Gulripshi District ( ka, გულრიფშის რაიონი, ab, Гәылрыҧшь араион) is a district of
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 ...
, one of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
’s breakaway republics. It corresponds to the eponymous
Georgian district. Its capital is
Gulripshi
Gulripshi ( ab, Гәылрыҧшь, ''Gwylryphsh''; ka, გულრიფში, ; russian: Гульрыпш, ''Gulrypsh'') is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from Sukhumi, and is the capital of Gulripshi District.
Nik ...
, the town by the same name. Until the August 2008
Battle of the Kodori Valley
The Battle of the Kodori Valley was a military operation during the Russo-Georgian War in the Upper Kodori Valley of Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. It was the only part of Abkhazia under Georgian control before this military conflict. ...
, the north-eastern part of Gulripshi district was part of
Upper Abkhazia
Upper Abkhazia ( ka, ზემო აფხაზეთი, Romanization of Georgian, romanized: ''Zemo Apxazeti''; ab, Аҧсны хыхьтәи, Apsny xyxjtwj) is a term introduced in 2006, to denote the northeastern part of the disputed terri ...
, the corner of Abkhazia controlled by Georgia until the
Battle of the Kodori Valley
The Battle of the Kodori Valley was a military operation during the Russo-Georgian War in the Upper Kodori Valley of Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. It was the only part of Abkhazia under Georgian control before this military conflict. ...
during the
August 2008 South Ossetia War. Upper Abkhazia was home to 1,956 of the district's 19,918 inhabitants, most of whom were ethnic
Svans
, native_name =
, native_name_lang =
, image = File:Kartvelian languages.svg
, caption = Distribution of the Svan language in relation to other Kartvelian (South Caucasian) languages.
, population = –80,00 ...
(a subgroup of the
Georgian people
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
).
[2003 (2002) Census results]
/ref> Most of these fled before the battle and have not yet returned.
Of note is the Dranda Cathedral
Dranda Cathedral ( ab, Нанҳәа иазку Дранда-ныха, ka, დრანდის ტაძარი) is a Georgian Orthodox Cathedral located in , in the Gulripshi District of the de facto independent Republic of Abkhazia, intern ...
sitting over a shrine built by Justinian in 551. The medieval principality of Dal-Tsabal was centered in the district. Abkhazia's main airport, Sukhumi Dranda Airport, is also located in Gulripshi district.
Administration
Adgur Kharazia
Adgur Rafet-ipa Kharaziya ( ab, Адгəыр Рафеҭ-иԥа Ҳаразиа; ka, ადგურ ხარაზია), is the current Mayor of Sukhumi and a former Minister of Agriculture and Vice Speaker of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia. ...
was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.
On 18 December 2002, President Ardzinba released Kharazia as Administration Head and appointed him as Minister for Agriculture and Food.
On 16 June 2003, President Ardzinba appointed Tamaz Gogia as Administration Head. In the beginning of 2004, district officials stayed away from work in protest of what they perceived as rudeness from Gogia. In response, Gogia applied for resignation which President Ardzinba granted on 9 February, appointing First Deputy Head Aslan Baratelia as acting Head.
On 24 March 2005, newly elected President Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, ka, სერგეი ბაგაფში, russian: Сергей Васильевич Багапш, translit=Sergey Vasilyevich Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as th ...
replaced Administration Head Aslan Baratelia with Mikhail Logua
Mikhail Valerievich Logua (russian: Михаил Валерьевич Логуа born 27 July 1970) is an Abkhaz politician who has been Vice President of Abkhazia from 2011 until 2013. He previously served as Governor of Gulripshi District from ...
. In the 2011 Presidential election, Logua successfully ran for Vice President alongside Alexander Ankvab
Aleksandr Zolotinskovich Ankvab ( ; ab, Алықьсандр Золотинска-иԥа Анқәаб, ka, ალექსანდრე ზოლოტინსკის ძე ანქვაბი, russian: Алекса́ндр Золот ...
. He was succeeded on 14 December by Timur Eshba Timur Eshba is a former Minister for Agriculture of Abkhazia. He was appointed by President Raul Khajimba
Raul Jumkovich Khajimba ( ab, Рауль Џьумка-иҧа Ҳаџьымба, ka, რაულ ჯუმკას-ძე ჰაჯიმ ...
, who had previously been Deputy Head.
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 23 September 2014 he replaced Eshba with Aslan Baratelia.
List of Administration Heads
Demographics
At the time of the 2011 census, the population of the district was 18 032 people, consisting of:[
* ]Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
(46.8%)
* Abkhazians
Abkhazians (russian: Абхазы), or Abkhazs ( ab, Аԥсуаа, Aṕswaа, ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A l ...
(33.6%)
* Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
(11.4%)
* Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
(4.6%)
* Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
(0.9%)
* Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
(0.7%)
Settlements
The district's main settlements are:
*Gulripshi
Gulripshi ( ab, Гәылрыҧшь, ''Gwylryphsh''; ka, გულრიფში, ; russian: Гульрыпш, ''Gulrypsh'') is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from Sukhumi, and is the capital of Gulripshi District.
Nik ...
*Tsebelda The Apsilae were an ancient tribe inhabiting the territory of Apsilia, in modern Abkhazia.
Location
The tribal territory was located on the Black Sea coast of the northwest Caucasus, between present day town of New Athos and the village of Tsebeld ...
* Dranda
* Babushera
*Chkhalta
Chkhalta ( ka, ჩხალთა; ab, Чҳалҭа; russian: Чхалта) is a village in the upper part of the Kodori Valley, situated in Gulripshi District, Abkhazia, a breakaway republic from Georgia.
History
Prior to August 2008, Chkhal ...
(the main village of what used to be Upper Abkhazia
Upper Abkhazia ( ka, ზემო აფხაზეთი, Romanization of Georgian, romanized: ''Zemo Apxazeti''; ab, Аҧсны хыхьтәи, Apsny xyxjtwj) is a term introduced in 2006, to denote the northeastern part of the disputed terri ...
)
See also
*Kodori Valley
The Kodori Valley, also known as the Kodori Gorge ( ka, კოდორის ხეობა, ab, Кәыдырҭа, Kwydyrta), is a river valley in Abkhazia, Georgia (country), Georgia's breakaway autonomous republic. The valley's upper part, pop ...
References
{{Authority control
Districts of Abkhazia
Districts of Georgia (country)