In Memory of Oleg Bgazhba: Celebrated Historian and Archaeologist of Abkhazia

SUKHUM / AQW'A — Oleg Bgazhba, Doctor of Historical Sciences, an academician of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia, and a recipient of the "Akhydz-Apsha" Order of the Second Degree, has passed away.

Oleg Bgazhba was born on 1 August 1941. He made significant contributions to the study of the history of ancient, classical, and early medieval Abkhazia. He authored more than 150 articles, 15 monographs, and textbooks for schools and universities. He was honoured with the title "Honoured Scientist of the Republic of Abkhazia".

According to his colleagues, one of Bgazhba's most significant achievements was the spectral analysis and extensive study of Damascus steel swords discovered during excavations. He successfully proved that not only did Abkhaz warriors use such weapons, but that the steel itself was produced in Abkhazia.

Archimandrite Dorofey (Dbar) wrote a post on his Facebook page dedicated to Oleg Bgazhba. We present this text to our readers:

"On the 15th of August 2024, on Archaeologist's Day, the renowned Abkhazian archaeologist, historian, Caucasus scholar, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia, Oleg Bgazhba, passed away.

A scholar of international renown, a distinguished representative of a professional dynasty of Abkhazian intellectuals, and the author of more than 150 scientific works, including 15 monographs, Bgazhba made a significant contribution to the development of Abkhazian science.

Personal charm and humility, inherent in a person of Abkhazian upbringing and Christian values, combined with a sharp intellect and warmth of spirit, are noted by all who knew Oleg Bgazhba—a prominent figure of the Abkhazian national intelligentsia.

I recall that on the 30th of July 1997, a church-practical conference was held at the building of the Sukhum-Abkhaz Diocese in Sukhum. Among the participants were Doctor of Philological Sciences, Academician Khukhut Bgazhba, and his son, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Oleg Bgazhba. The conference, dedicated to the history of the Abkhaz liturgical language, included a presentation by H. Bgazhba, who spoke about the creation of the pre-revolutionary Abkhaz church alphabet. It was at that time that I first became acquainted with the professional dynasty of these renowned Abkhaz scholars, who in their work also touched upon Abkhaz ecclesiastical themes.

In 1999, Khukhut Bgazhba published a small book titled "Dimitry Marganiya (Maan) – Archpriest and Enlightener".

In numerous foundational works by Oleg Bgazhba, which focus on the history and archaeological investigations at the fortress of Tsibilium (Tsabal) and were co-authored with the renowned Abkhaz scholar Professor Y. N. Voronov, there is extensive data on the history of Christianity in this region of Abkhazia.

It is worth noting that a close friend of Oleg Bgazhba was Archpriest Alexander Saltykov, the rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi, Dean of the Faculty of Church Arts at the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s University, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, and a senior research fellow at the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev. Saltykov authored a significant article dedicated to the stone altar screen from Tsebelda (see: Saltykov A., Archpriest. "The Vision of St. Eustathius Plakida". Relief Icons from Tsebelda // Art of the Christian World, Vol. 1. Moscow, 1996. – pp. 5-19).

In the year 2002, Oleg Bgazhba wrote the foreword to the first edition of my monograph, "The History of Christianity in Abkhazia in the First Millennium" (the book was published in 2005).

It is particularly noteworthy that in the family archive of Oleg Khukhutovich Bgazhba, almost the entire pre-revolutionary Abkhaz church literature was preserved, including the 1866 edition of the first book in the Abkhaz language, titled "A Brief Sacred History". These and other materials from the family archive are now stored in the collections of the Church-Archaeological Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Abkhazia and are publicly accessible online.

Oleg Bgazhba, both before and after the war (Georgian-Abkhazian War of 1992-93. -Ed.), participated in the archaeological research of many churches in Abkhazia, serving as the leader of research teams comprising archaeologists and historians. For instance, in 2006, excavations were conducted inside the Assumption Cathedral in the village of Myku; in 2010, in the Church of St. Apostle Simon the Zealot in New Athos; and in 2019, I had the good fortune to work under his leadership during the excavations of the medieval Church of St. George in the village of Ankhu.

Oleg Bgazhba, who received the sacrament of Baptism in the early 2000s, participated in many church events in Abkhazia. He consistently voiced and supported the idea of restoring the institution of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Abkhazia.

May the Lord grant eternal repose to the newly departed Oleg!

Archimandrite Dorofey (Dbar),

Ankhua, 16 August 2024.