A couple of weeks ago representatives of governing elites of Russia and Abkhazia widely celebrated 200 year anniversary of friendship and co-existence of these two peoples. Moscow and Sukhumi politicians have not spared energy in praising each other. Many panegyrics were said main leitmotiv of which was that there were only goodness, generosity and cloudless sky in the relations between Abkhazians and Russians.

It is understandable that during the days of celebrations it would not have been very pleasant and acceptable to accentuate negative events. It would not have been good for Sergei Bagapsh to mention loudly those tragic events that were brought on Abkhazians and their neighbouring peoples by predecessors of the Russian president - three Alexanders and two Nikolais and to do that during a meeting with Dmirtry Medvedev while being on a visit in Moscow. He could neither announce that over the last two centuries Russian officials were intensely oppressing population of Black Sea coastline Sukhumi Okrug, were massively expelling from their own homes those citizens that Russia had received as its objects...

Generally, turning dates of Russia's arrival to the Caucasus and its later presence there into celebration and festive dates is connected to many uneasiness and contradictions. Reason, I think, is easy to understand. Russia is a symbol of annexation and expansionism for Georgia and Azerbaijan while for Armenia it is mainly that of well-wisher and protector (I am referring to a factor of relations with Turkey). But a fact that Abkhazians are celebrating bicentenary of relations with Russia with such noise, with stresses on friendship and brotherhood is paradoxical.

It was not like this at all with Russian-Abkhazian relations, was it? Is it possible to erase tragic events from a historical memory of people?

Let’s look back at events taking place in north-western part of Georgia – Abkhazia - two hundred years ago and in a period after that. We will see many facts during this – facts that neither Abkhazian separatists nor their Russian protectors will be thrilled to be reminded of. Let’s see what was this two hundred-years of “brotherhood and friendship” looked like…

Russian squadron completely destroyed Sukhumi

At the beginning of the XIX century confrontation between Russian and Ottoman Empires used to determine geopolitics of the western part of the Caucasus. Relatively more powerful and modern Russia started its expansion into the Caucasus gradually. It annulled kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti in its eastern part (in 1801 and it happened in gross violation of the treaty of Georgievsk) and later expanded its sphere of military and political influence towards the west. It took advantage of inner tensions in Mingrelian principality which ended in incorporation of the latter into its empire in 1804. Later in 1810 Russia subjugated kingdom of Imereti and after that came a turn of Abkhazian principality.

It is true that Abkhaizan prince Kelesh-Bey (son of Levan Chachba-Shervashidze) was expressing his wish to become a subject of Russia but was delaying the matter wishing to get more compensation. At the same time he clearly detached himself from the Ottoman Empire and expelled their army from Abkhazia. On May 2nd Ottoman agents killed Kelesh-Bey. Sukhumi again was in the hands of the Ottomans. In 1809 heir to the throne of Abkhazian principality Giorgi (Safar Bey) signed so-called “points of request” where he expressed his wish to be a subject and serve the Russian Emperor. On February 17th 1809 Alexander I signed “points of request” and appointed Giorgi Shervashidze as prince of Abkhazia with hereditary status who from that time would have been “under supreme protection of Russian empire”.

Dominance of Turks in Sukhumi was, of course, unacceptable for politicians in Saint Petersburg. That’s why on 9th July 1810 The Black Sea military squadron of Russia started to bomb Sukhumi violently which was followed by a landing of troops. Turkish garrison could not resist, they left their flags, cannons and together with pro-turkish population found shelter in mountains. Two days later Russian infantry together with Giorgi Shervashidze (Safar Bey) entered the city.

After tree-day intense bombing everything was in ruins. Only one street and a small market survived. Local population – those who did not follow Turks – was treated by Russian garrison with usual colonial attitude i.e. with fear and distrust. Russians considered Abkhazians lazy, sly and wily who were getting by with abduction of people and their subsequent selling. Abkhazians used to sell those kidnapped by them into city of Anapa which was still in possession of Turks. Generally, at that time life in Abkhazia as well as life of permanent blockade of Russian garrison in Sukhumi was well described by historian of Caucasian wars Vasily Poto. According to him “during a day no armed Abkhaizans was allowed into fortress while at night Russians used to keep sheepdogs on the other side of the wall in order not to allow hateful Abkhazians too close”.

Of course, such situation in Abkhazia used to create difficulties for the empire. They in the far away Saint Petersburg started to even think about returning of the annexed territory to the ottomans. But commander-in-chief of the Caucasian Corp general Alexy Yermolov managed to persuade them that Abkhazia was important for Russia from political point of view and it was a useful province. Additionally, Yermolov reminded the emperor about humanitarian motives as well. According to him if they returned these lands to Turkey Abkhazians would have broadened their trade of abducted people. One way or the other, the emperor changed his mind about returning territory of Abkhazia to Turkey.

