sztantekin

For Abkhazia, Paganism is already the majority's "normal." Most researchers fail to grasp this, because on paper and across countless copy-pasted sources the Abkhaz appear to be roughly 60% Christian and 20% Muslim. But practically, even during Ottoman and Soviet times, it was never like that. The Abkhaz were predominantly pagan, believing in their own myths. Islam, Christianity, and even Judaism among the Abkhaz practically do not exist in any meaningful sense; instead, belief in old pagan rituals and supernatural forces is woven into cultural patterns of individual and social life, regulating people's attitudes and behaviors called as "Apsuara". To illustrate: none of my teammates knew anything about Christian practices, even though a few wore crosses or had cross in their car's mirror. The Muslims among them had no idea about Islam either. In a class I taught at Abkhaz State University, I noticed on my calendar that the next day was a significant Christian holiday. Curious whether it was an official holiday, I asked and none of the 40 students had any idea. I asked if any of them were Christians; a few raised their hands but said they weren't really into it. I then asked if there were any Muslims. One student raised his hand and politely asked me what "Bismillah" meant. I was shocked, because "Bismillahirrahmanirrahim" is one of the most core phrases in Islam, among the very first things one learns. He said he was simply curious about its meaning, because his grandmother always said "Bismillah" right before slaughtering chickens. Then, to my great surprise, I asked the whole class what their religion was, and all together, in a blissful voice, they answered: "We are Abkhaz." The Sukhum synagogue and the Abkhaz Jewish community are no different. I had known a wonderful person in Abkhazia for years, and when he heard I was going to visit Tel Aviv, he told me his brother was there too and that we should meet up. I asked what his brother was doing in Israel, and he said his brother had become an Israeli citizen ten years ago. Still not understanding, I noted that it's nearly impossible for non-Jews especially citizens of de facto states like Abkhazia to obtain Israeli citizenship. He then told me his family was Jewish, which shocked me, because they were hardcore Abkhaz in every sense. He had never mentioned it before, and he was surprised by my surprise - because for the Abkhaz, religion simply doesn't mean that much. Yet, like every other Abkhaz, even as a Jew he deeply believed in the old Abkhaz tales, mystical creatures, and mythical events. But the strangest example: during late Ottoman times, in a rural area, there was a building commonly used as both a church and a mosque, divided by a wooden wall and door. So far, fine. But the truly remarkable part? The imam and the priest were the same person. Another thing to show how Abkhaz society is hardcore secular is that, our friends that were to get married did not know each other's religion till the first Ramadan. Nobody cared, yet they knew each other's both paternal sides for their families-clans. Long story short: never take for granted the widely circulated "sources" that get copy-pasted endlessly without anyone questioning the information's current accuracy.

RFE/RL’s “Echo of the Caucasus” project stops operations The Russian-language project Echo of the Caucasus has ceased operations, staff said on social media, although an official announcement has yet to be issued. Launched in 2009 by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the outlet broadcast across Georgia proper and the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The project had already scaled back operations in March 2024, citing financial and operational difficulties, and ended its daily radio broadcasts while continuing online. Its website and social media accounts remain accessible but appear to have stopped updating, suggesting a full halt to activity.

Khamzat Khankarov (1965-1994), an active participant in the Chechen national movement and an activist for the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus in the late 1980s and early 1990s. From the second half of the 1980s, he took part in Perestroika-era movements. In February 1989, without official authorization, Khankarov dismantled the bust of Yermolov in Grozny, which had been installed following the Stalinist deportation of nations in 1944 and had stood in the capital of the ChIASSR for 40 years. In the summer and autumn of 1991, Khankarov and a group of supporters took an active part in dismantling Communist rule in Chechnya. His seizure of the television building during the August 1991 coup attempt provided Dzhokhar Dudayev with the opportunity for his first public television broadcast. In November 1991, after Boris Yeltsin issued a decree imposing a state of emergency in Checheno-Ingushetia, Khankarov thwarted an attempt by Russian military transport planes to land at the Khankala airfield by blocking the runway with trucks along with his comrades. During the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict (1992-1993), he was the informal political leader of the volunteer movement and for some time the commander of the Confederation's 2nd International Battalion (also known as the 2nd Chechen Battalion). Khankarov was one of the organizers and leaders of the storming of Gagra in October 1992. After returning from Abkhazia in the autumn of 1993, he led the Melkhistinsky Battalion and was simultaneously appointed the commandant of Chechnya. He died in June 1994 during the disarmament of Ruslan Labazanov's group. He possessed musical talent and performed self-composed songs in both Russian and Chechen on the guitar.