APPEAL OF THE MEETING OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ABKHAZ NATION IN THE VILLAGE OF LIKHNI TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CPSU, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR

Comrade Gorbachev M. S.

cc: Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Comrade Ryzhkov N. I; the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR G. I. Marchuk; Director if the Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU academician G. L. Smyrnov; Director of the Institute of the State and the Law of the Academy of sciences of the USSR academician V. N. Kudryavtsev; Director of the Institute of Ethnography of the Academy of sciences of the USSR academician Y. V. Bromley

While the national policy issues are being discussed in the Party committees, at the communists’ meetings, among the groups of workers, in the media means, by the scientific and art circles or at the different associations across the country, the said issue is eventually neglected in Abkhazia.

The newspaper “Pravda” on 15 March published the information that the Central Committees of the Union Republics, Regional and District Committees have generalized the opinions of different layers of population and submitted the analytical materials to the Central Committee of the CPSU. The leaders of the Abkhaz Republic have made no specific steps with this regard. The established situation motivated urgent arrangement of the meeting dedicated to the discussion of proposals on interethnic problems advanced by the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

The forthcoming Plenum on national issues of the Central Committee of the CPSU shall decide one of the major problems of Perestroika process – to restore the Lenin principles of peoples’ equality and to say no to the pernicious heritage of Stalin’s cult of personality.

Lingering crisis in the field of interethnic relations is shaking the country. It should be noted regretfully that in Abkhaz ASSR the national issue is in the deadlock. Being at the edge of ethnic collapse the indigenous population of the autonomous republic – the Abkhaz people – was fighting for their survival, including the mass demonstrations in 1957, 1964, 1967 and 1978.

Abkhazia is almost the only republic the national-state status of which was changed by Stalin from the highest form of state arrangement to the lower one (Abkhaz SSR – 1921, Treaty SSR of Abkhazia – 1922, Abkhaz ASSR - 1931), while the forms of state development of other nations followed the ascending line.

From the historical point of view this process can be described as followed. In 1918, after the Baku Commune, the Soviet power in Trans-Caucasus was established and it existed for 40 days only in Abkhazia; however, it was oppressed by Mensheviks.

Soon after the Soviet power took over in Abkhazia, the leaders of the local revolutionary committee E. Eshba, N. Lakoba, P. Agniashvili and N. Akirtava on March 26 sent the letter to V. I. Lenin and I. V. Stalin with the major decisions: “First: Abkhazia shall be declared as the Soviet Socialist Republic. Second: Soviet Abkhazia shall be included directly within the All-Russian Federation”. Outlining messages was that the workers wanted “to tie their destiny solely to the Soviet Russia”.

Later, the Lenin’s follower, the First Secretary of the Revolutionary Committee of Abkhazia Ephrem Eshba commented: “Thus this small country, with a small population has been registered as the independent Soviet Socialist Republic. Many of our comrades may find here certain contradiction, but of course it is not so… The Russian revolution showed to the world many things that no one could imagine before. This is the vivid example of realization of the national issue… The revolution of proletariat gave the opportunity to the oppressed nations to restore the historical justice”.

Lenin was informed about creation of the independent SSR of Abkhazia on March 31 1921. A few months later, on 21 May, the Revolutionary Committee of Georgia adopted the declaration “On Independence of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia”. “We asked for and received the real independent Abkhazia. Being the independent state, we have to fight against chauvinism and mistrust…” – said E. Eshba.

