Like most regions of the Russian Empire, after the October Revolution, Abkhazia proclaimed sovereignty. In 1921, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia was created on the Black Sea coast of the Western Caucasus, which had a long and difficult fate.
The creation of the republic
On March 4, 1921, at a congress of representatives of residents of Abkhazia, a decision was made to create a republic under the control of the republic, which, according to the founders, was to become Soviet and socialist, as well as a member of the All-Russian Federation.
From the very beginning, it was assumed that the policy of the new republic would be cautious both in relation to the bourgeoisie and in relation to the peasantry. The process of creating the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia ended on March 26, 1921, when a regulation on the structure of the country was adopted at an expanded meeting of the Organizing Bureau.
Period of uncertainty
However, this meeting left open the question of which republic the new state will be part of - the RSFSR or the Georgian SSR. It was assumed that the issue would be resolved after the Congress of Soviets.
Today, many historians agree that Georgia recognized the independence of Abkhazia in 1921, as can be found in the declaration of the Revolutionary Committee of the Georgian SSR. It is worth noting that the question of the first years of the post-imperial existence of Abkhazia is of crucial political importance today, since it is precisely the documents of that time that many supporters of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia base its right to independence from Georgia.
Joining Georgia
However, already in December 1921, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia and the Georgian SSR, as full-fledged subjects of international law, signed an agreement on unification on an equal federal basis. This wording is very important, as it suggests the possibility of termination of such an agreement.
Be that as it may, but a year later, Abkhazia, being an integral part of Georgia, entered the Transcaucasian Federation, which lasted until 1936. Thus, Abkhazia entered the USSR, already being part of Georgia.
The participants in the Congress from Abkhazia and those present at the signing of the union agreement insisted that Georgia did not deprive Abkhazia of independence, leaving it with the right to internal governance and the opportunity to terminate the agreement by contacting the RCP and Lenin personally.
However, less than ten years later, the central apparatus of the Georgian SSR set about reorganizing its country, and at the same time lowered the status of Abkhazia from the Soviet Socialist Republic to the Autonomous Republic. In April 1932, a new era began in the history of Abkhaz statehood.
Autonomous Abkhaz Socialist Republic
After 1932, when the status of the Abkhaz national state was significantly lowered, the republic, as some politicians claim, could no longer pretend to self-determination, which fundamentally contradicts international law, which does not question the right of peoples to self-determination and the creation of their own state.
It is worth saying that throughout the entire time that Abkhazia was part of Georgia, the Abkhaz were subjected to so much pressure that they were forced to hold demonstrations for leaving the Georgian SSR. An important reason for the dissatisfaction of the Abkhazians with the situation was, for example, that until 1950, the indigenous people could not learn their native language in schools, which was forcibly supplanted by Georgian.
The most numerous gathering of the Abkhaz people took place in 1989. More than 30,000 people gathered in the village of Lykhny, which is considered the ancient capital of Abkhazia, who jointly decided to leave Georgia and restore the status of a union republic. It is believed that this event was the cause of the protracted conflict that led to the proclamation of independence by Abkhazia and its uncertain status today.
Economics in the years of the USSR
Throughout the time that Abkhazia was part of the USSR, its economy flourished, which was facilitated by the geographical position and cultural traditions of the people.
The two most important sources of economic growth for Abkhazia were the recreational sector and agriculture. The favorable subtropical climate facilitated the cultivation of rare fruits and vegetables for the USSR in large quantities, which allowed local authorities to regularly implement the plan. Winemaking was also developed.
In the old Soviet-era photos of Abkhazia, you can often find smiling faces of Soviet workers. This is not surprising, because rest in the Abkhaz sanatorium was considered a great success and was given, as a rule, for great merits in the labor field.
Modern Abkhazia
After the liquidation of the USSR and the ensuing conflict, the Republic of Abkhazia was created, which is the legal successor of the Abkhaz ASSR and, consequently, the Soviet Socialist Republic. Thus, Abkhazia entered the USSR for more than seventy years.
Despite the fact that neither Georgia, nor a large part of the world community recognizes the sovereignty of Abkhazia, continuing to consider it part of the Georgian Republic, this coastal unrecognized state has been successfully operating for almost 25 years.
Today, the Abkhaz economy is based on tourism, viticulture and agriculture. Since the status of an unrecognized republic does not allow having its own international airports, travelers use the nearest Russian airport located in Adler.
Given the situation of the actual blockade of the republic by Georgia, subsidies from the Russian budget play an important role in the economy of these places, and in its safety, Russian military bases located in Gudauta and Sukhumi.