Art exhibitions in Abkhazia

I recently attended 2 nice art exhibitions at the hall of the Artists Union in Sukhum.
The first was the traditional painting exhibition by Huta Avidzba, an elderly artist who surprised experts. What was interesting about his work for the experts, was not the traditional rural Abkhaz village life concept he chose for his recent works but his recently changed technique after the age of 70. They say that it requires a great courage for an elderly artist to change his style at this age.
But what I liked most in his works was the traditional rural details with the youth of his nation...
Another original exhibition in the same hall that started this week and will last till the 9th of november is Batal Capua's exhibition of graphics based on abkhaz mithology.I think these graphic works would have been nice as amblems or as a background to a photo project like- "Abkhazia Memory". I hope that nice hall will be busy with such nice, original and Caucasus peculiar exhibitions...

Loosing phone in the middle of no where

Maybe you thought I lost my phone in the middle of no where and had some problem. But no- it was the most beautiful part of Abkhazia, high in the mountains where cars could hardly go because there is no way but where people live without much thinking of the things like mobile phones. And I was too busy to remember every time where I have put my mobile phone, in my bag's front pocket, or side pocket, or another side pocket, or inside pocket, or just in it, or maybe not in it at all. Consider that I received tens of phone calls in this day when I should have been consentrating on the field work of my firms first research. I had to search for my phone for minutes while trying to answer a question of my interviewers, or see the beatiful country flowing from the window of the minibus we were in.
I wanted - really wanted to have no mobile phone at all. Back in the old days when there were only landlines, researchers would make a call to the local administrator, or the single market of the village to send the word that they will be arriving on a specific day and related people should be waiting. Since there was no way to call on a mobile and cancel in the last minute they would be there. However, what we had to do was call the exact same persons over and over again. Many times they were not reachable, there was no network where we are, they did not have money on the phone, or when we talked we were asking the same questions of where, when, how, which, what to eachother and when we could finally make it we would have talked over the phone so many times that there will be repeated conversations, things that we talked mobile-to-mobile minutes, hours and days ago many times...
But, those places we had been, needed silence. Silence divided only by smiles and dreams of "congenial" people... The silent blue skies got colored only by flying birds... The green grass lost only by being eaten by goats. The trees singing out of silence only by a warm wind that reminds you of how simple life was once.
We have been to rural Abkhazia today. In the middle of nowhere for many of you. For me where life exists. With all its people regardless of their ethnic origin or education or even their level of awareness of the fast flowing life outside of their beautiful surrounding... With all those questions to ask, all those details to see, all those realities to understand, all those forgotten stories to remember... We were in places many of you have never been. Many of you will never be... Where I wish I didn't have no phone... Where I wish...


I lost my phone in my bag (or out of my bag) so many times today. Maybe, it is I did not want to share those moments over the phone with someone who would not understand because they have never been there. They have never seen the things I saw as I saw at that moment.

Take Away Italian Pizza

I was going to the small shop on the next street to my apartment flat in Sukhum, to buy bread for dinner when I realized the small restaurant behind the trees. It is at an unfortunate corner since the remaining of the pavement is not so good and not used by many people and the shop is hidden behind trees when you look from the other side of the road. Some young people opened this Italian Take Away (and Service) PER TUTTI PIZZA and they are slowly improving their work since every time they have at least a single pizza in the oven, or customers waiting whenever I pass.

Two days ago I was too tired to cook and had a chance to try this take away pizza.
I was not sure of the contents of the pizza since they did not have many choices and the choices included interesting contents like turkey, eggs, sea food, etc. Maybe they are not interesting for many but not my type. I had choose between the cheapest Margharita (180RR) or Three Cheese (200) RR or the most expensive Pepperoni (220RR) and though I had doubts about the quality of pepperoni I choose that one to try. (Margharita can survive the day anytime but I had to know if I would like the meaty stuff.

