On January 31, the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Sergey Kiriyenko, visited occupied Abkhazia. Kiriyenko is an influential figure in the Russian government. Reportedly, he will oversee the occupied regions. Interestingly, Kiriyenko was born in Sokhumi in 1962.
During his visit to Abkhazia, Kiriyenko met with representatives of the de facto government, as well as heads of various educational and cultural institutions. He also inspected projects funded by Russia. General information was released about his meetings with representatives of the de facto authorities, mentioning discussions on bilateral relations and the exchange of gifts. However, it is highly likely that the discussions also covered the recent deterioration in relations between Sokhumi and Moscow, as well as the upcoming illegitimate presidential elections.
Meeting with De Facto Authorities
Kiriyenko, along with Russia's “ambassador” to Abkhazia, Mikhail Shurgalin, met with the acting de facto president, Valeri Bganba. The meeting focused on issues related to bilateral relations.
Sergey Kiriyenko and Valeri Bganba
Kiriyenko also met with the de facto parliament speaker, Lasha Ashuba. This meeting likewise centered on bilateral relations.
Other Meetings
In addition to meetings with the de facto authorities, on the first day of his working visit, Kiriyenko also visited educational and cultural institutions.
At the so-called State University of Abkhazia, he met with rector Aleko Gvaramia and participated in a discussion on scientific initiatives.
Sergey Kiriyenko and Aleko Gvaramia
Kiriyenko also visited Sokhumi Secondary School No. 2 named after Pushkin, where he toured a special “Atomclass” opened with the support of the Russian state corporation Rosatom.
Kiriyenko then visited the “State Picture Gallery of Abkhazia,” where he donated a painting titled the Sokhumi Angel by Igor Panchenko. The gallery was damaged by a severe fire in January last year and is currently under restoration, with Russian specialists involved in restoring the damaged paintings.
Kiriyenko also visited the State Russian Drama Theater in Sokhumi.
Visit to the Airport
As part of his visit, Kiriyenko also toured Sokhumi Airport, which is undergoing rehabilitation by a Russian company. He participated in a working meeting attended by “presidential” candidate Badra Gunba, who heads the coordination headquarters for the airport’s reconstruction and construction. According to Kiriyenko, it is important for the airport to be operational by May 1.
The de facto president’s website released a statement regarding Kiriyenko and Gunba's meeting, stating that Gunba was not authorized to meet with Kiriyenko. As a candidate in the “presidential elections,” he is no longer the acting president and is currently on leave, meaning he no longer holds the duties of “vice president” or the authority to lead the coordination headquarters.
Meeting at the airport
Visit to "Brekhalovka"
On the second day of his visit, Kiriyenko stopped by the well-known café Brekhalovka on the Sokhumi waterfront, where he had coffee with the hosts. He gifted a chess set to the head of Abkhazia’s Council of Elders, Apolon Duma. The de facto Minister of Economy, Kristina Ozgan, the so-called head of Sokhumi’s administration, Beslan Eshba, and Akhra Avidzba, a commander of the Pyatnashka international brigade, who has participated in Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, were present at the café.
Other Events
On the second day of his working visit, Kiriyenko visited the Central Clinical Republican Hospital and the construction site of the Republican Children's Hospital. Although funding for the project is currently suspended, Kiriyenko expressed his willingness to assist the Abkhaz side in resolving the issue. He also met with the de facto Minister of Health, Eduard Butba, and promised to help address the challenges facing Abkhazia's healthcare system.
Kiriyenko also visited Secondary School No. 1 in the village of Primorskoye, which was built with the support of the Republic of Adygea.
Additionally, he paid tribute to those who perished in World War II and to fallen peacekeepers by laying flowers at their memorials. Alongside Akhra Avidzba, Kiriyenko also honored the memory of those who died in the 1992-1993 war.