The web-site "Materik" and the press service of the State Duma deputy K. Zatulib and the Institute of the CIS Countries have published an article headlined "Poison or remedy - what shall Abkhazia choose?" The author of the article didn't initially plan to publish it in the Russian mass media. He intended to publish it in the Abkhazian media. However, the newspaper "Respublika Abkhazia" rejected his material. Instead, the editorial board sent a letter of apology to the Institute of the CIS Countries. It said that the topic of the article was a pressing one for Abkhazian readers.
Zatulin considered this rejection an effort to cover up the affair. In his article he touched on the history of Russian-Abkhazian relations. His opinion contradicts the views of his opponent, S. Lakoba, the principal of an Abkhazian school, the author of a text-book on the history of Abkhazia.
Lakoba has his own point of view on Russian-Abkhazian relations. He believes that Russia usurped the territory of Abkhazia and prevented the development of its culture and finding its own place in this world.
Zatulin thinks that people like Lakoba try to infect Abkhazians with a mistrust of Russia, which means stopping the process of an Abkhazian renaissance with Russian support.
Konstantin Zatulin http://materik.ru/rubric/detail.php?ID=11734
