# Gagra District

Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a border with Krasnodar Krai of Russia. Its capital is Gagra, the town by the same name. The population of the Gagra town zone in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, (including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians), to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.

## Geography

Borders of Gagra region: north — mountains, border with Abkhazia and Russia, Lake Psou. In the past, it belonged to Bzyp between Zhavakara and the Bzyp River, and after Zhavakara was included in the Psou region, after the emigration, the Russians annexed this land to Russia and called it Pilenkovskaya volost.

## History

In 1904, Gagra and its surroundings were transferred from the Sukhumsky District of Abkhazia to the Sochi District, which was under the control of Prince Oldenburgsky, and in 1917 it was returned to this position. In 1929, thanks to the Abkhaz authorities, the Pilenkovskaya volost between Gagra and Psou was returned to Abkhazia. It was then that Gagra was established as a separate district. Today it includes the city of Gagra, the urban settlements of Pitsunda, Tsandrypsh, as well as eleven villages – Alahadzi, Khishkha, Bzyp, Psahara, Gechripsh, Ldzaa, Mahadyr, Mkalripsh, Hashpsy, Askhuzara.

## Administration

Grigori Enik was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.
In December 2002, Enik was appointed Head of the State Customs Committee, he was succeeded by Valeri Bganba. On 25 May 2006, Bganba was released from office by President Bagapsh upon his own request, and succeeded by Astamur Ketsba. In turn, after the election of Alexander Ankvab, on 6 September 2011 Ketsba was dismissed upon his own request and temporarily replaced by his deputy Teimuraz Kapba. On 15 November, Grigori Enik, who had previously headed the Presidential Administration, was appointed Acting Head of Gagra District. On 28 May 2012, Enik was permanently appointed.
Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba as President, he dismissed Enik and replaced him with MP Beslan Bartsits (as acting Head) on 22 October. Bartsits was confirmed in his post the following year.
On 16 May 2016, Bartsits became Head of the Presidential Administration. The same day, Gagra Forestry Director Zaur Bganba was appointed acting District Head. Bganba was confirmed in his post on 2 June.

### List of governors

| # | Name | From | Until | President | Comments |
| Chairmen of the (executive committee of the) City Soviet: ||||||||
| | Enver Kapba | 1967 | 1970 | | |
| Heads of the City Administration: ||||||||
| | Ruslan Iazychba | ≤1994 | ≥1997 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Grigori Enik | ≤2000 | December 2002 | Vladislav Ardzinba | First time |
| | Valeri Bganba | December 2002 | 12 February 2005 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Valeri Bganba | 12 February 2005 | 25 May 2006 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| | Astamur Ketsba | 25 May 2006 | 29 May 2011 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| | Astamur Ketsba | 29 May 2011 | 6 September 2011 | Alexander Ankvab | |
| | Teimuraz Kapba | 6 September 2011 | 15 November 2011 | Alexander Ankvab | Acting |
| | Grigori Enik | 15 November 2011 | 1 June 2014 | Alexander Ankvab | Second time |
| | Grigori Enik | 1 June 2014 | 22 October 2014 | Valeri Bganba | |
| | Beslan Bartsits | 22 October 2014 | 16 May 2016 | Raul Khajimba | |
| | Zaur Bganba | 16 May 2016 | Present | Raul Khajimba | |

## Demographics

According to 2011 census, the population of the district included:
* Abkhaz (38,50%)
* Armenians (38,35%)
* Russians (15,75%)
* Georgians (2,49%)
* Ukrainians (1,32%)
* Greeks (0,64%)
* Others (2,95%)

## Settlements

The district's main settlements are:
* Gagra
* Pitsunda
* Leselidze
* Gantiadi
* Bzyb
The district is mostly mountainous except for the Bzyb lowland in the southern part of it (where Pitsunda is located) and is crossed by several ranges (Gagra, Arabika and others).