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When I first saw pictures of the beautiful old buildings in the region of Abkhazia in 2014, I was immediately enchanted. The architecture design and the beautiful nature surrounding the ancient ruins were an aesthetic dream for me.

At that time, I did not know what my visit in 2019 would trigger in me.

After my entry over the Enguri river, it was easy to see that the wounds of the war were still wide agape. Beautiful houses were everywhere and their remains were slowly recaptured by nature.

Although I already know such scenarios from my visits to Croatia and Bosnia, it is still moving, as each abandoned building changed human history forever.

But like all my travels, I wanted to maintain my objectivity and enjoy my time here as I have done in Georgia before.

The Abkhazians were very hospitable people even though we were very often seen suspiciously. Anyway, I was either taking pictures or eating.

The feeling in the amazing buildings and abandoned places was often very difficult for me to classify. On the one hand, my passion is the decay and the architecture, and many of the places were very impressive. On the other hand, it made me sad because this region is a real pearl, whose gloss fades.

The more it is important to me to record all this in this project because even if the shine fades, a beautiful woman remains a beautiful woman.

As a stranger like me who does not know all the exact historical background of the conflict, it is even harder for me to really understand everything after my visit. I have heard many opinions and experienced a high level of hospitality and friendliness on both sides.

I really hope that both sides will find a good solution for both sides one day. Although you can build a physical boundary, each one can open the boundaries in the hearts.

In any case, my trip has ensured that the Georgians and Abkhazians have a big place in my heart. I hope that my pictures, even if the motives show destruction, will take the viewer on a journey through a good past.

What has happened can no longer be changed, only the way to the future is what counts. And how we shape it is up to us.

More info: andyschwetz.de | Facebook

#1

Delay Ii

Delay Ii

An incredibly beautiful old train station in the mountain region.

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mariaivanilova avatar
Maria Ivanilova
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is Tsar era, not sovet. This was build before the revolution and closed and abandoned in the sovet period.

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#2

The Storm Is Over

The Storm Is Over

View from a balcony of an abandoned sanatorium.

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#3

The Black Sea Dreams

The Black Sea Dreams

The jaw-dropping view from the huge balcony of a former sanatorium.

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#4

Administration

Administration

The area was once famous for its excellent tea. Now the factories are abandoned. This is the administration building of one of them.

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daniela-iuliabalaciu avatar
Daniela-Iulia Balaciu
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

might look like an town-hall building. they were a very healthy nation, but with a grandoar embedded in their blood

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#5

Delay I

Delay I

One of many beautiful abandoned train stations in Abkhazia.

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#6

The Choice

The Choice

The impressive staircase of an abandoned house of culture which was built for the train workers of the town.

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#7

Palms And Ruins

Palms And Ruins

An abandoned pulmonary sanatorium which was built by a landlord for his wife. It has 365 rooms. One for every day.

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#8

Royal

Royal

This old sanatorium was really built with attention to detail.

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sharron lynn parsons
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it is said, to restore is not worth the cost, therefore most incredible buildings are destroyed, sad !!!

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#9

Jungle Palace

Jungle Palace

A palace in town which was transformed into a small Angor wat now.

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#10

Intense

Intense

The ceiling in the old theater of Gagra shows what beautiful architecture was present in the region.

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sharronlparsons avatar
sharron lynn parsons
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They loved color and made a lovely difference, as well as the gorgeous ceilings !!!

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#11

Delay Iv

Delay Iv

Another station in Gagra, which nature is slowly recapturing.

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#12

Escape

Escape

This was the entrance hall of a former sanatorium on a hill near the black sea coast.

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#13

Delay Iii

Delay Iii

The abandoned central station of Sukhumi.

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#14

Colors Of Decay

Colors Of Decay

I found this room especially beautiful because of its architecture and the colors of the decay.

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sharronlparsons avatar
sharron lynn parsons
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I especially love arches. doorways, and windows, these days you seldom see any, too many square designs !!!

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#15

Pre Chai Latte

Pre Chai Latte

An abandoned café with truly unique architecture near the beach promenade.

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Cheryl Wilcox
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just love the composition of this and of all these photos. Really nice.

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#16

Shine On

Shine On

The huge staircase in the old pulmonary sanatorium of Prince Smetsky (built 1913).

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Monika Soffronow
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With the world running out of antibiotics, tuberculosis, which was the number one killer up until the 1940s, is once again gaining ground. The BCG vaccine was first used on humans in 1921 in France, but it was not until after World War II that BCG received widespread acceptance. Streptomycin, isolated in 1944, was the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis. To any anti-vaxxers reading this: I would not be writing this unless I had wilfully let doctors poison me. It almost killed me, and that is how come I am still here. Make fewer children, but take proper care of the ones you have!

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#17

Shades

Shades

The former ministry building is now totally fallen to ruin and full of injection needles and trash.

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#18

Exile

Exile

The plane of former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze at the former airport of Sukhumi.

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#19

I'm Alone

I'm Alone

A former mountain town that used to be populated by miners and their families. After the war, the mines were closed and abandoned. A few isolated people still live there.

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#20

Hakan

Hakan

Abandoned Turkish freighter in an Abkhazian harbor.

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#21

Brutalism

Brutalism

The huge abandoned Hotel of a former sports complex.

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#22

War Remains

War Remains

A depressing scene in an abandoned mining town.

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#23

Free Seats

Free Seats

Another house of culture which has fallen into a ruin.

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sdeveno12 avatar
BasedWang
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dunno why but this looks like it could be called like "War in theatre" I know someone could come up with a better name, but the way the wall in the back is damaged, making it look somewhat outta focus looks screenish to me. As if you were sitting in this hall and the projection screen just decayed before your eyes and burned from the middle to the outside. As a metaphor for all the s**t that is just crashing and burning in the world right now.

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