WUNRN
PERSONAL STORY OF ELISO, INTERNALLY
DISPLACED IN ABKHAZIA - REGION IN GEORGIA - AT AGE 13
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Abkhazia is a region in Georgia that is a de facto independent republic, with no international recognition. It is located within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and borders the Russian Federation to the north. Under Georgia's official subdivision, it is an autonomous republic Abkhaz, with Sukhumi as its capital, bordering the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to the east.
A secessionist movement of the Abkhaz ethnic minority in the region led to the declaration of independence from Georgia in 1992 and the Georgian-Abkhaz armed conflict from 1992 to 1993 which resulted in the Georgian military defeat and the mass exodus and ethnic cleansing of Georgian population from Abkhazia. In spite of the 1994 ceasefire accord and the ongoing UN-monitored and Russian-dominated CIS peacekeeping operation, the sovereignty dispute has not yet been resolved and the region remains divided between the two rival authorities, with over 83 percent of its territory governed by the Russian-backed Sukhumi-based separatist government and about 17 percent governed by the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, recognized by Georgia as the legal authority of Abkhazia, located in the Kodori Valley, part of Georgian-controlled Upper Abkhazia. This dispute remains a source of serious tension between Georgia and Russia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia
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Eliso
is an IDP - Internally Displaced Person - from the village of Okhurei
in Abkhazia. She was 13 years old when she became an IDP. She is now 27.
Eliso
is an internally displaced person (IDP) from the village of Okhurei in
the Ochamchire District of Abkhazia. Eliso was 13 when she became an
IDP. At present she is living in the collective centre in Zugdidi (1).
The conflict had a serious effect on her family. Her mother had to go to
Russia in search of work in order to improve the economic situation of the
family. Her brother intends to go to Iraq. Financial need was the main reason
for his decision too. Eliso is a presenter of a music programme on the local
Georgian radio station. She considers herself a successful and fulfilled
person. She talks about the process she went through to achieve a sense of
integration. The story was recorded in Georgian.
"It was too much for a child of my age"
I was 13 and I was in the seventh form. I remember everything very well. I
remember exactly the night we left. There had been conflict before and we used
to come here from time to time. Sometimes we went to Tbilisi; other times we
went to Tskaltubo (2). [The authorities] would suddenly say that everything had
calmed down and we would go back. I had to keep changing schools, which was
very bad. Imagine having to change schools five or six times a year.
It was difficult to adjust to the new environment. I found it very hard to part
with my friends with whom I had spent so many years. It was difficult both to
part with them and to have to adjust to the new environment. Basically I’m not
afraid of a new environment, but the change was not permanent. I had to go
somewhere new every three or four months and it was too much for a child of my
age. We had to change locations according to what we could afford; my parents
would decide. Sometimes we had to go to Tbilisi too.
After coming [to Zugdidi], we chose the place to stay according to our
financial capacity. Financial means were the deciding factor, not our desire. I
wanted to be either in Tbilisi or Kutaisi (3) or Tskaltubo. My relationship
with my friends was most important for me at school. So I can’t say I
experienced [real] discomfort from the adjustment to a new environment but it
was still difficult.
Generally, I like interaction, getting to know new people, but I was more
reserved in my childhood. Because of my personality I might have slightly
negative memories of certain things.
Conditions in the Collective Centre
Now we’re living in Zugdidi. We’ve been living here since we moved out after Sukhumi
surrendered [in 1993]. There are not many families living here. This must
be the reason that no one pays any attention to us. Other IDP families may be
"spoilt" by [humanitarian] assistance or the repair works, but we get
nothing like that - although I am active in approaching various institutions. I
have written several letters of request as well - but no one has responded so
far. On this matter my father tells me - either I didn’t write anything or I
did not hand them in and I’m telling lies [about the letters]. I just ask them
to repair the building and improve our living conditions. It’s a small space
and it would be great if they repaired as much as possible, but there’s no
response.
"The IDP children...were last in everything"
When we moved here I went to School number 10 in Zugdidi. Again, my preferences
didn’t count. We took a spontaneous decision because the school was the
closest. There was a very nice environment there. I say this without a trace of
hypocrisy. Everything was wonderful. I got used to it. When my friends told me
different stories I was surprised. It’s part of human nature that something
that is not part of your experience seems strange.
