The Georgian exodus from Abkhazia

Summary

Witness History – “The Georgian Exodus from Abkhazia”

Podcast: Witness History
Host: Stefania Gozzer
Published: June 15, 2026
Guest: Guram Modisharya, Georgian poet and eyewitness

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Episode Overview

This episode of Witness History explores the harrowing events surrounding the fall of Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, on September 27, 1993, through the personal narrative of Guram Modisharya—a Georgian poet born and raised in Abkhazia. Through his vivid memories and experiences, listeners are taken inside the mass exodus of ethnic Georgians fleeing war, the perilous mountain escape, and the lifelong scars left by this little-known conflict.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Historical Context and Multicultural Past

• Collapse of the USSR: In the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, Georgia became independent, with Abkhazia remaining a multiethnic region inside its borders.
• Demographics: At the time, Abkhaz made up about 20% of the population; ethnic Georgians were almost half, with Armenians and Greeks also present.
• Escalation to War: Tensions led to armed conflict as Abkhaz rebels, seeking independence, clashed with Georgian troops (01:31).

“Sukhumi was a very multicultural place when I was growing up. Everyone got along pretty well. No one could have predicted the severity of the war.”
— Guram Modisharya (02:10)

Outbreak of Violence

• Start of Conflict (Aug 14, 1992): Guram describes hearing military helicopters, sudden missile attacks, and rockets hitting tourist areas, demonstrating the brutality and chaos from the outset (02:10–02:58).
• Family Decisions: Guram sends his wife and daughter to safety in Tbilisi but stays behind until Sukhumi falls (02:58–03:07).

The Exodus and Journey

• Escape Blocked: Traditional routes closed due to war; Guram, his mother, brother, and friend attempt a mountain escape with few possessions—“just a few photo albums...and some documents” (03:30).
• To the Mountains: The group reaches Sakeni in the Caucasus Mountains, marking the end of their car journey and the start of a perilous trek on foot (03:48–04:14).
• Separation from Family: Due to injury and treacherous conditions, Guram has to leave his mother behind with relatives; he tricks his brother into leaving without him to avoid endangering both lives (04:14–04:36).

The Deadly Mountain Pass

• Conditions: Guram and a friend cross the mountain amid blizzards, freezing temperatures, and little appropriate clothing (05:00).
• Haunting Scenes: Encounters with death and trauma are frequent; the physical and psychological toll becomes clear (05:36):

"I remember a woman who was carrying a bag with the remains of her child who had died in the Sukhumi bombings. ... I had never heard or read about people dropping like flies in this way. The main thing killing people was the stress of the situation."
— Guram Modisharya (05:36)

• Altitude and Exhaustion: The pass reaches over 2,800 meters; oxygen deprivation brings hallucinations and life-threatening exhaustion (06:17–06:34).
• Near Death: Guram nearly succumbs to the cold, saved only by his friend and a surprising use of perfume to awaken him (06:34):

“You will freeze. You will die. ... Only after he found some perfume in his bag and sprayed it on my face, I opened my eyes to the familiar scent ... I felt a lump of snow next to me, which revealed a frozen person underneath.”
— Guram Modisharya (06:34)

Arrival and Reflection

• Reaching Safety: After two days, Guram reaches Djuberi, recognizing the journey was far longer than promised—“no less than 50 kilometers” (07:45).
• Scale of the Tragedy: He and his friend were among tens of thousands fleeing; hundreds died along the route (08:01).

“What kept me going was the thought that if I survived, I would describe every detail to show people what war truly is.”
— Guram Modisharya (08:14)

• Post-Exodus Life: Guram recounts losing his connection to his city and poetry. He resumed writing later in life, focusing on stories and novels. He published “The Path of the Persecuted” (08:40).

