The next anniversary of the start of the Georgian-Abkhaz war in Abkhazia was marked without mass events due to the worsening epidemic situation in the republic. This day is listed in the calendar of Abkhazia as the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of the Fatherland.
Every year on this day, mass commemorative events, actions with the participation of young people were held, but this time on the eve of the memorable date, the capital's mayor's office urged citizens to refrain from visiting crowded places. "August 14 is the day of memory of the defenders of the Fatherland. Every citizen of Abkhazia honors the memory of the soldiers who died for the freedom of the Motherland. This year, given the epidemiological situation in the country, the city administration recommends that the population refrain from visiting crowded places. The best tribute to the memory of the soldiers is our security. from any threats and our well-being, "the appeal says.
In the morning, President of the Republic Aslan Bzhania, Vice-President Badra Gunba, Speaker of Parliament Valery Kvarchia, war veterans and representatives of the public came to the Memorial of Glory in Sukhum, where the perished Abkhaz soldiers are buried, they laid wreaths and flowers at the monument. Then flowers were laid at the memorial to the first President of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba, whose name is associated with the victory in the war with Georgia. A nationwide minute of silence was observed at 12:00.
In the Georgian-Abkhaz war, which lasted 413 days, about 3 thousand military and civilians were killed on the Abkhaz side, up to 5 thousand were injured, 200 people were missing. Volunteers from the republics of the North Caucasus, South Ossetia, southern Russia and other cities, representatives of the Abkhaz-Adyghe diaspora in Turkey, Syria, and Jordan fought on the side of Abkhazia. On August 15, the Republic annually has been commemorating the Day of the Volunteer, but this year also due to the situation with the coronavirus, the solemn events were canceled, only the laying of flowers at the stele of volunteers in the city of Gudauta on Sunday will take place.
Moscow on August 26, 2008, after the armed aggression of Georgia against Tskhinval, recognized the sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian leaders have repeatedly stated that the recognition of the independence of the two former Georgian autonomies reflects the existing realities and is not subject to revision.
