Sukhumi opens monument to victims of political repressions

Today, the city of Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, has solemnly opened a monument to victims of political repressions. Members of the government and relatives of repressed persons have addressed the audience.

"Finally, we have a place, where we can come, light candles and lay flowers. Today, we commemorate our fathers, grandparents, brothers, friends and relatives - all those, who perished in those damned 1930-40s. There were about 7000 of them. For the small Abkhazia, the figure is awful," Irma Akirtava, a daughter of the repressed person, said addressing the rally.

As explained by Leonid Lakerbaya, the Prime Minister, who also addressed the audience, repressions grew more violent in Abkhazia after the death in 1936 of Nestor Lakoba, the then Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Abkhaz ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). "Then, our intellectuals and the political elite were liquidated. It was actually elimination of the entire Abkhazian - they closed schools and prohibited the Abkhaz language. It was a well-devised policy, which lasted for many years, within which even in 1949 there was a huge deportation of Greeks, and, according to some sources, in 1953 they were planning deportation of Abkhazians," said Lakerbaya.

Irina Vardaniya, a member of the commission for rehabilitation of victims of political repressions and a daughter of repressed parents herself, has noted that there is no family in Abkhazia, which had not been affected by this terrible tragedy.

"We have today the objects built by repressed persons and political prisoners: the road to Lake Ritza, Hotel "Abkhazia", architectural buildings in Sukhumi and green plantings. They left all these to us. Not knowing where they are buried, for so many years we were not able to visit the graves of our parents and lay flowers. However, now we, the children of the repressed, finally have a monument in central city; and I hope young people will come here to commemorate these wonderful people," said Irina Vardaniya.

After the rally, the participants of the ceremony laid flowers and lit candles.