ABKHAZIA | Rebelling Against Russia?

Is Abkhazia turning against Russia? In November 2024, mass protests erupted in Abkhazia as demonstrators stormed the parliament, fueled by fears over growing Russian control. The proposed law expanding Russian ownership of local assets became a flashpoint, triggering widespread unrest and the resignation of Abkhazia's pro-Russian president, Aslan Bzania. Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia nearly 30 years ago, remains heavily dependent on Moscow for economic support and security. This reliance, however, has created deep resentment among locals who feel stifled by Russian influence. While these developments have sparked speculation about Abkhazia’s future, they highlight the precarious relationship between de facto states and their patron powers. But is this truly a revolt against Moscow, or just another episode in the territory's turbulent history?

For decades, Abkhazia has navigated a delicate balance between asserting independence and relying on Russian patronage. Russia's financial aid and military presence have made it indispensable to the breakaway region, yet this dependence has increasingly strained relations. The protests reveal mounting frustrations with economic hardships, declining subsidies, and fears of Russian domination. Yet, for now, Abkhazia's isolation and unresolved conflict with Georgia leaves little room for a dramatic shift away from Moscow. This video dives into the roots of Abkhazia’s unrest, its historical struggles, and the broader implications for de facto states locked in unequal relationships with their patrons.

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*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:47 De Facto States and Patron States in International Relations
02:24 Abkhazia: Location and Population
02:58 A Brief History of Abkhazia
04:18 Abkhazia declares Independence from Georgia
06:06 Russia Recognises Abkhazia
09:45 The November 2024 Political Crisis in Abkhazia
11:31 Is Abkhazia rebelling against Russia?

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#Abkhazia #Russia #Georgia

[saltmerchant]

It's not a direct challenge to the Kremlin, more regional discontent and a further expression of 'Tsar good, Boyars bad" but it's a headache that Putin doesn't need.

[alexanderalexander]

This was professionally and well presented. I benefited from your presentation. Thank you.

[filipsykora]

I like your profesional aproach to those control ersial topics. Even tho you didn't mention muhajirstvo, which Is in my opinion one of the most important events in Abkhazian history. As it is the reason, why most Abkhazians now live in midle east. Looking forward to next videos

[Niksg]

Dude we're getting so many classes from the professor lately. I hope you're not stressed out having to put these out more but I'm loving it.

Funny enough, i have a weird obsession with Georgian separatist politics as well, so this is a good day.

[StoyanMitrev]

I truly enjoy your videos. Best unbiased analysis, stating the facts, concise and informative. Thank you!

[syedmustafa]

These protests does not mean rebellion against Russia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia's very existence depends upon Moscow which provides Economic and Security Assistance.Every penny that comes in Abkhazia comes from Russia that pays literally everything from Salaries to Pensions. Protests were actually about the rise of living costs because the law that Abkhazians protested against gave Russians the flexibility to buy properties which in turn would have raise the price of properties. These protests are happening all across the world because cost of living are rising and people cannot sustain it anymore. It was a simply a protest like the rest of the world against rising costs of properties. Rebellion against Russia is impossible because without Russia it would take two days for Georgian Army to take control back and Abkhazians know this very well.

[electricVGC]

I think the role of the pacific states as borderline international relations for hire is an oft misunderstood situation. Might make an interesting discussion for a future video.

[FreshPrincce]

Abkhazia has always had a multi-ethnic population, whether in the past or now. The big reason why Georgians still view Abkhazia as a territory of Georgia, is because Abkhazia has always been ruled by Kartvelian monarchs, plus it has always had a majority Kartvelian/Georgian population before the genocide in the 90's. When Greek was replaced with Georgian as the official language, back in the 5th century I believe, it remained highly under Kartvelian influence until the Russians.

[Loooam]

Much love Professor Lindsey ❤ I always am happy to see an upload

[stevenhall]

Someone might call this "gentrification" where locals are loosing control to outside money and outsiders moving in but cannot help but take the economic circumstances.

[olivka]

They turn against the governement. Its same when Brits bought whole regions in Spain or Portugal. In Barcelona people cannot afford to buy or rent. They want some rules on buying properties. But there a lot of rich Russians and they buy properties for investement etc.

[mauriceoreilly]

"Almost all break-away states rely on a patron or protector state to survive." I wondered how this assertion might have applied to Ireland (my country) a century ago when we broke away from the UK? Of course, analogies are not simple and do not necessarily stand the test of time ...

Hello Professor: I just "discovered" your channel and as a follower of international geopolitics I find your videos very interesting, non biased and factual. Rest assured that you just add a new follower to your channel. I am looking forward to your opinion about what affects our daily living even when most of the people don't realize. Best regards.

[comradedawid]

I hope Georgia is united soon once again.

[papehakla]

Thank you for your detailed insides. Seems utopic, but I still hope and pray for Abchazia’s (and Ossetia’s) awakening and final return in liberty to Georgia, and all Georgian expelled refugees being able to peacefully return from Tbilissi back home…
Best regards from 🇩🇪

[Halfsunkboat]

Obviously this is much easier to say as a viewer rather than a creator, but it would be interesting to see the occasional deep dive into some the topics you cover.
Your videos serve as a great starting point for research into a topic but the task of sorting through the complex details, many of which can be seemingly irrelevant to someone not involved or steeped in the history, can quickly become overwhelming.

Regardless, thank you for the upload! Keep up the great work.

[Zoroff]

Thank you professor, I really appreciate you making these very interesting videos about subjects I don't care about.
I don't watch them all, but many are filling in my woeful gaps of world knowledge.

[mrgabagoo]

Short answer - no. Whatever the internal problems, only a moron* would think that Abkhazia or South Ossetia would turn against Russia.

*Edit and clarification - this is not meant to imply that the professor is, in my view, a moron. Quite the opposite.

[FredoRockwell]

I know historical analogies have limited value, but one of the first signs of Soviet collapse was when the Polish communists lost power in the 1989 parliamentary elections. That was a clear example of a patron losing control over a satellite state. Is this a sign that the Russian Federation might be headed down a similar path? Great video, by the way!

[Armadeus]

interesting. do you think the election of a pro-russian government in georgia would change the dynamic in this situation?