Abkhazian uprising against Russian authority

In 1821 after death of Giorgi Shervashidze, a confrontation started in Abkhazian elite. Numerous relatives of the deceased were unable to divide reigns of power between them. And Petersburg was not in a hurry to state its opinion with this regard… Abkhazians were dissatisfied... Attacks on Russian soldiers had started… the situation was not helped with a pro-Turkish orientation of a brother of Giorgi Shervashidze – Hasan Bey… In the view of head of Sukhumi garrison and commandant of the city Mogiliansky the main culprit was Hasan Bey and the latter, with consent of the governor Yermolov was arrested. But arrest of Hasan further intensified the situation. Abkhazians rebelled against Russians. Anti-Russian armed uprisings were headed by Prince Arslan Chachba-Shervashidze who before these events, about ten years ago killed his father Kelish-Bey because of his pro-Russian orientation. On November 13th 1821 Russians were victorious in a bloody battle near where the river Kodori falls into the sea. And defeated Arslan fled. A prince of Abkhazia first becomes Dimitry (brother of the deceased Giorgi) who was raised in Petersburg. But later he was poisoned and after that Russians put a bother of Dimitry – Mikheil as the prince of Abkhazia.

In he beginning of “brotherhood – friendship” between Russians and Abkhazians - in 1824 Abkhazians rebelled again against Russia. They encircled pro-Russian ruler of Abkhazia Mikheil and two rotas of Russian soldiers in a village of Likhny. General Major Pyotr Gorchakov, Commander-in-Chief of Russian troops stationed in Kutaisi was forced to clear its way to Sukhumi through fight and with a help of artillery of military ships. Russians exterminated Abkhazians so mercilessly that only one rebel survived and even he went over to the side of Mikheil. And although Arslan fled to Circassia popular armed rebellion in Abkhazia had been going on until 1827.

Tragedy of Caucasians – results of genocide carried out by Russians

On May 21st 1864 near today’s Krasnaya Poliana in Abkhazian ancestral aul Kbaade Commander-in –Chief of the Caucasian army, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich sent prayers to glorify Russia and to commemorate the end of the Caucasian war that had been taking place for a half a century. But if for some it was a celebration for others it was a tragedy… During this war hundreds of thousands of freedom-loving Circassians and other their relative peoples were exterminated. Tens of thousands were forced to leave for foreign lands –Ottoman Empire. That was a beginning of the process of so-called Mukhajirstvo (expel of Caucasians). Abkhazian ports from where ships were leaving for Turkey were filled with cries of Caucasians. They were saying farewell to their homeland for good. They say that Circassians do not eat fish of the Black Sea until today as, in their view, bodies of those who died after long sea journeys from hunger and sadness used t become food for fish.

Neither Muslim Abkhazians escaped rage of the empire. Despite the fact that they were not so dedicated to fighting against the Russian Empire as Circassians, Chechens and Dagestanis they still were also sent to Turkey by the emperor’s order.

Another fact of Abkhazian punishment of that period:

In 1864 Russian emperor cancelled the right of the Shervashidze on Abkhazia. And Abkhazia as an official name was taken out of service. In the view of political and administrative subordination Abkhazia became a Sukhumi department of Kutaisi province… Prince of Abkhazia Mikheil Chachba-Shervashidze who was very dissatisfied with this reform” had to step down. Of course, his discontent was not passed unnoticed by Russian officials. And in November 1864 he was arrested and sent in exile first to Stavropol and later to Voronezh where he died in 1866.

It is interesting to know if Sergei Bagapsh remembered results of the big rebellion of Likhny of 1866 when he was talking to Medvedev in Moscow about 200 year friendship? Was Abkhazian President unaware how Russian officials insulted pride, customs and traditions of Abkhazians when he was speaking before students of the Moscow University of International Relations about strong friendship of Russians and Abkhazians? How Abkhazian population of Tsebelda was completely expelled from Abkhazia and sent to Turkey?

Another black spot on officially declared “friendly and brotherly relations" of Russians and Abkhazians is a rebellion that happened in May 1877 in Abkhazia. Abkhazians who were dissatisfied with Russian governance took advantage of a situation in the Caucasus and The Black Sea coastline and supported landing of Turkish troops in Sukhumi. By June Turks occupied territory from Adler to Ochamchire. They left Abkhazia only on August 19th 1877 when strengthened Russian military units carried out an attack.

The uprising was not without results. Angered imperial authorities - you should not have done so after all we have done for you – sent about 50 thousand, and according to some sources even 200 thousand, Abkhazians to Turkey on a horrible and torturous journey… And those who survived exile were prohibited from living on the shores of the Black Sea.

As a result of Mukhajirstvo and other punishable measures significant amount of Abkhazian territory was left uninhibited and destroyed. By 1881 there were just 20 000 Abkhazians on the entire territory of the Russian Empire. Of course, Russian authorities made a decision to settle depopulated areas with people from other parts of the empire – with Russians, Greeks, and Armenians. Certainly, Georgians were also settled in Abkhazia – as Sukhumi department was a part of Kutaisi province.

Interesting to see how Russian policy towards Abkhazians of those times are interpreted and whitewashed on “official” websites of Abkhazian separatist authorities, for example, on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(To be continued)