1.
Russo-Georgian War
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The Russo-Georgian War was a war between Georgia, Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The war took place in August 2008 following a period of worsening relations between Russia and Georgia, both constituent republics of the Soviet Union. The fighting took place in the strategically important Transcaucasia region, which borders the Middle East and it was regarded as the first European war of the 21st century. The Republic of Georgia declared its independence in early 1991 as the Soviet Union began to fall apart, following the war, a joint peacekeeping force of Georgian, Russian, and Ossetian troops was stationed in the territory. Meanwhile, a stalemate developed in the region of Abkhazia. By August 1,2008, Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages, to put an end to these deadly attacks and restore order, the Georgian Army was sent to the South Ossetian conflict zone on 7 August. Georgians took control of most of Tskhinvali, a separatist stronghold, Georgia later stated it was also responding to Russia moving non-peacekeeping units into the country. Russia accused Georgia of aggression against South Ossetia, and launched a land, air. Russian and Ossetian forces battled Georgian forces in and around South Ossetia for several days, Russian and Abkhaz forces opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge held by Georgia. Russian naval forces blockaded part of the Georgian coast and this was the first war in history in which cyber warfare coincided with military action. An active information war was waged during and after the conflict. President of France Nicolas Sarkozy negotiated an agreement on 12 August. Russian forces temporarily occupied the Georgian cities of Zugdidi, Senaki, Poti, the South Ossetians destroyed most ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia and were responsible for an ethnic cleansing of Georgians. Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as separate republics on 26 August, in response, Russia mostly completed its withdrawal of troops from Georgia proper on 8 October. In the aftermath, Russias international relations were largely unharmed, the war displaced 192,000 people and while many returned to their homes after the war,20,272 people remained displaced as of 2014. Russia has, since the war, occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of the agreement of August 2008. In the tenth century AD, Georgia for the first time emerged as a concept in the territories where the Georgian language was used to perform Christian rituals. After the Mongol invasions of the region, the Kingdom of Georgia eventually was broken up into several kingdoms, in the nineteenth century, the Russian Empire gradually annexed the Georgian lands
Russo-Georgian War
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Russian
BMP-2 from the
58th Army in South Ossetia
Russo-Georgian War
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Location of Georgia (including Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and Russian
North Caucasus
Russo-Georgian War
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Destroyed Georgian tank in Tskhinvali
Russo-Georgian War
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Georgian servicemen leaving South Ossetia (August 2008)
2.
Black Sea
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The Black Sea is a body of water between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. It is supplied by a number of rivers, such as the Danube, Dnieper, Rioni, Southern Bug. The Black Sea has an area of 436,400 km2, a depth of 2,212 m. It is constrained by the Pontic Mountains to the south and by the Caucasus Mountains to the east, the longest east-west extent is about 1,175 km. The Black Sea has a water balance, that is, a net outflow of water 300 km3 per year through the Bosphorus. Mediterranean water flows into the Black Sea as part of a two-way hydrological exchange, the Black Sea drains into the Mediterranean Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean, via the Aegean Sea and various straits. The Bosphorus Strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and these waters separate Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The Black Sea is also connected to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch, the water level has varied significantly. Due to these variations in the level in the basin. At certain critical water levels it is possible for connections with surrounding water bodies to become established and it is through the most active of these connective routes, the Turkish Straits, that the Black Sea joins the world ocean. When this hydrological link is not present, the Black Sea is a basin, operating independently of the global ocean system. Currently the Black Sea water level is high, thus water is being exchanged with the Mediterranean. The Turkish Straits connect the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea, and comprise the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, the International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Black Sea as follows, On the Southwest. The Northeastern limit of the Sea of Marmara, a line joining Cape Takil and Cape Panaghia. Strabos Geographica reports that in antiquity, the Black Sea was often just called the Sea, for the most part, Graeco-Roman tradition refers to the Black Sea as the Hospitable sea, Εὔξεινος Πόντος Eúxeinos Póntos. This is a euphemism replacing an earlier Inhospitable Sea, Πόντος Ἄξεινος Póntos Áxeinos, strabo thinks that the Black Sea was called inhospitable before Greek colonization because it was difficult to navigate, and because its shores were inhabited by savage tribes. The name was changed to hospitable after the Milesians had colonized the southern shoreline and it is also possible that the epithet Áxeinos arose by popular etymology from a Scythian word axšaina- unlit, dark, the designation Black Sea may thus date from antiquity. A map of Asia dating to 1570, entitled Asiae Nova Descriptio, from Abraham Orteliuss Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, english-language writers of the 18th century often used the name Euxine Sea to refer to the Black Sea
Black Sea
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The Black Sea in
Batumi,
Georgia
Black Sea
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Black Sea
Black Sea
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The port of the Black Sea in
Yevpatoria,
Crimea
Black Sea
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Swallow's Nest in
Crimea
3.
Abkhazia
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Abkhazia is a partially recognised state on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus Mountains, south of Russia and northwest of Georgia proper. It covers 8,660 square kilometres and has a population of around 240,000, the separatist Abkhazian polity, formally the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny, is recognised only by Russia and a small number of other countries. The status of Abkhazia is an issue of the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict. The region enjoyed autonomy within Soviet Georgia at the time when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s, despite the 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the dispute remained unresolved. The long-term presence of a United Nations Observer Mission and a Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force failed to prevent the flare-up of violence on several occasions. On 28 August 2008, the Parliament of Georgia declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory, the Abkhazians call their homeland Аҧсны, popularly etymologised as a land/country of the soul, yet literally meaning a country of mortals. It possibly first appeared in the century in an Armenian text as Psin. The state is designated as the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny. The Russian Абхазия is adapted from the Georgian აფხაზეთი, in Mingrelian, Abkhazia is known as აბჟუა or სააფხაზო. Between the 9th and 6th centuries BC, the territory of modern Abkhazia was part of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Colchis and this kingdom was subsequently absorbed in 63 BC into the Kingdom of Egrisi, known to Byzantine Roman sources as Lazica. Classical authors described various peoples living in the region and the multitude of languages they spoke. Arrian, Pliny and Strabo have given accounts of the Abasgoi and Moschoi peoples somewhere in modern Abkhazia on the shore of the Black Sea. Around the mid 6th century AD, the Byzantines and the neighbouring Sassanid Persia fought for supremacy over Abkhazia for 20 years, Abkhazia, or Abasgia in classic sources, formerly part of Colchis and later of Egrisi until the late 690s, was a princedom under Byzantine authority. The country was mostly Christian, with the seat in Pityus. An Arab incursion into Abkhazia led by Marwan II, was repelled by Leon I jointly with his Egrisian and Kartlian allies in 736, after acquiring Egrisi via a dynastic union in the 780s the Kingdom of Abkhazia was established and became a dominant power in western Caucasus. During this period the Georgian language replaced Greek as the language of literacy, the western Georgian kingdom flourished between 850 and 950 when it annexed significant parts of central Georgia. In the 16th century, after the break-up of the Georgian Kingdom into small kingdoms and principalities, since the 1570s, when the Ottoman navy occupied the fort of Tskhumi, Abkhazia came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire and Islam. Under Ottoman rule, the majority of Abkhaz elite converted to Islam, the principality retained a degree of autonomy
Abkhazia
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Abkhazia in 1899. Abkhazia was administered as Sukhumi District of
Kutaisi Governorate when it was part of the
Russian Empire.
Abkhazia
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Flag
Abkhazia
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Abkhaz and Georgian generals in the
Imperial Russian Army, 19th century
Abkhazia
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The 12th anniversary of ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia which was held in Tbilisi in 2005. One of the visitors of the gallery recognised her dead son on the photograph.
4.
Ochamchire
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Ochamchire or Ochamchira is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia. And a centre of the eponymous district, according to the 1978 population census, Ochamchire had 18,700 residents. After the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992-93, Ochamchire experienced a significant population decline due to ethnic cleansing of Georgians, most of the internally displaced persons who were affected by the conflict have yet to return to the city. Ochamchire lies along the bank of the Ghalidzga River at an elevation of 5 metres above sea level. The city is located 53 kilometres southeast of Sukhumi capital city, ochamchires climate is humid subtropical, with mild winters and hot summers. The average annual temperature is 13.6 degrees Celsius, januarys average temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius while the average temperature in July is 23 degrees Celsius. According to Itar Tass, in 2009, Russia planned to construct a new base for its Black Sea Fleet in Ochamchire. The former Georgian Soviet footballer Vitaly Daraselia was from Ochamchire, Ochamchire is twinned with the following cites, Kostroma, Russia Bendery, Transnistria Georgian State Encyclopedia
Ochamchire
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International relations [edit]
5.
Black Sea Fleet
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The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic command of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. Its ships are based in various harbors of the Black Sea and it is considered to have been founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13,1783, together with its principal base, the city of Sevastopol. Russia struggled for a time against its main rival in the region. The Black Sea Fleet defeated the Turks in 1790, and fought the Ottomans during World War I, the Romanians during World War II, the division of the fleet in 1997 became the basis of the Ukrainian Navy. The Black Sea Fleet is considered to have founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13,1783, together with its principal base. Formerly commanded by such legendary admirals as Dmitriy Senyavin and Pavel Nakhimov, in 1790, Russian naval forces under the command of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov defeated the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Kerch Strait. From 1841 onward, the fleet was confined to the Black Sea by the London Straits Convention, the crew of the battleship Potemkin revolted in 1905 soon after the Navys defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. Lenin wrote that the Potemkin uprising had had an importance in terms of being the first attempt at creating the nucleus of a revolutionary army. During World War I, there were a number of encounters between the Russian and Ottoman navies in the Black Sea, german submarines of the Constantinople Flotilla and Turkish light forces would continue to raid and harass Russian shipping until the wars end. During the Russian Civil War, the vast majority of the Black Sea Fleet was scuttled by Bolsheviks in Novorossiysk, most of the ships became part of the Russian Squadron of Wrangls armed forces and after the evacuation sailed to Tunisia. Out of those ships, some were passed to the French Navy, few ships that did stay in Black Sea were salvaged in the 1920s, while a large scale new construction programme began in the 1930s. Over 500 new ships were built during that period as well as expansion of coastal infrastructure took place. The Fleet was commanded by Vice Admiral F. S, oktyabrskiy on the outbreak of war with Germany in June 1941. The Fleet gave an account of itself as it fought alongside the Red Army during the Siege of Odessa. In 1952, Turkey decided to join NATO, placing the Bosporus Strait in the Western sphere of influence, together with the advent of long-range nuclear weapons, this dramatically decreased the strategic value of any naval activity in the Black Sea.11.94. 124th Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment - disbanded 1993, 943rd Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment - disbanded 1996. The military importance of the fleet has degraded since the collapse of the Soviet Union, due to significant funding cuts and, to a degree, the loss of its major missions. In 1992, the part of the personnel, armaments
Black Sea Fleet
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Russian Black Sea Fleet after the
battle of Sinope, 1853
Black Sea Fleet
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Black Sea Fleet sleeve ensign
Black Sea Fleet
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Monument to Heroes of the
Soviet Black Sea Fleet Squadron 1941–1944 in
Sevastopol, featuring the list of 28 military ships that distinguished themselves in battles with Nazi invaders
Black Sea Fleet
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Vladimir Putin with Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma on board the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, July 2001
6.
Coast Guard of Georgia
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The Georgian Coast Guard is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the protection of the entire 310 km coastline of Georgia. The primary missions of the service are administration of the waters, marine pollution protection, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, port security. The former Georgian Navy was absorbed into the Coast Guard in 2009, the Georgian Navy was a branch of the Georgian Defense Ministry armed forces until 2009, when it was merged with the Coast Guard and transferred to the Ministry for Internal Affairs. Before the 2008 South Ossetia war, the Georgian Navy consisted of 19 vessels and 531 personnel of which 181 were officers,200 NCOs,114 conscripts and 36 civilians, the headquarters and a principal Coast Guard base are located at the Black Sea port of Poti. A second smaller base is in Batumi, Adjaria, besides the Poti-based force, the Coast Guard also includes a special counter-terrorist Detachment. Maritime surveillance radar stations are maintained at Anaklia, Poti, Supsa, Chakvi and Gonio, the current commander of the Georgian Coast Guard is Captain 2nd Rank Lasha Kharabadze. Despite Georgias location at the Black Sea coast and historical association with maritime commerce, the first attempt to build a modern navy dates to the countrys short-lived independence as the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. The Georgian Navy at that time consisted of a flagship, several sailing-boats, the 1921 Red Army invasion brought the nation-building to an end and Georgia became part of the Soviet Union. By 1990, Georgia’s coastal waters had been controlled by the Poti-based 184th Coast Guard Brigade of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, smaller bases were located at Ochamchire, Batumi, Anaklia, and Sukhumi. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Poti brigade was withdrawn from Georgia in 1992. However, the Russian border guards continued to patrol Georgia’s coastline until 1998, in February 1990, the Cabinet of Ministers of Georgia decreed an ad hoc commission for the army-building problems. One of its groups, led by Captain Alexander Javakhishvili, the commander of a Soviet nuclear submarine, was responsible for building up a navy. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Georgia, not a CIS member at that time, was not included in the initial Russian-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet partition negotiations in January 1992. Thus, when the separatist war in Abkhazia broke out in 1992, Georgia was without an effective naval force and defense system. July 7,1993, the day when the Georgian minesweeper Gantiadi under Shukri Kopaliani, patrolling off Tamysh, the navy-building began with equipping fishing vessels by small caliber anti-aircraft guns and machine guns. Later, the rest of the Georgian share was decided to be ceded to Russia in return for diminution of debt, Georgia is one of the founding members and a participant of the Black Sea Force. Later in the 1990s, Georgia, with the help of NATO member states, chiefly Turkey and Greece, following Georgias 2008 conflict with Russia, in which Georgia had most of its naval forces destroyed, it was decided to merge the Georgian Navy with the Georgian Coast Guard
Coast Guard of Georgia
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The Georgian Coast Guard boat P-107 off
Batumi in 2010.
