At the meeting of so-called Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania with activists of the Ochamchire district the main topic of discussion was the issue of transfer of the biggest part of the Pitsunda resort to Russia. Naturally, the separatist leader was trying his best to persuade Abkhazians to "present" Abkhazian land to the Kremlin rulers, stressing that this was their personal request. 

Interestingly, the press service of the puppet "president" published not news of the meeting (as usual), but the entire transcript of Bzhania's speech on the issue. That is, Abkhazians are directly informed about who needs their land now and who they have "nerve" to deny in this matter. Here is an excerpt from Aslan Bzhania's speech in Ochamchire:

"...When Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin came to power, the situation changed. At the beginning of the 2000s, the blockade was lifted and the process of issuing Russian citizenship began. Repeatedly in his works and statements in his book Vladislav Grigorievich Ardzinba spoke about this. He explained what passportization of Abkhazian population is for, what it gives. He believed, and I support this point of view, that acquiring a second Russian citizenship for Abkhazia, for citizens of Abkhazia of the period when the republic was not recognized, was a guarantee of its protection. The expectation was that if the situation worsened, Russia would support its citizens.

This was followed by the process of recognition of independence of Abkhazia and "South Ossetia" in 2008. You know very well what bloody events were connected to all this. And you know the role that the new leaders of the Russian Federation, then President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, played in this matter.

The leadership of the Russian Federation has officially approached us about this state dacha several times between 2010 and 2020. They have asked us about the buildings and structures that stand on the territory of the dacha. The leadership of the Russian Federation knows our laws very well. Under our laws, land is not subject to purchase and sale. We can lease or use land. The objects that were built on this state dacha are about 60 years old. The construction started in 1958 and was finished in 1961. These buildings and facilities have not been renovated since then. The year before last I lived in this state dacha for a fortnight, under quarantine before my meeting with President Putin.

Actually, during these 60 years a lot of things have fallen into disrepair and need to be partly repaired, maybe demolished or rebuilt. There are new technologies, new security conditions for the protected persons, new approaches. According to these standards, there is a need for transformation there.

I would like to remind you that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has visited us several times. If I recall correctly, he came five times. Once it was in Sukhumi, another time his visit was connected to the death of Sergei Bagapsh and three of his visits were connected to the meetings he held with the Abkhaz leadership at this very dacha. Back in 1995 when this place was given to the Russian Federation for free use, it had the status of protected territory and this status is still being respected. This is the place where our chief guest comes to visit us.

During the November 2020 meeting, this issue was raised. It was raised in the usual tactful manner. "Dear Aslan Georgievich, we have repeatedly appealed to the leadership of Abkhazia about the fact that the property complex - buildings and facilities will be given to us, we are going to make major repairs. It is possible to have new construction, reception hall and so on, in order for this facility to work as a full-fledged residence of the President of the Russian Federation" - these are the words of the President of Russia ...".

In general, Vladimir Putin liked the state residences of the Soviet party elite in Pitsunda. In order to get the entire Abkhazia, including Pitsunda, as another region of the Russian Federation, Putin largely supported the separatist "project" and not because of his "love for the Abkhazian people". That was what recognition of so-called "independence of Abkhazia" was for. Now the Kremlin "persuades" Abkhazians to "thank" and give their land to "dear guest" Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. So far, so good. But apparently such "flirting" will not last for a long time.

Vladimir Putin in recent months in Ukraine has shown what happens to those who dare to go against his will. What is happening now in the separatist Abkhazia does not at first glance sound like the horror that is happening in Ukraine. However, the way the Russian authorities and their puppets of the separatist occupation are mocking the national pride and national dignity of the Abkhazian people makes one wonder what will happen if the Abkhazians continue to be "intractable".

For now, the Abkhaz have had to deal with "the good Putin". However, with respect to those who go against his policies Vladimir Putin has another principle: "we can do it again! And what Russia can "repeat" in relation to Abkhazians is even scary to think about. The fate of the population of Ukrainian cities, the same Bucha and Mariupol, may ultimately be even a "lesser evil" than that awaiting Abkhazians. After all, Ukrainians still have an army that defends them, which the Abkhazians do not. Mock separatist formations called "the Abkhazian army" are considered by the occupants only as "cannon fodder" that can be thrown to Ukraine without pity.

