In the first months of his presidency, Saakashvili faced a major political crisis in the southwestern Autonomous Republic of Adjara run by an authoritarian regional leader, Aslan Abashidze, who largely ignored the central Georgian government and was viewed by many as a pro-Russian politician.

He resigned under the pressure of the central Georgian government and mass opposition rallies during the 2004 Adjara crisis, and has since lived in Moscow, Russia.

Levan Varshalomidze () ( born 17 January 1972 ) is a Georgian politician and the current Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, the office he assumed on 20 July 2004, following the resignation of Aslan Abashidze — who had ran the region in defiance to the central government of Georgia — during the 2004 Adjara crisis.

( Despite a regional crisis in 2004, Adjara is now under the full control of Georgia )

Adjara crisis

# REDIRECT 2004 Adjara crisis

# redirect 2004 Adjara crisis

The article refers to the history of Georgia's autonomous province of Adjara.

Under Abashidze's tight control of the autonomy, Adjara enjoyed relative political stability and economic prosperity during the Georgian Civil War.

An agreement has been reached over disarmament of paramilitary forces in Adjara, release of political prisoners, joint control of the customs and port of Batumi, and providing conditions for free election campaigning in Adjara.

Its geography is mostly assigned to what is now the western part of Georgia and encompasses the present-day Georgian provinces of Samegrelo, Imereti, Guria, Adjara, Abkhazeti, Svaneti, Racha ; the modern Turkey ’ s Rize, Trabzon and Artvin provinces ( Lazistan, Tao-Klarjeti ); and the modern Russia ’ s Sochi and Tuapse districts.

* Adjara, autonomous republic of Georgia

Yurchikhin was born in Batumi, Georgian SSR ( now Adjara the autonomous republic of Georgia ) on 3 January 1959 to Pontic Greek parents Nikolai Fyodorovich Yurchikhin and Mikrula Sofoklevna Yurchikhina ( both now reside in Sindos, Greece ).

Many of the Muslim Hemşince speakers in the former USSR were deported from the Adjara area of Georgia during the Stalin era to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Sir Lepel Griffin's opinion is that the Sandhus came into the Punjab region from northeastern Ottoman Empire ( modern Georgia, Chechenya, Adjara, Abkhazia ).

In April 2010, Varshalomidze publicly accused Nika Gilauri, Prime Minister of Georgia, and the central government, of ignoring his requests for delegating " technical functions " to the local authorities in Adjara.

They reached a kind of compromise in which Adjara obtained larger autonomous status, Abashidze agreed not to run for the presidency of Georgia, and Shevardnadze allowed Abashidze to maintain power in Adjara.

In retaliation, the two key bridges connecting Adjara with the rest of Georgia over the Choloki River were blown up by Abashidze's forces to prevent incursion in Adjara allegedly planned by the country ’ s central authorities.

“ Aslan has fled, Adjara is free ,” President Saakashvili announced at the dawn of St George ’ s Day on May 6 and congratulated Georgians with what he described as “ a second bloodless revolution ” in Georgia.

* Matata ( religious figure ), associated with the history of Adjara, Georgia

* Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, a local parliament in Adjara, Georgia

The situation escalated on March 14, when the central Georgian officials took advantage of Abashidze ’ s being in Moscow and headed to Adjara to hold campaign for parliamentary elections scheduled on March 28.

The Large-scale war games, some 30 km away from Adjara ’ s administrative border, was a show of strength, amid confrontation between central authorities and the self-minded Adjaran leader.

Tens of thousands from all Adjara headed to Batumi demanding Abashidze ’ s resignation.

Saakashvili left for Adjara shortly after Aslan Abashidze ’ s departure and met celebrating Adjarans in Batumi.

On May 7, 2004 direct presidential rule was imposed in Adjara and 20-member Interim Council was set up to run the Autonomous Republic before the fresh local elections could be held in the region.

The protesters demanded resignation of Aslan Abashidze, the head of Adjara Autonomous Republic.

However, pro-Abashidze armed groups blocked the administrative border of Adjara at the Choloki River and prevented President Mikheil Saakashvili and other members of the government to travel to the Autonomous Republic.

On May 7, direct presidential rule was imposed in Adjara and a 20-member Interim Council was set up to run the Autonomous Republic before fresh local elections could be held in the region.

Levan Varshalomidze was appointed as the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.

It eventually evolved into the Adjar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( today Adjara ) and Javakheti.

Vitaly Mykolayovych Kononov (; born 2 April 1950 in Kobuleti, Adjara ) was a candidate in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, nominated by the Green Party of Ukraine, which he then chaired.

His father, Guram Varshalomidze, an erstwhile ally of Abashidze, chaired the Supreme Council of Adjara in the mid-1990s, later headed the region's statistics office and would led the Georgian Oil Corporation from July 2004 to 2005.

Furthermore, it is spoken by thousands of members of the Abkhazian diaspora in Turkey, Georgia's autonomous republic of Adjara, Syria, Jordan and several Western countries.

Abkhaz is also spoken by members of the large Abkhaz Muhajir diaspora, which is mainly located in Turkey with smaller groups living in Syria, Iraq and Jordan ; Georgia's autonomous republic of Adjara ; throughout the former USSR ( e. g. Armenia and the Ukraine ) and through more recent remigration in Western countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and the United States.

Islam has however declined in Adjara during the 20th century, due to Soviet anti-religious policies, cultural integration with the national Orthodox majority, and strong missionary efforts by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

After the demonstrations brought about the resignation of Shevradnadze, Kmara shifted its focus in Adjara, a southwestern autonomous republic ran by Aslan Abashidze.

On 20 July 2004, Varshalomidze was approved by the Supreme Council of Adjara as the chairman of the republic's government.

Occupied by an ancient Georgian tribe of Moskhs from ancient times, the territory of Adjara was a province of Colchis in the 7th-3rd cent.

In the 11th century, Adjara became a part of the unified Georgian Kingdom and was governed by rulers of Samtskhe-Saatabago.

The Council for Batum Region — chaired by the Russian cadet P. Maslov — was created to govern Adjara as a provisional authority from 21 December 1918 to 28 April 1919.

Nevertheless, Adjara took part in the Georgian presidential elections of January 4, 2004, won by Mikheil Saakashvili.

Victorious Adjara, party backed by President Saakashvili won 28 seats out of 30 in the local legislative body.

The flag was adopted on 20 July 2004 by the Supreme Council of Adjara.

Victorious Adjara, a party backed by President Saakashvili won 28 seats out of 30 in the local legislative body.