
The Georgia–Russia border is the state
border
Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...
between
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. It is ''de jure'' 920 km in length and runs from the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
coast in the west and then along the
Greater Caucasus Mountains
The Greater Caucasus, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains. It stretches for about from west-northwest to east-southeast, from the Taman Peninsula of the Black Sea to the Absheron Peninsula of the ...
to the
tripoint
A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...
with
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
in the east, thus closely following the conventional
boundary between Europe and Asia
Determining the boundaries between the continents is generally a matter of geographical convention. Several slightly different conventions are in use. The number of continents is most commonly considered seven (in English-speaking countries) bu ...
. In 2008 Russia (and later
four other states) recognised the independence of two self-declared republics within Georgia (
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
and
South Ossetia
South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...
), meaning that in a ''de facto'' sense the border is now split into four sections: the Abkhazia–Russia border in the west, the western Georgia–Russia border between Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the South Ossetia–Russia border and the eastern Georgia–Russia border between South Ossetia and Azerbaijan. At present most of the international community refuse to recognise the independence of the two territories and regard them as belonging to Georgia.
Description
Georgia-Russia border (western section)
The border starts in the west at the point where the
Psou river enters the Black Sea, just west of the town of the
Leselidze. It then follows the Psou as it flows north and then east to the vicinity of
Mount Agepsta, whereupon it then follows the crest of the Caucasus Mountains broadly south-eastwards over to the mount Zekara.
Mount Dombay-Ulgen,
Shota Rustaveli Peak,
Mount Janga,
Mount Lalveri, and
Mount Khalatsa are prominent peaks of this section.
Georgia-Russia border (eastern section)
The eastern section of the Georgia–Russia border starts at the mount Zekara and continues eastwards along the Caucasus Mountains to the tripoint with Azerbaijan.
Mount Diklosmta,
Mount Kazbek
Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi, , romanized: ''q'azbegi''; ; ; ; is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus Mountains, Caucasus, located in Georgia (country), Georgia, just south of the border with Russia.
Lying ...
,
Mount Jimara,
Mount Shani
Mt. Shani (; ka, შანი; ) also known as Shan and Shanloam is a mountain in the Caucasus. It has an elevation of and is on the international border between Georgia and Ingushetia, Russia.
The mountain rises approx. nine kilometres to ...
,
Mount Shkhara and
Mount Tebulosmta
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest.
Mount or Mounts may also refer to:
Places
* Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England
* Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...
are notable peaks of this section.
History
During the 19th the Caucasus region was contested between the declining
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
,
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, which was expanding southwards. Russia formally annexed the eastern Georgian
Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti in 1801, followed by the western Georgian
Kingdom of Imereti
The Kingdom of Imereti ( ka, იმერეთის სამეფო, tr) was a Georgian monarchy established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagrationi when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, I ...
in 1804, following the Russian treaty with
North Ossetia
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
and the construction of
Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () or Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek (river), Terek River. ...
as a base in 1784.
Construction of the
Georgian Military Road
The Georgian Military Road or Georgian Military Highway; , Гуржий никъ, romanized: Gurzhiy niqh; ; is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia (country), Georgia to Russia. Alternative routes across the m ...
was begun in 1799, following the
Treaty of Georgievsk
The Treaty of Georgievsk (; ka, გეორგიევსკის ტრაქტატი, tr) was a bilateral treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and the east Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti on July 24, 1783. The treaty establi ...
. Over the course of the 1800s Russia continued to push its frontier southwards, at the expense of the Persian and Ottoman Empires.
The Georgian territories were initially organised into the
Georgia Governorate
The Georgian Governorate (; ka, საქართველოს გუბერნია) was one of the '' guberniyas'' of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Tiflis (Tbilisi). It was divided into uyezds of Gor ...
, then later split off as the
Georgia-Imeretia Governorate
Georgia-Imeretia Governorate (, ka, საქართველო-იმერეთის გუბერნია) was a short-lived governorate (''guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, administered from Tiflis (T ...
from 1840 to 1846, and finally divided into the governorates of
Tiflis
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
and
Kutaisi
Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the Imereti region of the Georgia (country), Republic of Georgia. One of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is the List o ...
. The northern border of these territories roughly corresponds with the modern Georgia–Russia border i.e. running along the Caucasus Mountain range. Abkhazia was formed as semi-autonomous region in 1810, with a border with Georgia set along the river Ghalizga. In 1864 Abkhazia was re-designated as the 'Sukhum Military District' (from 1883
Sukhum Okrug, within Kutaisi Governorate), incorporating the
Samurzakano region west of the Ingur river which had hitherto been part of Kutais governorate and generally considered historical Georgian land. However the western border of Abkhazia was set at the Begepsta river, with lands west of this attached to the Chermorskii okrug in modern
Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...
