Gagra District

Geography

The Psou River forms most of the border between Gagra District and Russia. The district is mostly mountainous with multiple ridges of the Greater Caucasus Mountains.

History

In 1904, Gagra and its surroundings were transferred from the Sukhumsky District of Abkhazia to the Sochi District, which was under the control of Prince Oldenburgsky, and in 1917 it was returned to this position. In 1929, thanks to the Abkhaz authorities, the Pilenkovskaya volost between Gagra and Psou was returned to Abkhazia. It was then that Gagra was established as a separate district. Today it includes the city of Gagra, the urban settlements of Pitsunda, Tsandrypsh, as well as eleven villages – Alahadzi, Khishkha, Bzyp, Psahara, Gechripsh, Ldzaa, Mahadyr, Mkalripsh, Hashpsy, Askhuzara.

Administration

Grigori Enik was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.

In December 2002, Enik was appointed Head of the State Customs Committee, he was succeeded by Valeri Bganba.

On 25 May 2006, Bganba was released from office by President Bagapsh upon his own request, and succeeded by Astamur Ketsba. In turn, after the election of Alexander Ankvab, on 6 September 2011 Ketsba was dismissed upon his own request and temporarily replaced by his deputy Teimuraz Kapba.

On 15 November, Grigori Enik, who had previously headed the Presidential Administration, was appointed Acting Head of Gagra District. On 28 May 2012, Enik was permanently appointed.

Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba as President, he dismissed Enik and replaced him with MP Beslan Bartsits (as acting Head) on 22 October. Bartsits was confirmed in his post the following year.

On 16 May 2016, Bartsits became Head of the Presidential Administration. The same day, Gagra Forestry Director Zaur Bganba was appointed acting District Head. Bganba was confirmed in his post on 2 June.

List of governors

Demographics

The population of the Gagra town zone in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, (including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians), to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.

As of the 2011 census, this had risen to 40,217 (2011 census).

Ethnic groups

According to 2011 census, the ethnic composition was:

Settlements

The district's main settlements are:

• Gagra
• Pitsunda
• Leselidze
• Gantiadi
• Bzyb

The district is mostly mountainous except for the Bzyb lowland in the southern part of it (where Pitsunda is located) and is crossed by several ranges (Gagra, Arabika and others).

Notes

References

References

1. {{Abkhazia-note
2. (29 September 2023). "В сухумский порт прибыл корабль Черноморского флота России". Эхо Кавказа.
3. "Государственный комитет Республики Абхазия по статистике".
4. (10 May 2001). "Выпуск № 92".
5. link. (18 December 2002)
6. (24 April 2003). "Бганба Валерий Рамшухович". [[Caucasian Knot]].
7. Regnum.ru [http://www.regnum.ru/news/647250.htmlГлавой администрации Гагрского района Абхазии назначен Астамур Кецба], 26.05.2006
8. (6 September 2011). "Астамур Кецба освобожден от должности главы Администрации Гагрского района на основании личного заявления". [[Apsnypress]].
9. (15 November 2011). "Григорий Еник назначен исполняющим обязанности главы администрации Гагрского района". [[Apsnypress]].
10. (28 May 2012). "Григорий Еник назначен главой администрации Гагрского района". Gagra District Administration.
11. (22 October 2014). "Беслан Барциц назначен исполняющим обязанности главы администрации Гагрского района". [[Apsnypress]].
12. (16 May 2016). "БЕСЛАН БАРЦИЦ НАЗНАЧЕН РУКОВОДИТЕЛЕМ АДМИНИСТРАЦИИ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА РЕСПУБЛИКИ АБХАЗИЯ".
13. (16 May 2016). "Беслан Барциц назначен Руководителем Администрации Президента РА".
14. (16 May 2016). "Заур Бганба назначен исполняющим обязанности главы Администрации Гагрского района".
15. (3 June 2016). "Президент подписал указы о назначении глав районных и городских администраций".
16. (2 June 2016). "ПРЕЗИДЕНТ РАУЛЬ ХАДЖИМБА ПОДПИСАЛ УКАЗЫ О НАЗНАЧЕНИИ ГЛАВ РАЙОННЫХ И ГОРОДСКИХ АДМИНИСТРАЦИЙ".
17. Lakoba, Stanislav. "Кто есть кто в Абхазии".
18. "Ethnic composition of Abkhazia 2003".
19. "Ethnic composition of Abkhazia 2011".
20. [http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/rnabkhazia.html Population censuses in Abkhazia: 1886, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2003, 2011] {{in lang. ru