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{{Short description|Town in Abkhazia/Georgia}}
]
{{For|the union council in Pakistan|Gagra, Pakistan}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->{{Infobox settlement
| name = Gagra
| native_name = {{native name|ka|გაგრა}}<br/>{{native name|ab|Гагра}}
| nickname =
| official_name =
| settlement_type = ]
| motto =
| image_skyline = Old Gagra.jpg
| image_shield = Герб Гагры.jpg
| image_map = Gagra na mapě.svg
| image_caption = Old Gagra
| pushpin_map = Abkhazia#Georgia
| map_caption = Location of Gagra in Abkhazia
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Gagra
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Georgia
|subdivision_type1 = Partially recognized <br/>independent country <!--Country-->
|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Abkhazia}}<ref name="Abk">{{Abkhazia-note}}</ref>
|subdivision_type2 = ]
|subdivision_name2 = ]
| leader_title = Mayor<ref name=mayor group=note>The Governor of ] is at the same time Mayor of the Gagra municipality.</ref>
| leader_name = Yuri Khagush<ref>{{cite news |title=В сухумский порт прибыл корабль Черноморского флота России |url=https://www.ekhokavkaza.com/a/32615537.html |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=Эхо Кавказа |date=29 September 2023 |language=ru}}</ref>
| established_title =
| established_date =
| area_total_km2 =
| area_footnotes =
| population_est = 12002<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ugsra.org/ofitsialnaya-statistika.php|title=Государственный комитет Республики Абхазия по статистике|access-date=2022-12-04|archive-date=2022-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121235139/https://ugsra.org/ofitsialnaya-statistika.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| pop_est_as_of = 2018
| population_as_of =
| population_total =
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| utc_offset = +3
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| coordinates = {{coord|43|17|N|40|16|E|region:GE-AB<!--ABK-->|display=inline}}
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'''Gagra''' ({{lang-ka|გაგრა}}; ] and Russian: Гагра) is a town in ]/],<ref name=status group=note>{{Abkhazia-note}}</ref> sprawling for 5&nbsp;km on the northeast coast of the ], at the foot of the ]. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular health resort in Imperial Russian and Soviet times.


It had a population of 26,636 in 1989, but this has fallen considerably due to the ] and other demographic shifts during and after the ].
'''Gagra''' ({{lang-ka|გაგრა}}, ] and ]: Гагра) is a city in ], a region of ], sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the ], at the foot of the ]. Its ] climate made Gagra a popular health resort in ]n and ] times.


Gagra is the centre of the ]. It is located in the western part of Region of Abkhazia, and river ] serves as a border with ] of Russia.
Since the ] in the ] (sepparatist forces sponsored strongly by ]), however, the city has become depopulated and increasingly decrepit. It had a population of 26,636 in 1989 but this has certainly fallen considerably due to ] from Abkhazia. The town is still much frequented by ]n tourists, who come from the Russian resort of ], situated just 22 km to the north.