However, already on 5 July 1921 the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee, through involvement of Stalin and his surrounding adopted the following decision: “the work of the party should encourage the unification of Abkhazia and Georgia in a form of the autonomous republic within the Georgian SSR”. Stalin’s involvement, his unconcealed disappointment regarding the status of the Abkhaz SSR is precisely expressed in his letter sent to the VCIK RSFSR on 8 September 1921 and to the Narkomfin (Minister of Finance – translator’s note): “Abkhazia represents the autonomous part of the independent Georgia. It has no independent representatives and shall not have them. Therefore, it may not receive the credits from the RSFSR. Narkomnats (Minister of Nations’ issues– translator’s note) I. Stalin”. And all of these were happening when the Abkhaz SSR still existed…

Due to the rough political, economic and financial boycott against the independent Abkhaz SSR and the administrative-command dictates in national-state settlement in February 1922 Abkhazia was united with the Georgian SSR on the federative basis. The Resolution adopted by the Caucasus Central Committee of the RKP(b) on 16 November 1921, in a full compliance with Stalin’s directive, read: “1. To consider unreasonable from the economic and political point of view the existence of the independent Abkhazia. 2. To suggest to comrade Eshba to submit his final conclusion on entering the Georgian Federation on treaty basis or as autonomous oblast within the RSFSR”.

E. Eshba was strictly against such proposal. “I have heard – said he – that some of comrades have the attitude towards the independence of such republics as Abkhazia like there independence is only billboard, and these republics – just the hoses of cards. It would be very bad if it would have been so; it would be a disaster”.

His prediction proved to be true. The sovereignty of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia - which had its Constitution (1925) and the state emblem and flag (1924) – was being violated. In 1931 the “Special Union Treaty” with the Abkhaz SSR was abolished and it was included within the Georgian SSR with the status of the autonomous republic. During the period of Stalin-Beria’s repressions (1937-1953) the status of the autonomy was in fact the formal one.

At the same time in other regions of the country the processes went in the opposite direction. 11 autonomous republics out of 16 that exist today within the RSFSR were the autonomous oblasts before; and 4 from 15 union republics were reformed from the autonomous republics.

The problem of historical demography is also very difficult issue in Abkhazia. The situation has been aggravated by ugly migration processes strengthened by Stalin-Beria’s forcible resettlement initiatives. As it is known, the Abkhazs are the people of an ancient culture, independent history and language, which are different from Georgian. In VIII-IX centuries the strong Abkhaz Feudal State – the Abkhaz Kingdom was established. It was advanced in the political field of the Caucasus. At the same time the Abkhaz feudal nation was developed.

In 1877 “Tifliskiy Vestnik” (Newspaper “Tbilisi Messenger” – translator’s note) noted: “Evidently the ethnographic, social, political-economic life and ideology of Abkhazs make them different even from the neighboring people”.

Until 70s of XIX century this country was populated exclusively by the indigenous Abkhaz people. The considerable changes of ethnic composition of the population were witnessed when significant part of the population had to leave the country and resettle within the territory of Ottoman Empire (Mohajir). During one decade the real ethnic revolution happened there: the Georgian, Greek, Armenian, Russian, German, Estonian, Bulgarian and other settlements were introduced in Abkhazia. According to the first All-Russia census of 1897 the Abkhazs still were more than a half of population (55.3%) of the region, in 1926 the proportion of the Abkhazs reduced twice (26,4%), and according to 1979 census it reduced again down to 17%. At the same time the Georgian population, thanks to mechanical increase, increased from 25 000 in 1897 to 213 000 in 1979, i.e. about 10 times. The proportion of Georgian population during the same period increased from 24 to 44 percent.

As it has been mentioned, the mass resettlement in Abkhazia from the western Georgian regions started during the tsar regime. In 1917-1921 “democratic” government of Mensheviks of Georgia worked in this direction. Their policy was based on terror, national hatred and Georgianization of Abkhazs. At the III Congress of Georgian Central Executive Committee in 1926 the eminent statesman of the Trans-Caucasus Sh. Z. Eliava stated: “In the period of Mensheviks’ ruling we witnessed the violation of all kinds of rights of Abkhaz people and the aspiration of the “democratic” government of Georgia to turn Abkhazia into the object of exploitation, to rule it directly, to manage all funds, lands, forests and valuables of the republic”. The deeds of Georgian Mensheviks were successfully continued by Beria.

During Stalin’s repressions all Soviet nations experienced the tragic days. The Abkhaz people also went through that tragic period.

