Abkhazia: Where Miley Cyrus doesn't exist

CNN visits the disputed region of Abkhazia, caught between Russia and Georgia and worlds away from the Olympics in Sochi.

[@yellowyellow7476]

*Reads Title "Now that's where I wanna go"

[@eccIefechan]

This is exaggerated to an absolutely ridiculous extent. I was there in August and it's very far from being frozen in time or a "lost world". In summer it is EXTREMELY busy and is absolutely full of Russian tourists. The funniest thing is that when I was there in the summer, western pop music was everywhere. I can't remember hearing Miley Cyrus but I did hear plenty others. The globalised world is certainly *not* far, far away. Both hotels I stayed at had WIFI, Russian 3G networks are widely available and you will find almost all everyday commodities in the shops (from Russia). It basically operates just like a region of Russia and is barely any less connected to the outside world than Russia itself. Russian TV, radio and other advertisements are there. Gagra (where he visits in this video) is a summer resort town and YES, it will be quiet in winter, like any resort town off season. But I can assure you, it's nothing like the way it's presented in this video.

[@joeb5080]

Not only is the globalized world near; they're part of it. They're not exactly an isolated Amazon tribe.

[@motro1301]

@@joeb5080 ikr😂😂😂😂

[@jacqueline1657]

Thanks for telling the truth

[@bubba842]

What a surprise. CNN lying again.

[@shotatsikhiseli6286]

Afkhazeti is Georgia!

[@jonoakes2469]

I’m there now - it’s pretty normal here. I have everything I could need. I wish the media would stop playing games and giving false info

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

Listening to Miley Cyrus and living in a grade A country or never hearing so much as a sound from her and living in a grade F country? Difficult choice indeed.

[@eccIefechan]

You'll find Russian radio stations and Russian TV everywhere in Abkhazia, so the chances of hearing Miley Cyrus are quite high actually.

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

eccIefechan Let's hope that ain't true ;)

[@eccIefechan]

TheIcelandicPatriot I have been there. It's nothing like this video says it is. This makes it out as if it's like North Korea and has no contact with the outside world, which is absolute nonsense.

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

eccIefechan Yea i thought so too. The media tends to twist the truth to make it more interesting :)

[@Misteryman911]

eccIefechan Well to be honest it isn't as much developed as other countries too. Of course they try their best to keep up with modern life, but still being unrecognized by the whole civilized world is an obsticle for that. My family lived in Abkhazia before the war and I, myself am from there too, but I will never say that Abkhazia is independent. It is fully dependent on Russia: Economically, Militarily and Politically, runed by separatists controlled by Russians. I always did and will consider it as a part of Georgia, because it was like that all the time untill 1993. And we all must agree that Abkhazia will have a better future being part of Georgia as an autonomy than being unrecognized region of Russia. :)))

[@lukajalo8635]

1:36 mate georgia did not choose that war, georgia treated abkhazia like a pert of itself, but abkhazians decided to be teammates with russia and actually started being big fat assholes to the point where they would terrorize some cities and when the rest of georgia fought back, russia acted like the victim

[@dp110495]

GOD BLESS THIS PLACE!!!!!

[@troydavis2998]

Denisse Proaño they don’t mention that they committed genocide on the Georgians that lived there before declaring independence (god bless them Indeed)

[@troydavis2998]

@Nenad Tomic read a history book, the genocide following the fall of the Soviet Union was documented. Take a moment to also ask yourself who has been living in run down ghettos for over 40 years

[@caralhoguy]

@@troydavis2998 nor do they mention how Georgian soldiers burnt the Abkhaz archives and other atrocities they committed

[@joeb5080]

Oh my. They've never heard of Miley Cyrus. Oh the tragedy.

[@eccIefechan]

They have heard of Miley Cyrus. I even heard a Miley Cyrus song play when I was there in 2015.

[@motro1301]

@@eccIefechan like they have the internet

[@eccIefechan]

@@motro1301 Actually, they do. It just connects to Russia's infrastructure, and Russian 3G/4G networks.

