Sukhumi District

Sukhumi District is one of the districts of Abkhazia, one of Georgia’s two breakaway republics. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian municipality. Its capital is Sukhumi, the town by the same name, which is also the capital of entire Abkhazia. The population of the district is 11,531 according to the 2011 census.^[2] The city of Sukhumi is a separate administrative entity with 62,914 inhabitants.^[2]

Sukhumi District სოხუმის რაიონი Аҟәа араион Сухумский район
District
From the top to bottom-right, Sukhumi, Gumista River, Botanical Garden, Kelasuri Wall, Black Sea
Location of Sukhumi in Abkhazia
Coordinates: 43.2000°N 41.0000°E / 43.2000; 41.0000
Country	Georgia
De facto state	Abkhazia[1]
Capital	Sukhumi
Government
• Governor	Beslan Avidzba
Area
• Total	1,523 km2 (588 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	11,531[2]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK)

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census, Sukhumi District had a population of 11,531:^[2]

• Armenians (56.1%)
• Abkhaz (30.4%)
• Russians (7.5%)
• Georgians (2%)
• Greeks (1.3%)
• Ukrainians (0.5%)

Settlements

The city of Sukhumi is a separate administrative entity independent of the district. The district's main settlements are:

• Eshera
• Guma
• Kamani
• Pskhu

Administration

Lev Avidzba was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.^[3]

On 2 April 2003, President Ardzinba dismissed Lev Avidzba and appointed State Security Service Chairman Zurab Agumava as acting District Head.^[4] Agumava remained in this post until in 2006 he was appointed Military Prosecutor by Ardzinba's successor Sergei Bagapsh.^[5]

On 21 February 2007, before the local elections, President Bagapsh temporarily prolonged Vladimir Avidzba tenure as Head of the District Administration.^[6][7] After Avidzba was re-elected, he was permanently re-appointed on 21 March.^[8]

On 12 June 2012, President Alexander Ankvab dismissed Avidzba for reaching the age of retirement, and awarded him with the order Akhdz-Apsha in the third degree for his long government service. On the same day, Ankvab appointed Head of the Education Department Zhuzhuna Bigvava as Avidzba's successor.^[9]

Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba as President, on 28 October 2014 he dismissed Bigvava and appointed Beslan Avidzba as acting Head of the Administration.^[10] Avidzba was permanently appointed after local elections were held, on 2 June 2016.^[11]

List of Administration Heads

#	Name	Entered office		Left office		President	Comments
Heads of the District Administration:
	Lev Avidzba	October 1993		2 April 2003	[4]	Vladislav Ardzinba
	Zurab Agumava	2 April 2003	[4]	12 February 2005
		12 February 2005		2006		Sergei Bagapsh
	Vladimir Avidzba	2006		29 May 2011
		29 May 2011		12 June 2012	[9]	Alexander Ankvab
	Zhuzhuna Bigvava	12 June 2012	[9]	Present
		1 June 2014		28 October 2014	[10]	Valeri Bganba
	Beslan Avidzba	28 October 2014	[10]	Present		Raul Khajimba

See also

• Abkhazia portal

• Administrative divisions of Abkhazia
• Meri Avidzba, a famous female pilot during the Great Patriotic War