Ghosts from Soviet summers linger in Abkhazia
Published 02 June, 2008, 05:30
Abkhazia is a paradise lost. The Georgian breakaway region was once a sub-tropical health resort famous throughout the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union. Now, hundreds of unique constructivist and art deco buildings are in decay.
The architecture of the Abkhazian capital, Sukhumi, illustrates its recent history.
In Sukhumi's heyday the Hotel Abkhazia was the most luxurious in town. In the evening its lodgers would go for a walk along the waterfront, before settling down for a coffee at the famous pier cafe.
The hotel burnt down in 1985 and was never rebuilt. It would take tens of millions of dollars to restore it.
When the USSR collapsed, Abkhazia was a part of Georgia. A bitter civil war broke out, and Sukhumi staged some of the fiercest gunfights. Tourism collapsed. The cafes and spas shut down.
One of the city's most distinguished architectural historians, Anzor Agumava, says Abkhazia is in a transition period.
“The old Sukhumi has been lost. Now is a time for survival – not for festivities. The status and future of the republic is uncertain, and people are afraid to invest,” Agumava said.
The war ended 15 years ago. That many of the buildings are still dilapidated reflects the republic's current woes.
De-facto independent, but unrecognised, Abkhazia is locked in a frozen conflict with Georgia. Unemployment is high, and the economy has not recovered to pre-war levels.
Yet some of the landmark buildings are being restored. Catering mostly to visitors from neighbouring Russia, hotels are the first to receive a facelift.
A full revival is likely to take decades to complete. For now, there is a certain beauty as nature slowly creeps back into the manmade world.
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