==History== == Etymology ==
According to some Georgian scholars, ''Gagra'' is derived from ''Gakra'' meaning "walnut" in the ].<ref>Topchishvili, Roland (2005), {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310220525/http://www.nplg.gov.ge/dlibrary/collect/0001/000070/Georgian_Mountein_Regions.pdf |date=2012-03-10 }}. ]</ref> According to the Soviet writer Bondaryev, the name of the city originates from the local ''Gagaa'' clan.<ref>{{cite book|title= В ГОРАХ АБХАЗИИ (''In Abkhazian mountains'')|last= БОНДАРЕВ|first= Н.Д.|year= 1981|publisher= Физкультура и спорт|location= Moscow|language= ru|url= http://wkavkaz.narod.ru/book/abhazia/index.html|access-date= 2009-06-07|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091122102345/http://wkavkaz.narod.ru/book/abhazia/index.html|archive-date= 2009-11-22|url-status= dead}}</ref> According to V. Kvarchija, Gagra (< *ga-kʼə-ra) means 'the holder of the coast' in Abkhaz (Gagra was mentioned as Kakara, Kakkari on old maps).<ref>Кәарҷиа В. Е. Аҧсны атопонимика — Аҟәа. 2002. P. 92</ref>
The city was established as a ] colony called ''Triglite'', inhabited by Greeks and ]. It came under the control of the kingdom of ] in the ] before being absorbed by the ], which renamed the city as ''Nitica''. Its geographical position led the Romans to fortify the city, which was repeatedly attacked by ] and other invaders. After the fall of Rome, its successor, the ], took control of the city. Along with the rest of Abkhazia, Gagra was incorporated into the Georgian kingdom of ] from the ] onwards. It became a major trading settlement in which ] and ] merchants were prominent, trading in the city's main exports - wood, honey, wax and slaves. The name "Gagra" appears for the first time on a map of 1308 made by the Italian Pietro Visconti, which is now in the Library of Saint Mark in ].


== History ==
===Gagra under the Russians===
The town was established as a Greek colony in the kingdom of ], called Triglite ({{langx|grc|Τριγλίτη}}), inhabited by Greeks and Colchians. Colchis came under the control of the ] in the 1st century BC before being absorbed by the ], which renamed the town as ''Nitica''. Its geographical position led the Romans to fortify the town, which was repeatedly attacked by ] and other invaders. The town and the whole region of ] remained part of ].
]
In the ], Gagra and the rest of Abkhazia was conquered by the ]. The western merchants were expelled and the city entered a prolonged period of decline, with much of the local population fleeing into the mountains. By the ] the city had been reduced to little more than a village surrounded by forests and disease-ridden swamps. Its fortunes were restored in the ] when the ] expanded into the region, annexing Abkhazia. The swamps were drained and the town was rebuilt around a new military hospital. Its population, however, was still small: in 1866, a census recorded that 336 men and 280 women, mostly local families or army officers and their dependents, lived in Gagra. The town suffered badly in the ], when Turkish troops invaded, destroyed the town and expelled the local population. Russia won the war, however, and rebuilt Gagra again. ]


It became a major trading settlement in which ] and ] merchants were prominent, trading in the town's main exports – wood, honey, wax and slaves. The name "Gagra" appeared for the first time on a map in 1308, on a map of the Caucasus made by the Italian Pietro Visconti, which is now in the ] in Venice.
After the war, the town was "discovered" by Prince ], a member of the Russian royalty. He saw the potential of the region's subtropical climate and decided to build a high-class resort there. Having raised a large sum of money from the government, he built himself a palace there and constructed a number of other buildings in an eclectic variety of styles from around Europe. A park was laid out with tropical trees and even parrots and monkeys imported to give it an exotic feel. Despite the expensive work, the resort was not initially a success, although it did later attract a growing number of foreign tourists visiting on cruises of the Black Sea.


===Gagra under the Soviet Union=== === Gagra within the Russian Empire ===
]
In the ], a local uprising produced a revolutionary government in the town, which founded a short-lived Republic of Gagra. This was soon defeated and the revolutionaries arrested ''en masse''. The ] a few years later was a disaster for Gagra, destroying the tourist trade on which it depended. The ] shortly afterwards saw the ] take over the city; despite a brief ] attempt to repel them during the ], the city was firmly incorporated into the new ].
In the 16th century, Gagra and the rest of western Georgia were conquered by the ]. The western merchants were expelled and the town entered a prolonged period of decline, with much of the local population fleeing into the mountains. By the 18th century, the town had been reduced to little more than a village surrounded by forests and disease-ridden swamps. Its fortunes were restored in the 19th century when the ] expanded into the region, annexing the whole of Georgia. The swamps were drained and the town was rebuilt around a new military hospital. Its population, however, was still small; in 1866, a census recorded that 336 men and 280 women, mostly local families or army officers and their dependents, lived in Gagra. The town suffered badly in the ], when Turkish troops invaded, destroyed the town and expelled the local population. Russia won the war, however, and rebuilt Gagra again. ]


