Sukhumi in the context of "Eparchy of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia"

Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.

The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhazia conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia is recognised as an independent state only by five states: Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; Georgia and other countries consider Abkhazia as Georgia's sovereign territory. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.

The Sukhumi massacre took place on 27 September 1993, during and after the fall of Sukhumi into separatist hands in the course of the War in Abkhazia. It was perpetrated against Georgian civilians of Sukhumi, mainly by militia forces of Abkhaz separatists and North Caucasian allies. It became part of a violent ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the separatists.

Misimians (Greek: Μισιμιανοί) were a tribe in the western Caucasus living in the mountainous side of South Caucasus, north of Sokhumi.

Vladislav Ardzinba Sukhum International Airport (IATA: SUI, ICAO: URAS), formerly known as Sukhumi Babushara and Sukhumi Dranda (IATA: SUI, ICAO: UGSS) is the main airport of Abkhazia. It is located in the village of Babushara next to the larger village of Dranda and some 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Sukhumi, the capital of the unrecognised republic of Abkhazia.

On 1 May 2025, Sukhum airport resumed operations and direct flights with Moscow for the first time since the 1990s and the war in Abkhazia.

The Sukhumi or Sukhum okrug was a special administrative district (okrug) in the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, part of the Kutaisi Governorate from 1883 until 1905. The administrative center of the district was the Black Sea port city of Sukhum (present-day Sukhumi). The okrug bordered the Kutaisi Governorate to the southwest, the Kuban Oblast to the north and the Black Sea Governorate to the northwest and in terms of its area corresponded to most of contemporary Abkhazia. During 1905–1917, the Sukhumi okrug was one of the smallest independent (not part of any province or region) administrative units of the Russian Empire, second to the Zakatal okrug.
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The Battle of Sukhumi occurred from 16 to 27 September 1993, between the Abkhaz separatists, along with their Russian and North Caucasian backers, and Georgia, being the last engagement of the War in Abkhazia.

The battle began on 16 September, when the separatists, aided by the local Russian military base, launched their offensive on Sukhumi, the capital city of the region, amidst the escalation of the Georgian Civil War. Georgians, having withdrawn most of their military equipment from the city following the ceasefire agreement, which was supposed to put an end to the military conflict, were caught by surprise, outgunned and outnumbered, which allowed the separatists to almost encircle and besiege the city, cutting its vital communication lines with the rest of Georgia. Although the warring sides in the Georgian Civil War made a deal to unify their forces to break the siege, they were still unable to coordinate effectively and on time, and thus on 27 September, the city fell to the separatists. The disorganized Georgian forces were unable to mount a proper defence and chaotically retreated, which resulted in the separatists capturing most of the region by 30 September, thus ending the 13-month long war.