Fire Destroys Over 4,000 Artworks in Abkhazia's National Gallery

Significant Loss of Cultural Heritage Under Investigation, Arson Not Ruled Out

Over 4,000 artworks were destroyed in a fire at the National Picture Gallery of Abkhazia, marking a significant loss of cultural heritage.
The fire started in a bank before spreading to the nearby art gallery, which was in a state of disrepair.
Among the lost artworks were 300 pieces by Aleksandr Chachba-Sharvashidze, the first internationally recognized Abkhazian professional artist.
Approximately 150 to 200 paintings, mostly from the Soviet era, survived the fire, though many suffered damage.
Abkhazia’s prosecutor general’s office has launched a criminal investigation into the origins of the fire, and arson has not been ruled out.