From love to hatred there is only one step. This is certainly true of us. Genetics remembers, blood remembers, and no one can deny that we are real brothers—not just brothers, but people who have always lived together, both in difficult times and in joy. There are no moments in history prior to the beginning of the 18th century when Abkhazians and Georgians were in conflict with one another. Yes, there were merely local problems, but what happened between us that made us sworn enemies, ready to destroy each other?

How is this possible? How did Georgians—an open-hearted nation with a big heart—suddenly become enemies to their brother, the Abkhazian? What exactly did these peoples, 100% alike, fail to share?—those unfamiliar with us may ask. For me, the answer is very simple and clear: the cause is a mania of grandeur; the question is the assertion of “who is the master of the house?”

Official history misleads us. Everything has been rewritten at different times in ways that suited specific needs, and this is not something worth arguing about. My blood knows and remembers that Abkhazians stood at the foundation of the Georgian kingdom, that throughout all eras Abkhazians fought for the Georgian kingdom, and that Abkhazian kings ruled Georgia, regardless of their nationality. In fact, there are no people as close to each other as Georgians and Abkhazians—this is known deep in the soul by both Abkhazians and Georgians.

Today, however, Georgians are fighting something that cannot be defeated, by calling Abkhazia their territory. An Abkhazian must have their own land on the planet, and they have always had it. It so happened that the Russian Empire destroyed the Abkhazian kingdom and 80 percent of its population. And instead of helping Abkhazia recover, Georgia wants to finish off what remains. Saying “we are brothers,” yet at the same time dictating one’s own rules—can this be considered fair? This approach will never lead to reconciliation, and Georgians must understand this.

Everything that happened in Abkhazia in 1992–1993 was precisely about this. Taking what is not yours will not bring happiness—this is a universal law, and we are no exception. Everything is very simple if one follows the rules of life. We have nothing to divide; we have lived together with you on the same land for a thousand years as neighbors and brothers—acknowledge this. We, Abkhazians, do not wage war—we simply defend what is ours, and this is our strength.

The time has come to restore the brotherhood and love between our peoples. We will be together anyway—this is how God has arranged the lands. So let us extend a hand of friendship, recall the good times as men—years, centuries, millennia. We truly share much that is fraternal, and we must rely on that rather than live entirely on negativity. More than one new generation has already been born, and we must leave them love, not hatred. Each has their own land—most importantly, recognize the Abkhazian ethnic identity, show your love, and Abkhazians will open up to you.

Inal Aristava

The text contains toponyms and terminology used in the self-proclaimed Abkhazia.