Like a Kontradieff cycle, there are ups-and-downs in the nature, so in the political systems, so in culture, so in demography and so in our lives. We born, grow, get old and die. Sometimes the cycle is broken by external factors. In the case of important political leaders, the cycle can break at the peek. For Ardzynba, that's what has happened. His life cycle has come to an end. He no more breaths among us. But his political cycle- that's something at its peek and will not start getting down as long as the Abkhaz nation lives free and independent in their own land.
So this site is all about daily life in Abkhazia. At some points I tried to tell what has been going on with official words of the state institutions, some other time I gave links to pictures. Now, I am trying to tell the past, the moment and the future- all at once, and all through a single character-V. Ardzynba. It is not easy.
What made him so important? That part you can all find in a simple search. But in short, I can say he was the leader of Abkhazia who has lead the people and the country at a very hard time-war. Just in 1992-1993 took place the war, that brought the independence, freedom, honor, besides pain, loss, barocade, suffering to Abkhaz people. And he was there. Strong. Logical. Realistic. Courageous. Dignified. Elegant. Productive. Perseptive. Historian. Academician. Thinker. Hero. Leader.
Abkhaz nation had long existed. So the political history of this nation. But he, connected the past to the present, brother to the brother, nation to the state, state to the future.
In the political participation survey we did just a year ago, despite his heavy illness some people mentioned him as the ideal leader and politician of the time. If we had asked all times, the rate would be higher for sure... So he was out of politics but he was there, till the last breath he took, thinking of his nation, proud of what the Abkhaz youth has turned into, honored to see the developments of the country, aware of the ongoing process of of change and the role of each citizen in this process. And so did the people know, he was thinking of them...
An eastern belief says the breath you are going to take in life is limited and fixed in your life time. He has breathed in such a way that his last breath lives in everything he has created.
I wrote before. I never had the chance to meet him. Luckily I could read some of his writings, both political and academic. I see myself lucky to be here at this very moment, when I can see in the eyes of every woman and man who he is.
So let me tell you how the news of his death reached us. "Is it true?" was the call I got from a repatriant boy... "They are saying Ardzynba has passed away. Is it true". I did not know the answer. So I called a friend. Asked her "Is it true?" She said "unfortunately." So I called someone else.... That's how we all learned about it. Than they put his photos on the screen in AT and Abaza TV. Than it was all about him.
I went to work and nobody seemed to know anything at all. How, when, where were the repeated questions and everybody was telling their own mind. Nobody had any answers.
Than the news came. He died in cold morning, in Moscow where he was taking treatment for his chronic illness.
The next morning they made a ceremony in Moscow.
Than there was a rumor saying his body will arrive to Abkhazia at 6 o'clock in the evening. The people started to gather at the Abkhazia's not working airport long before that time. It was such a heavy rain and seemed to increase as people got excited when somebody said they had seen a light or heard a voice. But it was only the lightening and the wind that they saw and hear...
At 9, the plane landed. The longest minutes seemed the ones when the plane circled the ground after landing. Abkhazia's current president S. Bagapsh had arrived a while ago and was waiting among the people. The plane parked and suddenly people were all walking towards the plane.
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| From Ardzynba |
There were about three thousand people, who were all wet both because of crying and the rains. And there was the proud Abkhaz army who carried his coffin out of the plane.
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| From Ardzynba |
He left the airport at 9.40... On the way home there were people standing on both sides of the road. Standing still and silent. Some were holding their cry but their eyes couldn't.
At the airport were children and the elderly women and men and abkhaz and adyghe and ubykh and families and friends and political allies and political oppositions and war veterans and military and many many more...
Nearly all went to his house and it was huge crowd that had been waiting. And people rushed to say their fairwells to their hero...
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| From Ardzynba |
A line of people was climbing the stairs to his flat on the third floor of an appartment, infront of which we had been washed by chaimpaign, opened by his wife- also a historian- on the day of the recognition.
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| From celebrations |
So here we were. In his house. This was not the meeting we had dreamed of. But we met at last. And I am honored for that...
Today, he is being visited by people from all over Abkhazia. They say the official farewell ceremony and the funeral will be on tuesday. Till than our street (oh yes, we live in the same street) will be crowded by silent people, the only voice heard will be that of the rain, and that of the hold down sob of the people...