Coast Guard of Georgia
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Georgian Coast Guard
Coast Guard of Georgia
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Georgian coast guard vessel Sokhumi, P-24
7.
Battle of Tskhinvali
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The Battle of Tskhinvali was a fight for the city of Tskhinvali, capital of South Ossetia. It was the major battle in the Russo-Georgian War. Georgian ground troops entered the city on early 8 August 2008 and their advance was stopped by South Ossetian militia and members of the Russian peacekeeping force stationed in the city. Russian combat troops began entering South Ossetia through the Roki tunnel, after being initially forced to withdraw, the Georgian troops made several attempts to retake the city. Due to the logistics of the terrain, the arrival of Russian reinforcements was slow. After fierce fighting, Georgian troops were forced to withdraw from the city on the evening of 10 August. On 11 August, all Georgian troops left South Ossetia, parts of Tskhinvali were devastated in the three-day fighting. Tskhinvali is located about 25 km from Gori, on 7 August 2008, the Georgian authorities received foreign intelligence reports about movement of Russian troops towards the Roki tunnel. According to Der Spiegel, the Georgian tanks were to advance to the Roki Tunnel to seal it off, the Georgian aircrafts target was only the Gupta bridge, which links the northern part of South Ossetia to its southern part where Tskhinvali is located. On the opposite side at the time, there were said to be 500 Russian soldiers and 500 South Ossetian fighters ready to defend Tskhinvali. The total strength of the separatist military and law enforcement personnel and it appears that during the night from August 7 to 8. Tbilisi intended to deliver strikes on the positions of the Russian peacekeepers, at 23,35 on 7 August, Georgian artillery units began firing smoke bombs into South Ossetia. Soon afterwards, at 23.50 Georgia opened fire against fixed, the interval was supposed to allow the civilian population to leave dangerous areas. The equipment used in the assault included 27 rocket launchers, 152-millimetre guns. He called for the Russian peacekeepers not to interfere, early on the morning of 8 August, Georgia launched a ground attack, as well as operations on the left and right flanks of Tskhinvali. The left flank operation was undertaken by the 4th Infantry Brigade coming from Vaziani and this was done in order to block Russian troops from travelling through the tunnel to Tskhinvali. Georgians seized several South Ossetian villages located on higher ground around the city, the artillery of the 4th Brigade began to shell targets inside Khetagurovo at 00,40. After several hours of bombardment Georgian forces began to advance towards Tskhinvali, South Ossetian forces employed artillery and mortars against Georgian troops massed near the village of Zemo-Nikozi, but the bombardment was ineffective
Battle of Tskhinvali
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Situation in South Ossetia before the war
Battle of Tskhinvali
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Movements of opposing forces around Tskhinvali. Blue arrows show Georgian movements, red show Russian movements
Battle of Tskhinvali
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Tskhinvali after the battle. The sign (in Russian) reads "Secondary school #6". August 2008.
Battle of Tskhinvali
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Russian peacekeepers base in Tskhinvali
8.
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia
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The Human Rights Watch concluded that the South Ossetian forces sought to ethnically cleanse the Georgian-populated areas. Between 1989 and 1992, fighting flared in the South Ossetian A. O. South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia. In turn, Georgia abolished South Ossetian autonomous status, which existed since early Soviet years, the Georgian government, led by the president Zviad Gamsakhurdia, responded by sending in army and paramilitary units, in an attempt to restore its control of the region. On the night of 5 January 1991,6,000 armed Georgians entered Tskhinvali, after fierce street fighting, the Georgian forces were repelled and driven out of Tshkinvali by South Ossetian troops. 100 villages were destroyed in South Ossetia. Additionally, the North Ossetia-Georgian border went largely uncontrolled, providing an almost unhindered access point for weapons, fighters, there are 15,000 Georgians living here, just in Vladikavkaz. We stopped this, no one fled. The attacks — some witnessed by reporters or documented by a rights group — include stealing. Some are ethnically motivated, while at least some of the looting appears to be the work of opportunistic profiteers, the identities of the attackers vary, but a pattern of violence by ethnic Ossetians against ethnic Georgians is emerging and has been confirmed by some Russian authorities. Now Ossetians are running around and killing poor Georgians in their enclaves, said Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, the Human rights monitors found evidence of the burning of houses, attacks on civilians and forced displacement of the Georgian population as late as Friday 17 October. The material collected describes 16 alleged cases of killings of civilians, in controlled by Russian forces. Such deliberate attacks are war crimes, and if committed as part of a widespread or systematic pattern, according to the HRW,15,000 of 17,500 Georgians left South Ossetia prior to the arrival of the Russian soldiers. Gave the following answer, We do not intend to let anybody in here anymore, the Economist also quoted a South Ossetian intelligence officer as follows, We burned these houses. We want to make sure that they cant come back, because if they do come back, this will be a Georgian enclave again, ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia Humanitarian impact of the 2008 South Ossetia war
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia
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Georgian refugees from South Ossetia in Tbilisi on August 10, 2008.
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia
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A picture from a South Ossetian government website depicting South Ossetian civilians killed by Georgian forces in May 1992
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia
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The Tserovani settlement built by the Georgian government for the IDPs from South Ossetia
9.
Battle of the Kodori Valley
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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 part of Abkhazia, which was under Georgian control before this military conflict. On 9 August 2008, the Abkhaz military, with support by Russian forces, after three days, the Georgian military left the Upper Kodori Valley. Russia sent naval vessels to blockade Georgias Black Sea coast, according to the Russian navy, a group of ships from Russias Black Sea Fleet, including the flagship Moskva missile cruiser, arrived on 10 August 2008 near the Georgian border. The source in the Russian Navys headquarters claimed, that the purpose of the Black Sea Fleet vessels presence in this region is to aid to refugees. On 10 August 2008, the Georgian government said, that 6,000 Russian troops had rolled into South Ossetia from the neighbouring Russian province of North Ossetia and 4,000 more landed in Abkhazia. On the morning of 9 August 2008, the Abkhaz de facto deputy defense minister requested, UNOMIG then withdrew all 15 observers from the Upper Kodori Valley. The Abkhaz de facto authorities announced a decision, taken by president Bagapsh, on the afternoon, UNOMIG reported aerial bombardments of Georgian villages in the Upper Kodori Valley. On 10 August, the president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh and he gave both Georgian civilians and armed personnel an ultimatum to leave the Upper Kodori Valley. He also said, that the government of Abkhazia had requested Russia to take measures to strengthen the Abkhaz maritime border, Bagapsh said, that his decision to start a military operation against the Upper Kodori Valley was approved by the parliament. A second front against Georgia was opened, in a separate report by Interfax news agency, Sergei Bagapsh said, that its aviation is currently conducting an operation in the upper part of the Kodori gorge of Abkhazia controlled by Georgia. Shamba also said, Today was only the part of the operation by heavy artillery supported by aviation. Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was quoted by the Itar-Tass agency as saying that Georgia had defeated all attacks on the part of the Kodori gorge. On 10 August Abkhaz warplanes and artillery continued to pound Georgian positions for a day in a row. Bagapsh said, Abkhazia was acting independently, the separatist authorities of Abkhazia announced a full military mobilisation. The president of Abkhazia said, that around 1,000 special Abkhaz troops were involved in operations against Georgian forces and they were attacking the Georgians using warplanes, multiple rocket launchers and artillery. The operation will enter the next phase as planned, and you will learn about that, he said, adding that he would create a humanitarian corridor, allowing residents to flee. On 11 August 2008, the Abkhaz defense minister, Mirab Kishmaria, told the Russian news agency Interfax, on 12 August 2008, Abkhaz authorities announced a military offensive against Georgian troops in the Kodori gorge
Battle of the Kodori Valley
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Map of Abkhazia, showing the location of the Kodori Valley.
10.
Occupation of Gori
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Gori is a strategic city in central Georgia, about 25 km from Tskhinvali. Gori is a military installation and transportation hub in Georgia. 75 tanks and armored personnel carriers were assembled near Gori on 7 August, around 6,27 AM on 9 August 2008, Reuters reported that two Russian fighters had bombed a Georgian artillery position about 10 km north of Gori. On 9 August, a Russian air attack targeted military barracks in Gori, in the resulting explosion, besides the base, several apartment buildings and a school were also damaged. The Georgian government reported that 60 civilians were killed when bombs hit the apartment buildings, Russian aircraft had bombed at least five Georgian cities by 9 August. Following its defeat in Tskhinvali, the Georgian Army regrouped at Gori, Georgian military entered the city on 10 August. On 10 August, BBC reported that people were leaving Gori because they feared of Russian advance towards the city, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme determined that about 80 percent of residents had left Gori as of 10 August. On 11 August 2008, the Georgian forces retreated from Gori, a senior Georgian security official, Kakha Lomaia, said that the troops were ordered to defend Tbilisi. Police sealed off the highway from Tbilisi, and did not allow any cars into the city, the Russian attacks were met with Georgian artillery firing towards South Ossetia, and at least six Georgian helicopters were reported to have also attacked targets in South Ossetia. A Times reporter described the Georgian withdrawal as sudden and dramatic, Georgian tanks and armored personnel carries fled to Tbilisi. A tank exploded on the road due to unspecified reasons. Georgian infantry fled the city by any means available, five soldiers escaped the city on one Quad bike. By late 11 August, Gori was deserted after most remaining residents, Georgia said that Russian forces had captured Gori, but a Reuters witness saw no troops in the empty town. Initial Georgian reports that Russian troops were in Gori, were discounted by Georgia. Georgian armed forces concentrated on holding Mtskheta,15 miles from the capital Tbilisi, deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia said that the defense line was being moved to Mtskheta. On 12 August 2008, a Dutch television journalist Stan Storimans was killed, as a result of the explosion 7 people were killed, over 30 were injured. Georgian officials said Russian forces had been targeting the citys administrative buildings, russias deputy head of the General Staff, Colonel-General Anatoliy Nogovitsyn, denied that Russian forces had attacked the town. That day, a missile struck the Gori Military Hospital, despite the fact that Red Cross flag was flying over the roof, president Mikheil Saakashvili said his country had been sliced in half with the capture of a critical highway crossroads near Gori
Occupation of Gori
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A Georgian military base near Gori largely demolished by Russian troops.
Occupation of Gori
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Destroyed Georgian military base in Gori
Occupation of Gori
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Georgian conscripts in
Tbilisi after retreating from Gori
Occupation of Gori
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A burnt apartment building where 16 people were reportedly killed
11.
Operation Assured Delivery
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Operation Assured Delivery was the United States Armed Forces logistical support to humanitarian aid efforts in Georgia following the Russo-Georgian War in 2008. The operation provided medical supplies, shelter, food and personal items for the civilian population of Georgia. As of August 27,2008, the U. S. Air Force had flown 55 airlift sorties delivering 1,944,000 pounds of supplies since 13 August. As of August 27,2008, the U. S. Navy destroyer USS McFaul had delivered 155,000 pounds of supplies to the port of Batumi. In addition, the command ship USS Mount Whitney arrived in the Georgian main port of Poti on September 5 with additional supplies. As of August 27,2008, the U. S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Dallas had delivered 76,000 pounds of aid for displaced persons, russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused the States of using Operation Assured Delivery as a cover for delivering military support to Georgia. Media reported have suggested that USS McFaul docked in the Georgian controlled port of Batumi, however, USS Mount Whitney docked in Poti. Russian authorities have been concerned of the arrival, claiming that it cant bring much humanitarian aid. The source also noted that it was command and control vessel, which coordinated the group of NATO ships in the Black Sea
Operation Assured Delivery
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United States sailors unloading supplies on August 24, 2008, at
Batumi with Georgian Coast Guard vessel in the background
12.