[@motro1301]

@@eccIefechan what i meant was abkhazia is not like north korea

[@archtech1914]

I and my family lived in Sukhumi, Abkhazia up until it was taken over by Abkhazian/Russian/Chechen military. We had to flee because I was married to Georgian by that time, but my father stayed behind. I do speak to him a lot and he says that town operates under local Abkhazian government that is governed under Russia. They do have banks and hotels, etc. Restaurants are operating and cater to mostly Russian tourists. Yes, Abkhazia is not recognized by the world, but all citizen have Abkhazian and Russian passports and can move easily in and out of a country. Russia pays out pensions to seniors in the amount of 4,500 rubles a month. Russia also gives money for a development of infrastructure (which usually end up in the pockets of local Abkhazian politicians) There are lots of foreign cars on the streets driven by once again local politicians. There is no industries in Abkhazia. Everything is brought in from Russia and sold at a higher cost. Food is not grown there which is a shame because Abkhazia was always known for local wonderful and inexpensive produce. Lives goes on in Sukhumi, but it's not the same town as it was pre-war!

[@ivikosuxo]

ARCH TECH God bless your family.

[@spaghettismith8343]

So Russia invades but usa is bully looking for war huh ? Why are other countries looked at differently than USA but do the exact same shit!!!!!???????

[@colchis.]

Abkhazia is Georgia

[@justicewarrior9187]

Is this really CNN?? That place is beautiful by the way

[@jblasutavario9549]

I was also surprised by the journalistic quality of this piece.

[@reanimationeas342]

I support Georgia's territorial claim but I do agree that Abkhazia is a beautiful place

[@leylakobachidze3107]

Sochi sukhumi ckhinvali is georgia samegrelo abkhazia ckhinvali samachablo is georgia

[@shanzelize91]

Part of United Georgia!

[@gamermapper]

We should unite all of the world

[@jamesarthur7214]

Yes will return back to United Russia🇷🇺

[@MohammedAli-zh8kf]

Really how?

[@caralhoguy]

@@jamesarthur7214 facts

[@LegacyTO]

@@caralhoguy United Russia would be good, just Moscow... Good old days, Tatars would be free, Siberians would be free, Georgians would be Free, Caucasians would be free... Eh...

[@nikolozchichveishvili8094]

abkhazia is georgia!!!

[@mapperdonianow8231]

cant there be a way abkhazia and georgia live in peace, i mean i love georgia but i also love abkhazia, i mean their languages are not at all related, I think that instead of claiming a nation is theirs try to seek peace :)

[@anrikopaliani5551]

+Mapperdonia Now! the problem is abkhazians don't want peace, how can u seek peace when some Abkhazian is living in your house after the war ? ABKHAZIA IS GEORGIA! time will come when abkhazians will bleed out of their noses!

[@anrikopaliani5551]

we have to claim what is ours

[@aflamrecab1]

@@anrikopaliani5551 Keep on dreaming

[@anrikopaliani5551]

+Windows Sucks my dream will come true kid just wait :)

[@RynaxAlien]

Putin instead of wasting tax money of poor russians on war could build better railway, bicycle lane and road system to the mountains

[@52hertz72]

ღმერთს მარტო იმას ვთხოვ ისე არ მომკლას თქვენ დაჩოქილი არ დაგინახოთ

[@user-lo6qn8pb3t]

🇬🇪💪👍🇰🇷🇺🇲👏

[@lukarekhviashvili1855]

@@Inlovewithmusic11 ვინც 30000 ქართველი მოკლა ეგენი უნდა დაისაჯონ

[@leylakobachidze3107]

Abkhazia is georgia samegrelo abkhazia ckhinvali samachablo is georgia

[@frawldog]

Georgia is in 🇺🇸

[@caralhoguy]

Exactly

[@caralhoguy]

Georgia is 🇺🇸 territory

[@natiatarielashvili8373]

American moment 😂🤡

[@mariamkobakhidze9287]

Abkhazia is Georgia !!!

