The Ardzinba Government or the Government of Vladislav Ardzinba was the first Government of the Republic of Abkhazia.
The government was composed mostly of Abkhazians, but also included two Greeks, two Armenians, one Russian and one pro-Abkhazian Georgian.
The Ardzinba government orchestrated an ethnic cleansing campaign against ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia in 1993.
In 1995, a United Nations official described the Ardzinba Government as "a typical totalitarian, dictatorial regime".
PresidentVladislav Ardzinba26 November 1994 - 12 February 2005Vice-PresidentValeri Arshba5 January 1995 - 12 February 2005Head of the Presidential AdministrationMiron Agrba? - 15 December 2003Gennady Gagulia15 December 2003 - 18 June 2004Emma Avidzba? - 15 February 2005Secretary of the Security Council? Astamur Tarba2 February 2000 - 1 May 2003Almasbei Kchach6 June 2003 - 17 February 2005Head of the State Security ServiceAstamur Tarba1995 - December 1999Raul KhajimbaDecember 1999 - 1 November 2001Zurab Agumava1 November 2001 - 2 April 2003Givi Agrba2 April 2003 - 7 July 2004Mikhail Tarba7 July 2004 - 28 February 2005Cabinet: Prime MinisterGennady GaguliaJanuary 1995 - 24 April 1997Sergei Bagapsh29 April 1997 - December 1999Viacheslav Tsugba20 December 1999 - 30 May 2001Anri Jergenia7 June 2001 - 29 November 2002Gennady Gagulia29 November 2002 - 8 April 2003Raul Khajimba22 April 2003 - 6 October 2004Nodar Khashba6 October 2004 - 14 February 2005First Vice PremiersSergei Bagapsh1995-1997Konstantin Ozgan1997 - 1999Beslan Kubrava1999 - 18 June 2001Raul Khajimba18 June 2001 - 22 April 2003 Astamur Tarba1 May 2003 - 2004 Viacheslav TsugbaMay 1997 - April 1998 Ruslan Ardzinba9 December 2002 - 1 May 2003 Vice PremiersYuri Voronov18 February - 11 September 1995Albert Topolyan1996 - 1999Yuri Aqaba2 February 2000 - 2001Beslan Kubrava? - August 2001 - 9 December 2002 Emma Tania1 May 2003 - 2004Viktor Khilchevski14 December 2004 - 24 February 2005 ? Nuri Gezerdaa1997 - June 2001 - ?Vladimir Zantaria19 July 2001 - 14 December 2004Sergei Shamba14 December 2004 - 24 February 2005Vladimir Mikanba1992 - 1999 Chief of the Cabinet OfficeViacheslav Tsugba? - September 1996Grigori Enik? - April 1998Viacheslav Tsugba1998? - 1999?Konstantin Tuzhba? - September 2000 - 18 December 2002Beslan Kubrava18 December 2002 - 8 May 2003Oleg Botsiev8 May 2003 - 2005Cabinet Ministers:DefenceSultan Sosnaliyev25 April 1993 - 2 June 1996Vladimir Mikanba2 June 1996 - 16 May 2002Raul Khajimba16 May 2002 - 22 April 2003Viacheslav Eshba5 May 2003 - 25 February 2005Internal AffairsGivi Agrba1993 - 2 June 1996Almasbei Kchach2 June 1996 - 2 July 2001Zurab Agumava2 July - 1 November 2001 Almasbei Kchach1 November 2001 - 8 May 2003 Abesalom Beia8 May 2003 - 25 February 2005Foreign AffairsLeonid Lakerbaia29 June 1995 - 31 July 1996Konstantin Ozgan31 July 1996 - April 1997Sergei Shamba7 May 1997 - 18 June 2004Gueorgui Otyrba18 June - 28 July 2004Igor Akhba28 July - 14 December 2004Sergei Shamba14 December 2004 - 21 March 2005FinanceLili Bganba21 December 1993 – 24 February 2005Economysince 9 December 2002:Economy and Foreign Economic RelationsKonstantin Tuzhba1995 - 1998Konstantin Ozgan1998 - 16 April 1998Beslan Kubrava16 April 1998 - December 1999Adgur LushbaDecember 1999 - 28 May 2002 Beslan Kubrava28 May 2002 - 9 December 2002Ruslan Ardzinba9 December 2002 - 8 May 2003Konstantin Tuzhba8 May 2003 - 25 February 2005Agriculturesince 17 September 2001:Agriculture and FoodYuri Aqaba1995 - 2 February 2000Anatoli Sabua2 February 2000 - 19 June 2001Jemal Eshba19 June 2001 - 18 December 2002Adgur Kharazia18 December 2002 - 8 May 2003Vitali Smyr8 May 2003 - 25 February 2005JusticeRaul Jinjolia1994 - 1996Batal TabaguaSeptember 1995 - 18 December 2002Tengiz Lakerbaia18 December 2002 – 15 December 2004Gennadi Stepanov15 December 2004 - 7 April 2005 Healthsince 9 December 2002:Health and Social SecurityAppolon Gurgulia1994 - 1999Lyudmila AvidzbaDecember 1999 – 25 February 2005Educationsince 2002:General, Secondary and Higher EducationBeslan DbarJanuary 1995 – 18 December 2002Aleko Gvaramia18 December 2002 - 13 November 2003Tali Japua13 November 2003 - 1 February 2005Natalya Kayun1 February 2005 - 10 March 2005CultureKesou Khagba1995 - 1999Vladimir Zantaria1999 - 19 July 2001Leonid Enik2001 - 10 March 2005Labour and Social SecurityNikolai Mistokopulo? - February 1998 - ?Oleg BotsievDecember 1999 - 9 December 2002Taxes and Fees Adgur Lushba18 December 2002 - 25 February 2005Youth, Sports, Resorts and Tourism Valeri Bartsits2001 - 17 September 2001Albert Topolyan17 September 2001 - 18 December 2002Astamur Adleiba18 December 2002 - 14 December 2004 Emergency Situations Sergei Matosyan14 December 2004 - 24 February 2005Chairmen of State Committees:CustomsAleksandr Aiba1995 - 1997Aslan Kobakhia1997 -18 December 2002Grigori Enik18 December 2002 - 14 December 2004Lavrik Mikvabia14 December 2004 - 24 February 2005Property Management and Privatisation Tamaz GogiaMarch 1998 - 18 December 2002Astamur Appba18 December 2002 - May 2004 - ?Aleksandr Chengelia14 December 2004 - 24 February 2005Foreign Economical Relations ? Ruslan Iazychba? - August 2000 - 19 June 2001 - ? Relations with Compatriotssince 1997:RepatriationFenia Avidzba1995 - 1997Givi Dopua1997 - 2000Apollon Shinkuba2000 - 2001Givi Dopua27 June 2001 - 2004Standards, Metrology and CertificationNerses Nersesyan? - June 2000 - ?Elena Gunia27 June 2001 - 24 February 2005Youth Affairs and Sports Valeri Bartsits? - February 2000 - 29 June 2001Forestsince December 2004:Forestry Eduard Jergenia28 April 2004 - 24 February 2005