Sevastopol
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Sevastopol or traditionally Sebastopol is a city located in the southwestern region of the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. Sevastopol has a population of 393, 304 , concentrated mostly near the Bay of Sevastopol, the location and navigability of the citys harbours have made Sevastopol a strategically important port and naval base throughout history. The city has been a home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, although relatively small at 864 square kilometres, Sevastopols unique naval and maritime features provide the basis for a robust economy. The city enjoys mild winters and moderate summers, characteristics that help make it a popular seaside resort and tourist destination. The city is also an important centre for marine biology, in particular, the name of Sevastopolis was originally chosen in the same etymological trend as other cities in the Crimean peninsula that was intended to reflect its ancient Greek origins. It is a compound of the Greek adjective, σεβαστός and the noun πόλις, Σεβαστός is the traditional Greek equivalent of the Roman honorific Augustus, originally given to the first emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus and later awarded as a title to his successors. Despite its Greek origin, the name itself is not from Ancient Greek times, the city was probably named after the Empress Catherine II of Russia who founded Sevastopol in 1783. She visited the city in 1787 accompanied by Joseph II, the Emperor of Austria, in the west of the city, there are well-preserved ruins of the ancient Greek port city of Chersonesos, founded in the 5th century BC by settlers from Heraclea Pontica. This name means peninsula, reflecting its location, and is not related to the ancient Greek name for the Crimean Peninsula as a whole. In English the current spelling has the pronunciation /səˈvæstəˌpoʊl/ or /ˌsɛvəˈstoʊpəl/, whilst the spelling has the pronunciation /sᵻˈbæstəpəl, -pɒl/ or /səˈbæstəˌpoʊl. Ukrainian, Севастополь, Russian, Севастополь, pronounced in Ukrainian, in the 6th century BC a Greek colony was established in the area of the modern-day city. The Greek city of Chersonesus existed for almost two years, first as an independent democracy and later as part of the Bosporan Kingdom. In the 13th and 14th centuries it was sacked by the Golden Horde several times and was totally abandoned. The modern day city of Sevastopol has no connection to the ancient and medieval Greek city, five years earlier, Alexander Suvorov ordered that earthworks be erected along the harbour and Russian troops be placed there. In February 1784, Catherine the Great ordered Grigory Potemkin to build a fortress there, the realisation of the initial building plans fell to Captain Fyodor Ushakov who in 1788 was named commander of the port and of the Black Sea squadron. It became an important naval base and later a commercial seaport, in 1797, under an edict issued by Emperor Paul I, the military stronghold was again renamed to Akhtiar. Finally, on 29 April,1826, the Senate returned the name to Sevastopol. One of the most notable involving the city is the Siege of Sevastopol carried out by the British, French, Sardinian, and Turkish troops during the Crimean War
Sevastopol
–
The ruins of the ancient Greek theater in
Chersonesos Taurica
Sevastopol
Sevastopol
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"Soldier and Sailor" Memorial to Heroic Defenders of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
–
The Monument to the ships scuttled during the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War by
Amandus Adamson
13.
Ukraine
–
Ukraine is currently in territorial dispute with Russia over the Crimean Peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014 but which Ukraine and most of the international community recognise as Ukrainian. Including Crimea, Ukraine has an area of 603,628 km2, making it the largest country entirely within Europe and it has a population of about 42.5 million, making it the 32nd most populous country in the world. The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC, during the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture, with the powerful state of Kievan Rus forming the basis of Ukrainian identity. Following its fragmentation in the 13th century, the territory was contested, ruled and divided by a variety of powers, including Lithuania, Poland, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. A Cossack republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries, two brief periods of independence occurred during the 20th century, once near the end of World War I and another during World War II. Before its independence, Ukraine was typically referred to in English as The Ukraine, following independence, Ukraine declared itself a neutral state. Nonetheless it formed a limited partnership with the Russian Federation and other CIS countries. In the 2000s, the government began leaning towards NATO, and it was later agreed that the question of joining NATO should be answered by a national referendum at some point in the future. Former President Viktor Yanukovych considered the current level of co-operation between Ukraine and NATO sufficient, and was against Ukraine joining NATO and these events formed the background for the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, and the War in Donbass in April 2014. On 1 January 2016, Ukraine applied the economic part of the Deep, Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands and is one of the worlds largest grain exporters. The diversified economy of Ukraine includes a heavy industry sector, particularly in aerospace. Ukraine is a republic under a semi-presidential system with separate powers, legislative, executive. Its capital and largest city is Kiev, taking into account reserves and paramilitary personnel, Ukraine maintains the second-largest military in Europe after that of Russia. Ukrainian is the language and its alphabet is Cyrillic. The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy, which has strongly influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature, there are different hypotheses as to the etymology of the name Ukraine. According to the older and most widespread hypothesis, it means borderland, while more recently some studies claim a different meaning, homeland or region. The Ukraine now implies disregard for the sovereignty, according to U. S. ambassador William Taylor. Neanderthal settlement in Ukraine is seen in the Molodova archaeological sites include a mammoth bone dwelling
Ukraine
–
Gold
Scythian pectoral, or neckpiece, from a royal
kurgan in
Ordzhonikidze, dated to the 4th century BC
Ukraine
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Flag
Ukraine
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Principalities of
Kievan Rus', 1054-1132
Ukraine
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The baptism of the Grand Prince Vladimir led to the adoption of Christianity in
Kievan Rus'.
14.
RIA Novosti
–
RIA Novosti, sometimes shortly RIA was Russias international news agency until 2013 and continues to be the name of a state-operated domestic Russian-language news agency. Operating under the purview of the Russian Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, RIA Novosti is headquartered in Moscow, on 9 December 2013 President of Russia Vladimir Putin ordered RIA Novostis liquidation and the creation of a Russian international news agency Rossiya Segodnya. Dmitry Kiselev, an anchorman of the Russia-1 channel was appointed to be the first president of the new information agency, on 10 November 2014, Rossiya Segodnya launched the Sputnik multimedia platform as the international replacement of RIA Novosti and Voice of Russia. Within Russia itself, however, Rossiya Segodnya continues to operate its Russian language news service under the name RIA Novosti with its ria. ru website and it had a correspondent network in the Russian Federation, CIS and over 40 non-CIS countries. RIA Novosti was a news agency. The last editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti was Svetlana Mironyuk, the first woman appointed to the role in the agencys history, according to the organisations Charter, enterprises property was federally owned and was indivisible. According to the agency, it was partially government-subsidized, but maintained full editorial independence and its Russian name was Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian Agency of International Information «RIA Novosti», shortly FGUP RAMI «RIA Novosti». Its formal English name was Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti, early in 1990s it had the name state enterprise RIA «Novosti». RIA means Russian Information Agency and Novosti means News in Russian, the common abbreviation in Russian is RIA. Its main task was to work to cover international, military events. The bureaus main task was to compile reports on the situation on the frontline of the war, work on the front. In 1944, a bureau on propaganda for foreign countries was set up as part of Sovinformburo. Shcherbakov, S. A. Lozovsky and Y. S, in 1961, the Novosti Press Agency succeeded Sovinformburo. It became the information and press body of Soviet public organizations. The constituent conference was held on February 21,1961, the conference of representatives of Soviet public organizations adopted a decision to create a press agency of public organizations named Novosti. The agencys guiding body was the Council of the Agency’s Founders, the APN founders were the USSR Journalists Union, USSR Writers Union, Union of Soviet Societies of Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and the Znaniye Society. On April 3,1961, the Agency charter was adopted, aPNs motto was Information for Peace, for the Friendship of Nations. APN had bureaus in over 120 countries, the Agency published 60 illustrated newspapers and magazines in 45 languages with a one-time circulation of 4.3 million copies
RIA Novosti
–
Novosti operated this East Berlin
news stall in 1984.
RIA Novosti
–
The newsroom of the agency, 2008
RIA Novosti
–
RIA Novosti bureau in Washington DC
15.
Russian cruiser Moskva
–
Moskva is the lead ship of the Project 1164 Atlant class of guided missile cruisers in the Russian Navy. The ship is named for the city of Moscow. Slava was laid down in 1976 in Shipyard 445 of the 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant in Mykolaiv, was launched in 1979, slava played a role in the Malta Summit between Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H. W. Bush. She was used by the Soviet delegation, while the US delegation had their sleeping quarters aboard USS Belknap, the ships were anchored in a roadstead off the coast of Marsaxlokk. Stormy weather and choppy seas resulted in some meetings being cancelled or rescheduled, in the end, the meetings took place aboard Maxim Gorkiy, a Soviet cruise ship anchored in the harbor at La Valletta. Slava returned to Mykolaiv in December 1990 for a refit but was not returned to service until April 2000, recommissioned as Moskva in April 2000, she replaced the Kynda-class cruiser Admiral Golovko as the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. In early April 2003, Moskva, along with Pytlivy, Smetlivy, and a landing ship departed Sevastopol for exercises in the Indian Ocean with a Pacific Fleet task group, the force was supported by the Project 1559V tanker Ivan Bubnov and the Project 712 ocean-going tug Shakhter. In August 2008, in response to the Georgian crisis, Moskva was deployed to secure the Black Sea, after Russias recognition of Abkhazias independence, the ship was stationed at the Abkhazian capital, Sukhum. In April 2010 it was reported that the cruiser would join other units in the Indian Ocean to conduct exercises. In August 2013 the cruiser visited Havana, Cuba, in late August 2013, the cruiser was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in response to the build-up of American warships along the coast of Syria. During the 2014 Crimean Crisis, Moskva was responsible for blockading the Ukrainian fleet in Donuzlav Lake, in 2016, she was replaced by sister ship Varyag in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. On July 22,2016 Guards Missile Cruiser Moskva was awarded order of Nakhimov,75 Photos Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva
Russian cruiser Moskva
–
Moskva seen from the air in 2009
Russian cruiser Moskva
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Slava c. 1983.
16.
Novorossiysk
–
Novorossiysk is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the main port on the Black Sea and the leading Russian port for exporting grain. It is one of the few cities honored with the title of the Hero City, in antiquity, the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the grain trade. It is mentioned in the works of Strabo and Ptolemy, among others, genoese merchants from the Ghisolfi family maintained a trade outpost there in the Middle Ages. Archaeological investigation of the area is in its infancy, but some interesting items have already been uncovered, from 1722, the bay was commanded by the Ottoman fortress of Sujuk-Qale or Soğucak. Named after the province of Novorossiya, the port formed a link in the chain of forts known as the Black Sea Coastal Line. During the rest of the 19th century, Novorossiysk developed rapidly and it was granted city status in 1866 and became the capital of the Black Sea Governorate, the smallest in the Russian Empire, in 1896. In December 1905, the city was the seat of the short-lived Novorossiysk Republic, from August 26,1918 until March 27,1920, Novorossiysk was the principal center of Denikins White Army. Denikins South Russian Government was moved to Crimea and many Whites escaped from Novorossiysk to Constantinople, most of the town was occupied by the German and Romanian Armies on September 10,1942. A small unit of Soviet sailors defended one part of the town, known as Malaya Zemlya, for 225 days beginning on February 4,1943, and the town was liberated by the Red Army on September 16,1943. The heroic defense of the port by the sailors allowed the Soviets to retain possession of the citys bay, Novorossiysk was awarded the title Hero City in 1973. In 1960, the town was commemorated in Dmitri Shostakovichs work Novorossiysk Chimes, in 2003, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree setting up a naval base for the Black Sea Fleet in Novorossiysk. Russia has allocated 12.3 billion rubles for the construction of the new base between 2007 and 2012, the construction of other facilities and infrastructure at the base, including units for coastal troops, aviation and logistics, will continue beyond 2012. In 2014 the naval base remained incomplete, completion is scheduled for 2016. The Russian lease on port facilities in Sevastopol, which, though the base of Russias Black Sea Fleet, is part of Ukraine, was set to expire in 2017. As a municipal division, the City of Novorossiysk is incorporated as Novorossiysk Urban Okrug, Novorossiysk has a humid subtropical climate. The city sprawls along the shore of the non-freezing Tsemess Bay and it is the busiest oil port in the Black Sea and the terminus of the pipeline from the Tengiz Field, developed by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. Novorossiysk is also a city, dependent on steel, food processing
Novorossiysk
–
Overview of Novorossiysk, August 2010
Novorossiysk
–
Clockwise from the top: Novorossiysk TV Tower, Lenin Square, City Harbor, Shore Promenade, Turkish War Monument
Novorossiysk
–
"A Map of The Caucasian Isthmus". Designed and drawn by J. Grassl, 1856.
Novorossiysk
–
A panoramic view of the port
17.
