From the 8th Century B.C
The Greeks established colonies in Abkhazia, a part of the Caucasian land then known as Colchis at the Eastern end of the Black Sea. Their cities, especially Dioscurias (now modern day Sukhum) grew to be prosperous trade centres.

1810
Abkhazia (quite separately from any region belonging to Georgia) comes under the protection of Tsarist Russia, and administers its own affairs until 1864.