Resort base

Abkhazia becomes popular with tourists despite curfew

For the first time since the Georgian-Abkhaz war, Russian citizens began to be interested in holidays in Gagra, Pitsunda and Sukhumi. Before the war, the 500,000-strong population of Abkhazia was replenished with approximately a million vacationers during the season. This summer the figure was ten times lower. But this was also a record for the last few seasons. As the correspondent of the Vremya Novostey newspaper was told by the Russian Association of Travel Agencies (RATA), in 2000, many travel agencies selling trips to Sochi and Crimea decided to introduce Abkhazia as an additional destination and hope to “promote” it in the future. “The war ended seven years ago, but in the minds of Russian tourists, Sukhumi or New Athos are strongly associated with danger,” commented one of the Moscow travel agencies that are members of RATA. - But Abkhazia has been calm for a long time. Moreover, the boarding houses and beaches are empty, the sea is surprisingly clean, and prices are at least half as low as in Sochi.”

In Abkhazia, which from the point of view of international law remains part of Georgia, only Russian rubles are used, and the Georgian alphabet is found only on book pages used for packaging seeds. However, very little is spoken in Abkhazian. In terms of accessibility, experienced tourists compare today's Abkhazia with Crimea in the early 90s. When the USSR collapsed and the Ukrainians had their own currency, the karbovanets, in Crimea the Russian felt like a rich foreigner: everything here was cheaper than at home, and sellers willingly took rubles. Later, the situation changed: in terms of prices , holidays in Crimea began to compete with Turkey and Cyprus. In Abkhazia today prices are more than moderate. A kilogram of peaches, grapes, and figs costs about six rubles, melons and watermelons cost about three. A one and a half liter bottle of homemade wine costs 25 rubles. A cup of real Turkish coffee costs only three rubles.

True, Abkhazian resorts are not yet devoid of “historical and political” exoticism. Street cafes and promenades in Sukhumi are combined with broken glass and walls of houses chipped by shells. And vacationers with towels alternate with heavily armed Russian peacekeepers from a military unit stationed in one of the sanatoriums. Chic white jeeps of foreign humanitarian missions ply along the avenues, and chickens, cows and pigs stroll along the once-bustling pedestrian areas. Officially, there is a curfew in Sukhumi from 11 p.m., which they simply forgot to lift after the war. But, of course, late swimmers are not detained. Nevertheless, performances in the local theater begin not at seven o’clock in the evening, as is customary in Russia, but at five. After seven in the evening, life in the city comes to a standstill; it moves beyond the fences of the sanatoriums.

In the “private sector”, which once received the lion’s share of holidaymakers, no one is stopping now. “Russians are now afraid of all Caucasians, that’s why they don’t come,” says the owner of one of the houses located almost at the edge of the sea, Abessalom Bgazhba. - Or maybe you need comfort. In private houses since the war there is no hot water, cold water is provided once a day, the electricity is turned off... Who will go? But if anyone wants to live, we will always accept you.”

However, accommodation in local boarding houses is also inexpensive. In the famous Abkhaz sanatoriums “Solnechny”, “Abrskil”, “Nart”, “Ptius”, “Pine Grove”, a day of rest costs 10-15 dollars. In the most expensive - "Boxwood Grove" in Gagra - accommodation with three meals a day costs $20 a day. “Boxwood Grove” is called a four-star health complex. In terms of architecture, the complex, built by the Turks in 1990, really looks like a high-class hotel, but the level of service clearly does not reach the declared stars. The rooms are more reminiscent of hotel rooms from the times of the USSR; there are no telephones in the rooms. But the rest is quite acceptable.

There are only two operating sanatoriums left in Sukhumi. One belongs to the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, the other belongs to our Ministry of Defense. For Russian military personnel, who are not spoiled by large salaries, a trip to Sukhumi is perhaps the only possible option to see the warm sea. However, not all officers can afford this - from a third to a half of vouchers to sanatoriums owned by military departments are sold through travel agencies.

Entrance to the Strategic Missile Forces sanatorium is absolutely free, and to the Ministry of Defense boarding house - with passes, since not only do vacationers live here, but also a military unit of the Russian peacekeeping forces is stationed. All the houses located on the main alley have signs “No entry - Peacekeeping Forces Headquarters” and barricades made of sandbags painted in khaki colors. Several times a day there is a ceremonial changing of the guard. There are soldiers with machine guns sitting at the gate, and the beach is surrounded by a fence with an exotic sign “Beware of mines.” True, a day pass to the territory of the sanatorium can be purchased for just two rubles, and you can bypass the fence by sea. Besides, if you are wearing shorts and a straw hat, they won’t even ask for your pass: the locals don’t dress like that. But in the boarding house of the Ministry of Defense, the daily routine is strictly observed: before 23.00, the vacationer must certainly arrive at the place of rest, that is, at his building.

Communication and transport are perhaps the only inconvenience for those coming to Abkhazia. There is almost always a queue at post offices, and communications are cut off after every serious rain. There is no passenger communication with Abkhaz health resorts either by rail, sea or air. The stations were destroyed by the war. Vacationers travel through Adler or Sochi, take a taxi to the border with Georgia and then take a minibus to Gagra, Sukhumi and other coastal cities.

True, on the border - the Psou River - some “extreme exoticism” awaits the holidaymaker. The fact is that, following the Moscow authorities, the Krasnodar authorities also began to closely monitor registration. It is required if you have stayed in any city in the region for more than three days. This “coupon” is the only document that interests Russian border guards. The problem is solved with 200 rubles. As they say, very often the guardians of Russian borders like to look through the contents of vacationers’ bags. The fee for avoiding inspection is well known to everyone - 100 rubles. But on the Abkhaz side, practically no one is interested in the documents and belongings of visitors.

Tour operators are convinced that the “grace period” for Russian holidaymakers in Abkhazia will last another year or two, or three at most. And then - an increase in the flow of tourists, rising prices, problems with tickets. In general, everything will be like in Sochi.

Kirill VASILENKO, Igor BURAKOV