Abkhazia’s Legacy

• Current Reality: Most of the world recognizes Abkhazia as part of Georgia; in practice, it remains a self-governing entity with Russian backing (08:24).
• Personal Transformation: The war cut Guram off from his inspiration, but he transformed trauma into literary work.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No one could have predicted the severity of the war.”
  Guram Modisharya, 02:10
• “The brutality of the war became apparent straight away.”
  Guram Modisharya, 02:58
• “I had never heard or read about people dropping like flies in this way. The main thing killing people was the stress of the situation.”
  Guram Modisharya, 05:36
• “In the mountain pass, we would have hallucinations from the lack of oxygen ... I sat down in a heap of snow and started falling asleep. This unbreakable slumber was dragging me down and I gave in. My friend caught up and started shouting at me to wake up. ... Only after he found some perfume in his bag and sprayed it on my face, I opened my eyes.”
  Guram Modisharya, 06:34
• “What kept me going was the thought that if I survived, I would describe every detail to show people what war truly is.”
  Guram Modisharya, 08:14

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05–01:31: Introduction and historical context
• 02:10–02:58: Guram’s early life in Sukhumi, outbreak of war
• 03:30–04:36: Decision to flee; the beginning of the mountain journey
• 05:00–06:17: Crossing the mountain pass; extreme conditions and loss
• 06:34–07:45: Near death, hallucinations, reaching Djuberi
• 08:14–08:58: Reflections on survival, writing, and legacy of Abkhazia

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Conclusion

Through Guram Modisharya’s first-hand account, this episode delivers a vivid, personal perspective on a rarely discussed moment in post-Soviet history. It underscores the pain of displacement, the randomness of survival, and the lasting impact of war on individual lives and communities. Modisharya’s determination to bear witness—to write and remember—ensures that the trauma experienced by thousands is not forgotten.

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For further exploration: The episode recommends listening to “The Georgian Abkhaz War” for a broader historical context.

Transcript

[Guram Modisharya]

Hello.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Welcome to Witness History with me, Stefania Gozzer. If this is one of your favorite podcasts already, feel free to skip ahead a little bit but if you are listening for the very first time, welcome. I want to tell you a bit more about us. We look at a moment in history told by the people who were there. We use incredible archive and hear amazing stories. We with new 9 minute episodes dropping every weekday. So if that sounds like your thing hit subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts and turn on your notifications so you never miss an episode. But for now, let's get to the story. It's the 27th of September 1993 and Sukhumi, the capital of a former Soviet territory called Abkhazia is is about to fall into the hands of separatist forces. Two years earlier, the Soviet Union had collapsed, leaving Georgia an independent country and Abkhazia a region within Georgia. In the modern Abkhazia, the Abkhaz people only accounted for about 20% of the population. They lived alongside communities such as Armenians and Greeks and of course, ethnic Georgians, who made up almost half of the population. But now Abka's rebels had taken up arms to seek independence.

[Narrator]

A ferocious civil war is now raging in the west of Georgia. Troops loyal to the government of Eduard Shevardnata are trying to crush remaining resistance in the breakaway region of Abkhazia, but it's proving tougher than they'd expected. The rebels have got reinforcements and they've mounted a counterattack. They declared independence last month, but Mr. Shevard Madsen says this is still Georgian territory and he's prepared to fight for every inch of it.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Gura Modisharya is a Georgian poet. Born and raised in Abkhazia.

[Guram Modisharya]

Sukhumi was a very multicultural place when I was growing up. Everyone got along pretty well. There were a lot of Georgian Afghaz families. Because of this, social relations were fairly peaceful. No one could have predicted the severity of the world. Up broke out on the 14th of August 1992. I was on leave from work and went swimming when a military helicopter flew overhead. It started firing missiles. It turned out to be the Georgian military entering Abkhazia. I swam to shore and drove home. They fired rockets towards the city. Even though there were many tourists there. The brutality of the war became apparent straight away.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Guram sent his wife and daughter to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, but he remained at home until the day Abka's forces took Sukhumi.

[Narrator]

After the fall of Sukhumi, a mass exodus of refugees has begun. Families fleeing by boat or Escaping along mountain paths because the roads have been cut off.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Guram first thought of leaving Abkhazia by driving along the coast. But the rest of Georgia had also fallen into civil war.

[Guram Modisharya]

The roads were closed. We had no choice but to head in an unknown direction and ended up in the mountains. In the car, it was just me, my mother, my brother and our friend, with almost nothing else. Just a few photo albums I really wanted to save and some documents.

[Stefania Gozzer]

It was a long journey inland from the Black Sea coast to the small village of Sakeni, deep in a valley. Valley in the Caucasus Mountains. Beyond that point, the only way out of Abkhazia was a narrow mountain trail too steep and dangerous for regular cars. A handful of helicopters carried the most vulnerable across the mountains into Georgia.

