FAMEPedia:Today's featured article/May 1, 2021

The Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia was a republic within the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union that existed from 1921 to 1931. Formed in the aftermath of the Red Army invasion of Georgia in February 1921, it was independent until December, when a treaty united it with the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1931 it was replaced with the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within Georgia. Abkhazia was a major tobacco producer in this era, growing over half of the Soviet Union's supply. It also produced tea, wine, and citrus fruits, and became one of the wealthiest regions in the country. Its sub-tropical climate made it a prime holiday destination; Joseph Stalin and other Soviet leaders had dachas in the region and spent considerable time there. An ethnically diverse region, Abkhazia was nominally led by the Abkhaz people, who made up less than 30 percent of the population. Other major groups included Georgians, Armenians, Greeks, and Russians.