I was surprised to see they had real pizza boxes because in restaurants the take away is usually a disaster.
The Pizza was really thin. Something mom would probably love and it was delicious. However, on its own it was not a full course for two hungry people. I know, for two ordinary it would be enough but I come from a family where two people finish one packet of pasta (macaroni) with salad and sauce.
And the inside of the restaurant you can see here

Dranda Abkhaz Church

For my birthday last weekend, we decided to do something special. We decided to go somewhere we have not been and suddenly I remembered the Dranda Abkhaz Church from a documentary I watched. We just made ourselves some sandwiches, took the photo camera and got on the way.
It was really unique and beautiful church, made of bricks. The outside have been plastered for protection but some parts have been left to show the beautiful brick structure.
However, when you are inside you can see complete brick structure and you are amazed by this wonderful architectural beauty.
I am not much familiar with Christianity but I found this piece by Khrushkova on Spread of Christian Church in Black Sea Litoral. She says that "The plan of Dranda church contains its own combination of rotunda and cross, while the sanctuary includes a prothesis and a diaconicon. The interior is dominated by the broad dome, which rests on the vaults over the arms of the cross, and on parts of the walls. The bricwork is noted for the marked care with which it was constructed, particularly interior, in the brickwork of the vaults and the dome. During restoration, amphorae of various types were discovered in the vault over the narthex; in my view, they date to the end of the 6th or the first half of the 7th century. ... It is possible that the church at Dranda was the see of archbishopric of Abazgia: its dimensions and its architectural excellence closely connect it to the Byzantine architectural tradition, and all the sources affirm that this building was not an ordinary one.... At the end of the 6th century or the beginning of the 7th, the church at the village of Dranda chracterises the passage from Antiquity to the Middle Ages." Pages 35-36.
See more pictures from the Church and region here: http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/DrandaChurch#

Istanbul restaurant in Abkhazia

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A repatriant has opened a Turkish Meat Restaurant in Sukhum this summer. I just recently had a chance to take a pic (and eat meatballs-which I usually miss). It looks like a high class restaurant and they serve Islama Kofte (a kind of Meat Ball which is served with bread dipped into meat broth.) The restaurant is called Istanbul. It is funny because when I came to Abkhazia there was a restaurant by a repatriant which was called Antalya. Is this a longing for the long lived -second homeland host country, or is it a call for Russian tourists who love to go to these cities but come to Abkhazia for a cheaper holiday? Or is it just the cousine -Turkish they say but meat is all that they serve here- that decides the name?













And I added another pic from a cafe-restaurant called San Remo. I sat there only once since it is a very expensive cafe. I tried a fried camamber but it was nothing close to the one I ate in Stutgart Wine Fest a few years back. Still, if you got money for a drink I suggest you to drop by to this fancy white restaurant just opposite to Agop's coffee house (where Castro and many other famous people have sat) and within the building of the best hotel in Sukhum- Ritsa....

See more from Restaurants and Food from Abkhazia at: http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/FoodRestaurants#