[Guram Modisharya]

Sagani was where I left my old car. I'd injured my knee in the city bombings and was walking with a steel. My mother said she would be able to walk, but when we approached the mountain, we were warned of its dangers. I realized I had to leave her with some relatives in the hope that they might be able to drive her later.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Guram tricked his brother into leaving without him. He told him that he was going to wait for a helicopter because he feared that if they set off together and his injured knee gave out, his brother would refuse to leave him behind and might stay with him to die in the mountains. After his brother left, Guran began to cross the pass with a friend.

[Guram Modisharya]

It was raining and our feet were slipping, but we had to keep going. The further up we went, the worse the blizzard became. But there was no going back now. I had a jumper and a warm coat that I'd thrown into my car just in case, but I only had summer sandals and light trousers. We quickly went from warmth to sub zero temperatures.

[Stefania Gozzer]

What he witnessed on that journey still haunts him.

[Guram Modisharya]

I remember a woman who was carrying a bag with the remains of her child who had died in the Sohomi bombings. Then I saw a husband and wife carrying a big suitcase each. The woman collapsed suddenly and I went to help, but she was on. Someone checked her pulse and announced that she had just died. The husband immediately dropped his suitcase and fell beside her. When I tried to help him up, it was clear he had also died. I had never heard or read about people dropping like flies in this way. The main thing killing people was the stress of the situation.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Not only was the pain pass bitterly cold. It reached altitudes of more than 2,800 meters above sea level. At that height, the air is thinner, making movement slower and breathing harder at night.

[Guram Modisharya]

In the mountain pass, we would have hallucinations from the lack of oxygen. My friend was convinced he had arrived in some Viking territory. I sat down in a heap of snow and started falling asleep. This unbreakable slumber was dragging me down and I gave in. My friend caught up and started shouting at me to wake up. You will freeze. You will die. He was slapping my face and shaking me. Only after he found some perfume in his bag and sprayed it on my face, I opened my eyes to the familiar scent. I asked what perfume it was. Red Moscow. He showed me. Why did you even bring this? I asked. I felt a lump of snow next to me, which revealed a frozen person underneath. Next to that another. They had also rested and fallen asleep in that particularly difficult spot.

[Stefania Gozzer]

After two days in the mountains, Guram finally reached the village of Djuberi in the Georgian region of Svaneti.

[Guram Modisharya]

I wouldn't have made it a third day. The locals had said it would be an eight kilometer walk to Juberi, but they must have been trying to make us feel better, because it was no less than 50.

[Stefania Gozzer]

Kuram and his friend were among the tens of thousands who fled through the Caucasus Mountains after the fall of Suhumi in Abkhaz hands. Hundreds are thought to have died along the way.

[Guram Modisharya]

What kept me going was the thought that if I survived, I would describe every detail to show people what word truly is.

[Stefania Gozzer]

And so he did in his book the Path of the Persecuted. To this day, most of the world considers Abkhazia part of Georgia. In practice, however, it operates as a self governing territory backed by Russia.

[Guram Modisharya]

When the war started, I was cut off from my source of inspiration, my city, my people. I started writing again at 40, but this time I wrote short stories and novels instead of poetry.

[Stefania Gozzer]

That was Georgian writer Guramodisharia speaking to me. Stefania Gotzer for Witness History from the BBC World Service. If you've enjoyed this, please let your friends know about Witness History. And if you'd like to hear more about what happened during the conflict in Abkhazia, why not listen to our episode called the Georgian Abkhaz War. Make sure you hit. Subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Thank you for listening. Bye.

[Guram Modisharya]

A moment in time captured by what they heard. I heard some people making phone calls. Okay, which Runway would you like at Teterborough? We're going to begin the Hudson. What they saw I put my head down. I saw the movie of my life started going through my head. What they smelt I still remember the smell of the fresh fish and I

[Stefania Gozzer]

completely lost my appetite.

[Guram Modisharya]

Moments captured which last for a lifetime.

[Narrator]

Scientists have made the atomic bomb that

[Stefania Gozzer]

sort of flash set on fire the

[Guram Modisharya]

birds and they all fell down without their feathers. On the way was clear for Hitler to realize all his demonic plans. Stories from people with first hand accounts of events that have shaped our world. At the end, Kissinger called me into his office and he said, you did a good job. I left the office with tears in my eyes.

[Stefania Gozzer]

She called me and told me I'm doing Studio 54. She had already become a star in Paris.

[Guram Modisharya]

She came back a superstar. Listen now. Search for witness history wherever you get your BBC podcasts.