Russian Ministry of Defence
–
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation exercises administrative and operational leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In this capacity, the minister exercises day-to-day administrative and operational authority over the armed forces, the General Staff, the executive body of the Ministry of Defence, implements the defence ministers operational instructions and orders. The main ministry building, built in the 1980s, is located on Arbatskaya Square, other buildings of the ministry are located throughout the city of Moscow. The current Russian minister of Defence is Sergey Shoygu, the historical tradition of military command is considerably different in Russia. The tsars were educated as officers, and they wore military uniforms. Josef Stalin in his years in power frequently wore a military uniform. Likewise, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was named Marshal of the Soviet Union, by tradition dating back to the tsars, the Minister of Defense was a uniformed officer, with military background or without. The State Duma also seats a large number of deputies who are active-duty military officers—another tradition that began in the Russian imperial era and these combinations of military and civilian authority ensure that military concerns are considered at the highest levels of the Russian government. In May 1992, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin appointed General of the Army Pavel Grachev to the post of Minister of Defence. At least partly for that reason, Yeltsin retained his defence minister despite intense criticism of Grachevs management of the First Chechen War, finally, Yeltsins victory in the first round of the 1996 Russian presidential election spurred Yeltsin to dismiss Grachev. Putin called the changes in Russias security structures coinciding with Ivanovs appointment as defence minister a step toward demilitarizing public life. Putin also stressed Ivanovs responsibility for overseeing military reform as defence minister, what Putin did not emphasise was Ivanovs long service within the KGB and FSB and his then rank of General-Lieutenant within the FSB. Such military and security agency associated men are known as siloviki, as of 2002 there were four living Marshals of the Soviet Union. Such men are automatically Advisors to the Defence Minister, the Marshals alive at that time were Viktor Kulikov, Vasily Petrov, Sergei Sokolov, a former Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union, and Dmitri Yazov. Serdyukov was a former Tax Minister with little siloviki or military associations beyond his two military service. The executive body of the Ministry of Defence is the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and it is commanded by the Chief of General Staff. U. S. expert William Odom said in 1998 that the Soviet General Staff without the MoD is conceivable, Russian General Staff officers exercise command authority in their own right. In 1996 the General Staff included fifteen main directorates and an number of operating agencies
Russian Ministry of Defence
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A building of the ministry in
Khamovniki District
Russian Ministry of Defence
–
Ministry emblem
Russian Ministry of Defence
Russian Ministry of Defence
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Lobanov-Rostovsky Palace, Former Defense Ministry building.
18.
Poti
–
Poti is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis and deriving its name from the same and it is also home to a main naval base and the headquarters of the Georgian navy. Adjacent to the Poti port area is the RAKIA owned Free Industrial Zone, inaugurated in April 2008, it has registered a number of businesses, including those from Iranian businesspeople trying to evade sanctions against Iran. The name Poti is apparently linked to Phasis, but the etymology is a matter of a scholarly dispute, Phasis is first recorded in Hesiods Theogony as a name of the river, not a town. The recorded history of Poti and its environs spans over 26 centuries, after many years of uncertainty and academic debate, the site of this settlement now seems to be established, thanks to underwater archaeology under tough conditions. Apparently the lake which the well-informed Ancient Greek author Strabo reported as bounding one side of Phasis has now engulfed it, Phasis appears to have been an important center of trade and culture in Colchis throughout the Classical period. The section along the river Phasis was a component of the presumed trade route from India to the Black Sea, attested by Strabo. Between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC, the played a active role in these contacts. During the Third Mithridatic War, Phasis came under Roman control and it was where the Roman commander-in-chief Pompey, having crossed into Colchis from Iberia, met the legate Servilius, the admiral of his Euxine fleet in 65 BC. After the introduction of Christianity, Phasis was a seat of a Greek diocese, one of whose bishops, Cyrus, during the Lazic War between the Eastern Roman and Sassanid Iranian empires Phasis was attacked, unsuccessfully, by Iranian soldiers. In the 8th century, the name Poti entered Georgian written sources and it remained a place of maritime trade within the Kingdom of Georgia and was known to medieval European travelers as Fasso. In the 14th century, the Genoese established a trading factory, in 1578, Poti was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The Turks, who knew the town as Faş, heavily fortified it, a combined army of the western Georgian princes recovered Poti in 1640, but the town fell under the Ottoman sway again in 1723. Another futile attempt to dispossess the Ottomans of Poti was made by Russo-Georgian forces in 1770 and 1771, the next Russo-Turkish War resulted in the capture of Poti by Russia in 1828. The town was subordinated to the Governorate of Kutais and granted the status of a town in 1858. The seaport was reconstructed between 1863 and 1905, in 1872, the town became the terminus of the Caucasian railway, whence the line led direct to Tiflis. Poti particularly grew in size and importance during the mayorship of Niko Nikoladze between 1894 and 1912, by 1900, Poti had become one of the major ports on the Black Sea, exporting most of Georgia’s manganese and coal. During the First Russian Revolution, Poti became a scene of workers strikes, during a brief period of independence in 1918–1921 Poti was Georgia’s principal window to Europe, also serving as the portal of entry for successive German and British expeditionary forces
Poti
–
Georgian Orthodox
Poti Cathedral under restoration works in the downtown
Poti
–
Seal
Poti
–
Palm Boulevard in Poti
Poti
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Phasis, 19th century
19.
Russian Navy
–
The Russian Navy is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. The regular Russian Navy was established by Peter the Great in October 1696, ascribed to Peter I is the oft quoted statement, A ruler that has but an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has both. The symbols of the Russian Navy, the St. Andrews ensign, neither Janes Fighting Ships nor the International Institute for Strategic Studies list any standard ship prefixes for the vessels of the Russian Navy. For official U. S. Navy photographs, they are referred to as RFS—Russian Federation Ship. However, the Russian Navy itself does not use this convention, a rearmament program approved in 2007 placed the development of the navy on an equal footing with the strategic nuclear forces for the first time in Soviet and Russian history. This program, covering the period until 2015, expected to see the replacement of 45 percent of the inventory of the Russian Navy, out of 4.9 trillion rubles allocated for military rearmament,25 percent will go into building new ships. Another setback is attributed to Russias domestic shipbuilding industry which is reported to have been in decline as to their capabilities of constructing contemporary hardware efficiently, some analysts even say that because of this Russias naval capabilities have been facing a slow but certain irreversible collapse. The origins of the Russian navy may be traced to the period between the 4th and the 6th century, the first Slavic flotillas consisted of small sailing ships and rowboats, which had been seaworthy and able to navigate in riverbeds. During the 9th through 12th centuries, there were flotillas in the Kievan Rus consisting of hundreds of vessels with one, riverine vessels in 9th century Kievan Rus guarded trade routes to Constantinople. The citizens of Novgorod are known to have conducted military campaigns in the Baltic Sea —although contemporary Scandinavian sources state that the fleet was from Karelia or Estonia, ladya was a typical boat used by the army of Novgorod. There were also smaller sailboats and rowboats, such as ushkuys for sailing in rivers, lakes and skerries, kochis, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cossacks conducted military campaigns against the Crimean Khanate and Ottoman Empire, using sailboats and rowboats. The Don Cossacks called them strugs and these boats were capable of transporting up to 80 men. The Cossack flotillas numbered 80 to 100 boats, the centralized Russian state had been fighting for its own access to the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov since the 17th Century. By the end of century, the Russians had accumulated some valuable experience in using riverboats together with land forces. Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, the construction of the first three-masted ship to be entirely within Russia was finished in 1636. She was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein with a European design, in 1668, they built a 26-gun ship, the Oryol, a yacht, a boat with a mast and bowsprit, and a few rowboats. Unquestionably the most celebrated Russian explorer was Semyon Dezhnev, who, in 1648, rounding the Chukotsk Peninsula, Dezhnev passed through the Bering Sea and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. The regular Russian Navy was created at the initiative of Peter the Great, during the Second Azov campaign of 1696 against the Ottoman Empire, the Russians employed for the first time 2 warships,4 fireships,23 galleys and 1300 strugs, built on the Voronezh River
Russian Navy
Russian Navy
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Emblem of the Russian Navy
Russian Navy
–
Flag of the Commander-in-Chief, Russian Navy.
Russian Navy
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Eugene Lanceray. Fleet of Peter the Great (1709).
20.
P-120 Malakhit
–
The P-120 Malakhit is a Russian medium range anti-ship missile used by corvettes and submarines. Introduced in 1972, it remains in service but has been superseded by the SS-N-22 Sunburn, the Echo class submarine required the submarine to spend 30 minutes or more on the surface when firing its P-5 Pyatyorka missiles. This made the very vulnerable to enemy attack, so in 1963 the Soviets started work on a new missile that could be fired whilst submerged. These became the P-50 Malakhit and Charlie class submarine, the P-50 was replaced by the P-120 design during development. The P-120 missile was used as the basis for the SS-N-14 Silex rocket-propelled torpedo. The L band seeker and radar altimeter originally designed for the Siren were first used on the Starbright whilst the Soviets sorted out the P-120s troublesome engines, however the Siren has space for datalink equipment, allowing mid-course guidance from the launch platform or something else. When fired from a submarine, the missile can be launched at a depth of 50 meters. The Siren entered service on corvettes of the Soviet Navy on March 17,1972 and it would be installed on Nanuchka-class corvettes. It was not until November 1977 that it was accepted for use on submarines, the Charlie-II submarine carried eight missiles and were intended as a cheap alternative to the one-off Papa class submarine, which carried ten missiles. All have now retired from service. It saw action in 2008 in the hands of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the action off Abkhazia, russia Russian Navy Soviet Union MARITIME STRIKE The Soviet Perspective www. dtig. org Russian/Sovjet Sea-based Anti-Ship Missiles
P-120 Malakhit
–
P-120 Malakhit medium range cruise missile
21.
Nanuchka class corvette
–
The Nanuchka class was the NATO reporting name for a series of corvettes or small missile ships built for the Soviet Navy and export customers between 1969 and 1981. The Soviet designation was Project 1234 Ovod Small Missile Ship and these ships were designed around the P-120 Malakhit anti ship missile. Export versions used the P-15 Termit missile, unlike smaller missile boats, both carry SA-N-4 SAMs for self-defence. The original Nanuchka I carried a twin 57mm AK-257 main gun, the latter also has a rotary 30mm AK-630 point-defence gun to bolster its protection against missile attack. Reportedly the Mirazh, a Nanuchka III corvette, sank a Georgian vessel during an attack on Russian ships off Abkhazia on 10 August 2008. Trial vessel for P-800 Oniks ASHM Algeria -3 ships delivered 1980-81 in service India -3 ships known as the Durg class, libya -4 ships delivered 1981-83, Ain Zaquit sunk by US aircraft 24 March 1986 and replaced by a new ship from the USSR. Conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995, also published as Gardiner, Robert, Chumbley, Stephen, Budzbon, Przemysław. Conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995, malye protivolodochnye i malye raketnye korabli VMF SSSR i Rossii. Project 1234 Nanuchka class Guided Missile Corvette, page includes photos Guided Missile Corvette Mirazh. Page includes photos All Nanuchka Class Corvettes - Complete Ship List
Nanuchka class corvette
–
Project 1234 Ovod (NATO code Nanuchka-I) class corvette
Nanuchka class corvette
–
Export Nanuchka II class corvette moored in
Leningrad (i.e.,
Saint Petersburg). Photo was taken in July 1983
Nanuchka class corvette
Nanuchka class corvette
–
Libyan Nanuchka II burns after being hit 25 March 1986
22.
Missile boat
–
A missile boat or missile cutter is a small fast warship armed with anti-ship missiles. Being smaller than other such as destroyers and frigates, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming a navy at lower cost. They are similar in concept to the boats of World War II, in fact. The doctrine behind the use of boats is based on the principle of mobility over defence. This trend culminated in the giant battleships of World War II, endurance was limited to 1,000 nautical miles at 12 knots and the vessels had fuel and supplies for only five days at sea. 112 Komar-class vessels were produced, while over 400 examples were built of the following Osa-class missile boat, being relatively small and constructed of wood, the Komar-class boats had a very small radar cross-section. Its sophisticated radar enabled the boat, with its low radar reflectivity, to detect a larger enemy ship before the latter was aware of its presence, fire its missiles. Soviet naval architects had designed them with these characteristics to give the small boats this advantage against much larger American naval ships should they attempt to attack the Russian coast, the boats were designed for coastal operations, with limited endurance. The Soviet-built boats prompted a NATO response, which became more intense after the sinking of Eilat, the Germans and French worked together to produce their own missile boat, resulting in the La Combattante class. Built until 1974, a total of 68 Combattante IIs were launched, the design was immediately followed by the Combattante III which added 9 metres to hull length but kept the same armament,43 of this type were produced. Several other countries produced their own versions of the Combattante, notably Israel with the Saar 3, the two key operations in which these vessels played an active role were Operation Trident and Operation Python. The attacks destroyed half of the Pakistani Navy and most of Pakistans naval fuel reserves in the fuel storage tanks which cleared the way for the decisive victory of the Indian Armed Forces. The first of these became known as the Battle of Latakia. During this and later battles, some fifty Gabriels and a number of Styx missiles were fired, seven Syrian ships were sunk. At the Battle of Bubiyan in 1991 Iraqi missile boats were destroyed by British air-to-surface missiles, later designs, such as the German Gepard class and Finnish Hamina class are equipped with surface-to-air missiles and countermeasures. The size of boats has increased, with some designs now at corvette size,800 tonnes including a helicopter. In April 1996 during Israels Operation Grapes of Wrath, IDF naval forces used Saar 4 and Saar 4.5 boats to shell the Lebanese coast with 76 mm fire, in conjunction with artillery and air attacks. Iran and North Korea have some of the largest numbers of boats in operation today
Missile boat
–
An
Osa I class missile boat in 1983. The Osa class are probably the most numerous class of missile boats to have been built.
23.