First, let's start with the fact that the Russian Empire had already once in its history carried out genocide of Abkhazian and related to it Circassian people. We are talking about mukhadjirstvo. The majority of Abkhazians and Circassians were expelled from their homeland. They were sheltered by Turkey, but the road to their new homeland was a "road of tears" for these people - thousands of them were dying on the seashore where invaders drove people to Turkey to exile them, refugees were dying even while travelling by sea in overcrowded ships and already on the Turkish coast, where authorities simply did not expect that there would be so many exiles, they simply did not have enough resources to feed all refugees. Scant information was leaked that the ships leased from Armenian merchants often failed to take passengers to the Turkish coast. Instead, they were simply dumped in the open sea, waited on the Georgian coast for a suitable length of time and then "returned" for another batch of doomed people. Not a few hardy Muhajirs were waiting on the Turkish coast. Exhausted by hunger, wandering and diseases unaccustomed to a new climate Abkhazians and Circassians were dying in their thousands on arrival. Nobody had time to accommodate people, to provide them with food and necessary medical care. The only thing that saved the Abkhazians and Circassians was unselfish help of local Turkish people, first of all, as well as brotherly Georgians-Muslims who lived in the Ottoman Empire. For example, Georgians-Adjars in the Batumi district sheltered refugees from Abkhazia and despite the fact that they themselves suffered from small land allotted them lands to settle.

At the same time we should note that Abkhazia was not considered a "resort" during the Mukhajirstvo period. Local climate was considered perilous due to malaria. Russian soldiers and officers themselves considered service in Abkhazia as an exile worse than Siberia. And neighbourhood of today's pearl of the Abkhazian coastline of Gagra was considered especially poisonous due to a large number of malaria-ridden swamps that were not yet drained. It would be decades before the first resort areas would appear in Abkhazia from the eviction of Abkhazians.

So if then Russian authorities ruthlessly cleared away "perilous" in their view land from indigenous population, all the more so they will not hesitate to expel the "disloyal" population now.  All the more that they have "loyal" population in Abkhazia - Armenians, and experience of deportation of "unreliable" population from the occupied territories of Ukraine.

We need to understand that if the occupation continues, the horrors of exile can be endured by current and generations of Abkhazians. All the more so because there are contenders for Abkhazian land. These are, firstly, the Armenian lobby and Armenian nationalists, who are settling Abkhazia with their compatriots. And secondly, the Kremlin's rulers, who need the Abkhazian coastline for "their" summer residences.

Neither of them needs Abkhazians, who do not fall into "loyalty enthusiasm" and "dare" to protest, as people. They are "unnecessary ungrateful population. The fact that Abkhazians can be treated as "ungrateful" was also hinted at by separatist puppet Aslan Bzhania in his speech in Ochamchire, when the issue of dacha in Pitsunda was raised:

"...Does Abkhazia have Russia's support, and if so, what is it? In what way is the Russian Federation's allied duty to Abkhazia and the Abkhazians realized? Well, I will try to tell you. The house of culture, where we are now, is in excellent condition, it was built using Russian money. Russia has done the following on the territory of Abkhazia: 99% of all schools that are reconstructed and built, pre-schools, hospitals and polyclinics are funded by Russia. Our only university is also rehabilitated with Russian money. We talked about the water supply issues - we talked about the fact that a water hub is being built in Myku village and the city of Ochamchira will be provided with water. This is also the money of the Russian Federation. The illumination and construction of the republican highway and many other things that have been done in this sphere have been implemented with the money coming to us from Russia. I believe it is such a vivid evidence of the allied attitude towards us.

Moreover, what is going on in our social sphere? Is the ally helping us in this sphere or not? And the social sphere is, as you understand, health care, culture and so on. Unfortunately Abkhazian pension is two thousand rubles while Russian pension is more than ten thousand rubles. 35 thousand citizens of Abkhazia who live in Abkhazia receive Russian pensions. This is also an expression of allied duty to Abkhazia.

Now I would like to talk about how the allied attitude towards us is expressed in other spheres. The salaries of the main categories of state employees, 99% of the funding of the Armed Forces, the SSS, the Interior Ministry, the GSO - all this is the assistance of the Russian Federation. You must have noticed that last year and this year we received more than 120 vehicles for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I am just telling you this so that you know... is the sports hall in Ochamchire working? We have constant conflicts around it. Whose money was it built with? With investment money.

Dear friends, you remember well what was happening here, how many people were killed on our border with Georgia before 2008, how the partisans were rampaging there, how Georgian special services were working, and how many terrorist attacks and sabotage took place on the territory of the Gali district. Around 400 of our citizens died there after the war. It should be noted that about a hundred Russian citizens that were peacekeepers died as part of their allied duty. This is a historical fact, and I would like you to know about it ...".

In general, the hint is clear. Abkhazians are "ungrateful people", who do not want to give Russian President Vladimir Putin the dacha land they liked. Through his puppet Aslan Bzhania Vladimir Putin in fact communicates to Abkhazians that what is required of them is "gratitude". So far "in a good way". How "badly" can be told to Abkhazians by residents of Ukrainian Bucha.

Kavkazplus