Leselidze ( ka, ლესელიძე, ; ; ) or Gyachrypsh (, ''G'achryphsh''; ) is a town in

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

. Formerly named Yermolovsk, the town is located on the shores of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

and is 14 kilometers from the city of

Gagra Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Russian language, Russian and ) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Ga ...

History

The town was founded in the 19th century as the settlement Yermolovsk (), named in honor of the Minister of Agriculture A.S. Yermolov who traveled to this place in 1894. Some authors linked the name of the settlement to

General Yermolov Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov (, ; – ) was a Russian general of the 19th century who commanded Russian troops in the Caucasian War. He served in all the Russian campaigns against the French, except for the 1799 campaigns of Alexander Suvor ...

(commander of the Caucasian war), but this presumption is apparently erroneous. In 1944 the town was officially renamed in honor of the national hero Colonel-General

Konstantin Leselidze Konstantin Nikolaevich Leselidze (, ka, კონსტანტინე ლესელიძე, Konstantine Leselidze) (15 October 1903 – 21 February 1944) was a Colonel-General and Hero of the Soviet Union who distinguished himself at ...

(1903-1944) who fought in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In the post-war years the town saw a lot of improvements, it was developed as a vacation site. A children's sanatorium was built as well as a resort and a sports training base. The base was favored by top Soviet athletes. Soviet Union national football (soccer) team and other Soviet football clubs trained there as well as handball players and track-and-field athletes. In 1975 a monument (created by

Silovan Kakabadze Silovan Yakimovich Kakabadze ( ka, სილოვან კაკაბაძე; 12 August 1895 – 10 June 1993) was a Soviet and Georgian sculptor and teacher.John Milner. ''A Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Artists, 1420 - 1970''. Woodbridg ...

) of Konstantin Leselidze was erected in the town. In September 1992, after the fall of

during the

1992–1993 war in Abkhazia Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno D ...

, Abkhazian troops destroyed the monument along with other Georgian landmarks. In 1992, the town was renamed Gyachrypsh by the unrecognized Abkhazian authorities. The name “Gyachrypsh” originated from the territory which was ruled by the Abkhazian prince named Gech or Gechkuaj. In historical literature there is a variation: “Gechiler” (

Circassia Circassia ( ), also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in . It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during ...

n “Gech-chiler”). In his book ''My War, Chechen diary of a trench General'', Russian general

Gennady Troshev Gennady Nikolayevich Troshev (; 14 March 1947 – 14 September 2008) was a Russian colonel general and a former commander of the North Caucasus Military District, including Chechnya, during the Second Chechen War. He was awarded a Hero of Russia ...

accused

Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (; ; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his '' kunya'' Abu Idris, was a Chechen guerrilla leader who served as a senior military commander in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He held the rank ...

of perpetrating war crimes in the area around Leselidze in the aftermath of the 1992–1993 war:

“The trademark of Basayev’s 'janissaries' (numbering around 5000) in that war was senseless cruelty. In autumn of 1993 in the vicinity of Gagra and the town Lеselidze 'the commander' personally led a punitive action for the extermination of refugees. Several thousand Georgians were killed, hundreds of Armenian, Russian and Greek families slaughtered. According to the accounts of miraculously survived eyewitnesses, the bandits took pleasure in videotaping the scenes of abuse and rape.”

Under Abkhazian control the town is known to feature two all-inclusive resorts - "Gech" and "Laguna".

Demographics

In 1959, Leselidze was principally inhabited by Russians, Armenians, and Estonians.

Notes

References

Gagra District Administration

Other