[@ewok3270]

mariam kobakhidze no

[@coroso136]

Georgia is turkey

[@shanzelize91]

ვაი შე სირო :დდდ

[@greatkhan4248]

We are close for genetically sister but I can say Abkhazia is Abkhazian people because already life is finished in cacucasia everybody doing to escape for first world countries ... Battle was done to long years ago... Much love from Constantinople

[@Saba-dz9ge]

@@coroso136 tao klarjeti, lazeti mtliani mesxeti is Georgia

[@reanimationeas342]

"If Miley Cyrus never happened" I wish

[@God_is_Justice]

Good job CNN. Got damn Putin. When is he going to leave so Abkhazians and us Georgians can live together in peace again? Damn it!

[@eccIefechan]

Good job? This paints a completely distorted picture of what it's actually like. Yes it's basically a Russian occupied territory but it's nowhere near as isolated as this video makes it out to be.

[@dvchel]

It's CNN, what do you expect. Georgians destroyed the last remaining trust in 2008 with their violent invasion of the territory and that of South Ossetia. They rather want Russian protection than Georgian. Stupid Saakashvili is even being prosecuted for fraud and corruption in his own country lmao. He has also been fired of his position as governor of Odessa region. This idiot is not good enough anywhere.

[@aynrand7077]

You should know that veterans of the Abkhaz war even admit that the country they fought for is a Russian puppet!

[@bekanaveriani1145]

@@dvchel their is no any place in the world called South Ossetia. It is Samachablo and when we were in Soviet Union , goverment took people from Ossetia and let them live in Samachablo , so after that they decided to take this land and make it as part of Ossetia :) Learn history.

[@envercelik8733]

Meine Heimat Abchasien ❤❤💖💖👍

[@colangelog09]

I can tell the reporter knew that this project was irrelevant, and said to his mates "Should I throw that nonsense bit about Miley Cyrus in there?... Yeah, fuck it!"

[@MessiahComing]

Papers, please.

[@Mrviccietor]

Why is the voice over so dramatic. Sounds like an episode of bear grills.

[@jblasutavario9549]

That's British reporters for you lol

[@gigachaduneli1121]

first time i am jealous to abkhazia

[@motro1301]

Lol

[@reanimationeas342]

So am I

[@lukajalo8635]

0:34 yeah man totally not like georgia was trying to do that but then russia offered help but actually did nothing

[@fpvworld3645]

CNN Abkhazia is Georgian Land,georgian Teritories, Ocupied by russia! this is not russia ,this is not country, this is georgian region! ABKHAZIA IS GEORGIA!

[@asldjbaskaksjldbausyj2243]

Sochi isnt Abkhazia

[@marvindiassantos9568]

Clickbait title

[@PlateletRichGel]

Who's that chick who's rocking kick's, "She's gotta be from out of town". My tummy's hurtin and I'm felling kinda homesick.

[@yordanstefanov5570]

To all nations, who doesn't recognised Abkhazia i want you to go to Abkhazia, look abkhazians in the eyes and tell them they are not are real nation and should be part of another country, who hates them anyway.

[@zurakhasia674]

abkhazia is Georgia🇬🇪

[@genaroyunda1967]

ABKHAZİA Was always free.Abkhazia and Circassians together.👊🏻💂🏻Georgia is nothing.Georgia was a small vassal of ours in history. They took advantage of our departure.

[@sude9749]

Who is abkhazian but leaving different country

[@bubba842]

Really??? How do I emigrate there??

[@cavid.3255]

Stop Separatsm !!! 🤮🤮🤮 Abkhazia is Georgia From Azerbaijan 🇬🇪❤️🇦🇿 Ghanor Joba Sakartvelo

[@anxietywave8735]

LONG LIVE ABKHAZIA

[@MohammedAli-zh8kf]

We Kashmiri support Abkhazia independence, greeting from kotli ajk

[@rare9931]

they did a genocide there, do you really support them?

