'Piano of discord': Why Russian ambassador's gift angered Abkhaz society

Russian ambassador presents Sukhum with grand piano

Russia‘s new ambassador to Abkhazia, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has presented Sukhum with a grand piano. But the musical community was unhappy with the gift being installed outdoors near the seafront.

The white August Förster grand piano, worth 5m roubles (about $59,000), was installed in a park area on the Sukhum seafront at the ambassador’s own request. The seafront reopened in July 2026 following major renovation work, which was also funded by the Russian side.

The ambassador’s “good intention” was to make the piano available for anyone to play. However, professionals considered this a bad idea.

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Vyacheslav Gladkov is widely seen as a protégé of Sergei Kiriyenko, the Kremlin official responsible for overseeing policy towards Abkhazia

The first to voice his objections was the chief conductor of the Abkhaz Chamber Orchestra, who said that outdoors, particularly in Abkhazia’s subtropical climate, the grand piano would quickly deteriorate.

“Instruments like this are kept in climate-controlled rooms, with special temperature conditions maintained around them. It is very sensitive to humidity. It has no place outdoors, right next to the sea, in conditions of high humidity,” the conductor explained.

He was backed by opera singer and soloist at Moscow’s Helikon Opera, Alisa Gitsba. She suggested that the expensive grand piano be given to the Sukhumi Philharmonic, which is in need of such an instrument.

However, it soon emerged that the Philharmonic was not the only institution in need of a grand piano. A host of music schools also wanted it, with their teachers taking to social media to make their claims to the instrument.

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Founded in 2016, the orchestra has never had its own rehearsal space, practising wherever it could

In an attempt to calm concerned residents, the Sukhumi city administration issued a statement saying that installing grand pianos in parks near seafronts was common practice around the world.

“At the same time, it is also recognised that, due to climatic conditions, the musical instrument may deteriorate over time. A special cover will be made for the grand piano, and CCTV cameras will be installed around it. The Sukhumi Seafront and Parks Directorate will be responsible for its use and maintenance,” the administration said in its statement.

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