. Over the following decades the ethnic makeup of Abkhazia changed due to influxes of Georgian and Russian settlers.
In 1904 the western Abkhaz border was changed, with the area west and north of the
Bzyb River
The Bzyb or Bzipi ( or ; ka, ბზიფი, Bzipi; ) is (along with the Kodori) one of the two longest rivers of Abkhazia and the twelfth longest river in Georgia. The river valley has rich biodiversity of herbaceous garden plants, particularl ...
removed and merged into Chernmorski okrug, apparently so as to include a new luxury holiday resort at
Gagra
Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Russian language, Russian and ) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Ga ...
built by
Duke Alexander of Oldenburg
Duke Alexander Frederick Constantin of Oldenburg (; , Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgsky; – 6 September 1932) was the second son of Duke Peter of Oldenburg and Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg. Though he had a German title and ancestry, Alexan ...
within Russia. Following the
1917 Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social change in Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government following two successive revolutions and a civil war. It ...
, the peoples of the southern Caucasus had seceded from Russia, declared the
Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR; 22 April – 28 May 1918) was a short-lived sovereign state, state in the Caucasus that included most of the territory of the present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (coun ...
(TDFR) in 1918 and started
peace talks with the Ottomans.
[ (Armenian Perspective)][ (Turkish Perspective)] Meanwhile, Sukhum Okrug had declared itself semi-autonomous on 9 November 1917 under the Abkhazian Peoples Council (APC). At the instigation of the Georgian politician
Akaki Chkhenkeli
Akaki Chkhenkeli ( ka, აკაკი ჩხენკელი; 19 May 1874 – 5 January 1959) was a Georgian Social Democratic politician and publicist who acted as one of the leaders of the Menshevik movement in Russia and Georgia. In 1918 ...
, the 1904 boundary change of western Abkhazia was reversed in December 1917 and the old Begepsta river border restored. In early 1918 the APC met with Georgian leaders, and the two sides made an initial agreement that Abkhazia would constitute Sukhum okrug, including Samurzakano (despite its
Mingrelian Mingrelian may refer to:
*the Mingrelians
*the Mingrelian language
The Mingrelian or Megrelian language ( ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. Mingrelian has hist ...
majority), and stretching along the Black Sea coast as far at the river
Mzymta
The Mzymta (; Abkhaz: Мӡы́мҭа; , ''Mezmytha'') is a river in Northwestern Caucasus, flowing through Mostovsky District and the city of Sochi ( Adlersky City District) of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The Mzymta is the largest river in Russia ...
. The Bolsheviks invaded Abkhazia in April 1918 but were repulsed the following month.
Meanwhile, internal disagreements in the TDFR led to
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
leaving the federation in May 1918, followed shortly thereafter by
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
and
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
. Georgian and Abkhaz officials met in an attempt to hammer out a deal, with Georgia pushing to include Abkhazia within Georgia but as an autonomous region, however many Abkhaz leaders feared that Georgia aimed to 'Georgian-ise' the region and annex it outright.
Discussions between Georgian and Russian
Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...
forces in early 1919 at demarcating a border
proved difficult. Some Georgians initially claimed a north-western border that stretched north-west as far as the Makopse river.
British forces
The British Armed Forces are the unified military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping ef ...
active in the region proposed a border along the river Mzymta. By mid-1919 a stalemate had emerged whereby the river Mekhadry provided a de facto boundary. Russia recognised the independence of Georgia via the
Treaty of Moscow (1920).
[ Lang, DM (1962). ''A Modern History of Georgia'', p. 226. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.] It was agreed that Georgia would consist of the former Governorates of Tiflis, Kutaisi and Batumi, plus
Sukhum
Sukhumi or Sokhumi is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of Abkhazia, a partially recognised state that most countries consider a part of Georgia. The city has been controlled by Abkh ...
and
Zakatal okrugs.
Article 3.1 of the Treaty stated that "The state frontier between Russia and Georgia, runs from the Black Sea, along the river Psou to Mount Akhakheha, passes over Mount Akhakheha and Mount Agapet, and continues along the northern frontier of the former Chernomorsk, Kutais, and Tiflis provinces to the Zakatalsk circuit and along the eastern boundary thereof up to the frontier of Armenia."
Article 3.4 stated that a more precise demarcation would occur in due course.
Meanwhile, disputes between Abkhaz and Georgian officials continued, however these were rendered moot when in 1920 Russia's
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
invaded Georgia in 1921. Abkhazia was designated as the
Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia
The Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SSR Abkhazia), სსრ აფხაზეთი; ' , ССР Абхазия; ' was a short-lived republic within the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union that covered the territory of Abkhazia, and ex ...
