Gagra

Gagra is a city (since 1932) in western Georgia, in Abkhazia. It is the center of the Gagra Municipality. It is located on the southern slope of the Gagra Range, on the Black Sea coastal highway. It has a railway station and a harbor. It is located located 90 km from Sokhumi and 534 km from Tbilisi. The population is 12,000 (2020), with an agglomeration of 42,000 inhabitants.

The name "Gagra" first appears on a 13th-century Venetian map, while it is first mentioned in historical sources in the 14th century as "Gagara." It is also indicated on Italian maps from the 14th–15th centuries, close to its existing geographical location, in the modern Gagra district's interior, near the old fortress. People have lived here since the Paleolithic era. Gagra was an important medieval port of Georgia. In 1901, the construction of a climatic station created a foundation for its transformation into a resort. In 1901, Prince Oldenburg received the best lands of Gagra as a gift from Nicholas II, along with the surrounding area. Between 1901 and 1914, Prince Oldenburg's palace was built, along with several hotels ("Gagrifshi" and others), private villas and a dendrological park.

The slopes of the Gagra range are covered with subtropical deciduous forests. The climate is humid subtropical, with mild winters and hot summers. The average annual temperature is 14.1°C, with 6.2°C in January and 24.5°C in August. Annual precipitation is 1340 mm. The duration of sunshine is 1830 hours per year. The seawater temperature in summer is between 22 and 26°C. The bathing season lasts from May to November. The natural therapeutic factors are the climate, sea, and beach.

In the southeastern part of the city (Old Gagra), there was a large fortress with its church. After Georgia’s annexation by Russia, the fortress was restored by the royal government in 1830, and a garrison was placed there. Today, the eastern and northern walls of the fortress remain. Two construction layers can be seen on these walls. The first layer belongs to an earlier period, while the second layer is likely from the late Middle Ages. Inside the fortress stands a medium-sized church from the 6th–7th centuries. The facades are covered with slightly worked stone. Notable ornamentation includes a cross with equal arms in a circle. The basilica was restored in the 19th century.

The latest general development plan for Gagra was approved in 1977 (authors: E. Bagrationi, L. Goshadze, N. Mikadze, consultant—Russian architect A. Kuznetsov).

Currently, Gagra is in the occupied territory.

Sh. Lashkhadze

G. Ushvelidze

T. Beradze

P. Zakariadze