North Caucasian republics. Its forces have been accused by Georgia of committing war crimes, including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians. The Confederation has been inactive since the assassination of its second leader, Yusup Soslanbekov, in 2000.
FC Dinamo Sokhumi is a Georgian association football club from Sokhumi, Georgia, temporarily based in Tbilisi.
This article refers to the history of Abkhazia from its pre-historic settlement by the lower-paleolithic hunter-gatherers to the post-1992-1993 war situation.
The Bagramyan Battalion, also known officially as the Independent Motorized Rifle Battalion named after Marshal Ivan Khristoforovich Baghramyan was a unit formed in Abkhazia and predominantly composed of ethnic Armenians living in Abkhazia that fought together with Russia backed separatist Abkhaz forces during the War in Abkhazia (1992–93). Named in honour of the Soviet Armenian Marshal Ivan Bagramyan, the battalion fought against the forces of Georgia. It was subsequently disbanded.
The War in Abkhazia was fought between Georgian government forces for the most part and Abkhaz separatist forces, Russian government armed forces and North Caucasian militants between 1992 and 1993. Ethnic Georgians who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces. Ethnic Armenians and Russians within Abkhazia's population largely supported the Abkhazians and many fought on their side. The separatists received support from thousands of North Caucasus and Cossack militants and from the Russian Federation forces stationed in and near Abkhazia.
The Battle of Gagra was fought between Georgian forces and the Abkhaz secessionists aided by the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (CMPC) militants from 1 to 6 October 1992, during the War in Abkhazia. The allies, commanded by the Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, captured the town of Gagra from the undermanned Georgian forces in a surprise attack, leading to an outbreak of ethnic cleansing of local Georgian population. The battle proved to be one of the bloodiest in the war and is widely considered to be a turning point in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. The action, in which Russian commanders were suspected to have aided to the attackers, also resulted in a significant deterioration of the Georgian-Russian relations.
Abkhazian railway is a rail operator in the partially recognised state of Abkhazia. Under a monopoly agreement, it is fully managed and partially owned by Russian Railways for a ten year contract from 2009-2019.
In June and July 2008 a series of bombings took place in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia, killing 4 and injuring 18 people.
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognized state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which views the region as an autonomous republic. It lies on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, south of the Greater Caucasus mountains in northwestern Georgia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital is Sukhumi.
Abkhazia is a de facto independent, partially recognised country lying on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, its southern border. It is bordered by Russia to the north, and Georgia to the east recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and the de facto independent republics of South Ossetia and Transnistria, in which context it is referred to as the Republic of Abkhazia with Sukhumi as its capital.
Sultan Aslambekovich Sosnaliyev was a Soviet Army officer of Circassian ethnicity who served as a commander of Abkhaz and North Caucasian forces during the War in Abkhazia and as the defence minister of Abkhazia in 1993–1996 and 2005–2007.
FC Dinamo Gagra was a Soviet football club based in Gagra, Abkhaz ASSR.
The Catholic Church in Abkhazia is the third largest Christian denomination in the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia, which is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope. Most Christians in Abkhazia are Orthodox, see Religion in Abkhazia. Due to Abkhazia's partial recognition, administration of Catholics comes from Catholic dioceses in Russia. The Catholic Church in Abkhazia mainly consists of≥ Armenians, Poles, and expatriates living in Abkhazia. The Holy See does not have diplomatic relations with Abkhazia, but has enjoyed two high level visits from the apostolic nuncio.
The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side, Russian military forces on other side supporting separatist forces demanding independence of Abkhazia from Georgia. http://www.historyorb.com/russia/georgia.php Ethnic Georgians, who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces. Ethnic Armenians and Russians within Abkhazia's population, largely supported Abkhazians and many fought on their side. The separatists were supported by thousands of the North Caucasus and Cossack militants and by the Russian Federation forces stationed in and near Abkhazia.
Daur Akhvlediani was an Abkhaz professional football player. He took part in the War in Abkhazia (1992–93), subsequently died and was posthumously awarded the order Hero of Abkhazia, the highest honorary title of the disputed territory of Abkhazia.
The Abkhazian Navy is an operational-strategic formation of the Abkhazian Armed Forces, with its headquarters located in the vicinity of Sukhumi lighthouse. Its primary mission is to ensure the security of the self-proclaimed state of Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast. The Navy consists of littoral combat boats, a battalion of marines, parts of coastal troops and special forces. It is one of the few nations among the Commonwealth of Independent States and the former Soviet Union to have a naval service. Joint exercises are often held with the Russian Navy.
The 2020 Abkhazian Premier League was the 28th edition of Abkhazian Premier League organized by Football Federation of Abkhazia.
