Closure of Russian border affects residents of Gagra District

The suspension of communication with Russia has left residents of Abkhazia and those employed in the tourist sector without earnings. The pharmacies and hospitals, where pre-border villages had used to turn, are now on the other side of the border.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the authorities of Abkhazia closed the border with Russia from April 8 till at least April 20 due to the threat of coronavirus spread.

Madina Djugeliya, a resident of the border village of Gyachrypsh, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that many residents of her village, as well as of the villages of Amzara, Tsandrypsh, Bagripsh of the Gagra District, are left without work due to the quarantine measures introduced in Abkhazia and Russia, while people understand that the resort season also won't start this summer.

Closing the border has made residents of the border villages of the Gagra District unemployed, Ms Djugeliya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "We have no work in villages; therefore, we work in Russia and cross the border every day. I'm a veterinarian. Our clinic wasn't closed, but I don't work because the border is closed," she explained.

On the other side of the closed border there are pharmacies and hospitals, where residents of border villages used to go. "Our life has completely stopped. Earlier, we used to buy foodstuffs and medicines in Russia – here, we have only village shops. We were also treated there. Now we are without jobs and drugs," said the woman, adding that her family has money left for a week: "We live from salary to salary."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 14, 2020 at 11:04 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.