Adgur Ardzinba

Adgur Amiranovich Ardzinba (Abkhaz: Адгәыр Амиран-иԥа Арӡынба; Russian: Адгур Амиранович Ардзинба; Georgian: ადგურ ამირანის ძე არძინბა; born 26 December 1981) is an Abkhazian politician, formerly the Minister for Economy of Abkhazia from 2015 to 2020.

Adgur Ardzinba
Адгәыр Арӡынба Адгур Ардзинба
Minister for Economy of Abkhazia
In office 8 April 2015 – 23 April 2020
President	Raul Khajimba Valeri Bganba Aslan Bzhania
Preceded by	Nikolai Achba
Prime Minister	Artur Mikvabia Shamil Adzynba Beslan Bartsits Gennady Gagulia Daur Arshba Valeri Bganba
Personal details
Born	(1981-12-26) 26 December 1981 (age 43) Gudauta, Abkhaz ASSR, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Abkhaz

Education

Ardzinba holds a doctorate in economic sciences.^[1]

Minister for Economy of Abkhazia

Ardzinba was appointed by President Raul Khajimba on 8 April 2015, succeeding Nikolai Achba.^[2] As Minister for Economy, he announced plans to launch an own Abkhaz cryptocurrency in a bid to avoid potential sanctions and attract international investment. “The advantage of this cryptocurrency market has to do with the fact that any citizen in the entire world can invest in our economy, not fearing sanctions or other awkward limitations placed on us by the international community,” he said to Apsnypress late 2017.^[3] One year later, rampant cryptocurrency mining threatened the shaky electrical network in the republic, forcing officials to call for putting regulatory shackles on the money-making scheme in order to stave off power supply interruptions during the winter 2018/2019. Ardzinba, however, stuck to the cryptocurrency plans and said to Meduza that "given the limitations associated with the status of the republic, … we always seek nonconventional solutions to reach an acceptable level of economic development.” Apparently, Ardzinba had sought support for his cryptocurrency plans by the Russian government.^[4]

Presidential candidate

In 2020, he competed in the 2020 Abkhazian presidential election for the Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia. He lost against Aslan Bzhania and only received 36.9% of the votes. One month later, Bzhania, as the new president, dismissed Ardzinba.

After the success of Bzhania, Ardzinba criticized his government and implied that worsened Abkhazia–Russia relations were the reason for the financial problems of Abkhazia.^[5]

Ardzinba ran again in the 2025 Abkhazian presidential election as the candidate of the Abkhaz People's Movement. He replaced MP Kan Kvarchia, who withdrew citing health issues following injuries sustained in the 2024 Parliament of Abkhazia shooting on 19 December.^[6] He lost in the runoff vote on 1 March to acting president Badra Gunba.^[7]