EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF THE ABKHAZ PEOPLE’S COUNCIL

20 October 1918

To accept without any impediment the telegrams and written correspondence in any language done with Latin or Russian scripts.

… Due to the multi-ethnicity and difficulties in nationalizing the state organizations, the People’’ Council of Abkhazia Decided:

To retain temporarily the Russian language as a common language at the state organizations on the territory of Abkhazia.

V. Shervashidze

(Tamaz Nadareishvili, David Chitaia, Paata Davitaia, Problem of Separatisms in Georgia (History and Present), book 1. Tb., 2003, p. 180/in Georgian)