When the entire country still lived within the tough hands of Ezhov, Georgian and Abkhazia were the first who experienced the teeth of Berievshchina. Just in one night hundreds of farmers were taken out from the Abkhaz villages. They were persecuted under unimaginable charges. Every valuable was taken out from the people. Writers, scientists, engineers, doctors, teachers – almost the whole of Abkhaz intellectual circle was devastated.

The eminent statesmen and public leaders had been annihilated. For such a small nation, as the Abkhaz, it was irreplaceable loss. This man-hating policy was demonstrated in figures – in 1938 Abkhzs made 80% of repressed population.

Not only people experienced repressions. Abkhaz language, Abkhaz history and culture, the national-state status of the republic, original place-names, and Abkhaz alphabet also were subjected to repression.

After reprisals against Nestor Lakoba and other prominent leaders of the republic Stalin-Beria’s staff unleashed a wide campaign for Georgianization of Abkhazs in Abkhazia. In 1937-1939 new Abkhaz alphabet was introduced on the basis of Georgian graphics. Since 1940 in was restricted to refer to the “Abkhaz People” in official documents, thus trying to depersonalize them, deprive from the original face and make them one of the ethnic groups of Georgian nation.

From 1937 to 1953 there was a forcible resettlement of people from other regions of Georgia to Abkhazia. Even in 1941-1942, during the war, this planned resettlement was even increased, although the cost was rather high. Due to such artificial increase the Georgian population of Abkhazia increased in number about 70000 people between 1939 and 1959 census, while the indigenous Abkhazs were only 5000. In a post-war period chauvinists abolished the Abkhaz schools and introduced Georgian as a language of instruction.

In 1948, being in Sukhumi, Stalin said: “Abkhazs are closer to us – Georgians – than Svans. Poor Lakoba did not understand that…” History and culture of Abkhaz people underwent through the toughest falsification. They were prohibited to speak in a native language. Due to the abusive personnel policy there were almost no Abkhazs at the leading positions either in the party or soviet bodies. Resettlement of Abkhaz population was being prepared.

The other nations, living in Abkhazia, also shared the tragic fare of Abkhaz people. First of all it applies to Greeks and Turks, thousands of which were deported in 1949 from Abkhazia to Kazakhstan, and their houses were occupied by new Georgian migrants. Abkhaz place-names were changed with Georgian ones. Resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of 17 August 1936 on Proper Inscription of Names of Settlements triggered the homonymy expansion and assimilation policy, which were directed against sovereignty of the autonomous republic. Under this Resolution the capital city of the Abkhaz ASSR Sukhum were replaced with “Sukhumi”, i.e. the Georgian spelling was introduced. From 1948 to 1951 the names of 147 settlements were changed with the relevant Georgian names. Until now about 50% of settlements are deprived of their original names.

Despite of unlawfulness there were people who firmly protested against violation of the rights of the workers of the autonomous republic. On 25 February 1947 young representatives of the Abkhaz intellectuals G. A. Dzidziria, B. V. Shinkuba and K. S. Shakril submitted the letter to the secretary of the Central Committee of the Union Communist Party (B) A. A. Kuznetsov informing him about the situation in the republic. The last 13^th paragraph of a letter stated: “For the Abkhaz people March 4 is a day of establishing the soviet power in the region, and it was a big traditional festivity. However, this significant date has not been celebrated lately in Abkhazia. It was not even marked in 1946, at the 25^th anniversary of existence of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic! On the day of Soviet Abkhazia’s 25^th anniversary even the newspapers were not issued at the capital city Sukhumi”.

After arresting A. A. Kuznetsov the authors of the letter were subjected to the persecution, as the bourgeois nationalists.

As a result of such policy and the forcible assimilation the number of Abkhaz people in 1939 was less than the same number under 1897 census. Only in Gali district the number of population at 1939 was less by 8000 people in comparison to the 1936 and it amounted to 1786 persons.

