Gudauta

Gudauta (Georgian: გუდაუთა, [gudɑutʰɑ]; Abkhaz: Гәдоуҭа, Gwdowtha; Russian: Гудаута, Gudauta) is a town in Abkhazia and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia.

43°06′07″N 40°37′29″E / 43.10199°N 40.6248°E / 43.10199; 40.6248

Overview

Gudauta used to be home to a Soviet Air Defence Forces base, Bombora airfield, where the 171st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment flew Su-15TMs until 1982. The 171st Fighter Aviation Regiment was then transferred to Ugolnye Kopi, Chukotia Autonomous Okrug. The 529th Fighter Aviation Regiment, flew Su-27 'Flankers' from the base in the last years of the Cold War. This regiment was under the command of the 19th Army of the Air Defence Forces. Gudauta was a center of Abkhaz separatist resistance to Georgian government forces during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in 1992–1993.

Bombora airfield outside Gudauta later became home to a Soviet Airborne Forces unit, the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment, later redesignated the 50th military base after the Soviet collapse, and then the 10th Independent Peacekeeping Airborne Regiment. The unit was subordinated directly to the Russian General Staff (earlier it used to be under the HQ of the Russian Airborne Forces). In 1999, its equipment includes 142 AIFV/APC (among them - 62 BMD-1 and 11 BMD-2); and 11 self- propelled artillery systems 2S9 "Nona-S".

Gudauta District

Gudauta District is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gudauta, the town by the same name. The population of the district was 34,869 at the time of the 2003 census, down from 57,334 in 1989. By the time of the 2011 Census, the population had increased to 36,775.

Administration

On 16 June 2003, President Ardzinba assented to Lev Shamba's request for dismissal and replaced him with First Deputy Minister for Education Beslan Dbar.

On 29 March 2005, newly elected President Sergei Bagapsh replaced Beslan Dbar as the Head of Gudauta's Administration by Daur Vozba. During the February 2011 assembly elections, Daur Vozba failed to be re-elected by a margin of 92 votes.Sergei Bagapsh appointed Valeri Malia as his successor on 23 February. On 17 February, during its first session, the new Gudauta District assembly elected Roman Bazba its chairman, with 22 out of 29 votes, and Fyodor Sakania its Deputy Chairman.