, on the proviso that it would later join the
Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...
under a 'special union treaty'.
Russia initially restored the 1864 border along the Begepsta, however this was reversed in 1929 and the Psou border restored.
Georgia was later incorporated along with Armenia and Azerbaijan in the
Transcaucasian SFSR
, image_flag = Flag of the Transcaucasian SFSR (variant).svg
, flag_type = Flag(1925–1936)
, image_coat = Emblem of the Transcaucasian SFSR (1930-1936).svg
, symbol_type = Emblem(1930–1936)
...
within the
USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. The Georgian SSR was reconstituted in 1936, incorporating Abkhazia as the (downgraded)
Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as Abkhaz ASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR. It came into existence in February 1931, when the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SSR A ...
.
Following
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's
deportation
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or is under sen ...
of ethnic groups accused of collaboration with the Nazis, the Georgia–Russia border was altered in Georgia's favour in 1944, with Georgia gaining Klukhori from
Karachay-Cherkessia
Karachay-Cherkessia (), officially the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. It is administratively part of the North Caucasian Federal District. As of the 2021 census, Karachay-Cherkessia has a popul ...
in the west (comprising
Karachayevsk
Karachayevsk (; , ''Qaraçay şaxar'') is a town in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Russia, located on the Kuban River in the Caucasus Mountains. Population:
History
It was founded in 1926 as Georgiyevskoye settlement and by the resolution of the ...
,
Teberda and
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus; ; is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is a dormant stratovolcano rising above sea level, and is the highest volcano in Eurasia, as well as the tenth-most prominent peak in the world. It is situated in the south ...
) and Akhalkhevi from the
Chechen-Ingush ASSR
When the Soviet Union existed, different governments had ruled the northern Caucasus regions of Chechnya and Ingushetia. Within the Mountain Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, later annexed into the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Repub ...
in the east (comprising
Itum-Kale
Itum-Kale (, , ''Iton-Qälla''), also spelled as Itum-Kali () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a ''village#Russia, selo'') and the administrative center of Itum-Kalinsky District, the Chechnya, Chechen Republic, Russia ...
and surrounding lands).
Following the death of Stalin, these changes were reversed from 1955 to 1957 and the pre-1944 border restored.
The boundary became an international frontier in 1991 following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
and the independence of its constituent republics. However fighting broke between Georgia and the autonomous regions of
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
and
South Ossetia
South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...
, resulting in the de facto independence of both. Georgia and Russia began work on delimiting their border in 1993.
In 2008 Georgia attempted to restore its control over South Ossetia, sparking a
war
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
with Russia, following which Russia recognised the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
As a result, all border discussions with Georgia were ended, however the Abkhaz and Russian authorities have continued work on that section of the border.
From the Russian, Abkhaz and Ossetian point of view the Georgia–Russia border has now become much shorter (from 694 to 365 km), and is separated into two portions, a western one between Abkhazia and South Ossetia and an eastern one between South Ossetia and Azerbaijan. From the Georgian perspective, the Russian–Georgian border did not change after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and both self-declared republics are illegal entities occupying Georgian territory.
In 2011 a dispute arose over the village of
Aibgha as Russia and Abkhazia set about demarcating their common border. Russia proposed annexing Aibgha to Krasnodar Krai, a move which was opposed by the Abkhaz government. Georgia has opposed any moves to transfer what it sees as Georgian territory.
Border crossings
The only Georgia–Russia border crossing is at Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars on the
Georgian Military Highway
The Georgian Military Road or Georgian Military Highway; , Гуржий никъ, romanized: Gurzhiy niqh; ; is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia. Alternative routes across the mountains include th ...
, connecting
Kazbegi (Georgia) and
Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () or Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek (river), Terek River. ...
(in the Russian republic
North Ossetia-Alania
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
). There is an Akbkhazia-Russia border crossing point at
Psou
The Psou (; ; ka, ფსოუ; ; ) is a river in the West Caucasus, bordering the Gagra Range to the east. It flows along the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and forms a part of the border between Georgia (country), Georg ...
-Adler, and a South Ossetia-Russia border crossing at Nizhniy Zermag–Zemo Roka (the
Roki Tunnel
The Roki Tunnel (also called Roksky Tunnel, ka, როკის გვირაბი; ; ) is a mountain tunnel of the Transkam road through the Greater Caucasus Mountains, north of the village Upper Roka. It is the only road joining North Osset ...
).