Ropucha-class landing ship
–
The Ropucha, or Project 775 class landing ships are classified in the Russian Navy as large landing craft. They were built in Poland in the Stocznia Północna shipyards, in Gdańsk and they are designed for beach landings and can carry a 450-ton cargo. The ships have both bow and stern doors for loading and unloading vehicles, and the 630 m² of vehicle deck stretches the length of the hull, up to 25 armored personnel carriers can be embarked. While being designed for roll-on roll-off operations the ships can also be loaded using dockside cranes, for this purpose there is a long sliding hatch cover above the bow section for access to the vehicle deck. There are no facilities for helicopters, the 28 ships of this type were commissioned from 1975 to 1991. The last three ships were of the improved variant Project 775M, also called Ropucha II and these have improved defensive armament and accommodation for an increased number of troops. They were built for the Soviet Navy during the Cold War, however, during the 2008 South Ossetia war ships of this type were used for landing troops at the Georgian port of Poti. The later vessel is the unit of this class in service outside the former USSR. The ships were part of the Northern Fleet, earlier reports, quoting a source at the Russian general staff, said the ships would spend a few days in Tartus and would take on fresh supplies of food and water. British media added that the ships each had up to 120 marines on board, the Russian defence ministry left open the possibility that the ships might dock there at some point for logistical reasons, saying they had every right to do so. The General Staff source, who was not named, had said that after calling in at Tartus they would head for the Bosphorus, on 24 March 2014 on the Kostiantyn Olshansky a Russian Navy flag was raised
Ropucha-class landing ship
–
Ropucha I, note twin 57 mm guns fore and aft. Ropucha II has one single-barrel 76 mm gun forward, 2
AK-630 CIWS aft.
Ropucha-class landing ship
–
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verification. Please help improve this article by
adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2013)
24.
Russian ship Caesar Kunikov (BDK-64)
–
Caesar Kunikov is a Project 775 class large landing ship of the Russian Navy. She is named after Caesar Lvovich Kunikov, the officer of a landing party that captured the beach-head of Malaya Zemlya. The ship was built at the Stocznia Pólnocna shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland and she is currently in service with Black Sea Fleets 197th Landing Ship Brigade, of the 30th Division of Surface Ships, and homeported in Sevastopol. She is under the patronage of the city of Zelenograd, Caesar Kunikov was the flagship of the Russian squadron that participated in the battle off the coast of Abkhazia during the 2008 South Ossetia war. In October,2015 Caesar Kunikov was sent to Syria with a cargo of weapons, media related to Caesar Kunikov at Wikimedia Commons Россия направила в Средиземное море корабль с оружием для Сирии
Russian ship Caesar Kunikov (BDK-64)
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Caesar Kunikov in the Red Sea, 2003
25.
Alligator-class landing ship
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Project 1171 class landing ship is a class of Soviet / Russian general purpose, beachable amphibious transport docks. Design of Project 1171 was initiated in 1959 by the Navy, eventually both designs were merged under the Project 1171 umbrella, and the resulting ship was a compromise between military and civil objectives. The design team produced four different configurations of the ship, the Navy selected the most powerful and fastest option, which was also the least fuel-efficient, and the civil Ministry withdrew from the project completely. All production ships were made for the Navy and never operated on shipping lines, a total of 14 vessels were completed between 1964 and 1975, all were retired in 1992–1995. As of September,2008, two vessels, currently named Orsk and Saratov are in service with the 197th Brigade of Landing Ships in the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Saratov was launched in July 1964, commissioned in 1966 as Voronezhsky Komsomolets, as a leader ship of a formation, it lacked the habitable troops compartments installed on other ships of the class. Saratov was stationed in Donuzlav until the Union collapsed and then remained mothballed in Odessa until 1994, the ship was reported in active operations in 2000 and later. Orsk was launched and commissioned in 1968 as Nikolay Obekov and it served a total of 11 campaigns in Indian and Atlantic oceans and the Mediterranean. Later, under Russian flag, it carried peacekeeping troops and materials to Yugoslavia, Adjaria and Abkhazia, as of 2014 it is inactive and undergoing a refit. Some vessels were used in the 2008 South Ossetia war
Alligator-class landing ship
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Nikolai Fil'chenkov in
Sevastopol.
26.
Grisha-class corvette
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The Albatros class was a series of anti-submarine corvettes built by the Soviet Union between 1970 and 1990. These ships had a range and were used only in coastal waters. They were equipped with a variety of ASW weapons and an SA-N-4 surface-to-air missile launcher, all were fitted with retractable fin stabilizers. Russian type designation was Malyy Protivolodochnyy Korabl,17 ships were built in the 1970s. Two were transferred to the Ukrainian Navy and around seven are in service with the Russian Maritime Border Guard, the Grisha III class were built in the late 1970s to early 1980s. These ships incorporated several small scale modifications, including a 30 mm gun, about 20 remain in Russian service. Two ships were in service with the Lithuanian Navy until 2009, a single Grisha IV class ship was built. This ship was a ship for the SA-N-9 missile system and has been decommissioned. The Grisha V class ships were built between 1985 and 1994 and this incorporated further modifications with the twin 57 mm guns being replaced by a single 76 mm gun. About 28 ships remain in the Russian Navy, ternopil entered service in 2006 with the Ukrainian Navy. List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number Gardiner, conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Also published as Gardiner, Robert, Chumbley, Stephen, Budzbon, conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995. All Grisha Class Corvettes - Complete Ship List
Grisha-class corvette
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Grisha I-class corvette
Grisha-class corvette
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Grisha V-class corvette
Grisha-class corvette
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Grisha V-class corvette MPK-118 Suzdalets.
Grisha-class corvette
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Grisha III-class corvette Žemaitis (Lithuanian Navy, 2003)
27.
Natya-class minesweeper
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The Natya class were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and export customers during the 1970s and 1980s. The Soviet designation was Project 266M Akvamarin, the ships were used for ocean minesweeping. The design evolved from the Yurka class minesweeper with new demining equipment including more advanced sonar, a stern ramp made recovering sweeps easier. The hull was built of low magnetic steel, the engines were mounted on sound dampening beams and shrouded propellors were used to reduce noise. An electrical field compensator was also installed, a single ship designated Natya 2 by NATO was built with an aluminium hull for reduced magnetic signature. Pr.02668 designed by Design Bureau Almaz and is a prototype, the minesweeper is equipped with the most modern means of anti-mine protection. St. Andrews flag-raising ceremony was held on 17.01.2009, forty five ships were built for the Soviet Navy from 1970 to 1982. Ship design was modified to Indian specifications, known as the Pondicherry class minesweeper in Indian Service. 5 Ships have been decommissioned leaving 7 in active service, to be replaced by Future Indian minehunter class. 8 ships transferred 1981-862 ships captured in February 2011 One ship in 1986 One ship List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number Gardiner, conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Also published as Gardiner, Robert, Chumbley, Stephen, Budzbon, conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Page in English from flot All Natya Class Minesweepers - Complete Ship List
Natya-class minesweeper
–
Russian ocean minesweeper project 266M "Akvamarin" Ivan Golubets in
Sevastopol, 2005
28.
Nanuchka-class corvette
–
The Nanuchka class was the NATO reporting name for a series of corvettes or small missile ships built for the Soviet Navy and export customers between 1969 and 1981. The Soviet designation was Project 1234 Ovod Small Missile Ship and these ships were designed around the P-120 Malakhit anti ship missile. Export versions used the P-15 Termit missile, unlike smaller missile boats, both carry SA-N-4 SAMs for self-defence. The original Nanuchka I carried a twin 57mm AK-257 main gun, the latter also has a rotary 30mm AK-630 point-defence gun to bolster its protection against missile attack. Reportedly the Mirazh, a Nanuchka III corvette, sank a Georgian vessel during an attack on Russian ships off Abkhazia on 10 August 2008. Trial vessel for P-800 Oniks ASHM Algeria -3 ships delivered 1980-81 in service India -3 ships known as the Durg class, libya -4 ships delivered 1981-83, Ain Zaquit sunk by US aircraft 24 March 1986 and replaced by a new ship from the USSR. Conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995, also published as Gardiner, Robert, Chumbley, Stephen, Budzbon, Przemysław. Conways all the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995, malye protivolodochnye i malye raketnye korabli VMF SSSR i Rossii. Project 1234 Nanuchka class Guided Missile Corvette, page includes photos Guided Missile Corvette Mirazh. Page includes photos All Nanuchka Class Corvettes - Complete Ship List
Nanuchka-class corvette
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Project 1234 Ovod (NATO code Nanuchka-I) class corvette
Nanuchka-class corvette
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Export Nanuchka II class corvette moored in
Leningrad (i.e.,
Saint Petersburg). Photo was taken in July 1983
Nanuchka-class corvette
Nanuchka-class corvette
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Libyan Nanuchka II burns after being hit 25 March 1986
29.
Bora-class guided missile hovercraft
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Its designation in the Soviet and Russian navies is Project 1239, the first vessel produced under this designation was Sivuch, which was later renamed Bora. It is one of the largest combat sea vehicles with catamaran design, the ship is one of many marine craft built by the Russian Federation for coastal defense, both domestically and for export. The weapons array Bora class warships carry varies depending on which of several configurations it is built to, the specifications listed are for the two existing craft. The Bora-class was designed in 1988 mainly for defense and patrol duties against surface vessels, large. Two were built and are currently in service, both assigned to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, a future series of hovercraft have been planned based on this model for future production. Bora - Launched 1988, commissioned 1997, Samum - Launched 1995, commissioned 2000. Black Sea Fleet List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number Missile hovercraft, rosoboronexport State Export Corporation Website, Navy Catalog - Various export configurations are listed in this catalog. Follow the link and click the PROJECT1239 BORA link on the page of the pdf. Guided Missile Corvette Bora from Russian Black Sea fleet Guided Missile Corvette Samum from Russian Black Sea fleet Google Maps photo All Russian Bora Class Ships - Complete Ship List
Bora-class guided missile hovercraft
–
Class overview
30.
Kashin-class destroyer
–
The Kashin-class destroyers were a group of guided missile destroyers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s and early 1970s. Their Soviet designation was Project 61, as of 2016, one ship is in service with the Russian Navy, and five modified ships are in service with the Indian Navy as Rajput-class destroyers. They were the first Soviet purpose-built anti-air warfare ships and the first to carry an ASW helicopter, the design specification was approved in 1957, the first ship was laid down in 1959 and commissioned in 1962. Much new equipment was developed for ships, including surface-to-air missiles, radars. The gas turbines were arranged in two spaces and could be removed via the funnels for servicing. These were also the first Soviet ships designed to be closed down for nuclear fallout and had a room deep inside the ship rather than a large bridge. The two RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers were mounted aft, but later removed, smetlivy was modernised at Sevastopol in the early 1990s and fitted with new Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and MNK-300 sonar. She is the only Kashin-class vessel currently active in the Russian Navy, the Rajput-class modification built for Indian Navy has the after gun turret replaced by a hangar for a helicopter, as well as SS-N-2C anti-ship missiles on the sides of the bridge. In all, twenty ships were built for the Soviet Navy, one ship was transferred to Poland. ORP Warszawa – – ex-Smely commissioned 9 January 1988, decommissioned 5 December 2003 to the reserve, conways All the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947–1995
Kashin-class destroyer
–
Smetlivy in the Red Sea in June 2003
Kashin-class destroyer
–
A Kashin-class destroyer in the Mediterranean in January 1970.
Kashin-class destroyer
–
The Kashin-class destroyer Strogiy in October 1985.
Kashin-class destroyer
–
The bow of Strogiy after a collision
31.
Russian destroyer Smetlivy
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Smetlivy (Russian, Сметливый, is a Kashin-class guided missile destroyer of the Russian Navy. Entering service in 1969, the ship served until 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union and she returned to service in 1995 after a refit and is now a part of the Black Sea Fleet. The oldest active destroyer in the world, ordered by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, Smetlivy was laid down in July 1966 and commissioned into the Soviet Black Sea Fleet in 1969. In 1990 the ship was laid up for repairs and modification and she became part of the Russian Navy after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The ship returned to service in 1995, now armed with the more modern SS-N-25 Switchblade missile system, in August 2008 the ship took part in the Russo-Georgian War, and was part of task force from a Black Sea Fleet enforcing de facto blockade of the Republic of Georgia. In 2009 the ship was laid up for repairs, returning to service in mid-2011. As of 2013 Smetlivy is the last Kashin-class destroyer in service with the Russian Navy, in 2013, she was sent off the coast of Syria in response to military tensions and a buildup of Western naval forces. Smetlivy returned to Syria in September 2015, video material from Geçiciler-1 has been handed over to the Turkish Coast Guard
Russian destroyer Smetlivy
–
Smetlivy in 2007
32.