I happened to visit my uncle’s in Samtredia (4). I met the girls who were
living in the collective centre there. One day we got together to have a cup of
coffee and started relating our memories of how we moved here, how we had
adjusted to the local environment. I described Zugdidi very positively. By the
way, they were surprised. They thought Zugdidi was difficult to get used to.
The situation turned out worse in Samtredia; the IDP children sat at the rear
desks in the schools there. That might not matter now, but children are very
sensitive about such things. That meant they were last in everything.
It might be true that a person creates their own environment, but everyone I
talked to there shared the opinion that their friends made fun of them because
they were the IDP from Abkhazia. Their peers often told them that they didn’t
have their own homes or anything. A lot of children left school because of
that.
Adjusting to displacement: "my age should be taken into account"
I think it is both good and bad when I say it was easy for me to adjust to the
life of an IDP. When a person listens to me they might think I am satisfied.
After listening to [myself in] the tape-recording, I didn’t like it. I say that
I have adjusted, I have got used to being an IDP and that I feel well now. On
the other hand, someone might get annoyed listening to me. My age should be
taken into account as well. I’ve spent a significant part of my life here. Life
starts at the age of 13, [when you start to notice the world around you].
Before that was the age of childhood. Some people might not be pleased by the
idea that I feel fine without being in Abkhazia.
I am very critical of myself. I look at my situation from a different angle.
Afterwards I listened to the story of a friend of mine and I was more
concerned. He says he still has the feeling of dissatisfaction; that he is
still worried that his parents are here, that he can’t go to Abkhazia. He says
this feeling of dissatisfaction enables him to struggle. I think so too. I just
wanted to say that there are both positive and negative sides to everything
Memories of Kindergarten
I remember everything about our life in Abkhazia. I particularly remember my
friends from school and the kindergarten. Once when I was in Tbilisi a friend
of mine invited me to her birthday party. A boy was sitting in front of me. I
was wondering where I knew him from. Suddenly I remembered that we had gone to
the same kindergarten. I took some photos with me when we left and those photos
helped me to recognise the people. I asked him if his name was Dato. I remember
everyone’s names; I can say the names of everyone in a photo.
He said his name really was Dato. He didn’t recognise me. I told him who I was
and afterwards he remembered me. We embraced each other and completely forgot
that we were at the birthday party. What special memories could we have had of
the kindergarten [as it was so long ago]? But we still remembered lots of things;
we remembered things like dancing and singing together in the kindergarten.
I’ve certainly had moments when I thought it would be great if I had not been
an IDP. I constantly think that it would have been good. My life might have
taken a completely different direction. Certainly our life would have been more
positive; we wouldn’t have had to begin everything from the beginning, from
scratch. We are still trying to organise our lives. As it turned out, nothing
happens easily.
"I always say I am from Abkhazia"
At present I do the job I like. I work at the Atinati (5) radio station. I am a
presenter of the music programme. I like the idea of so many people listening
to me. Although I don’t belong to this town, people will still remember my
name.
I feel special warmth in the letters from Abkhazia. I always say I am from
Abkhazia. I realise it has a positive effect on the Abkhazian listeners. They
always tell me about themselves.
I went to a party yesterday. There was a guest from Abkhazia. He had read my interview
in the newspaper and he recognised me from my photo published with the
interview. He told me he was proud of me and that he always listened to me. I
was so pleased that I almost clapped.
I was surprised when someone called from Gudauta (6) once. I even remember his
name. It was clear from his accent that he was Abkhazian. He spoke in
Russian. He said that he still loved us [Georgians]; that he always listened to
our radio [programmes]; he hoped we would return soon. I told him I was from
Abkhazia. He said he wanted me to come home. I was so excited. I told everyone
that the Abkhazian had called me.
"I’ll return with great pleasure"
There’s no one left where I used to live. Although my grandfather and uncle
live in Gali district, I didn’t dare to go there even once. My sister, my
brother and my parents went, but I turned out to be a coward. However, I wonder
what it is like.
