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Abasha (town)
Encyclopedia
Abasha is a town in western Georgia
with a population of 6,400 (2002 census). It is situated between the rivers of Abasha and Noghela, at 23m above sea level
and is located some 283 km (176 mi) to the west of Tbilisi
. The settlement of Abasha acquired the status of a town in 1964 and currently functions as an administrative center of the Abasha District
within the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
region. The headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Eparchy of Chkondidi is also located in Abasha.
The modern history of Abasha is primarily associated with a resonant Soviet
-era economic experiment introduced by the Georgian Communist party chief Eduard Shevardnadze
in the 1970s. In 1971, Shevardnadze grouped all regional agricultural institutions, including the kolkhoz
, into a single management association. At the same time, those who worked on the land received material and financial preference. The move facilitated local initiative and coordination and led to a rapid increase in agricultural production in the hitherto very poor Abasha District. It had been the first private enterprise in the Soviet Union since Lenin. Early in the 1980s, the "Abasha experiment" was expanded, with varying degrees of success, to other regions of Georgia.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
with a population of 6,400 (2002 census). It is situated between the rivers of Abasha and Noghela, at 23m above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
and is located some 283 km (176 mi) to the west of Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. The settlement of Abasha acquired the status of a town in 1964 and currently functions as an administrative center of the Abasha District
Abasha District
Abasha is a district of Georgia, in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. Its main town is Abasha.Population: 28,707 Area: 323 km²- List of villages in Abasha District :* Abashispiri* Bulvani* Gamogma Zanati* Gamogma Kodori...
within the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti is a region in western Georgia which includes the historical Georgian provinces of Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti and has Zugdidi as its capital.-Geography:...
region. The headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Eparchy of Chkondidi is also located in Abasha.
The modern history of Abasha is primarily associated with a resonant Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
-era economic experiment introduced by the Georgian Communist party chief Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
in the 1970s. In 1971, Shevardnadze grouped all regional agricultural institutions, including the kolkhoz
Kolkhoz
A kolkhoz , plural kolkhozy, was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms . The word is a contraction of коллекти́вное хозя́йство, or "collective farm", while sovkhoz is a contraction of советское хозяйство...
, into a single management association. At the same time, those who worked on the land received material and financial preference. The move facilitated local initiative and coordination and led to a rapid increase in agricultural production in the hitherto very poor Abasha District. It had been the first private enterprise in the Soviet Union since Lenin. Early in the 1980s, the "Abasha experiment" was expanded, with varying degrees of success, to other regions of Georgia.
People from Abasha
- Konstantine GamsakhurdiaKonstantine GamsakhurdiaKonstantine Gamsakhurdia was a Georgian writer and public figure, who, along with Mikheil Javakhishvili, is considered to be one of the most influential Georgian novelists of the 20th century...
(1893–1975), a popular Georgian writer - Radish TordiaRadish TordiaRadish Tordia is a painter of figurative art from Georgia. He works in oil painting, with particular emphasis on colouristic features. His preferred subject is women, who he regards as "the most beautiful creation in the world."...
(born 1936), a modern Georgian painter