Slava-class cruiser
–
The Slava-class cruiser is a type of large, conventionally powered warship, designed and constructed for the Soviet Navy and currently operated by the Russian Navy. Moskva is armed with P-1000 Vulkan AShM missiles, developed in the late 1970s to late 1980s and it is not known which Slava-class cruisers carry P-1000s other than Moskva. There was a delay in this programme, while the problems with the Bazalt were resolved. These ships acted as flagships for numerous task forces, all ships were built at the 61 Kommunar yard, in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR. The Slava class was initially designated BLACKCOM1 and then designated the Krasina class for a period until Slava was observed at sea. The SS-N-12 launchers are fixed facing forward at around 8° elevation with no reloads available, as there was nothing revolutionary about the design of the class western observers felt they were created as a hedge against the failure of the more radical Kirov class. The helicopter hangar deck is located 1/2 deck below the pad with a ramp connecting the two. Originally 10 ships were planned, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union only three were completed, a fourth vessel was launched, but final construction remains incomplete and the ship has not been commissioned into service. Following the collapse and the re-emergence of the nation of Russia, efforts have been made to complete and update the unfinished ship, in 2010, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych stated that Russia and Ukraine would work together on the project. Russia has also expressed interest in purchasing the vessel, which Ukraine had previously offered for sale, however, as of early 2011 no final agreement has been concluded between the two countries, on this matter. The Russian navy has plans for upgrades of all their Slava-class vessels during the 2010s. As of mid-2016 the fourth hull remains afloat in the shipyard uncompleted, Slava a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy, the last of the five Borodino-class battleships. Slava, the name of the Kirov-class cruiser Molotov after 1957, List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number Slava class data. 75 Photos Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva
Slava-class cruiser
–
Slava c.1986
Slava-class cruiser
–
Placement of
P-500 Bazalt (SS-N-12 Sandbox) launchers on the Slava class.
Slava-class cruiser
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Close up view of
SA-N-6 launchers on Marshal Ustinov.
33.
Interfax
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Interfax Ltd. is a privately-held independent major news agency in Russia and information services company headquartered in Moscow. Interfax provides general and political news, business information, industry analysis, market data and business solutions for risk, compliance. The company employs over 1,000 staff in over 70 bureaus worldwide, Interfax controls around 50% of the Russian corporate data market. Subscription-based business and financial intelligence contribute to the bulk of the revenues generated by Interfax with IT-analytical business solutions accounting for approximately 75% of revenue. Interfax Group comprises more than 30 news producing and marketing companies in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, Interfax originally used fax machines for text transmission, hence the company name. By 1990, Interfax had 100 subscribers and the agency began to attract the attention of conservatives within the government. This saw the agency gain prominence in major media, a position strengthened by its coverage of the 1991 August Putsch. To promote its products abroad, Interfax opened its first company outside the former USSR in 1991. This was followed by the opening of London-based Interfax Europe Ltd, Interfax Germany GmbH, based in Frankfurt, and the Interfax News Service Ltd. in Hong Kong. In 2004, Interfax created the SPARK system designed to check business agents in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, in 2011, the company added London-based project, Interfax Global Energy, which reports on the energy markets worldwide. In 1999, Interfax launched a rating agency in partnership with Moodys Investors Service to provide rating services on the Russian market, SPARK system became the basis for a joint venture with a provider of business credit information and credit reports Dun & Bradstreet. Since 2001 Interfax has collaborated with Business Wire, a leader in the distribution of corporate regulatory disclosures. Interfax now also offers consumer credit reports via a joint venture with Experian, boyd-Barrett O. Interfax, Breaking Into Global News. — ISBN 978-1909817135 Shrivastava K. News Agencies, From Pigeon to Internet, — Sterling Publishers Private Limited,2007. Технология новостей от Интерфакса / Под ред, — ISBN 978-5-7567-0608-6 Interfax Information Services Group «Интерфакс», official site Кондратьев В. — NTV TV-channel,9 September 2009, — Echo of Moscow radio,9 September 2009
Interfax
–
Inside view of the Interfax press center in Moscow
34.
Kodori Gorge
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The Kodori Valley (also known as the Kodori Gorge, is a river valley in Abkhazia, Georgias breakaway autonomous republic. On August 12,2008, Russo–Abkhazian forces gained control of the Upper Kodori Valley and it is about 30 km down the coast from Abkhazias capital Sukhumi. At an elevation of 1,300 to 3,984 meters, the climate is alpine and winters are snowy. Annual precipitation 1,600 to over 2,000 mm, over 30 days with heavy rains per year. Around 180 days with snow cover, mean temperature, January, -3 C, April,3 C, July,14 C and October,5 C. Mean maximum temperature in July,28 C, the valley is populated by several upland villages, which are Lata, Omarishara, Shkhara and Zemo Azhara. Administratively, it was de facto and de jure a part of Upper Abkhazia, according to the last Georgian census, the population of the former Georgian-controlled part of the valley was 1,956, of which were 1,912 ethnic Georgians. The Abkhazian historic regions of Dal and Tsebelda occupied most of the Kodori Valley before the incorporation of Abkhazia into Russian Empire from 1810 to 1864 and its highland communities were independent of the central authority of Shervashidze-Chachba princes. Armenians, Georgians and Russians populated the lower part of the valley, the village of Lata was taken by Abkhazian forces on 24 and 25 March,1994. According to the Moscow Agreement, signed in May 1994, the line was drawn to the north-east of it so. Together with the Gali district it is one of the two areas, that remain populated by Georgians in the post-war Abkhazia, under UMOMIGs expanded mandate laid out in Resolution 937, the mission was given two tasks in the Kodori Valley,1. Monitor the withdrawal of troops of Georgia from the Kodori Valley to places beyond the boundaries of Abkhazia, in each case the hostages were released. Kodori Valley helicopter attack, On October 8,2001, a UNOMIG helicopter was shot down by unknown attackers, killing all nine aboard. The Russian air force carried out air strikes on the fighters and according to the authorities, around 15% of the population fled their homes. Georgia responded by moving troops into the area, a step condemned by Abkhazia, the Chechens were eventually defeated by Russian and Abkhazian forces. Russian military incident, On April 2,2002, Georgian and Abkhazian sides signed an agreement for Kodori Gorge. UNOMIG-monitored withdrawal of 350 Georgian troops ended on April 10, however,100 Russian ground forces entered the Kodori Gorge, without having any peacekeeping mandate and they were soon surrounded by the Georgian Defence Ministry forces. A likely armed conflict was prevented by President Eduard Shevardnadze, going to Kodori to bring the situation under control, the UN representatives in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict theater also condemned the Russian action
Kodori Gorge
–
Map of Abkhazia showing the location of the Upper Kodori Valley
35.
Dmitry Medvedev
–
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is a Russian politician who is the current Prime Minister. From 2008 to 2012, Medvedev served as the third President of Russia, born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Leningrad State University Law Department in 1987. Medvedev defended his dissertation in 1990, and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed the Saint Petersburg State University, Medvedevs political career began as the Election Campaign Manager, and later as an adviser of the St. Petersburg Mayor, Anatoly Sobchak. During this time, Medvedev befriended Vladimir Putin, in November 1999, Medvedev was hired by the Russian Presidential Administration, where he worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff. In the 2000 Russian Presidential Elections, Medvedev was Putins Campaign Manager, on 14 November 2005, Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister, and was tasked with overseeing National Priority Projects. Medvedev worked as the Chairman of Gazproms Board of Directors, a post that he held until 2008, Medvedevs candidacy was backed by the popular outgoing President, Vladimir Putin, thus giving a significant boost to his popularity. The 2008 Presidential election, held on 2 March 2008, was won by Medvedev with 70. 28% of the popular vote, and he was inaugurated on 7 May 2008. Medvedev did not run for a term as President, and therefore was appointed Prime Minister by President Vladimir Putin. On 26 May 2012, Medvedev was appointed to be the Leader of United Russia Party, during Medvedevs tenure, Russia emerged victorious in the Russo-Georgian War, and recovered from the Great Recession. Medvedev launched a campaign, and initiated a substantial law enforcement reform. Dmitry Medvedev was born on 14 September 1965 in Leningrad, in the Soviet Union and his father, Anatoly Afanasyevich Medvedev, was a chemical engineer teaching at the Leningrad State Institute of Technology. Dmitrys mother, Yulia Veniaminovna Medvedeva, studied languages at Voronezh University, later, she would also work as a tour guide at Pavlovsk Palace. The Medvedevs lived in a 40 m² apartment at 6 Bela Kun Street in the Kupchino Municipal Okrug of Leningrad, Dmitry was his parents only child. The Medvedevs were regarded as Soviet intelligentsia family of the time and his maternal grandparents were Ukrainians, whose surname was Kovalev, originally Koval. Medvedev traces his roots to the Belgorod region. As a child, Medvedev was bookish and studious, described by his first grade teacher Vera Smirnova as a dreadful why-asker, after school, he would spend some time playing with his friends before hurrying home to work on his assignments. In the third grade, Medvedev studied the ten-volume Small Soviet Encyclopedia belonging to his father, in the second and third grades, he showed interest in dinosaurs and memorized primary Earths geologic development periods, from the Archean up to the Cenozoic. In the fourth and fifth grades, he demonstrated interest in chemistry, conducting elementary experiments, in grade seven, adolescent curiosity blossomed through Svetlana Linnik, his future wife, studying at the same school in a parallel class
Dmitry Medvedev
–
Dmitry Medvedev Дмитрий Медведев
Dmitry Medvedev
–
Dmitry Medvedev in 1967 at the approximate age of 2
Dmitry Medvedev
–
The
Faculty of Law building of
Saint Petersburg State University, The place where Medvedev studied and later taught.
Dmitry Medvedev
–
Facade of the
Smolny Institute, meeting place of the City Hall's Committee for Foreign Affairs where Medvedev worked as a consultant.
36.
NTV (Russia)
–
NTV is a Russian television channel that was launched as a subsidiary of Vladimir Gusinskys company Media-Most. Since April 14,2001, Gazprom Media has controlled NTV, the channel set high professional standards in Russian television, broadcasting live coverage and sharp analysis of current events. Starting before the dissolution of Soviet Union as Fourth Programme, the channel broadcast a news programme Today. In the early 1990s, Video International, an advertising agency. It commented favorably on President Boris Yeltsins re-election campaign in 1996, by 1999 NTV had achieved an audience of 102 million, covering about 70% of Russias territory, and was available in other former Soviet republics. During parliamentary elections in 1999 and presidential elections in 2000, NTV was critical of the Second Chechen War, Vladimir Putin and the political party Unity backed by him. In the puppet show Kukly in the beginning of February 2000, hoffmanns Little Zaches called Cinnabar, in which blindness causes villagers mistake an evil gnome for a beautiful youth. This provoked a reaction from Putins supporters. On 8 February the newspaper Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti published a letter signed by the Rector of St, on 24 March 2000, two days before the presidential elections, NTV featured the Ryazan apartment bombing of Fall 1999 in the talk show Independent Investigation. The talk with the residents of the Ryazan apartment building along with FSB public relations director Alexander Zdanovich, on 26 March, Boris Nemtsov voiced his concern over the possible shut-down of NTV for airing the talk. Seven months later, NTV general manager Igor Malashenko said at the JFK School of Government that Information Minister Mikhail Lesin warned him on several occasions. Malashenkos recollection of Lesins warning was that by airing the talk show NTV crossed the line and that the NTV managers were outlaws in the eyes of the Kremlin. On 11 May 2000, tax police, backed by officers from the prosecutors office. Critics considered this move politically motivated, as NTV voiced opposition to Putin since his electoral campaign. Viktor Shenderovich claimed that a top government official requested NTV to exclude the puppet of Putin from Kukly. Accordingly, in the episode of the show, called Ten Commandments, the puppet of Putin was replaced with a cloud covering the top of a mountain. The program Itogi went on investigating corruption in the Russian government, at the time, Media-Most was involved in a dispute over the loan received from Gazprom. On the third day, however, he was released under the written undertaking not to leave the country, on 15 July, the puppet of Putin acted in the Kukly show as Girolamo Savonarola
NTV (Russia)
–
NTV НТВ
37.
Russia TV Channel
–
Russia-1 is a state-owned Russian television channel founded in 1991. It belongs to the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company, Russia Channel was previously known as RTR. Russia-1 has the second largest audience in Russian television, in a typical week, it is viewed by 75% of urban Russians, compared to 83% for the leading channel, Channel One. The two channels are similar in their politics, and they compete directly in entertainment, Russia-1 has many regional variations and broadcasts in many languages. From the very start, it only hosted programs produced by the Ministry of Education of the Soviet Union, as well as childrens programming, in monochrome. The move to a new channel frequency resulted in it being renamed Program 2, Program 2 officially renamed itself All-Union Program 2 in 1972 and converted to color in 1975, and two years later became a nationwide station, being broadcast all over the Soviet Union. In addition, it broadcast also documentaries, music videos and programming, starting New Years Day 1984, All Union Program 2 was renamed All-Union Channel 2, and it pioneered the first ever rhythmic gymnastics broadcast the following year. By 1987, it was also the first channel to sign language interpretation in the USSR and later supplemented by subtitles for the hard of hearing. Around February 1988, a new ident replaced it, circles were fixed, disappeared inscription TV USSR, since 1989, the RSFSR hatched the idea of the organization of the Russian national TV channel. By this time in all the Union republics, with the exception of Russia, had its own republican TV channels, at that time, the country experienced a confrontation between the union and republican authorities. On July 14,1990 decree № 107-1 of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR officially established the All-Russia State Television, chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR Ivan Silaev helped acquire the building and the equipment for the future station. Thus, Russia-1 is the successor to the Soviet Second Channel launched in 1963, as of 2008, it is headed by Oleg Dobrodeev, who was a founder of the original NTV. At the same time, the leadership of the company had promised at least a 6-hour broadcast day. At the same time, there were problems with the recruitment of new employees, program presenters, many presenters left the Union STRC free from TV censorship. As a result, the management started to brainstorm and conceptualize its programming from scratch, including news. Thus, Vesti, the program of RTV, was born, with airing time being at 18,00 and 20,00. Most of the staff of Vesti on Russian Television were former presenters and staff of Central Television program Television News Service, four studios - News for newscast, Republic for current affairs, art - Lad and Artel for entertainment and lifestyle were created. It was given a new logo and a new brand name
Russia TV Channel
–
Russia-1 Россия-1
38.