Russia-Abkhazia border
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
has a border with a self-proclaimed, internationally unrecognized republic of
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
, a breakaway region of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
under
Russian occupation, while the border itself is guarded by
FSB Border Service of Russia and
State Security Service of Abkhazia
The State Security Service of Abkhazia is the principal security and intelligence agency of Abkhazia. History
On 27 November 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Abkhazia decreed to abolish the Abkhazian KGB and to establish the State Security Service. On ...
. Georgia considers any attempt to demarcate a boundary between the breakaway region and Russia as illegitimate.
The
Psou river, which runs between the Abkhaz-Russian border, is vital for economic activity. It is also used as a route for smuggling illegal goods.
History
During the
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
The War in Abkhazia was fought between Georgian government and paramilitary forces, and a coalition of Abkhaz separatist forces and North Caucasian militants between 1992 and 1993. Ethnic Georgians who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on th ...
when fighting had begun, the 221 km Abkhazian section of the railway extending from Psou roadside stop (Abkhazia–Russia border) up to Ingur roadside stop (Abkhazia-Georgia border) had been closed for Armenia and Georgia since Aug 14 1992, after the railway bridge over the River of Ingur (dividing Georgia from Abkhazia) was detonated. Later on on October 6, 1992, the Abkhaz forces captured
Gagra
Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Russian language, Russian and ) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Ga ...
and reached the Russian border shortly thereafter.
On September 19, 1994, the Russian Federation had closed its border with Abkhazia, and later on December 19, it would close the border along the Psou River.
The Russian Federation had ordered that all shipping to Sukhumi was to be closed ''again'' on January 5, 1996,
which explains why an incident took place in March 1996, where a Turkish ship was prevented from entering into the port of
Sukhumi
Sukhumi or Sokhumi is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the Capital city, capital and largest city of Abkhazia, a partially recognised state that most countries consider a part of Georgia (country), Georgia. The ...
.
In , the Russian Federation had "relaxed" its border controls to "allow" men of fighting age, presumably because of the
Second Chechen War
Names
The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...
.
In , the Russian Federation unilaterally reopened the Psou-Sokhumi section for both civilian and military transport.
In 2006, the Psou-border was opened to all possessing appropriate documentation. In June of that year, the Russian Federation provided 200,000 tons of bitumen to assist road construction, the Sukhumi-Psou rehabilitation – at least 99 million roubles ($3.8million) was also financed by the Moscow government. Later in July, Russia delivered ammunition, automatic rifles, grenade launchers, bombs, and mines; that equipment was transported into Abkhazia by some thirty-five to forty military trucks that crossed the Psou River from the Russian side.
On January 24, 2011, it was reported that Russia had financed repairs on the Abkhaz Railway which would span over three months and reconstruction would cover railway sections from the River Psou on the Russian border to Sokhumi.
Notably, there was a dispute between the two parties over a tract of land in size near the resort town of
Krasnaya Polyana
Krasnaya Polyana () meaning "Red Meadow" is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia:
Modern localities Amur Oblast
As of 2012, one rural locality in Amur Oblast bears this name:
* Krasnaya Polyana, Amur Oblast, a '' selo'' in Tomsky R ...
that flared in the lead-up to the
Sochi Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
. The dispute has since been dropped.
On April 8–20, 2020, then acting President of Abkhazia
Valeri Bganba
Valeri Ramshukhovich Bganba (; born 26 August 1953) is an Abkhazian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 18 September 2018 to 23 April 2020 and as the acting President of Abkhazia from 13 January to 23 April 2020. Prior t ...
had signed an order to close the entire state border with Russia along the Psou River, presumably because of
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
During the XXVII
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF; ) is an annual Russian business event for the economic sector, which has been held in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg since 1997, and under the auspices of the President of Russia since 2 ...
on June 5–8, 2024, both sides stated that they would work together in order to "simplify" border controls.
See also
*
Abkhazia–Russia relations
*
Georgia–Russia relations
Bilateral relations between Georgia and Russia date back hundreds of years and remain complicated despite certain religious and historical ties that exist between the two countries and their people.Ammon, Philipp: Georgien zwischen Eigenstaatlich ...
*
Russia–South Ossetia relations
Russia–South Ossetia relations (, ) refers to the bilateral relationship between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia, a disputed region in the South Caucasus, located on the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the fo ...
References
Works cited
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Georgia-Russia border
Borders of Georgia (country)
Borders of Russia
Borders of Abkhazia
Borders of South Ossetia
Internal borders of the Soviet Union
Abkhazia–Russia relations
Georgia (country)–Russia relations
Russia–South Ossetia relations
International borders
1991 establishments in Georgia (country)
1991 establishments in Russia