30 September 2009-16th Victory Day of Abkhazia

It has been a very nice, active, tiring, and sometimes even annoying day. There was no clear agenda announced- neither on tv, nor among people! Very Caucasian, listen to your heart and maybe you will catch an event.
Day started for me with a running since Hayri had forgotten to take the car key with him to his relatives garage where we keep the car for safety purposes (it was robbed once and still has a broken window and a broken key talon (i hope this is the true word in English).
Than we went to meet with Diaspora members and returnees to put a flower at the War Martyrs Statue together. However, there were already tension between the returnees and the representatives of one group of the Diaspora- they are so much divided even it is getting harder for me to understand the divisions so I wont explain that here.
Than I got it in the neck- unnecessarily and I found out that it was all because I was carrying an Adyghe flag together with Abkhaz.
Last year, after loosing 2 flags I sticked my Adyghe and Abkhaz flag together. So it is now a combined flag representing for me many things but not for all. For many, that is a necessary division and should stay seperate. Though these people speak languages of same root, follow similar social structures (family, clan, ...), have similar traditions, customs and ethics, share a similar history-esp. in the Diaspora some reject their close connection. This true for both Adyghe and Abkhaz groups.
Anyway, than I walked to the front of the old Parliament with some friends to find out a prepariton for a baloon and paragliders. So where was to be the parade? A Canadian journalist said at 13:30 so after the gliders at 12:00. However, it turned out that it was earlier in the park that I left because of the tension. So I missed the most interesting national symbol related event for this year- the soldiers singing the NATIONAL ANTHYM. So whats so interesting you may think but I have not heard anyone singing the anthym except some chorus recordings. It was important for my paper on national symbols. :(
I managed to watch paragliders and the balloon. Take many portraits and realized many flags and green white strips representing the remembrance of the War Martyrs among the attendees.
We had some tea at Anna's Cafe (which turned out to be named Glitsinia meaning witsaria). I realized the blue white Nicaragua flag on the wall. :) Nice thinking.
Than we had long and tiring walks by the seaside. And found out about a children pavement painting contest.
Than I came accross a collegue- Toto as they call him here an international anthropologist, and than we together came accross another two anthropologist, one guest another local sitting together with a journalist from Wales and a valuable informant-as one put- from the Diaspora who is speaking the Sadz dialect of Abkhaz language.
Than there was a concert at 4 at the filarmonia however it was impossible to enter beacuase it was over crowded.
The day continued with a concert infront of the theater.
And at 6 something the people from the Diaspora and returnees came together to dance Apsua Koshara (Abkhaz dance) as they refer or the old Apsua Koshara as locallers say with wood and amyrzakan/mizika- a kind of accordion- to make the music. It was funny to see how local people wanted to take part in the dance but did not want to understand the traditions of this dancing. For example, a boy-man has to hit the wood with others before gaining a chance to dance. And a girl has to stand on the row with others and wait for own turn. The local Abkhaz on the other hand wanted to cut a girls or boys dance on the middle and dance when they liked - which was very phasharop (shamefull) for the others.
One boy who was not allowed to cut in brought local musicians and invaded the dance field so that all will enjoy to dance whenever they want and whoever they want with the Apsny Apsua Koshara (Abkhazia's Abkhaz Dance) as they call it in the Diaspora being played. The scene was amazing by hundreds of flags.
The dancing ended with Awrasha- a paganist style singing-dancing, where everyone is lined in a circle and somebody explains the purpose of being together, makes a pray for the country and the nation, thanks everyone and says goodbye as everyone responds him by shouting Awrasha.
Than we looked for a place to eat and I suggested we go home but they did not want to be inside. Which resulted in the sabotage of our cars tires at the back of the only restaurant we could find place and tea to drink (the annoying part of the day). And we had to buy some bakery from a shop since there was nothing left to eat.
And I found out that the real reason for my husband to be cross was an accident he saw during the day where 1 young Abkhaz boy died and 3 were heavily injured.
So I have to admit it was a typical Abkhazian day, with lack of planning and communication, with accidents where young boys suffer, with many interested international researchers and journalist visiting, with Diaspora not managing to come together even for the simplest event, with children enjoying themselves and showing their enthusiasm for their country by things they do, shops being closed, restaurants not serving choices, but independent and hopefull for the future -today and forever...
PS: It was the most sunniest day recently!!!
Photos available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/AYAYRAAMSHVICTORYDAY2009#

