Moscow Bagapsh's Capital

Image removed.Sergey Baghapsh. Photo © "Liberali"

During his recent visit to Moscow, Abkhaz president Sergey Bagapsh made an unexpected statement in his interview to a Russian edition: "Moscow was a capital for me and it will remain my capital, just like Russia will remain a great and powerful country". Had a well-known Abkhaz writer, artist or singer said these words, hardly anyone would presumably have paid any attention to them. Creative people are always a little cosmopolitan and they sometimes demonstratively destroy borders. Some do this, because they believe in this, and others want to underscore their individuality. Yet others, being obsessed with their creation, simply forget their own origins.

However, it is obvious that this is not the case. It was not an Abkhaz cultural figure, who called Moscow his capital, and it was not the person, who must say such things due to his post (I mean Russian president). It was the leader of a country, which is Russia's friend, but is nevertheless an independent state.

When a president says such words, they cannot remain without any reaction. The interview Bagapsh gave to the Russian newspaper was quite long. Issues, which are important for our young republic, were discussed in it, such as oil extraction on the Abkhaz section of the Black Sea shelf, granting Russian citizens the right to purchase property in Abkhazia, problems arising in the spending of the Russian financial assistance, and so forth. However, as soon as this interview appeared on the Internet, Abkhaz users of social networks concentrated precisely on the statement about Moscow. None of Sergey Bagapsh's statements has probably given rise to such unanimous disapproval irrespective of people's attitude towards him. One of the users, who is quite loyal to Sergey Bagapsh, even asked the following question: "Is this man indeed our president?"

Some say that Bagapsh simply spoke without thinking, because he was a little relaxed. To a certain extent, it is possible to agree with this opinion, but only to a certain extent, as we can be sure that Bagapsh would never have allowed such a slip of the tongue with Abkhaz journalists.

Why did Bagapsh say this when he was speaking with a Russian journalist? Is it possible that travelling outside Abkhazia, Bagapsh loses control over himself? Of course, he does not. Bagapsh does not indeed travel to Moscow to have a rest. He goes there to work or, to be more correct, to obtain money. His working schedule in Moscow is said to be quite busy. He meets a lot of people in the president's administration, government, ministries and departments, state corporations, small and medium businesses, and so forth. And everywhere he has to smile, express gratitude and love, and vow eternal friendship. Such dithyrambs may irritate him, but he is nevertheless obliged to behave in this manner, because he is the petitioner and the other side is to give him aid. This country desperately needs money. This country is unable to produce money by itself due to the backward and stupid management system. Like an irremediable drug addict, the state budget cannot exist without Russian subsidies. Russian assistant accounts for 71 per cent of the budget incomes. The officials, who support this stupid system, are also good for nothing. They no longer think about their own prosperity, but about the well-being of their grandchildren. They too desperately need money.

Taking these arguments into account, it becomes clear that Moscow is the capital for the Abkhaz president. It was not a simple slip of the tongue. It is a Freudian slip of the tongue.

The terminology used in the article belongs to the author and not “Liberali”. 

The article is prepared with support of Heinrich Boell Foundation. The publication statements and ideas do not necessarily express the Heinrich Boell Foundation opinion.