Georgia–Russia border

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Georgian and Russian boundary markers
Map of Georgia showing the border with Russia, as well as the disputed Abkhazian and South Ossetian sections

The Georgia–Russia border is the state

boundary between Europe and Asia.[1] In 2008 Russia (and later four other states) recognised the independence of two self-declared republics within Georgia (Abkhazia and South Ossetia
), meaning that in a de facto sense the border is now split into four sections: the Abkhazia–Russia border in the west, the western Georgia–Russia border between Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the South Ossetia–Russia border and the eastern Georgia–Russia border between South Ossetia and Azerbaijan. At present most of the international community refuse to recognise the independence of the two territories and regard them as belonging to Georgia.

Description

Georgia-Russia border (western section)

The Psou crossing point

The border starts in the west at the point where the

Psou river enters the Black Sea, just west of the town of the Leselidze. It then follows the Psou as it flows north and then east to the vicinity of Mount Agepsta, whereupon it then follows the crest of the Caucasus Mountains broadly south-eastwards over to the mount Zekara. Mount Dombay-Ulgen, Shota Rustaveli Peak, Mount Janga, Mount Lalveri, and Mount Khalatsa
are prominent peaks of this section.

Georgia-Russia border (eastern section)

The eastern section of the Georgia–Russia border starts at the mount Zekara and continues eastwards along the Caucasus Mountains to the tripoint with Azerbaijan.

Mount Shkhara and Mount Tebulosmta
are notable peaks of this section.

History

Kutaisi governorate
Tiflis governorate
Maps of the former Kutaisi and Tiflis governorates, the northern borders of which now form most of the modern Georgia/Abkhazia/South Ossetia-Russia border

During the 19th the Caucasus region was contested between the declining

Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti in 1801, followed by the western Georgian Kingdom of Imereti in 1804, following the Russian treaty with North Ossetia and the construction of Vladikavkaz as a base in 1784.[2] Construction of the Georgian Military Road was begun in 1799, following the Treaty of Georgievsk. Over the course of the 1800s Russia continued to push its frontier southwards, at the expense of the Persian and Ottoman Empires.[3]

The Georgian territories were initially organised into the

Sukhum Okrug, within Kutaisi Governorate), incorporating the Samurzakano region west of the Ingur river which had hitherto been part of Kutais governorate and generally considered historical Georgian land.[5][6] However the western border of Abkhazia was set at the Begepsta river, with lands west of this attached to the Chermorskii okrug in modern Krasnodar Krai.[7] Over the following decades the ethnic makeup of Abkhazia changed due to influxes of Georgian and Russian settlers.[8]

An 1899 map depicting Sukhum okrug with Samurzakano
A 1903/04 map of Sukhum okrug
Late 19th - early 20th century maps of Abkhazia

In 1904 the western Abkhaz border was changed, with the area west and north of the

1917 Russian Revolution, the peoples of the southern Caucasus had seceded from Russia, declared the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR) in 1918 and started peace talks with the Ottomans.[9][10] Meanwhile, Sukhum Okrug had declared itself semi-autonomous on 9 November 1917 under the Abkhazian Peoples Council (APC).[11] At the instigation of the Georgian politician Akaki Chkhenkeli, the 1904 boundary change of western Abkhazia was reversed in December 1917 and the old Begepsta river border restored.[7] In early 1918 the APC met with Georgian leaders, and the two sides made an initial agreement that Abkhazia would constitute Sukhum okrug, including Samurzakano (despite its Mingrelian majority), and stretching along the Black Sea coast as far at the river Mzymta.[12] The Bolsheviks invaded Abkhazia in April 1918 but were repulsed the following month.[13]

Meanwhile, internal disagreements in the TDFR led to Georgia leaving the federation in May 1918, followed shortly thereafter by Armenia and Azerbaijan. Georgian and Abkhaz officials met in an attempt to hammer out a deal, with Georgia pushing to include Abkhazia within Georgia but as an autonomous region, however many Abkhaz leaders feared that Georgia aimed to 'Georgian-ise' the region and annex it outright.[14][15] Discussions between Georgian and Russian

Zakatal okrugs.[16] Article 3.1 of the Treaty stated that "The state frontier between Russia and Georgia, runs from the Black Sea, along the river Psou to Mount Akhakheha, passes over Mount Akhakheha and Mount Agapet, and continues along the northern frontier of the former Chernomorsk, Kutais, and Tiflis provinces to the Zakatalsk circuit and along the eastern boundary thereof up to the frontier of Armenia."[16][17] Article 3.4 stated that a more precise demarcation would occur in due course.[16]

