The triumphant march in Abkhazia of anti-economic policy under the slogan “Everything that exists on the territory of Abkhazia must belong to the Abkhaz people!” continues with great success. And whereas elsewhere such populist slogans are mostly embraced by poorly educated rabble, in Abkhazia they are common property.

“No privatization—Abkhazia’s assets must remain in the hands of the Abkhaz people!”—this appeal is unthinkingly endorsed by the entire intellectual stratum, by everyone who can read and write, by all politicians, journalists, deputies, and even by odd people who call themselves “Abkhaz economists.”

The scandal over the Pitsunda dacha has only just died down, compounded by the fact that, as it turned out, the Abkhaz deceived the Russians, selling them, so to speak, worthless chaff: the decision regarding the dacha does not provide for the right of privatization or transfer of the property to third parties. That is, it can be owned by the Russian state, but private investors—no, absolutely not.

How is an investor worse than the state—corrupt and inefficient? There is no sensible answer to this question—except yet another song about the Abkhaz people performed by the odd individuals who call themselves “Abkhaz economists.”

One way or another, the scandal that arose out of nothing gradually subsided. Out of nothing—because a hotel, whatever it may be, is merely a hotel, and there is no logical explanation for why it cannot be transferred into private hands.

But this is Abkhazia. Peace is only something they dream of.

So, no sooner had the battles over the Pitsunda dacha ended than a new verbal war began—this time over the palace of the Duke of Oldenburg in Gagra.

In any normal country, this palace, the dacha in Pitsunda, and dozens of similar architectural masterpieces scattered along the entire Abkhaz coast would long ago have been in the ownership of private investors, creating jobs, attracting thousands of tourists, and paying taxes into the budget. After all, this is not a strategic power transmission line or a gas pipeline or a runway—it is merely hotels, boarding houses, and санатории, even if very beautiful, with majestic columns and atlantes supporting the roofs…

But that is in a normal country. Where a society considers it normal to live at someone else’s expense, receive salaries from someone else’s budget, and at the same time resist the sale of objects that have market value, everything is different.

The palace of the Duke of Oldenburg is not even being sold. They are trying to lease it. Only that.

Which in itself is nonsense, because no respectable investor will invest a single cent in a property that does not belong to them. Completely, one hundred percent, with all seals and coats of arms on paper. This talk of a lease—tell that to your grandmother; she might believe it.

Nevertheless, there were kind people who nevertheless decided to invest money not only in Abkhazia, where there are no laws at all, but also in an asset that does not belong to them.

Incidentally, one would like to see them—are they real, with two legs and two arms? Or are they Martians, and questions of ownership do not concern them?

But Abkhaz society is against it. It is always against privatization and the transfer of assets into private ownership… That is not even up for discussion. But as it turned out, they are even against leasing…

Dear Abkhaz comrades, and what exactly did a lease do to offend you? In any case, the asset remains in the ownership of the “Abkhaz people,” while the investor merely comes to make use of it, with your highest permission.

But no—they do not want it. Let that very dacha continue to collapse, rust, and become overgrown with weeds—at least it unquestionably belongs to the Abkhaz people. Even though it is of no use to them.

The question of yet another dacha is not the only one over which Abkhaz society has recently been breaking spears.

It turns out that to expand the Sukhumi airport it is necessary to relocate several dozen people from the village of Babushera, where it is in fact located.

It would seem a normal practice, accepted all over the world. Infrastructure projects require sacrifices, and there is nothing to be done about that. Everywhere in the world, including in the most developed countries, in the construction of major infrastructure facilities it is periodically necessary to resettle local residents. This is inevitable, and if you want to build something, then without this—most likely—there is no way.

Abkhazia’s airport is vitally necessary—hopefully there is no need to explain why. An investor has been found who invests capital, builds, and manages. Abkhazia has neither the money for building such a complex facility, nor the managers, nor technical specialists of that level. If no one builds the airport now, it will remain in the ownership of the Abkhaz people, becoming covered with rust and weeds…

But apparently no one cares—Abkhaz society is категорически against expanding the airport and the resettlement of local residents associated with it. To hell with the airport; the main thing is that ten families not be relocated to a neighboring village.

One would like to ask: Abkhaz comrades, do you want to build something meaningful at all, or will you continue to waste time on nonsense? You should decide at some point what it is you want in life. How many years must pass before you understand that everything has a price, including economic prosperity?

If you want to pay tribute to your ancestors and the past, then the best way to do that is a functioning economy and assets that create jobs. Destroyed and ownerless property that could work for the Abkhaz people (those same people) is not the best way to empha respect for ancestors.

It is understandable that the Abkhaz do not want to transfer too many assets to Russia, which in itself is absurd in conditions where Russia controls the borders, security, finances, tourism, and in general everything in the world.

Then they need to take another path—open up to the world, attract investors from other countries less dangerous and toxic than Russia.

Everything needs to change, including foreign policy approaches; otherwise the current absurdity will only become more entrenched.

Abkhazia has no other prospect except a European one—today this sounds like theory, but under conditions of changing priorities it is quite possible, though not easy.

Tengiz Ablogia