Who “rocked the situation” with the summer house
The unrest in Abkhazia following the decision to transfer the state lodge in Pitsunda on the Black Sea coast to Russia was described as being “artificially fed from outside” by Grigory Karasin, head of the Federation Council International Committee. He suggested that influences from neighboring countries were fueling the protests, framing them as partisan interference rather than a purely domestic matter.
Karasin noted that Russia and Abkhazia had signed an agreement two years earlier regarding the transfer of the first former Stalin’s dacha, with Abkhazia merely needing to ratify the document. He stressed that the parliament had already considered the issue and expressed support for the agreement.
According to Konstantin Zatulin, deputy chairman of the State Duma CIS Affairs Committee, such events reflect a pattern in Abkhazia where power shifts frequently and leaders are pressured by crowds. He argued that local political forces exploit every circumstance to defame opponents, with the Abkhazian opposition accusing the current government of selling out Abkhazia from behind their own campaign stalls.
“It is frankly shameful that a segment of the opposition in Abkhazia uses this excuse to settle scores with the authorities. The country faces internal problems that deserve attention, not public upheaval over the hut,” Zatulin stated. He added that the opposition had reportedly told Moscow that it would not oppose surrender of the hut and would be ready to sign documents once in power, while insisting that Russia did not claim Abkhazian lands or aim to redraw borders in Abkhazia.
Request from the “Chief Guest”
The state dacha in Pitsunda traces back to a mid-20th-century decision by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. It covers roughly 180 hectares. Zatulin recalled that the politician spent a summer there in 1964, after which Moscow leadership reportedly moved to dismiss him during his absence.
Vladimir Putin has conducted working meetings at the site, and Abkhazia’s president, Aslan Bzhania, highlighted that the hut is a venue from which many important discussions originate.
In 1995, Russia obtained the summer house for free use. Local law restricts real estate purchases by foreigners in Abkhazia; ownership is not allowed, only leasing. Bzhania mentioned that between 2010 and 2020 the Russian government repeatedly pressed Sukhum to formalize ownership of buildings within the estate. In 2020, Putin personally raised the matter, indicating Russia’s interest in renovating the dacha and transforming it into a permanent presidential residence for the Russian Federation.
“The facilities on the state lodge are around six decades old, and many have fallen into disrepair. Notable renovations are overdue, and some portions may require partial overhauls or new construction,” Bzhania observed.
The Abkhazian president affirmed Moscow’s willingness to resolve the issue, explaining to citizens that Russia would receive mainly buildings and structures rather than land, and that Putin deserved the dacha. He noted that Russia has provided substantial assistance to Abkhazia and has been requesting only a summer house in return. “This is not a transfer to business entities or random individuals; it is an arrangement with a leader who has contributed significantly to Abkhazia,” he concluded, expressing surprise at the ensuing debate.
What the opposition finds unsatisfactory
The opposition contends that transferring the dacha was unconstitutional and launched an open-ended rally near the parliament on December 26. Adgur Ardzinba, head of the Abkhaz People’s Movement, claimed that the agreement text contains provisions that anger the public and cannot be approved in its current form.
As explained by Zatulin to socialbites.ca, Abkhazia proceeded to ratify the transfer agreement, subjecting it to parliamentary approval “for internal reasons.”
He acknowledged that shortcomings in the document stirred opposition during a period of domestic political tension. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia later issued a statement on December 26, addressing inaccuracies in the agreement concerning the boundaries of the summer site on land and sea, and noting that opponents argued Russia should receive an additional 115 hectares of sea area along with the dacha beyond the already designated reserves on the Black Sea coast.
Parliamentary resolution in Abkhazia
At an extraordinary meeting on December 27, the Abkhazian parliament approved the transfer agreement. Parliament Speaker Lasha Ashuba described a wide range of concerns discussed with visiting delegations and multiple options considered to secure the republic’s interests. A total of 28 MPs participated out of 35, and the decision to ratify the agreement was reached on December 26.
In addition, three parliamentary sessions issued amendments to the relevant legislation to reflect the evolving situation in Pitsunda. A special constitutional law established that Russia leases the land and water area for 49 years with a possible extension and cannot transfer it to third parties; otherwise the dacha would revert to Abkhazia. Ambassador Mikhail Shurgalin clarified that the agreement does not transfer land ownership to Russia, only buildings and maintenance responsibilities, with ownership confined to structures maintained by the Russian Federal Security Service.