Victory Day

It is again the time for smiling faces, increasing number of flags on the streets, fireworks, concerts, a lot of guests from the diaspora, and many more returnees... It is AYAYRA AMSH- VICTORY DAY!!!
Though I am a social scientist I have not believed many things written in history books since my high school history lessons, where we had to read "the Ottoman Emperor died because his nose was bleeding". I dont like listening to history lectures nor watching historical films. However, my feelings are different for life histories. The truth of ordinary people. And I met many telling me short realities of the war and how much these people suffered. So 30th September is not simply a day of Victory, it is a day of Remembrance of the martyr, it is the Independence Day, it is a day of national revival for which many have suffered 16th years ago.
Many people heard of Abkhazia (and South Ossetia) very recently, when Russia after 15 years recognized her independence and sign mutual agreements. Many people are surprized to see the 16th year of independence words around.
Anyway, my topic is neither the war nor the suffering not even the recognition. The topic is Victory Day.
This is my third Victory Day in Abkhazia. And I realized I have never wrote about it. Though I had uploaded photos in picasa in 2007- though I did not do even that last year because of lack of quality internet and I gave it to friends and they uploaded to facebook.
Here Victory Day celebrations start with the arrival of the Diaspora around the 25th of September. They come in huge numbers, 100s. In 2007 it was about 300, and lat year (since it was 15th and just after independence) 500, this year about 300 again.
The importance of the day is reminded with ongoing every evening TV programs about war from mid August. (14 August is the Remembarance Day and the Starting Day of War in 1992). We watch scenes from the time of war, documentaries about the war, women in black still mourning for their martyr sons and husbands and fathers....
The 27th of September is the day of Victory for Sukhum city. In 2007 they made a great activity in the University. Oratorio, fireworks, documentaries on screen, flags, all youth took part in the event. It was a meaningull agenda all and some best students received certificates of success.
Than it was concerts and fireworks in the city. (The university is not in the city centre but on a hill looking at the Blacksea in a district called Kelasur).
Anyway, this year there was a different event in Sukhum's 16th Victory Day. It turns out that relations with Diaspora results in change in National Symbols. Or better to say in the intensity and use of National Symbols- namely Flags in this case.
The story is this- last year 20 selected young Diaspora representatives came to visit their sisters and brothers in the homeland. So another group of 20 went to Turkey to visit them. A project develeoped so thatthey will understand each other better. What the youngsters saw in Turkey was the use of flags all around. (I dont aggree there is so much necessity to have flags all around the year in ordinary homes and as some kind of facist reaction to something- as it turned out to be in recent years- but as the representative of the nation state it is a necessity since everyone around the world evaluate the level of nationalism by such symbols- am I wrong?) The youngsters together with the support of the Aquafon (a local mobile phone line) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Abkhazia, as well as the Diaspora and Returnees (mainly our firm Bazala) build up a 20 meter flagpole on the port in Abkhazia. And then they brought a 30-60 m flag to put on the burned down parliament building. In 2007 they had brought a big one- dont exactly know the size- which turned out to be really small in comparison to the size of the building.
Last year for the celebration of recognition Amobile (the other local mobile phone line) presented many people with flags for front of shops and cars. On the day of the recognition everyone crashed into the only local flag making point- Dome Mode- Fashion House. Howeveri even if they would ask to pay double price or accepth to wait there for hours as people celebrated all were not able to get it. (I had presented my 1st flag to the library, the second was taken by an unknown person in the meeting for recognition and the third was really made for a nice Abkhaz lady in Dome Mode on the Recognition day and she decided to give her turn to me since she had seen me 4 days ago in the big meeting and said she can wait for another hour).
Anyway, people took flags from their offices, from top of the buildings and get on the cars going around the city. I think last year was the real turn point in terms of flags for ordinary people but it has gained importance in a more representative -state -country level this year.
Tomorrow, I guess as it always happens at 10 oclock people will put flowers on the Martyrs Park. Than there will be a parade of military and other security personnel in the Freedom Square infront of the old Parliament (or in other words in front of 30x60m Abkhaz flag).
Than people will be enjoying themselves all around cafes, and if the weather will be good by the sea side and all around. At 6:00, the youth will walk around Sukhum with flags and at 8:00 will be concert in the Freedom Square.
I am too tired to tell more for now. (I forgot we were in horse games in Muk on Sukhum's independence days. There is a necessity to explain the role of Polo and horse race in Abkhazia so let me leave it for later. I had been to another one last year in Lyhny- I also need to tell about these two holy places. But later)
Wait for news after the independence day....