A scientist of world renown, a specialist in mythology, culture and history of the ancient peoples of Asia Minor, in a difficult time for the people, became the organizer of the armed struggle and the foundation of the modern Abkhazian state. The first president of Abkhazia, Vladislav Ardzinba, is a national hero for his people. The memory of the leader, who died of illness in 2010, is immortalized in the names of streets, an airport and a museum in Sukhumi.
Early years
Vladislav Grigoryevich Ardzinba was born on May 14, 1945 in a Muslim family, in the large village of Eshera, located a few kilometers from Sukhumi. Vladislav himself, according to him, was never too religious. All his childhood and school years were spent in this picturesque village, where more than a thousand people lived. His father, Grigory Konstantinovich Ardzinba, worked as a teacher, then as the head teacher of a rural school. Mom, Yazychba Nadezhda Shabanovna, was a clerk at the same school. The family had another son who died tragicallyin the 80s, and who had children.
Grigory Konstantinovich fought in the cavalry, participated in the battles for Kharkov, was seriously wounded, as a result of which he received a disability of the 1st group. As a history teacher, he was very fond of archeology, which greatly influenced his son's subsequent choice of profession.
Scientific work
After graduating from high school, Vladislav Ardzinba went to study at the local pedagogical institute at the Faculty of History, from which he graduated in 1966. Among his teachers were prominent experts in the history of the Abkhaz, one of them aroused in him an interest in studying the culture of the Hittites.
In the autumn of 1966 he was enrolled in the graduate school of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where three years later he defended his Ph. D. thesis on the social organization and hierarchy of ancient Hittite society. Its supervisor was an outstanding scientist, academician Vyacheslav Ivanov. Even during his postgraduate studies, he began working in the sector of the ideology and culture of the Ancient East of his native institute. The entire working biography of Vladislav Ardzinba for nineteen years will be associated with this scientific institution.
In 1985 he became a doctor of historical sciences, the topic of his dissertation was "Rituals and myths of ancient Anatolia". The scientific work received positive reviews, experts noted a systematic approach to data analysis, which made it possible to gain new knowledge about the cultural and social life of both the ancient Hittites and some peoples of Asia Minor
Soviet politician
In 1989, Vladislav Ardzinba moved to his homeland, where he was elected head of the Abkhaz Research Institute of Language, Literature and History. He never intended to engage in political activities, but the beginning of perestroika literally forced him to take part in deciding the fate of the country.
From 1989 to 1991 he was elected a deputy, entered the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Council. At this time, Vladislav Ardzinba met Academician Andrei Sakharov, who had a significant impact on the formation of his political views and worldview in general. At the Congress of People's Deputies, he raised the issue of the oppression of small peoples by the titular nations of the Soviet republics. He proposed, following the example of the agreement between Abkhazia and Georgia, which was in force in 1921-1936, to change relations between the autonomies and the Soviet republics. So that, in the event of the withdrawal of the national republic from the country, the autonomous regions could independently decide their own fate.
Heading the Republic
In the biography of Vladislav Grigoryevich Ardzinba, the 90s will be the time of formation as a prominent politician and national leader. He was elected head of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR at a difficult time when Georgia abolished national autonomies on its territory. In response, Abkhazia decided to return to the constitution of 1925, when it was a full-fledged Soviet republic within the Soviet Union. He advocated the preservation of a single country and equal relations with Georgia.
When to the territoryThe former autonomy included detachments of the National Guard of Georgia, he led the armed resistance. At the beginning of the war, in order to prevent bloodshed and destruction, he ordered to retreat across the Gumista River. However, peace negotiations failed and the city was badly damaged. After the cessation of active hostilities in 1993, he took steps towards rapprochement with Russia.
Recognition of independence
In 1994, after the independence of Abkhazia, Vladislav Ardzinba was elected president of the unrecognized state. In 1997, Boris Berezovsky, then deputy secretary of the Security Council, insistently suggested that the republic be returned to Georgia. However, he was refused. He personally oversaw the negotiations on issues related to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, which were held with the participation of the UN and Russia. In 1999, he was the only candidate in the first popular presidential elections. Received 98.9% of the votes. In the war-torn country, there was a high level of banditry and corruption, the opposition press wrote that without a bribe to the relatives of the president it was impossible to solve a single issue.
Due to a serious illness in 2004, he left the presidency and announced his retirement from political career. In subsequent years, he led a secluded life at a government dacha near Pitsunda. In 2010, he died, according to his will, and was buried in his native village of Eshery. In memory of the national leader, a street and an airport in Sukhumi were named, the photo of Vladislav Ardzinba is constantly present on political posters in Abkhazia.
Personal Information
Vladislav Georgievich was married to Svetlana Dzhergenia, who graduated from the Faculty of History of the North Ossetian State University in Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz). She was engaged in the history of the Ottoman Empire of the 19th century, worked as a senior researcher at the Abkhaz Institute for Humanitarian Studies in the Department of Political Science. In 2011, she ran for the post of vice-president of Abkhazia.
The only daughter, Madina, is a graduate of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University. Now he does not work in his speci alty, he is engaged in business in Moscow and Sukhumi, including tourism, organizing holidays in the resorts of Abkhazia. Her husband is Alkhas Argun, a businessman.