In 1904 the town was discovered by ], a member of the Russian royalty.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Saparov |first1=Arsène |title=From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh |date=2014 |publisher=Routledge |pages=134}}</ref> He saw the potential of the region's sub-tropical climate and decided to build a high-class resort there. Having raised a large sum of money from the government, he built a palace there for himself and constructed a number of other buildings in an eclectic variety of architectural styles from around Europe. A park was laid out with tropical trees, and parrots and monkeys were imported to give it an exotic feel. Despite the expensive work, the resort was not initially a success, although it did later attract a growing number of foreign tourists visiting on cruises of the Black Sea. Following the founding of the resort, the area was ceded from ] to ] in 1904.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Saparov |first1=Arsène |title=From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh |date=2014 |publisher=Routledge |pages=134}}</ref>
The Bolshevik leader, ], issued a decree in 1919 establishing a "worker's resort" in Gagra, nationalising the resort that had been built by Oldenburg. It became a popular holiday resort for Soviet citizens and during ] gained a new role as a site for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. After the war, various state-run ]s were built there. The resort grew and was developed intensively as part of the "Soviet Riviera".


===Gagra in separatist Abkhazia=== === Gagra under the Soviet Union ===
In the ], a local uprising produced a revolutionary government in the town, which founded a short-lived Republic of Gagra. This was soon defeated and the revolutionaries were arrested ''en masse''. The First World War a few years later was a disaster for Gagra, destroying the tourist trade on which it depended. The ] shortly afterwards saw the ] take over the town; despite a brief French attempt to repel them during the ], the town was firmly incorporated into the new Soviet Union within ]n SSR.
]
In the late ], tensions grew between the Georgian and Abkhazian communities in the region. All-out war erupted between ]-] which ended in a catastrophic defeat of the Georgian government's forces. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from their homes in Abkhazia in an outbreak of mass ] in which tens of thousands Georgian civilians were brutally massacred{{Fact|date=May 2007}}. Gagra and the Abkhazian capital ] were at the centre of the fighting and suffered heavy damage.


Bolshevik leader ] issued a decree in 1919 establishing a "worker's resort" in Gagra, nationalising the resort that had been built by Oldenburg. It became a popular holiday resort for Soviet citizens and during World War II gained a new role as a site for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. After the war, various state-run ]s were built there. The resort grew and was developed intensively as part of the "Soviet Riviera". A 1985 musical film '']'' further popularized the resort.
The conflict has still not been resolved, although ongoing skirmishes are confined to the Abkhazian/Georgian administrative border well to the east of the city.


=== Gagra in post-soviet Abkhazia ===
===Monuments===
In the late 1980s, tensions grew between the Georgian and Abkhazian communities in the region. An all-out war erupted between 1992 and 1993 which ended in a defeat of the Georgian government's forces. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from their homes in Abkhazia and thousands were massacred in an outbreak of mass ].<ref>Human Rights Watch Arms Project. ]/]. March 1995 Vol. 7, No. 7. </ref> Gagra and the Abkhazian capital ] were at the centre of the fighting and suffered heavy damage. To this date ethnic Georgians have an IDP status and have not been able to return to their homes.
]
The chief landmarks of Gagra are:
*ruins of the Abaata fortress (4th-5th cent. AD);
*6th-century church, said to be the oldest in Abkhazia;
*Marlinsky defensive tower (1841);
*19th-century palace of the Prince of Oldenburg.