I’ll return with great pleasure if there’s a chance. I think I will share my
time between here and there. At least I imagine that I will be able to. Frankly
speaking, I don’t believe in our return very much. If it happens it might
happen as a result of war. We should regain through war what we lost through
war. How can we get it back by peaceful means? Well, I can’t imagine.
Even if there is a return, imagine [what it would be like] if we returned. I
know beforehand what the situation would be like there. There will be chaos and
mess. Actually we’ll have to begin everything from scratch. I can’t imagine
living there in the first years. I think we’ll need time to prepare the
foundations for our return.
"I won’t have that IDP complex"
My peers and friends really have an IDP complex. What most ordinary people
experience is that when you don’t have a house or a flat you feel ashamed to
invite people to where you’re living, because of the conditions there. But I
remember a story by Revaz Inanishvili (7). It’s a wonderful story. A girl and a
boy are in love. The girl is poor while the boy’s family is well off. The boy
wants the girl to invite him home, but the girl can’t do so because of the
extremely poor living conditions. Whenever the boy asks her when she’s going to
introduce him to her parents, the girl always avoids [the issue]. When the boy
found out the reason for her hesitation he dumped her, saying he could never
have imagined she would think about such things. He said he thought she had
turned out a completely different person.
I always calm myself down with things like this; I look down on such attitudes,
as it were. The person I fall in love with will understand me and I won’t have
that IDP complex. I don’t think I could fall in love with anyone who made me
have a complex like that. I haven’t had that kind of complex so far. I find it
easy to invite my friends home. But the reason might be that they are real
friends.
"The older generation suffers more"
I think everything has had an important effect on the formation of my
personality. First of all it’s important that I am employed. I think I would be
different without this. However, I’ve never thought about what kind of person I
would be. Success itself is a great advantage in my life. I get attention and
when a person gets attention, there’s no place for all those complexes,
especially the negative ones.
The attitude of the older generation such as my father is different. When we
moved here, they used to say that we would return in a week; then they said
that we would return in a month, in two months. Well, 14 years have passed and
if asked he’ll reply that the return will be tomorrow. He listens to the news
programmes every hour. He still can’t get over [what happened]. He has retained
the attitude that he formed on the very first day of this situation. We should
admit that the older generation suffers more, because they spent the major part
of their life there. We adjusted more easily.
"The conflict had a serious effect on my family"
I can’t say there’s an ideal situation at home. The conflict had a serious
effect on my family. My mother is in Moscow because of the financial situation.
My father can’t support the family. My brother is in the army. He is in the
Commandos. My sister is a student in Tbilisi and I am here.
My mother hasn’t come back from Russia for three years. We take turns to go
there. It was my turn this time but travel to Russia is cancelled. I’ll go if
travel there resumes. My visa has already expired.
My brother is in the army. He’s going to Germany for three months and to Iraq
afterwards. By the way, he made this decision without even talking to us. One
day he came and announced that he was going to Iraq. It turned out that our
cousin had written to him and told him not to go. But he said he would go even
if all our relatives opposed him. The first reason for this is the financial
advantage and another reason is his desire to go there. He has a one-year
contract but before that he has to do a training course in Germany.
He will be part of a peacekeeping mission in Iraq. It’s something like the
Russian peacekeeping army located in Georgia. His salary will be about 700-1000
US dollars. He couldn’t find any employment here so he made a choice. His
decision must have been determined by the financial consideration. The
government pays no attention [to us], so you have to take a risk to survive.
It’s appalling that force is used to throw IDPs out of collective centres [when
they are sold to private investors, privatisation]. This is no different
from the behaviour of the Abkhazians and the Russians. Our government treats us
the way the Russians did. So far we haven’t been threatened with being thrown
out. However, I expect that to happen. It sometimes happens that the IDPs don’t
know who to appeal to when there’s trouble. Actually they are in a passive
state. They think they are not threatened with eviction, so they stay put.
(1) Town in western Georgia
(2) Resort in western Georgia
(3) Town in Imereti region, western Georgia
(4) Town in Imereti region, western Georgia
(5) The radio station covers Samegrelo, Ajara, Imereti, Guria and Abkhazia
(Gali district)
(6) Town on the Black Sea coast in Abkhazia
(7) 20th century Georgian writer