Meanwhile, disputes between Abkhaz and Georgian officials continued, however these were rendered moot when in 1920 Russia's

USSR. The Georgian SSR was reconstituted in 1936, incorporating Abkhazia as the (downgraded) Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.[15][23][24][25]

Map of Georgia from 1954, showing the areas annexed to Georgia in the north

Following

Chechen-Ingush ASSR in the east (comprising Itum-Kale and surrounding lands).[16][22][26] Following the death of Stalin, these changes were reversed from 1955 to 1957 and the pre-1944 border restored.[22][16][27]

The boundary became an international frontier in 1991 following the

war with Russia, following which Russia recognised the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.[16] As a result, all border discussions with Georgia were ended, however the Abkhaz and Russian authorities have continued work on that section of the border.[16]
From the Russian, Abkhaz and Ossetian point of view the Georgia–Russia border has now become much shorter (from 694 to 365 km), and is separated into two portions, a western one between Abkhazia and South Ossetia and an eastern one between South Ossetia and Azerbaijan. From the Georgian perspective, the Russian–Georgian border did not change after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and both self-declared republics are illegal entities occupying Georgian territory.

In 2011 a dispute arose over the village of

Aibgha as Russia and Abkhazia set about demarcating their common border.[28] Russia proposed annexing Aibgha to Krasnodar Krai, a move which was opposed by the Abkhaz government.[29][30] Georgia has opposed any moves to transfer what it sees as Georgian territory.[31]

Border crossings

The only Georgia–Russia border crossing is at Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars on the

Psou-Adler,[34] and a South Ossetia-Russia border crossing at Nizhniy Zermag–Zemo Roka (the Roki Tunnel).[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ CIA World Factbook - Russia, retrieved 8 September 2020
  2. ISBN 5-7107-7399-9
    .
  3. ^ The boundary between Turkey and the USSR (PDF), January 1952, archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2017, retrieved 8 April 2020
  4. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 24-5.
  5. ^ "Abkhazia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  6. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 26, 138.
  7. ^ a b c Saparov 2014, p. 134.
  8. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 27-8.
  9. OCLC 312951712
    (Armenian Perspective)
  10. OCLC 78646544
    (Turkish Perspective)
  11. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 43.
  12. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 43,135.
  13. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 44.
  14. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 45-6.
  15. ^ a b c "GEORGIA-ABKHAZIA: THE PREDOMINANCE OF IRRECONCILABLE POSITIONS" (PDF). Geneva Academy. October 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i Samkharadze, Nikoloz (August 2020). "Georgian State Border – Past and Present" (PDF). Centre for Social Sciences. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  17. ^ a b c Saparov 2014, p. 135.
  18. ^ Lang, DM (1962). A Modern History of Georgia, p. 226. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
  19. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 48-9.
  20. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 50-1.
  21. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 136.
  22. ^ a b c Arkhipova, Ekaterina. "THE BORDERS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA, AND RUSSIA: SOVIET HERITAGE". CA&C Press. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  23. MGIMO, archived
    from the original on 3 September 2008, retrieved 2 September 2008.
  24. ISBN 978-90-04-17901-1
    .
  25. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 61.
  26. ^ Minority Rights Group International (May 2018). "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Russian Federation : Karachay and Cherkess".
  27. ISBN 978-90-04-17901-1
    .
  28. ^ Saparov 2014, p. 139.
  29. ^ Souleimanov, Emil (11 May 2011). "RUSSIA AND ABKHAZIA DISPUTE BORDER DELIMITATION". CACI. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  30. S2CID 129448534
    .
  31. ^ Kupunia, Mzia (March 21, 2011). "Tbilisi slams "border demarcation" meeting planned in Moscow". The Messenger Online.
  32. ^ "Georgia Border Crossings". Caravanistan. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Moscow Signs Contracts on Georgia-Russia Trade Monitoring". Civil Georgia. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  34. ^ "Abkhazia Border Crossings". Caravanistan. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  35. ^ "South Ossetia Border Crossings". Caravanistan. Retrieved 8 September 2020.

Works cited

  • Saparov, Arsène (2014). From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh. Routledge.
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