{{See also|Battle of Gagra}}
==Gagra raion==
Gagra is the centre of the ''raion'' of the same name. It is located in the western part of ] and river ] serves as a border with ] of ]. The population of the raion is 37,002 according to the 2003 census. The population of the ''Gagra town zone'' in 1989 was 77,079.<ref></ref>


== Monuments ==
The raion's main settlements are the following:
] ] of ] of the Virgin]]
*Gagra itself
The chief landmarks of Gagra are:
*]
*Ruins of the Abaata Fortress (4th–5th AD)
*]
*A 6th-century ]
*]
*Marlinsky defensive tower (1841)
*]
*19th-century palace of the Prince of Oldenburg


==See also== ==See also==
] * ]
* ]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


== External links == == External links ==
{{commonscat|Gagra}} {{Commons category|Gagra}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Gagra}}
*
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100519055854/http://webcam.abhazia.com/ |date=2010-05-19 }}
*


{{coor title dm|43|20|N|40|13|E|region:GE_type:city}} {{Coord|43|20|N|40|13|E|region:GE_type:city|display=title}}


{{Gagra District}}
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] {{Administrative divisions of Abkhazia}}
] {{Cities and towns in Georgia (country)}}
{{Authority control}}
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Latest revision as of 20:14, 28 October 2024

Town in Abkhazia/Georgia For the union council in Pakistan, see Gagra, Pakistan. Town in Abkhazia, Georgia
Gagra გაგრა (Georgian)
Гагра (Abkhaz)
Town
Old GagraOld Gagra
Coat of arms of GagraCoat of arms
Location of Gagra in AbkhaziaLocation of Gagra in Abkhazia
Gagra is located in AbkhaziaGagraGagraLocation of GagraShow map of AbkhaziaGagra is located in GeorgiaGagraGagraGagra (Georgia)Show map of Georgia
Coordinates: 43°17′N 40°16′E / 43.283°N 40.267°E / 43.283; 40.267
CountryGeorgia
Partially recognized
independent country		 Abkhazia
DistrictGagra
Government
 • MayorYuri Khagush
Population
 • Estimate 12,002
Time zoneUTC+3
ClimateCfa

Gagra (Georgian: გაგრა; Abkhaz and Russian: Гагра) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular health resort in Imperial Russian and Soviet times.

It had a population of 26,636 in 1989, but this has fallen considerably due to the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia and other demographic shifts during and after the War in Abkhazia (1992–93).

Gagra is the centre of the district of the same name. It is located in the western part of Region of Abkhazia, and river Psou serves as a border with Krasnodar Krai of Russia.

Etymology

According to some Georgian scholars, Gagra is derived from Gakra meaning "walnut" in the Svan language. According to the Soviet writer Bondaryev, the name of the city originates from the local Gagaa clan. According to V. Kvarchija, Gagra (< *ga-kʼə-ra) means 'the holder of the coast' in Abkhaz (Gagra was mentioned as Kakara, Kakkari on old maps).

History

The town was established as a Greek colony in the kingdom of Colchis, called Triglite (Ancient Greek: Τριγλίτη), inhabited by Greeks and Colchians. Colchis came under the control of the kingdom of Pontus in the 1st century BC before being absorbed by the Roman Empire, which renamed the town as Nitica. Its geographical position led the Romans to fortify the town, which was repeatedly attacked by Goths and other invaders. The town and the whole region of Colchis remained part of Byzantine Empire.

It became a major trading settlement in which Genoese and Venetian merchants were prominent, trading in the town's main exports – wood, honey, wax and slaves. The name "Gagra" appeared for the first time on a map in 1308, on a map of the Caucasus made by the Italian Pietro Visconti, which is now in the Library of Saint Mark in Venice.

Gagra within the Russian Empire

Palace of the Prince of Oldenburg

In the 16th century, Gagra and the rest of western Georgia were conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The western merchants were expelled and the town entered a prolonged period of decline, with much of the local population fleeing into the mountains. By the 18th century, the town had been reduced to little more than a village surrounded by forests and disease-ridden swamps. Its fortunes were restored in the 19th century when the Russian Empire expanded into the region, annexing the whole of Georgia. The swamps were drained and the town was rebuilt around a new military hospital. Its population, however, was still small; in 1866, a census recorded that 336 men and 280 women, mostly local families or army officers and their dependents, lived in Gagra. The town suffered badly in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878, when Turkish troops invaded, destroyed the town and expelled the local population. Russia won the war, however, and rebuilt Gagra again.

