Return of Abkhazian surnames: historical justice or a threat to national security?
The issue of return of original Abkhazian surnames is hotly debated in society after the adoption of amendments to the relevant law. Many in Abkhazia see this not as restoration of historical justice, but as a threat to national security. After all, theoretically it opens the way to the government of the republic for citizens of Georgia.
What the amendments mean
Deputy Kan Kvarchia initiated consideration of the draft amendments. He justified it by the fact that ethnic Abkhazians who lost their nationality during historical events are deprived of the right to restore it and return their original surname. Now, thanks to the amendment to the law, it will be possible to restore Abkhazian nationality upon reaching adulthood at one’s own request or at the request of parents.
After a short discussion deputies unanimously voted in favor, despite concerns expressed by the Minister of Justice and representative of the Prosecutor General. They recommended adopting the amendments in the first reading and then finalizing the bill, and, as Justice Minister Henri Barcitz said, “to provide barrier clauses that will protect the law from those who would want to use it for selfish purposes.”
- “The world denies our existence”. How Abkhazia’s young people are doing after EU sanctions
- Dual citizenship in Abkhazia: not a luxury, but a means of transportation
Abkhazian surname in Georgian style
Opposition activists and the public received this innovation without enthusiasm. In particular, they did not like the fact that now the law allows returning Abkhazian surnames to people who are not citizens of Abkhazia.
There are several countries in the world that accept citizenship on the basis of nationality, for example Armenia and Israel. The same is the case in Abkhazia: to get a passport it is enough to be an Abkhazian.
But not all ethnic Abkhazians are considered Abkhazians. Forced resettlement of Abkhazians to Turkey and the Middle East (mahajirism), as well as repressions of the early Soviet period, left a noticeable demographic trace.
As historian Ruslan Gozhba put it, “there are Abkhazians who, despite territorial detachment from Abkhazia have preserved the culture and traditions of their forefathers, and there are those who are mentally distant from the titular nation.”
By the latter he meant residents of the Gali district, adjacent to the line of separation in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. In 2014, by the decision of the Abkhazian parliament, more than 30 thousand residents of the Gali district had their previously issued Abkhazian passports revoked. The main reason was that they had a second, Georgian citizenship, which is prohibited by Abkhazian legislation. Among them are not only ethnic Georgians, but also Abkhazians with Georgian surnames.
In Abkhazia it is easy to understand by a surname what district or even village its owner is from, how noble their family was in the past and what authority their ancestors had over the last hundred years. But in the early Soviet period there were processes that forced Abkhazians from Gali district to change their surnames to Georgian. For example, the surname Butba began to sound and be written as Butbaya, Arukhaa became Arukhadze and Achba became Anchabazde.
“This will be the fifth column.”
“Let’s remember those who were enumerated overnight, giving Georgian nationality. And before this procedure Georgian authorities already had a ready-made program for Georgianization of Abkhazians. And after they were enumerated as Georgians, the next morning the program worked powerfully. Abkhazian schools were closed, there were repressions. In such a brutal way ethnic Abkhazians were changed into Georgians”, Temur Gulia, head of the opposition veteran organization Aruaa, says. He is strongly opposed to allowing non-citizens of Abkhazia to return their surnames and sees this as a threat to national security.
According to Gulia, the change of nationality will become a basis for citizens of Georgia to obtain a second Abkhazian citizenship. And along with citizenship they will get political rights and will be able to run for deputies, presidents and initiate referendums.
“Restoration of historical justice in respect of people who were forcibly changed their nationality a century ago is a very important step, but it is impossible to change their civil position, political preferences, turning them from citizens of Georgia into citizens of Abkhazia with the adoption of the law”, Temur Gulia says.
He believes that there is a need for a scientific approach based on deep study of the current situation, analysis of statistical data and probable consequences. And the adopted law obliges the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia within three months to submit a list of Abkhazian authentic surnames, and only on the basis of this list it will be possible to change nationality.
Historian Ruslan Gozhba also denies the effectiveness of such a method. In his opinion, residents of the Gali district can become Abkhazians only if a special educational program works and only after many years:
“Ethnic self-consciousness is changed. It will be a fifth column. They still do not believe that Abkhazians won [in the Georgian-Abkhazian war of 1992-93] Why do I need a brother who does not recognize me? Another thing is to strengthen education, to train cadres, but it takes a lot of time.”
“You’re worrying about the wrong thing.”
Several people who managed to return their historical surnames even before the amendments were adopted refused to comment, citing that their opinion is unlikely to affect anything.
Some residents of the Gali district believe that this amendment will not change anything for them at all.
“We do not have many who can claim to have an Abkhazian surname. Perhaps these amendments were adopted for some specific people who can not get a passport,” a Gali resident says.
Head of the commission on affairs of residents of the Gali district in the Public Chamber David Pilia is sure that there will be no flow of residents of their district who want to return their Abkhazian surname.
“If we manage to get 50 or 100 Gal residents to return their nationality – it will be a great success,” Pilia believes.
He believes that the Gali district should be integrated by all available means:
“That is not what these critics are focusing on. We need to think about the younger generation. We invest hundreds of thousands in their education, and then they go to Georgia. Young people, able-bodied and talented are leaving the country – this is the problem.”
The Commission for Gali District residents unanimously supported the amendments to the law. According to the general opinion of the members of the Public Chamber, this will ensure legal regulation of integration of stateless persons compactly residing in the Gali district into the modern political, socio-economic and ethno-cultural space of Abkhazia.
Toponyms and terminology used by the author, as well as views, opinions and strategies expressed by them are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening or otherwise unacceptable