[@MohammedAli-zh8kf]

@@rare9931 who done genocide there??

[@rare9931]

@@MohammedAli-zh8kf we never did genocide there. you guys did in in 2008 when mommy Russia helped you with the independence battle

[@lukarekhviashvili1855]

@@MohammedAli-zh8kf they killed 30000 georgians

[@MohammedAli-zh8kf]

@@lukarekhviashvili1855 really 30000??? I don't support any killings, but there two side to every story.

[@republicofabkhazia377]

Thanks

[@user-ui6lv5to9y]

Абхазия покорила моё сердце. Народ в Абхазии доброжелательный и гостеприимный. Процветай, дорогая Абхазия, богатей и в останавливайся. Все у тебя получится! А я надеюсь ещё приеду к тебе в гости. Люблю тебя очень. 🤗💋

[@svetlanikolova7673]

i am moving there in a few years . i cant wait.

[@georgefenrirbitadze4757]

Enjoy getting robbed :)

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@georgefenrirbitadze4757 who is going to rob fool? have you been there? I can put your lights out with a pencil

[@georgefenrirbitadze4757]

@@svetlanikolova7673 yes I've been there with my Belarus friends, we got robbed at night, so walking at night, especially if u are a girl is no option, also when so called "police" stops you, avoid giving them your ID and personal information like where u live and so on, anyway good luck in no man's land :))

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@georgefenrirbitadze4757 YOU GOT ROBBED WHERE? IN THE CROWDED STREETS? WHERE WERE YOU ? were you at bars what? was it a populated place? Be more specific where you got robbed?

[@georgefenrirbitadze4757]

@@svetlanikolova7673 bars?? Hahahaha, I didn't see any decent bar in Abkhazia during my visit, I got robbed at around 22:00 near Sukhumi bazaar, at gulia street or something, there is stadium near aswell. That's where I got robbed, by 4 Abkhazian gentlemen, they said there was a fee for walking here and once we refused to pay they showed us knives, need any more details? Bars in Abkhazia ahahah.

[@envercelik8733]

Free abkhazia

[@sofiyarini]

do u think covid 19 touch here

[@eccIefechan]

Yes, it has.

[@motro1301]

They have 38 confirmed cases there. 35 have recovered

[@jurtel5946]

Абхазия - это Абхазия, а не часть Грузии!!!

[@georgiatbilisi1156]

net

[@lukarekhviashvili1855]

Afsua mogachri tavs

[@jurtel5946]

@@lukarekhviashvili1855 а можно по русски?

[@lukarekhviashvili1855]

@@jurtel5946 ladna.

[@jurtel5946]

@@lukarekhviashvili1855 спасибо

[@lordsasouki]

Abkhazia is free republic and sooner or later they will get recognation

[@kharzi555]

Yeah sure wait another 22 years.

[@Azurasstrongestsoldier]

After 2008 Russia kicked out 65% of the population of Abkhazia ( and by doing so they kicked out 85% of Abkhazians). The real Abkhazians don't want independence they want to remain united with Georgia. In fact after 2008 Abkhazia was recognized by only 6 countries and now only 4, also, Nauru only recognized them to get money from Russia.

[@lordsasouki]

Irakli Berdzenishvili 65% LOL from where you bring this number anyway Georgia lost its chance to be a leader country for north Caucasus nations because it used ths same policies of Stalien from Ethnic cleansing ,Forced displacement ,Literacy abkhazian culture.for that reasons we demanad our freedom and Independence. i belong to abkhazian race and speak abkhazian language and live in my homeland how can you Convince me that i am Georgian!!!!!!

[@lordsasouki]

Shorena Kharziani ok dear we can wait another 22 years we can wait the ever himself .

