Spartak Zhidkov, Ainar Media Club member, Abkhazia. Exclusive to Vestnik Kavkaza
Abkhazia marked its State Flag Day on July 23. It is strange that many commentators consider this date as the independence day of the Republic of Abkhazia in 1992. In fact, officially Abkhazia didn’t leave Georgia on the day. Abkhazia became independent from Georgia on the day of the beginning of the Georgian-Abkhazian war – the 14th August 1992. However, the official independence day in Abkhazia was the 30th September 1993.
What happened on July 23rd, 1992? This day the Supreme Council of Abkhazia canceled the constitution of 1978, according to which the Abkhaz ASSR was an autonomy within the Georgian SSR. It was replaced by the Soviet constitution of 1925 where Abkhazia was also a part of Georgia, but had a different name – the Republic of Abkhazia. Along with the name, a new red-white-green national flag and coat of arms was approved. Of course six month after the collapse of the Soviet Union it was illogical to revive Abkhazia as a Soviet republic with Soviet symbolic. However, these deeds of the Abkhazian parliament were considered as separation from Georgia by Tbilisi. Why was it so?
When the Soviet Union was established, only 9 republics were members, and the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia (SSRA) was one of them. At that time the nations of Central Asia had only autonomy within the RSFSR. But the South Caucasus got four Soviet republics – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Abkhazia. Abkhazia welcomed the Soviet power much more warmly than Georgia did, but the Abkhazians strived to be an independent member of the USSR. Thus, on March 21st, 1921, Abkhazia appeared on the map as a Soviet Socialist Republic. It was the smallest republic at that period. As Georgia Bolsheviks had significant power, they insisted on including Abkhazia into the Georgian SSR in November 1921. Two Soviet republics appeared, one submitted to another. The submission didn’t seem extraordinary because the structure of the future country hadn’t been determined yet.
However, even after final determination of borders of the majority of Soviet and Autonomous republics, Abkhazia continued remaining a Soviet Union Republic. There is an opinion that but for Stalin, Abkhazia would remain a separate republic in 1931 and further.
Why did the Abkhazian parliament decide to return for the constitution of 1925 when Abkhazia was a Soviet Union republic, just like Georgia, but administratively submitted to Tbilisi?
When Georgia declared its independence, it could begin to build a unitary state where autonomous entities would have no rights or would simply be canceled (like with South Ossetia on December 11, 1990). But Georgia could establish a federation with Abkhazia (as well as with Adzharia and South Ossetia), and it could lead to peaceful existence within one state. The Abkhazian parliament actually demanded from Georgia to begin talks on building a federation. Tbilisi sent troops to Abkhazia. The result is well-known.
