Current:Home > ScamsFire destroys thousands works of art at the main gallery in Georgia’s separatist region of Abkhazia -VisionFunds
Fire destroys thousands works of art at the main gallery in Georgia’s separatist region of Abkhazia
View
Date:2025-04-16 21:43:00
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Thousands of artworks were destroyed in a fire that swept through the main art gallery in Abkhazia, reports said, a severe blow to the cultural heritage of the separatist Georgian region.
The blaze swept through the Central Exhibition Hall on Sunday in the city of Sukhumi, where the gallery was located on the second floor of a building. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
The gallery’s estimated 4,000 artworks were mostly stored in poor conditions, unprotected and jammed into small rooms and narrow halls, according to the news website Abkhaz World.
That treatment of the region’s artwork “painfully mirrors our country, plagued by criminal neglect and abandonment,” commentator Roin Agrba wrote on Abkhaz World.
The fire brought an “irreparable loss for the cultural heritage of our state,” the regional parliament said in a statement.
The gallery had held much of the work of Alexander Chachba-Shervashidze, noted for his production designs of operas and shows at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, and elsewhere.
Abkhazia, a region of steep mountains about the size of Cyprus along the Black Sea coast, came mostly under the control of separatists in 1993 after intense fighting. Georgia held a small portion of Abkhazia’s interior until the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.
Russia now stations thousands of troops in Abkhazia and recognizes it as an independent country. Nicaragua, Nauru, Venezuela and Syria also recognize Abkhazia’s independence but other countries regard it as a part of Georgia.
veryGood! (34)
Related
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Nick Cannon Reveals Which of His Children He Spends the Most Time With
- Here Are Martha Stewart's Top Wellness Tips to Live Your Best Life
- 25 Fossil Fuel Producers Responsible for Half Global Emissions in Past 3 Decades
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- On Father's Day Jim Gaffigan ponders the peculiar lives of childless men
- Why Fans Think Malika Haqq Just Revealed Khloe Kardashian’s Baby Boy’s Name
- These retailers and grocery stores are open on Juneteenth
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Basketball powers Kansas and North Carolina will face each other in home-and-home series
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- With Greenland’s Extreme Melting, a New Risk Grows: Ice Slabs That Worsen Runoff
- This Week in Clean Economy: NJ Governor Seeks to Divert $210M from Clean Energy Fund
- Rep. Cori Bush marks Juneteenth with push for reparations
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, June 18, 2023
- 'Ghost villages' of the Himalayas foreshadow a changing India
- Music program aims to increase diversity in college music departments
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Iam Tongi Wins American Idol Season 21
Aerie's Clearance Section Has 76% Off Deals on Swimwear, Leggings, Tops & More
Sen. Amy Klobuchar calls Texas judge's abortion pill ruling 'shocking'
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
4 people found dead at home in Idaho; neighbor arrested
Australia Cuts Outlook for Great Barrier Reef to ‘Very Poor’ for First Time, Citing Climate Change
Alaska’s Hottest Month on Record: Melting Sea Ice, Wildfires and Unexpected Die-Offs