Xinhua
–
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the Peoples Republic of China. Xinhua is the biggest and most influential organization in China. Xinhua is a ministry-level institution subordinate to the Chinese central government and its president is a member of the Central Committee of Chinas Communist Party. Xinhua operates more than 170 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government. Xinhua is regarded as the most influential media outlet in China as almost every newspaper in China relies on Xinhua feeds for content, Peoples Daily, for example, uses Xinhua material for approximately 25 percent of its stories. The Xinhua press agency was started in November 1931 as the Red China News Agency, during the Pacific War the agency developed overseas broadcasting capabilities and established its first overseas branches. It began broadcasting to foreign countries in English from 1944, when the communists took power in China, the agency represented the Chinese Communist Party in countries and territories with which it had no diplomatic representation, such as Hong Kong. The agency was described as the eyes and tongue of the Party, observing what is important for the masses and passing on the information. A former Xinhua director, Zheng Tao, noted that the agency was a bridge between the Party, the government and the people, communicating both the demands of the people and the policies of the Party. Like many other organizations, Xinhua struggled to find the right line to use in covering the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Even so, many Xinhua reporters were angry with top editors for not going far enough, for several days after the violence on June 4, almost no one at Xinhua did any work, and journalists demonstrated inside the Agencys Beijing compound. It has made contracts to exchange news and news pictures with more than eighty foreign news agencies or political news departments, Xinhua is also responsible for handling, and in some cases, censoring reports from foreign media destined to release in China. The agency recently began to converge its news and electronic media coverage and has increased its English coverage through its wire service, Xinhua recently acquired commercial real estate on New Yorks Times Square and is developing a staff of top-tier English-language reporters. Xinhua has also started an English-language satellite news network, the State values these internal reports because they contain much of Chinas most sensitive, controversial, and high-quality investigative journalism. Xinhua produces reports for the internal journals, the Chinese governments internal media publication system follows a strict hierarchical pattern designed to facilitate party control. A three-to-ten-page report called Internal Reference is distributed to officials at the ministerial level, one example was the first reports on the SARS outbreak by Xinhua which only government officials were allowed to see. The most classified Xinhua internal reports are issued occasionally to the top dozen or so party, the Xinhua headquarters is located in Beijing. The Xinhua News Agency established its first overseas affiliate in 1947 in London, now it distributes its news in Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Africa where run the superior offices, in Hong Kong, Macau and many foreign countries and districts
Xinhua
–
Xinhua head office in Beijing 39°53′55.55″N 116°21′54.83″E / 39.8987639°N 116.3652306°E / 39.8987639; 116.3652306
Coordinates: 39°53′55.55″N 116°21′54.83″E / 39.8987639°N 116.3652306°E / 39.8987639; 116.3652306
Xinhua
–
Xinhua News Agency 新华通讯社
39.
Wired (magazine)
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Wired is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Francisco, California, several spin-offs have been launched including, Wired UK, Wired Italia, Wired Japan and Wired Germany. In its earliest colophons, Wired credited Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan as its patron saint, from its beginning, the strongest influence on the magazines editorial outlook came from techno-utopian co-founder Stewart Brand and his associate Kevin Kelly. From 1998 to 2006, Wired magazine and Wired News had separate owners, however, Wired News remained responsible for republishing Wired magazines content online due to an agreement when Condé Nast purchased the magazine. In 2006, Condé Nast bought Wired News for $25 million, the founding designers were John Plunkett and Barbara Kuhr, beginning with a 1991 prototype and continuing through the first five years of publication, 1993–98. Wired, which touted itself as the Rolling Stone of technology, a great success at its launch, it was lauded for its vision, originality, innovation and cultural impact. In its first four years, the magazine won two National Magazine Awards for General Excellence and one for Design. The founding executive editor of Wired, Kevin Kelly, was an editor of the Whole Earth Catalog and the Whole Earth Review, six authors of the first Wired issue had written for Whole Earth Review, most notably Bruce Sterling and Stewart Brand. However, the first issue did contain a few references to the Internet, including online-dating and Internet sex, the last page, a column written by Nicholas Negroponte, was written in the style of an e-mail message, but contained obviously fake, non-standard email addresses. Wired was among the first magazines to list the email address of its authors and contributors, associate publisher Kathleen Lyman was brought on board to launch Wired with an advertising base of major technology and consumer advertisers. The magazine was followed by a companion website HotWired, a book publishing division, HardWired, a Japanese edition. Wired UK was relaunched in April 2009, in 1994, John Battelle, co-founding editor, commissioned Jules Marshall to write a piece on the Zippies. The cover story broke records for being one of the most publicized stories of the year and was used to promote Wireds HotWired news service, HotWired spawned websites Webmonkey, the search engine HotBot, and a weblog, Suck. com. In June 1998, the magazine launched an index, The Wired Index. The fortune of the magazine and allied enterprises corresponded closely to that of the dot-com bubble, in 1996, Rossetto and the other participants in Wired Ventures attempted to take the company public with an IPO. The initial attempt had to be withdrawn in the face of a downturn in the stock market, the second try was also unsuccessful. Rossetto and Metcalfe lost control of Wired Ventures to financial investors Providence Equity Partners in May 1998, Wired was purchased by Advance Publications, who assigned it to Advances subsidiary, New York-based publisher Condé Nast Publications. Wired survived the bubble and found new direction under editor-in-chief Chris Anderson in 2001
Wired (magazine)
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Cover of Wired issue 1.4 September/October 1993
Wired (magazine)
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Wired Building location in San Francisco
Wired (magazine)
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Wilco at the Wired Rave Awards in 2003
Wired (magazine)
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The Geekipedia supplement
40.
Georgia (country)
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Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi, Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres, and its 2016 population is about 3.72 million. Georgia is a unitary, semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy, during the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia. The kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia adopted Christianity in the early 4th century, a unified Kingdom of Georgia reached the peak of its political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Thereafter the kingdom declined and eventually disintegrated under hegemony of various powers, including the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire. Russian rule over Georgia was eventually acknowledged in various treaties with Iran. Since the establishment of the modern Georgian republic in April 1991, post-communist Georgia suffered from civil, the countrys Western orientation soon led to the worsening of relations with Russia, culminating in the brief Russo-Georgian War in August 2008. Georgia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and it contains two de facto independent regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which gained limited international recognition after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Georgia and a part of the international community consider the regions to be part of Georgias sovereign territory under Russian military occupation. Georgia probably stems from the Persian designation of the Georgians – gurğān, in the 11th and 12th centuries adapted via Syriac gurz-ān/gurz-iyān, starting with the Persian word gurğ/gurğān, the word was later adopted in numerous other languages, including Slavic and West European languages. This term itself might have established through the ancient Iranian appellation of the near-Caspian region. The self-designation used by ethnic Georgians is Kartvelebi, the medieval Georgian Chronicles present an eponymous ancestor of the Kartvelians, Kartlos, a great-grandson of Japheth. However, scholars agree that the word is derived from the Karts, the name Sakartvelo consists of two parts. Its root, kartvel-i, specifies an inhabitant of the core central-eastern Georgian region of Kartli, ancient Greeks and Romans referred to early western Georgians as Colchians and eastern Georgians as Iberians. Today the full, official name of the country is Georgia, before the 1995 constitution came into force the countrys name was the Republic of Georgia. The territory of modern-day Georgia was inhabited by Homo erectus since the Paleolithic Era, the proto-Georgian tribes first appear in written history in the 12th century BC. The earliest evidence of wine to date has found in Georgia. In fact, early metallurgy started in Georgia during the 6th millennium BC, the classical period saw the rise of a number of early Georgian states, the principal of which was Colchis in the west and Iberia in the east
Georgia (country)
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It is said that
Georgians were so named because they revered
Saint George.
Georgia (country)
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Flag
Georgia (country)
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Ancient Georgian states of
Colchis and
Iberia, 500-400 BC
Georgia (country)
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Queen
Tamar of Georgia presided over the "Golden Age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy. Her position as the first woman to rule Georgia in her own right was emphasized by the title "Mepe mepeta" ("King of Kings").
41.
Georgian Civil War
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While the Gamsakhurdia rebellion was eventually defeated, the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts resulted in the de facto secession of both regions from Georgia. As a result, both conflicts have lingered on, with occasional flare-ups, ethnic minority separatist movements – primarily on the part of the Ossetians and the Abkhaz, demanded fuller recognition in the new order of the early 1990s. Asserting its newly gained national prerogatives, Georgia responded with military attempts to restrain separatism forcibly, on January 5,1991 Georgias National Guard entered Tskhinvali, South Ossetian capital and fighting broke out in and around the city. The Georgian-Ossetian Conflict was the first major crisis faced by Gamsakhurdias government, at the time of the dissolution of the USSR, the United States government recognized as legitimate the pre-Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1933 borders of the country. Because of this, the George H. W. Activity of the opposition against the Government of Zviad Gamsakhurdia caused a political dispute. Following the police dispersion of an opposition demonstration in Tbilisi on September 2, several oppositionists were arrested and their offices raided. The National Guard of Georgia, the paramilitary force in the country split into two, pro- and anti-Gamsakhurdia factions. Another powerful paramilitary organization, the Mkhedrioni led by Jaba Ioseliani also sided with the opposition, demonstrations and barricade-building marked the next three months. On 22 September, there were the first fatalities in Tbilisi, on September 24, state of emergency was declared in Tbilisi. On October 4 anti-Gamsakhurdia groups attacked the supporters of Gamsakhurdia, one supporter of the President was killed, by late October 1991, most of the leadership of the oppositional National Democratic Party, headed by Giorgi Chanturia, had been arrested. On 20 December 1991, Kitovanis fighters returned in force to begin the final onslaught against Gamsakhurdia, the armed oppositionists released Jaba Ioseliani, the leader of Mkhedrioni and mounted barricades in central Tbilisi. On December 22, the rebels seized several official buildings, and attacked the Parliament building where Gamsakhurdia, simultaneously, the rebels already controlling most of the city, brutally suppressed pro-Gamsakhurdia protests in and around Tbilisi. They fired on the crowds, killing and wounding several people, within several days of the fighting the main boulevard in the city, Rustaveli Avenue, had been destroyed and at least 113 people were killed. After the successful coup, a government, the Military Council, was formed in Georgia. The 1992 elections established Shevardnadze as the Chairman of Parliament and the Head of State, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, despite his absence, continued to enjoy substantial support within Georgia, especially in rural areas and in his home region of Samegrelo in western Georgia. The supporters of the president, the Zviadists, responded to the coup with spontaneous street demonstrations. One of the most serious occurred in Tbilisi on June 24,1992. However, they were out within a few hours by the National Guard
Georgian Civil War
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Location of Georgia (including Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and the Russian part of
North Caucasus
42.
Battle of Gagra
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The battle proved to be one of the bloodiest in the war and is widely considered to be a turning point in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. The action, in which Russian commanders were suspected to have aided to the attackers, Gagra is a Black Sea resort town in northwest Abkhazia, near the international border between Georgia and the Russian Federation. Gudauta was also a home to the Soviet-era Russian military base, consisting of the 643rd anti-aircraft missile regiment and a supply unit, after initial military setback, Abkhaz leaders urged Russia and the CMPC to intervene in the conflict. The Confederation responded by declaring war on Georgia and by sending hundreds of its fighters to the Abkhaz side, the conflicting sides resumed the negotiations concerning Abkhazia’s status within Georgia whose inviolable territorial integrity was emphasized in the ceasefire agreement. The truce was not to last long, however, shortly thereafter, the Abkhaz side declared that the Georgian government had failed to complete the withdrawal of its troops from the Gagra zone. The offensive included T-72 tanks, Grad rocket launchers, and other equipment that the Abkhaz had not previously possessed. The allies were aided by combat helicopters and Su-25 bombers, the type and quantity of equipment that helped advance the Abkhaz offensive was the first and primary cause of Georgian suspicions of Russian assistance to the secessionists. Russian border guards were accused of at least not preventing the North Caucasian militants from crossing into Abkhazia, kolesnikov was directly responsible for planning the operation. Artillery batteries, which had already placed on the southern heights prior to the battle, had good line of sight on the town. The Abkhaz-North Caucasian alliance advanced with full force toward the city center in an attempt to overwhelm the defenders by sheer manpower, the initial assault was met with heavy resistance and shelling. Georgian soldiers and artillery in particular dealt heavy losses to the attackers, the Shavnabada Battalion, along with a platoon of mixed special forces units, mounted a counterattack and made the alliance forces disperse and rout into the northeastern forests. The Abkhaz-North Caucasian combatants fighting morale was at the edge of collapse, however, the alliance re-consolidated its forces, gathered sufficient numbers, and mounted another massive offensive. With most equipment already lost in the attack, Georgian forces ran out of options. He and a number of commandos and armed Georgian civilians entrenched themselves in the police. The outnumbered Georgians were able to defend these two positions for a while until they were surrounded and overrun. The Abkhazians identified 11 members of the elite unit White Eagles, most of the aiding militias were captured. The 13th Battalion and special forces elements became entangled in a fight with a second large group of combatants approaching from the nearby forests which led to a full retreat. In the days that followed these villages also fell, adding to the flight of refugees to the Russian border, Russian border guards allowed some Georgian civilians and military personnel to cross the border and then transported them to Georgia proper
Battle of Gagra
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Map of Abkhazia
43.