View of Gagra's wharf sometime between 1905 and 1915.

In 1904 the town was discovered by Duke Alexander of Oldenburg, a member of the Russian royalty. He saw the potential of the region's sub-tropical climate and decided to build a high-class resort there. Having raised a large sum of money from the government, he built a palace there for himself and constructed a number of other buildings in an eclectic variety of architectural styles from around Europe. A park was laid out with tropical trees, and parrots and monkeys were imported to give it an exotic feel. Despite the expensive work, the resort was not initially a success, although it did later attract a growing number of foreign tourists visiting on cruises of the Black Sea. Following the founding of the resort, the area was ceded from Sukhum Okrug to Black Sea Governorate in 1904.

Gagra under the Soviet Union

In the Russian Revolution of 1905, a local uprising produced a revolutionary government in the town, which founded a short-lived Republic of Gagra. This was soon defeated and the revolutionaries were arrested en masse. The First World War a few years later was a disaster for Gagra, destroying the tourist trade on which it depended. The Russian Revolution shortly afterwards saw the Bolsheviks take over the town; despite a brief French attempt to repel them during the Russian Civil War, the town was firmly incorporated into the new Soviet Union within Georgian SSR.

Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin issued a decree in 1919 establishing a "worker's resort" in Gagra, nationalising the resort that had been built by Oldenburg. It became a popular holiday resort for Soviet citizens and during World War II gained a new role as a site for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. After the war, various state-run sanatoriums were built there. The resort grew and was developed intensively as part of the "Soviet Riviera". A 1985 musical film Winter Evening in Gagra further popularized the resort.

Gagra in post-soviet Abkhazia

In the late 1980s, tensions grew between the Georgian and Abkhazian communities in the region. An all-out war erupted between 1992 and 1993 which ended in a defeat of the Georgian government's forces. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from their homes in Abkhazia and thousands were massacred in an outbreak of mass ethnic cleansing. Gagra and the Abkhazian capital Sukhumi were at the centre of the fighting and suffered heavy damage. To this date ethnic Georgians have an IDP status and have not been able to return to their homes.

See also: Battle of Gagra

Monuments

An early medieval church of the Protection of the Virgin

The chief landmarks of Gagra are:

  • Ruins of the Abaata Fortress (4th–5th AD)
  • A 6th-century Church of Gagra
  • Marlinsky defensive tower (1841)
  • 19th-century palace of the Prince of Oldenburg

See also

Notes

  1. The Governor of Gagra District is at the same time Mayor of the Gagra municipality.
  2. The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.

References

  1. The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
  2. "В сухумский порт прибыл корабль Черноморского флота России". Эхо Кавказа (in Russian). 29 September 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. "Государственный комитет Республики Абхазия по статистике". Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  4. Topchishvili, Roland (2005), History of Georgian Mountain Regions: Svaneti and Its Inhabitants (Ethno-historical Studies) Archived 2012-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
  5. БОНДАРЕВ, Н.Д. (1981). В ГОРАХ АБХАЗИИ (In Abkhazian mountains) (in Russian). Moscow: Физкультура и спорт. Archived from the original on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  6. Кәарҷиа В. Е. Аҧсны атопонимика — Аҟәа. 2002. P. 92
  7. Saparov, Arsène (2014). From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh. Routledge. p. 134.
  8. Saparov, Arsène (2014). From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh. Routledge. p. 134.
  9. Human Rights Watch Arms Project. Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. March 1995 Vol. 7, No. 7. Georgia/Abkhazia: Violations of the Laws of War and Russia's Role in the Conflict

External links

43°20′N 40°13′E / 43.333°N 40.217°E / 43.333; 40.217

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