"Immortal Regiment" March Held in Sukhum to Mark 31st Anniversary of Victory
Organiser Alisa Inapshba remarked, 'To live in peace, we must remember the war.'
SUKHUM / AQW'A ― The "Immortal Regiment" march took place in Sukhum today, dedicated to the 31st anniversary of Victory in the Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia [Georgian-Abkhazian War] (1992–93). Veterans, students, family members of the fallen, and participants of the International Youth Patriotic Camp "Descendants of Heroes" gathered to honour those who gave their lives for Abkhazia’s freedom.
The march began at Freedom Square, with over 800 participants, led by the Director of the Vladislav Ardzinba Museum of Military Glory, Mziya Beiya, and the Chairman of the State Committee for Youth and Sports, Tarash Khagba. The procession advanced along Aydgilara Street towards the Park of Glory, where floral tributes were laid to commemorate the fallen soldiers.
Among the marchers was Luiza Kvarandziya, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Biology and Biomedicine at Abkhazian State University, carrying a photo of her uncle, Akhra Kvarandziya, who went missing during the war. Members of the youth camp, including Sabina Kupalba and Erik Leiba, represented the "Descendants of Heroes" and carried portraits of two former presidents, Vladislav Ardzinba and Sergey Bagapsh, alongside images of generals.
The "Immortal Regiment" march honours not only those who fell in battle but also those who passed away after the war. As organiser Alisa Inapshba noted, "To live in peace, we must remember the war."
During the Georgian-Abkhazian War of 1992-93, Abkhazia lost 4% of its entire population – a figure that, if scaled to the population of the United States, would be the equivalent of 12 million people.
In 2010, Vice-President Aleksandr Ankvab estimated the damage caused to Abkhazia’s agriculture, industrial base, and resorts during the 1992–93 war to be no less than $13–14 billion. Beyond the material devastation, the human toll remains immeasurable. As reflected in today's event, every Abkhazian family lost at least one member during the war, a loss that continues to resonate deeply in the nation’s collective memory.