The 20^th Congress survived the Abkhazs from annihilation. The current inter-ethnic situation in the country, specifically in Abkhazia, calls for radical measures in this sphere. Already in 1978 the Abkhaz people repeatedly asked for including in the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR the special provision on the right of free withdrawal of the autonomous republic from the Georgian SSR. However, I. B. Kapitonov, being the secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU at the time of stagnation, announced before the demonstration of thousands of the Abkhaz people in Sukhumi that resolution of this issue in any form would be unreasonable.

Perestroika, democratization and transparency pushed forward the restricted zones in the national issues revealing the several problems allegedly non-existed before. The persons with nationalistic aspiration took advantage of the established situation. Currently in Tbilisi and in some other cities of Georgian SSR the barefaced “nationalistic” propaganda is in progress. Under the Menshevik’s flag they demand for georgianization of the non-Georgian population of the republic. For example, the newspaper “Literaturuli Sakartvelo” (Literature in Georgia) stated: “Nothing should be non-Georgian in Georgia. Non-Georgian person should be Georgian in Georgia; he must speak, write and read Georgian; grow up on the Georgian literature; have sympathy to the Georgian spirit; and finally, should not be considered as the citizen of Georgia if she/he lacks of the said features”.

The others also share the same spirit. Under the disguise of economic needs resettlement process is still on in the autonomous republic, although the density here exceeds the average indicator of the All-Union density. Falsification of the history of the Abkhaz people is continued, just like it was practiced in the past. If before the traditional Georgian history had no recognition of Abkhazs as autochthonous ethnic group or called them Georgians, now the scientists “invented” the theory about two indigenous peoples (Georgians and Abkhazs) living in Abkhazia. Such approach is a clear falsification of the fats. Based on such interpretation they are calling for “friendship” with the Abkhazs, saying nothing about Russians, Greeks, Armenians, Estonians, Jews, Tatars and other nationalities living in the autonomous republic.

It should be mentioned that within the period of existence of the Abkhaz Autonomous Republic it has been deprived the possibility to run its economy independently or decide any important economic issue of the region. The Union, the Union-republican and the republican system of management represents the impediment to the social-economic development of Abkhazia.

It should be noted that 7.7% of enterprises are subordinated to the Council of Ministers of the republic.

The further social-economic and cultural development of the Abkhaz ASSR depends on extension of its political rights. Only through the raising of the status of the Abkhaz ASSR to the Soviet Socialist Republic it will be possible to develop its economy in full compliance with the principles of distribution of the labor in the society. Such approach will secure the rational application of the unique natural, climate, material and labor resources of Abkhazia and the development of priority economic branches.

It’s high time to start reforming the failed political institutions. How long the medieval hierarchy will exist, dividing the people into the ranks and subordinating one republics to another? Even within the Party structure there is a situation putting the Abkhaz oblast party organization in a complicated system of double subordination.

All of the aforementioned problems and many others are fully developed in the letter of 17.06.1988 of the Abkhaz community addressed to the XIX All-Union party Conference; however, still there is no answer to this letter. Today it’s vital important to refresh the inter-ethnic relations, foster the friendship and fraternity among the Abkhaz, Georgian and other peoples living In Abkhazia.

This can be achieved only through returning to Abkhazia the political, economic and cultural sovereignty within the frame of Lenin’s idea of federalism.

Ephrem Eshba considered that the declaration of Abkhazia as the independent Soviet Socialist Republic was the only way for solving the said problem. Some 60 years ago he pronounced prophetic words: “This is a weapon, through which we soon take over the instigators of nationalistic discord; this is the mean, which will enable us to restore quickly fraternity between the Abkhaz and Georgian farmers!...” These words are still relevant.

Adopted at the meeting of the representatives of the Abkhaz people.

Lykhni, 18 March 1989

(Conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Documents 1989-2006 (Supplement to “Kavkazskie Sborniki”, edition #1). Collected and commented by M. A. Volkhonski, B. A. Zakharov, N. Y. SIlaev. – Moscow, 2008, p. 95-101/in Russian)