Editor of the encyclopedia “Armenians of the Black Sea Region” publicly apologized to residents of Abkhazia
Editor Christopher Mkhtaryan recorded a video message in which he publicly apologized for the information in the first volume of the encyclopedia “Armenians of the Black Sea Region,” which caused outrage among the residents of Abkhazia.
As reported by “Caucasian Knot”, the Armenian community in Abkhazia has previously faced threats and insults. On February 20, 2025, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a case for inciting hatred and hostility with threats of violence against Armenians, Russians, and Abkhazians living in Abkhazia who hold Russian citizenship. According to the investigation, calls for the persecution of these citizens, including violence against Armenians, were spread on the internet.
On February 17, 2025, a resident of Gagra, Enver Bganba apologized to the Armenian community after an audio recording with threats was circulated regarding the results of the first round of the presidential elections. Bganba claimed that the audio recordings were edited, and in a published video of a meeting with a community representative, he explained that he spoke out of emotion and did not intend to offend the Armenian people.
The editor of the first volume of the encyclopedia “Armenians of the Black Sea Region” Christopher Mkhtaryan recorded a video message apologizing to the residents of Abkhazia. He acknowledged his responsibility for the appearance of information in the publication that he called pseudoscientific and that hurt the national feelings of Abkhazians.
“As the editor, I share my share of responsibility, having shown incompetence and allowing the article to go to print. In this regard, I apologize to the public of Abkhazia and assure that I had no intention to tarnish or offend the national feelings of Abkhazians,” Mkhtaryan stated in the video message, which was published on October 30 by the Telegram channel “News | Emergency Abkhazia.”
The first volume of the encyclopedia was published in 2020. Its author and compiler of the controversial article is candidate of historical sciences Igor Kuznetsov, Mkhtaryan clarified. In the same volume, there is a large article “Abkhazia,” in which, according to Mkhtaryan, the information is presented correctly.
According to the editor, immediately after the release of the first volume, the print run was returned to the printing house, and the article “Abaza” was corrected. The encyclopedia was not intended for sale, and the copies that appeared on marketplaces have no relation to the creators of the publication, he stated.
“The electronic version of the encyclopedia has also been removed from the internet. Only a few copies distributed during the presentation remain, and currently, all remaining volumes have been seized and will be sent for disposal,” Mkhtaryan added.
He expressed regret about what happened.
Abkhaz veterans demanded to hold the authors of the encyclopedia accountable
The article “Abaza” caused outrage among the residents of Abkhazia, as it provided an indecent interpretation of the name of Abkhazians and Abazins, JAMnews explained on October 30. The veterans’ organization “Aruaa” regarded the publication as a provocation and demanded measures against the authors and those involved in the publication of the book, including declaring them persona non grata and initiating criminal cases.
At a meeting of the Council for Veterans Affairs under the President of Abkhazia, representatives of the Armenian community also condemned the publication. Meeting participants considered the statements in the book offensive to the Abkhaz people and distorting historical facts. Following the meeting, the vice president instructed relevant agencies to take measures to prevent the distribution of the publication, reported the newspaper “Republic of Abkhazia” on October 23, citing the press service of the president of the republic.
On October 28, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Abkhazia reported on its website about the inspection of the materials of the encyclopedia. The agency indicated that it is checking the actions of the authors and publishers for signs of crimes under the criminal legislation of the republic.
The article was conceived as part of a series of publications on ethnic stereotypes and national nicknames, explained its author Igor Kuznetsov. “I believed that knowledge is the best weapon against national prejudices,” he wrote in an open letter published on October 22 on the website Russia-Armenia.info.
Kuznetsov acknowledged the publication of the article as erroneous. According to him, in 2023, after criticism, it was decided to withdraw the original version of the article, and the print run was revised, replacing the controversial text. As the author claimed, about ten copies distributed at the presentation remained uncorrected. After the release of the second volume, the project was closed, he added.
The practice of public apologies initiated by Ramzan Kadyrov has spread beyond Chechnya and extended to other regions of Russia. More about this practice can be read in the “Caucasian Knot” reference “The Fashion for Apologies: From Chechnya to the Outskirts”. “Caucasian Knot” also maintains “A Chronicle of Public Apologies in the Caucasus”.