Formation In February 1995, the Ministry for Energy was transformed into the state company Abkhazenergo, renamed to Chernomorenergo in June. The Ministry for Industry and the Ministry for Transport and Communication were also abolished.
Changes On the night of 11 September 1995, Vice Premier Yuri Voronov was shot dead in front of his apartment. On 2 June 1996, President Ardzinba dismissed Interior Minister Givi Agrba for unsatisfactory work and Defence Minister Sultan Sosnaliyev for family reasons, and replaced them with, respectively, the head of his own security office Almasbei Kchach and Vice-Premier Vladimir Mikanba. On 24 April 1997, Prime Minister Gennady Gagulia resigned for health reasons. On 29 April, President Ardzinba appointed First Vice Premier Sergei Bagapsh as his successor. Bagapsh was replaced as First Vice-Premier by Foreign Minister Konstantin Ozgan, who was in turn replaced by Sergei Shamba on 30 April. In February 1998, Justice Minister Batal Tabagua was additionally appointed the representative of President Ardzinba to the People's Assembly. In August, Tabagua was instead appointed the Abkhazian representative to the peace negotiations with Georgia, replacing Tamaz Ketsba. In March 1998, President Ardzinba decreed the creation of the State Committee for State Property Management and Privatisation and appointed Tamaz Gogia as its Chairman. On 16 April, Konstantin Ozgan was replaced as Economy Minister by Beslan Kubrava, who had previously headed the State Tax Service. In April 1998, President Ardzinba signed a decree on the creation of the State Committee for Repatriation. In April 1998, President Ardzinba dismissed Viacheslav Tsugba as First Vice Premier, Grigori Enik as Head of the Cabinet Office as well as two other Vice Premiers. In May 1998, President Arzinba signed a decree reducing the number of Deputy Ministers in each department except the Interior and Defence to one. Ardzinba was re-elected unopposed in on 3 October 1999 and his re-inauguration was scheduled for 6 December. After a bomb attack on 13 December 1999 in Sukhumi targeting government officials, President Ardzinba dismissed Astamur Tarba as Security Service Chairman and replaced him with First Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee Raul Khajimba. On 2 February 2000, Iuri Aqaba was appointed Vice-Premier and succeeded as Agriculture Minister by Anatoli Sabua. Astamur Tarba was appointed Secretary of the Security Council. On 18 June 2001, Chairman of the State Security Service Raul Khajimba was appointed First Vice-Premier, succeeding Beslan Kubrava. On 19 June, the Head of the Cabinet Staff and the Chairmen of the State Committees for Customs, State Property Management and Foreign Economical Relations, and on 20 June, the Ministers for Defence, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Economy, Agriculture, Justice, Health, Education and Culture were re-appointed. On 27 June, Givi Dopua was appointed as Chairman for the State Committee for Repatriation, Elena Gunia as Chairman of the State Committee for Standards, Metrology and Certification, and outgoing Interior Minister Almasbei Kchach head of the presidential security detail. On 29 June, President Ardzinba approved the revised Cabinet structure, which included the new Ministry for Youth, Sports, Resorts and Tourism. On 2 July, Supreme Court Judge Zurab Agumava was appointed Minister of the Interior. On 19 July, Vladimir Zantaria was released as Culture Minister and appointed Vice-Premier. On 17 September, President Ardzinba signed a decree renaming the Ministry for Agriculture into the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and appointed Albert Topoloyan Minister for Youth, Sports, Resorts and Tourism, replacing acting minister Valeri Bartsits. On 1 November, First Vice Premier Raul Khajimba was released as Head of the State Security Service, a post which up until then he had still occupied. He was succeeded by Interior Minister Zurab Agumava, who in turn was succeeded by his predecessor Almasbei Kchach. On 16 May 2002, Raul Khajimba replaced Vladimir Mikanba as Defence Minister, while remaining First Vice-Premier. On 28 May 2002, President Ardzinba dismissed Konstantin Ozgan as Head of the Revenue Service due to his election as Deputy of the People's Assembly. He was replaced by Economy Minister Adgur Lushba, who was in turn replaced by Vice-Premier Beslan Kubrava (while remaining Vice-Premier).