Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a border with the Krasnodar Krai territory in Russia. The district’s capital is also called Gagra.
Geography The Psou River forms most of the border between Gagra District and Russia. The district is mostly mountainous with multiple ridges of the Greater Caucasus Mountains.
History In 1904, Gagra and its surroundings were transferred from the Sukhumsky District of Abkhazia to the Sochi District, which was under the control of Prince Oldenburgsky, and in 1917 it was returned to this position. In 1929, thanks to the Abkhaz authorities, the Pilenkovskaya volost between Gagra and Psou was returned to Abkhazia. It was then that Gagra was established as a separate district. Today it includes the city of Gagra, the urban settlements of Pitsunda, Tsandrypsh, as well as eleven villages – Alahadzi, Khishkha, Bzyp, Psahara, Gechripsh, Ldzaa, Mahadyr, Mkalripsh, Hashpsy, Askhuzara.
Administration Grigori Enik was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.
In December 2002, Enik was appointed Head of the State Customs Committee, he was succeeded by Valeri Bganba.
On 25 May 2006, Bganba was released from office by President Bagapsh upon his own request, and succeeded by Astamur Ketsba.Regnum.ru администрации Гагрского района Абхазии назначен Астамур Кецба, 26.05.2006 In turn, after the election of Alexander Ankvab, on 6 September 2011 Ketsba was dismissed upon his own request and temporarily replaced by his deputy Teimuraz Kapba.
On 15 November, Grigori Enik, who had previously headed the Presidential Administration, was appointed Acting Head of Gagra District. On 28 May 2012, Enik was permanently appointed.
Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba as President, he dismissed Enik and replaced him with MP Beslan Bartsits (as acting Head) on 22 October. Bartsits was confirmed in his post the following year.
On 16 May 2016, Bartsits became Head of the Presidential Administration. The same day, Gagra Forestry Director Zaur Bganba was appointed acting District Head. Bganba was confirmed in his post on 2 June.
List of governors
#NameFromUntilPresidentCommentsChairmen of the (executive committee of the) City Soviet:Enver Kapba19671970Heads of the City Administration: Ruslan Iazychba≤1994≥1997Vladislav Ardzinba Grigori Enik≤2000 December 2002First timeValeri BganbaDecember 200212 February 200512 February 200525 May 2006Sergei BagapshAstamur Ketsba 25 May 200629 May 201129 May 20116 September 2011Alexander Ankvab Teimuraz Kapba 6 September 2011 15 November 2011 ActingGrigori Enik15 November 2011 1 June 2014Second time1 June 201422 October 2014Valeri BganbaBeslan Bartsits22 October 201416 May 2016Raul KhajimbaZaur Bganba16 May 2016Present
Demographics The population of the Gagra town zone in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, (including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians), to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.
As of the 2011 census, this had risen to 40,217 (2011 census).
Ethnic groups According to 2011 census, the ethnic composition was:Population censuses in Abkhazia: 1886, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2003, 2011
EthnicityPopulation Percentage Abkhazians15,482 38,5% Armenians15,422 38,4% Georgians999 2,5% Greeks259 0,6% Russians6,334 15,7% Ukrainians529 1,3% Other 1,188 2,9%
Settlements The district's main settlements are: Gagra Pitsunda Leselidze Gantiadi Bzyb
The district is mostly mountainous except for the Bzyb lowland in the southern part of it (where Pitsunda is located) and is crossed by several ranges (Gagra, Arabika and others).
See also Administrative divisions of Abkhazia Aibgha (village) Alpuri (village)
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