On August 14, 1992, the conflict in Abkhazia broke out, the start of one of the most tragic chapters in Georgia’s modern history. The fighting continued for 13 months and 13 days, ultimately ending with the fall of Sukhumi on September 27, 1993.
The war began after Georgian Armed Forces entered Abkhazia following a decision by the State Council of Georgia, then chaired by Eduard Shevardnadze, to restore order along the railway. Upon arrival in the region, the Georgian units came under fire at a traffic police checkpoint in the village of Okhurei, Ochamchire District. The attack was executed by the so-called Abkhaz Guard, an armed group illegally formed under the leadership of Vladislav Ardzinba, Chairman of Abkhazia’s Supreme Council.
The capture of Sukhumi was carried out not only by Abkhaz forces, but also by armed volunteers from the North Caucasus, mobilized Cossacks, and units of the Russian Armed Forces, whose involvement was backed by the Russian government.
The war resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe: up to 300,000 people, mostly ethnic Georgians, were displaced from Abkhazia, and as many as 10,000 people from the Georgian side, including both soldiers and civilians, lost their lives.
