International Forum on Caucasian Studies Opens in Sukhum

SUKHUM / AQW'A— The international forum “Peoples of the Caucasus in the 18th–21st Centuries: History, Politics, Culture” has opened in Sukhum, bringing together around 250 scholars from Abkhazia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Türkiye and Germany.

Speaking at the opening, Arda Ashuba, Director of the Abkhaz Institute of Humanitarian Studies (ABIGI), noted that the event’s location was highly symbolic: “It is no coincidence that the international forum of Caucasian scholars is being held in Abkhazia for the first time, as Abkhaz studies are an integral part of Caucasian studies.”

The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Abkhazia, Badra Gunba, and Svetlana Dzhergenia, the wife of the republic’s first president.

In his address, President Gunba stressed the significance of academic cooperation: “We regard cooperation between Abkhazia and Russia as a strategically important direction. It is not limited to academic research but plays a vital role in preserving historical memory, shaping common approaches to the study of the Caucasus, and passing on values without which the life of a people cannot be complete.”

The forum, which runs until 4 October, is dedicated to three significant anniversaries: the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the 80th anniversary of the birth of Abkhazia’s first president, Vladislav Ardzinba, and the 100th anniversary of the Abkhaz Institute of Humanitarian Studies named after Dmitry Gulia.