[@kharzi555]

Do you really believe it? If you do you are really naive. Russians will never let you free, very soon you will be part of Russia but that will not make the situation better. It gives me pain to see my beautiful Abkhazia in such a disastrous state. Yes MY Abkhazia I was born and raised there so I have just as much right to it as you do so I too have beliefs and I hope that one day it will be a great place where we will have to live side by side again.

[@atamertdansment5918]

Not Abkhazia, Apsny 😍🦅

[@mariamo369]

Abkhazeti*

[@lukarekhviashvili1855]

Georgia

[@user-zz1kd7zu2x]

For those who write here that Abkhazia is Georgia a little about history. Abkhazia and Georgia are different countries and different peoples. The capital of Abkhazia is the city of Sukhum. The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi. Abkhazia has been known since the VI century BC, as the country of Colchis, when the Greeks (Argonauts) began to sail there for the golden fleece. The Greeks founded several settlements in Colchis and lived with the local tribes. The names of some settlements have been preserved from ancient times to our time, for example, Gumista (a settlement on the Gumista river) and Ochamchiri. The names of some settlements have changed, for example, Pitiunt (the ruins of an ancient fortress exist) are now called Pitsunda. Then these lands belonged first to the Roman Empire, then to the Byzantine Empire. At the end of the VIII century, the Abkhazian kingdom arose, in which, in addition to local tribes and Greeks, several Georgian tribes, Armenians and even Arabs lived. In the second half of the 16th century, Abkhazia was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. In Abkhazia there were many uprisings against the Turks (in 1725, 1733, 1771, 1806, etc.). In 1810, in order to get rid of Ottoman oppression, the Principality of Abkhazia became part of the Russian Empire. Georgia, for the same reason, became part of the Russian Empire in 1801. After the February Revolution of 1917, Abkhazia was conquered by Georgia, and in 1918, a peace treaty was concluded between Georgia and Abkhazia in Moscow, and Abkhazia became part of Georgia. However, in 1921, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia was formed in Abkhazia, and in order to stop the Georgian attack in Abkhazia, Red Army troops were introduced. The USSR was formed in 1922, and Abkhazia entered it as a union republic. In 1931, Abkhazia was again annexed to Georgia. In 1990, Abkhazia again became a sovereign Abkhazian Socialist Republic. Georgia attacked Abkhazia three times to conquer Abkhazia again (in 1918, in 1992-1993, 1998 and in 2008). Now the Republic of Abkhazia is recognized as independent by Russia, which spoke in the conflict on its side, and five other UN member states. The same is now in Ukraine (Lugansk and Donetsk republics) and in Moldova (Transnistrian republic). All states, as they say in Russia, "step on the same rake", except for Russia. For example, Finland became part of the Russian Empire in 1809 with full autonomy. Finland had its own government - the Sejm. In Finland, there were two languages - Finnish and Swedish. I don’t know if Finland had its own currency or not. And in 1917, Finland seceded from the Russian Empire without war. In the nineties, all the republics of the former USSR also became independent states without war. In general, for you to know, in the 19th century the Russian Empire was a very large country. The Russian Empire included Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. The Russian Empire occupied a territory of 78 million square kilometers, a population of 178 million people who spoke more than 200 languages. In the Russian Empire and in the USSR there were no wars between nations.

[@lekaomiadze8053]

Abkhazia is a part of Georgia!

[@user-zz1kd7zu2x]

@@lekaomiadze8053 Soon you will all be part of Turkey. Georgia will cease to exist

[@lekaomiadze8053]

@@user-zz1kd7zu2x :D u must be joking :D

[@user-zz1kd7zu2x]

@@lekaomiadze8053 who knows? who knows? I hope that doesn't happen.

[@georgefenrirbitadze4757]

@@user-zz1kd7zu2x funny how you talk about history and have no idea what you even talking about :))) good job of copy pasting Putin's propaganda "history" just like Russians who destroy historical Georgian churches that date more than 15 centuries back in Abkhazia :)))

[@NicholasDarsania]

Abkhazia is Georgia