Beslan Ardzinba is a former Mayor of

Pitsunda Pitsunda ( ab, Пиҵунда, russian: Пицунда) or Bichvinta ( ka, ბიჭვინთა ) is a resort town in the Gagra District of Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, Pitsunda became ...

Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...

Early life

Beslan Ardzinba was born on 13 March 1954. In 1961, he entered high school in the village of Duripsh in the

Gudauta District Gudauta District is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gudauta, the town by the same name. The population of the district was 34,869 at the time of the 2003 ce ...

. From 1972 until 1974, Ardzinba served in the

Soviet army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

. Between 1975, he entered the Institute for Subtropical Agriculture in

Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...

, graduating in 1981.

Career

In 1981, Beslan Ardzinba started work as foreman of a farm in Duripsh. He became Deputy Chairman in 1989 and Chairman in 1991. Between 1997 and 2006, Ardzinba was Director of Operations of the Gudauta forestry agency.

Mayor of Pitsunda

In October 2006, Ardzinba was appointed Mayor of Pitsunda. On 8 February 2007, the

People's Assembly of Abkhazia The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...

granted Pitsunda town-status, whenceforth its mayor would no longer be appointed by the Governor of

Gagra District Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a bor ...

, but instead directly by the

President of Abkhazia The position of president of Abkhazia was created in 1994. Before the office of president was created the head of state position was known as the chairman of Parliament between 1992 and the creation of the 1994 constitution. Before the position ...

. In the February 2011 Town Council election, Ardzinba was re-elected and subsequently re-appointed as Mayor by President Bagapsh. Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of

Raul Khajimba Raul Jumkovich Khajimba ( ab, Рауль Џьумка-иҧа Ҳаџьымба, ka, რაულ ჯუმკას-ძე ჰაჯიმბა; born 21 March 1958) is an Abkhazian politician, and served as President of Abkhazia from 25 September ...

as President, on 28 October 2014 he replaced Ardzinba as Mayor with

Chingis Bigvava ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

Assassination attempts

On 20 September 2007, an anti-tank grenade was fired from an

RPG-26 The RPG-26 ''Aglen'' is a disposable anti-tank rocket launcher developed by the Soviet Union. It fires a single-stage rocket with jack-knife fins, which unfold after launch. The rocket carries a diameter high explosive anti-tank single shaped ...

launcher at Beslan Ardzinba's Mercedes-Benz E-220 while it was driving down the coastal road near the village of Blabyrkhua,

. On 1 June 2009 around 9:00, an improvised explosive devise planted at the entrance of the town hall was remotely detonated as Beslan Ardzinba and two colleagues entered the building, causing varying degrees of injuries. On 16 May 2012, in the course of the investigation in the

Assassination attempts on Alexander Ankvab Alexander Ankvab, who was a president of Abkhazia from 2011 to 2014, has survived six assassination attempts since becoming prime minister in 2005. February 2005 Two weeks after having been appointed prime minister, Alexander Ankvab's car was fire ...

, the Prosecutor General also indicted Pavel Ardzinba for having organised the two attempts on the life of Ardzinba.

Personal life

Beslan Ardzinba is married with four children. In 1985 he received the

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...

Notes

References

People from Gudauta District Living people 1954 births Mayors of Pitsunda {{Abkhazia-bio-stub