Siege of Tkvarcheli
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The Siege of Tkvarcheli refers to the eventually unsuccessful siege of the Abkhazian town of Tkvarcheli during the 1992–93 War in Abkhazia by the National Guard of Georgia. The siege lasted from October 1992 to September 1993, covering almost the entire duration of the war and it was accompanied by inconclusive fighting in surrounding villages. Russian aid, both humanitarian and military, was critical for the defence of the town suffered a severe humanitarian crisis during the siege. Tkvarcheli is located in the part of Abkhazia, which after the war became de facto independent. Along with Gudauta on the Black Sea, Tkvarcheli became the main Abkhazian stronghold throughout the war, in October 1992, a Georgian contingent began to lay siege to the town, creating a severe humanitarian crisis in that region. Since the town had a sizeable Russian community, the Russian military actively intervened in the crisis, russia military helicopters regularly flew to the town, supplying it with food and medicine, evacuated many civilians and assisting the defenders against the Georgian forces. Many Russian-trained and Russian-paid fighters were transported to the area to part in the fighting. As several cease-fire agreements failed, the hostilities intensified towards December 1992, the fighting was marked by extreme confusion and frequently indiscriminate fire on all sides. Following the loss of Gagra to Abkhazian forces commanded by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, the Russian army attempted to re-establish an air bridge, but on December 14,1992 it suffered the loss of a Mi-8 helicopter carrying evacuees, which resulted in 52 to 64 deaths. Although Georgian authorities denied any responsibility, many believed the helicopter had been shot down by Georgian forces, the helicopter incident catalysed more concerted Russian military intervention on behalf of the Abkhazian side. The Georgians claimed, however, that a deal of weaponry. A turning point in the battle occurred July 14,1993, Abkhazian forces failed to relieve the siege, but the town became much less vulnerable to Georgian fire from then on. The Georgians were caught by surprise and, after days of intense fighting. Now, the Georgian troops at Tkvarcheli themselves came under the threat of being besieged and retreated, by September 29,1993, the siege had been lifted. Georgia/Abkhazia, Violations of the Laws of War and Russias Role in the Conflict, the Human Rights Watch Arms Project Vol.7, No.7
Siege of Tkvarcheli
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The town's power plant was bombed in the first days of the siege and the town had to live without electricity for nearly a year
44.
Kamani massacre
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The Kamani Massacre took place on July 9,1993, during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. It was perpetrated against Georgian inhabitants of Kamani, mainly by militia forces of Abkhaz separatists, however, the area was very important strategically, as it enabled motorized units to reach Sukhumi, the capital of the autonomous republic. After the failed attempt to storm Sukhumi from the west, the Abkhaz formations, on July 2,1993 under the Russian military directives and naval support, the Abkhaz and their allies landed in Ochamchire and attacked the villages on the Gumista river. The Georgian National Guard, volunteers units and battalions made up by civilians were taken by surprise. The Georgian side did not expect any offensive from north or eastern sides of Sukhumi district, due to this manoeuvring, the Abkhaz and their allies cut through the Georgian front line and attacked the villages along the side of Gumista river. The Georgian side suffered many losses and the line around Sukhumi was breached by the Abkhaz offensive. On July 5, Abkhaz, Russian, Armenian Bagramyan battalion and North Caucasian detachments stormed the villages of Akhalsheni, the residents from the villages were rounded up and massacred. The last offensive took place on July 9, on the village of Kamani, Kamani was a Svan village which also included the Kamani Monastery and convent. The Georgian forces which were protecting the pathways to Kamani were annihilated early in the morning after which the assault on the village was undertaken at 10 a. m. Within a couple of hours the village fell to Abkhaz separatists, soon after the Abkhaz and their allies started a violent rampage against the inhabitants of Kamani. Women, children, and the elderly were systematically tortured, raped and massacred during the two days of violence, the church and convent in Kamani became a scene of the blood bath. The female nuns were raped and later killed in front of the orthodox priest, father Yuri Anua, after witnessing the massacres of nuns the Georgian priests were taken outside of the church and while kneeling were interrogated. “They questioned father Andria on the ownership of land in Abkhazia and they questioned him repeatedly and finally he gave up and said, Abkhazia, like the rest of the world belongs to God. Before doing so, they forced a young Abkhaz priest to kill him and he resisted and was killed near the Georgian priest. They left their corpses near the church and left, after the July events of 1993, Kamani remains completely depopulated and all houses in the village are abandoned by the surviving inhabitants. After taking this strategic area, Abkhaz and their allies launched a large offensive on Sukhumi which by now was encircled by the separatist forces
Kamani massacre
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The village of Kamani, most of its inhabitants have been massacred by the Abkhaz separatist during the war
Kamani massacre
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Kamani church
45.
Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns
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In September,1993, two Tupolev civilian airliners belonging to Transair Georgia were hit by missiles allegedly fired by Russian-supported separatists in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, Georgia. A total of 28 people perished in the attacks, a Tu-134 aircraft flying from Sochi was hit on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport by a Strela 2 surface-to-air missile. The plane crashed into the Black Sea, killing all five members and 22 passengers. Passengers were boarding a Tu-134 at Sukhumi when it was struck by rockets from an Abkhaz BM-21 Grad rocket launcher and it caught fire and burned out, leaving one crew member dead. The aircraft was due to operate a Sukhumi-Tbilisi service
Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns
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The crashed aircraft in
Aeroflot livery
Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns
46.
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
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Armenians, Greeks, Russians and moderate Abkhaz were also killed. Roughly 200,000 to 250,000 Georgian civilians became Internally displaced persons, the UN Security Council passed a series of resolutions in which it appealed for a cease-fire. Prior to the 1992 War, Georgians made up half of Abkhazias population. In contrast, in 1926 the two populations were nearly balanced at around one-third each, with Russians, Armenians and Greeks constituting the remainder, in 1992, the political situation in Abkhazia changed into the military confrontation between Georgian government and Abkhaz separatists. The fighting escalated as Georgian Interior and Defence Ministry forces along with police units took Sukhumi, the ethnically based policies initiated by the Georgians in Sukhumi created simultaneously refugees and a core of fighters determined to regain lost homes. Under the alleged aid from Russia, they managed to re-arm, according to political analyst Georgy Mirsky, the Russian military base in Gudauta was, supplying the Abkhazian side with weapons and ammunition. UN Security Council passed series of resolutions in which is appeals for a cease-fire, roughly 200,000 to 250,000 ethnic Georgians were expelled from their homes. The campaign ethnic cleansing also included Russians, Armenians, Greeks, moderate Abkhaz, more than 20,000 houses owned by ethnic Georgians were destroyed. Hundreds of schools, kindergartens, churches, hospitals, historical monuments were pillaged and destroyed, the 1994 U. S. State Department Country Reports describes scenes of massive human rights abuse, also supported by Human Rights Watch based on their own findings. On March 2006, the Hague War Crimes Tribunal announced that it had reviewed all the documents submitted by the Georgian side. On September 3,1992, the Russian mediated agreement was signed between Georgian and Abkhaz separatist sides which obliged Georgia to withdraw its forces from the city of Gagra. The agreement forced Abkhaz separatists from Gudauta to hold their attacks on the city, soon after, the Georgian forces which included Shavnabada, Avaza and White Eagle battalions left the city. Only small pockets of armed groups remained, however, on October 1, the Abkhaz side violated the agreement and launched a full-scale attack on Gagra. The attack was coordinated and mainly carried out by the Chechen. Meantime in Gagra, Georgian small detachments lost the control of the city suburbs, with the fall of the city, the Georgian population of Gagra was captured by the separatists and their allies. The first major massacres and ethnic-cleansing were committed during the fall of Gagra, people of all ages were rounded up from Gagra, Leselidze, Kolkhida and killed. When the separatist militants entered the city, civilians became a target of mass murder, the main targets were young people and children. According to the account, When I returned home I was surprised to see a lot of armed people on the street
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
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The 12th anniversary of ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia which was held in Tbilisi in 2005. One of the visitors of the gallery recognized her dead son on the photograph.
47.
Sochi agreement
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Russia brokered a ceasefire and negotiated the Agreement in 1992. The Agreement also created a Joint Control Commission and a peacekeeping body, the JPKF was put under Russian command and was composed of peacekeepers from Georgia, Russia, and North Ossetia. In addition, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe did agree to monitor the ceasefire, the OSCE sought to eliminate sources of tension, support the existing ceasefire, and facilitate a broader political framework to alleviate long term disharmony. In August of the same year UNOMIG was put in place as the UN monitoring force, the truce was violated on September 27 as Abkhaz forces seized Sukhumi and declared victory. The pro-Georgian forces then withdrew to Tbilisi, as Georgia joined the CIS, a further Agreement on a Cease-fire and Separation of Forces, also known as the 1994 Moscow Agreement, was agreed the following year. This would happen to turn into a disappointment, especially for the Georgians, the parties sought to make it easier for the return of refugees and economic reconstruction. The Sochi process signified a regress from the multilateral to a format that left Georgia on its own to face Russia. It also was seen to undermine Georgias argument that the Geneva process was the format for a comprehensive settlement of the conflict. In 2004, Russia were seen to violate the agreement as a Russian company begun maintenance work on the Sochi-Sukhumi railroad, which was legally Georgian, though controlled by Russia and the Abkhaz. The move was seen as a violation whereby restoration could only proceed in parallel with the return of Georgian refugees to Abkhazia beginning with the Gali district. However, there had no progress on the return of refugees. <-- dead-->However, there had no progress on the return of refugees. In 2008, U. S. President George W. Bush and this followed Russian officials objecting to U. S. plans to deploy ballistic missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic. Instead, they insisted the true objective of such moves along Russias periphery was to weaken Russias nuclear deterrent, Text of the agreement Text of the Agreement in English Text of all peace accords for Georgia
Sochi agreement
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Then
President of Russia Vladimir Putin meeting with then
President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze and then
Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gennady Gagulia in
Sochi on 7 March 2003.
48.
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
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88 military advisors were authorized to be deployed to the region. It ended on 15 June 2009, when Russia vetoed an extension of the mission, the last observers left the region on 15 July 2009. The missions original mandate was invalidated after renewed fighting broke out in the area in September 1993, UNOMIG was subsequently given an interim mandate by Security Council in November 1993 to maintain contacts with the parties involved and to monitor and report on the situation. It aimed to work towards achieving a political settlement. In May 1994, both signed the Agreement on a Cease-fire and Separation of Forces. In July 1994 the Security Council authorized an increase in observers, the new mission was considerably more broad than the original. UNOMIGs original responsibilities in verifying the implementation of the ceasefire were retained, however, UNOMIG was now responsible for observing the operation of the new peacekeeping force that had been deployed by the Commonwealth of Independent States. UNOMIG was to oversee the withdrawal of Georgian troops from the Kodori Valley and thus and their patrols replaced those of Georgia in the valley. Finally, they were to work towards making conditions safe for the return of refugees. On 10 December 1996, a United Nations office for the protection of rights in Abkhazia was established in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is jointly staffed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the office forms part of UNOMIG and reports to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, through the Head of the UNOMIG Mission. Though they maintain an office in Tbilisi, their military headquarters are in Sukhumi. On 8 October 2001 a UNOMIG helicopter was shot down in Abkhazia, the perpetrators have never been found, despite repeated demands from the Security Council. In 2002, UNOMIG vigorously opposed the resumption of services between Sukhumi, Abkhazia and the city of Sochi in Russia. On 30 January 2004, again at the request of Secretary-General Annan, Security Council Resolution 1524 was passed, today, UNOMIG is concerned with security, assisting the return of the displaced and repairs of key infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. As of January 2003,21 projects were at an advanced or intermediate stage and 10 others were awaiting the release of funds by donors and they have also continued to push for a political settlement to the conflict, though Secretary-General Annan has complained about the slow rate of progress. In late 2003, UNOMIG became concerned about an increase in kidnappings, murders and robberies and they also expressed concern about potential instability around the tenth anniversary of the end of the war. The current chief military observer is Major General Anwar Hussain from Bangladesh, the strength of UNOMIG on 20 September 2008 stood at 134 military observers and 17 police advisers
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
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Georgia
