Signs and Symbols in Abkhazia

People more knowledgeable about the situation than I have posited that on August 26, 2008, when Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Abkhazia exchanged the de facto independence it had enjoyed until then for the security which it hadn't.

It remains to be seen how the project of Abkhazian independence will withstand Russia's warm embrace - here is an excerpt from a very worthwhile piece by a local journalist who has been observing and writing about the situation there for years:

In relation to the main enemy, Georgia, even an ordinary Abkhaz farmer understood very well what was in Abkhaz interests and what was not, as these interests had cost the lives of several thousand Abkhaz during their 1992-93 war with Georgia. But how to organise its relations with Russia, at present its only ally - this not even the Abkhaz political elite itself knows.

The Abkhaz have no wish to quarrel with their mighty neighbour: Russia is not just their only window on the world and guarantor of protection from Georgia, but also the source of financial prosperity. Direct subsidies from Moscow make up more than half the Abkhaz budget and trade with Russia is 95% of the country's commercial traffic. Holidaymakers at Abkhaz resorts (the most important segment of the economy) are almost exclusively Russian and practically all foreign investments are also Russian. On top of this most people have dual Abkhaz-Russian citizenship, which allows them to travel the world. Local pensioners receive a Russian pension, which is 10 times greater than the Abkhaz pension. Such close relations make it difficult to preserve the national interest, that is sovereignty and national identity, but Abkhaz society is not prepared to sacrifice its sovereignty just to please Moscow - it is too hard won. South Ossetia regards independence as a transitional stage to eventually becoming part of Russia, but Abkhazia has no such plans.

The anniversary today has occasioned a predictable avalanche (relatively speaking - and especially relative to the situation which existed in the Western press before August 2008, when Abkhazia was hardly discussed at all) of commentary about whether recognition has turned out to be good or bad for Russia, Georgia, the international order, and the territories themselves. I'm not going to try to make this post into a link roundup, as I assume those interested in the topic are as adroit with Google News as I am; this piece pretty much sums up the arguments in favor of the proposition that Russia made a mistake; opendemocracy has had a tremendous amount of readable coverage in recent weeks as well.

I wanted to use the anniversary as an excuse to post the second installment of photos from my May trip to Abkhazia (the first is here; and all of my photos from the trip are here), which is sort of a hodgepodge of various posters and signs. They are in no particular order, although I've tried to provide translations, as well as explanations of their significance or kitsch value (where not self-explanatory), in the captions.

CIMG2987-1, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Abkhazia and Russia - Always Together!" - through a cracked windshield.

IMG_1804, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Billboard exhorting local residents to "Clean up our city!"
by participating in a subbotnik - near Pitsunda

IMG_2747, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Office of the Congress of Russian Communities and Compatriots of Russia in Abkhazia.
This organization, then known as the Congress of Russian Communities (or KRO) played a major
role in procuring Russian passports for over 100,000 residents of Abkhazia in 2002. I interviewed the
organization's director and learned some interesting things about the process. The "and Compatriots
of Russia" part was added to the name as the organization wanted to seem more inclusive of the
ethnic Armenians and Abkhaz, many of whom it likewise helped to obtain Russian passports.

CIMG2859, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Beer bar, near the compound which was formerly a resort for military personnel
and served for years as the headquarters of Russia's "peacekeeping" forces in Abkhazia.

IMG_2639, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"No smoking" - in one of the local government buildings.

IMG_3053, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
At the semi-abandoned Sukhumi train station.

IMG_2761, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Sign on a boarded-up metal kiosk advertising ice cream, coffee, juices and khachapuri.

IMG_2714, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Ancient street sign - after I took this picture, one of the guys playing dominoes nearby
told me that there is a problem with antique hounds stealing street signs like these and
then selling them in Russia. This one marked the Street of the Third International.

IMG_2727, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Sign (in Abkhaz and Russian) indicating the location of a
repair shop for refrigerators and washing machines.

IMG_2339, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Photos for new passports and documents."

IMG_2280, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Sign advertising hi-tech services services: loading songs and photos onto mobile phones, printing
digital pictures from phones and cameras, and burning CDs and DVDs - inside a used bookstore.

IMG_2230, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Various advertisements for photo printing, disc burning, fireworks displays, as well
as some local flavor - a DVD chronicle of the 1992-93 war, and the small sign
advertises tapes of "funeral music in Abkhazian, Armenian, Greek or Russian."

IMG_2226, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Stained-glass sign of a hand holding books, marking a library.

IMG_2229, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Prices for long-distance phone calls.

IMG_2199, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Cold drinks / Beer / Ice cream / Juices" - outside a winery.

IMG_1944, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Various tourist services and restaurants, at Lake Ritsa.

CIMG2750, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
A Soviet relic - the "Peace to the World" (Миру - Мир!) painted on a bridge near the border with Russia.

IMG_1628, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Gagra is our city"

IMG_2120, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
War memorial, in the lobby from which tourists enter the caves at New Athos.

IMG_2096, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Sign exhorting residents of Abkhazia to participate in the 2007 Russian Duma elections,
now enjoying a second life as a tarp, near the Novy Afon / New Athos monastery.

CIMG2858, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Lovely Lenin mosaic on the territory of the Russian peacekeepers' HQ.
I was there to interview the Russian ambassador, who had just been appointed.

IMG_1647, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Road sign reminding drivers not to blind oncoming traffic (thanks to EB for tipping me off to this one).

IMG_2805, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Salesperson's Commandments" - hanging in a grocery store.

IMG_2777, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Vladimir Il'ich Lenin Park"

IMG_1769, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Signs pointing the way to tourist activities on the embankment in Pitsunda.

CIMG2845, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Information"

IMG_2427, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
Bus shelter at the old Sukhumpribor factory, a building which now appears to house an indoor market.

IMG_2440, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Shoe repair"

IMG_2442, originally uploaded by lyndonk2.
"Clothing repair"