Raul Khadzhimba congratulated the media workers of Abkhazia on their professional holiday

“Today Abkhaz journalism is still at the forefront of building our independent state, protecting the rights of citizens of the republic,” - President said.

Sukhum. February 27. Apsnypress. President of Abkhazia Raul Khadzhimba congratulated media workers on the 100th anniversary of the release of the first issue of the newspaper “Apsny” and on the Day of National Press and Media of the Republic of Abkhazia.
 
 The message says:
 
 “Dear journalists, writers, media representatives of the Republic of Abkhazia!
 
 It is 100 years since the first issue of the first Abkhaz newspaper Apsny was published. This is a significant and deeply symbolic event. Having achieved in the extremely difficult political conditions of the establishment of a much needed and demanded printed publication, the great enlightener, poet, teacher, scientist Dmitry Iosifovich Gulia provided his compatriots with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with situation in the country, opened them wide access to diverse historical and cultural information, to reflections on acute social issues that troubled Abkhaz society.
 
 Next to D.I. Gulia stood a mighty pleiad of word masters and public figures: S. Chanba, I. Kogonia, M. Lakerbaya, M. Akhashba, D. Darsalia, I. Papaskir, V. Maan, and others. Performing a difficult and responsible task of forming an artistic worldview, domestic literature, at the same time they laid the foundations of the national press and journalism.
 
 Looking back and appreciating the path traveled by our journalism, its best representatives, we can safely and confidently talk about their significant achievements. And at the initial stage of the formation of Abkhaz journalism the newspaper “Apsny” certainly played a key role.
 
 Many prominent journalists, writers, and publicists who stood at the origins of the national press, had to endure trials in the years of Stalinist repression. A number of prominent representatives of the Abkhaz press and national broadcasting have become the innocent victim of the totalitarian regime. From the second half of the 1940s, national print media were closed, broadcasting in the Abkhaz language was banned, and the Abkhaz intelligentsia was persecuted. All this took place against the backdrop of the rampant Georgian nationalist-chauvinistic policy, which purposefully distorted the true history of our people, trying to wipe out its autochthonousness and ethnocultural identity.
 
 However, Abkhazia survived, suffered its right to independence and political self-determination. The mass media played a prominent role in this bitter struggle. In particular, the professionalism of our correspondents, editors, reporters, operators, engineering and technical personnel, media managers manifested itself in the fateful period of the 1992-1993 War of Abkhazia. On the ideological front, the Abkhaz television, radio, print, and printing workers made their worthy contribution to the struggle for the liberation of the Motherland. We bow our heads before the memory of those who died, fulfilling their professional duty.
 
Today, Abkhaz journalism is still at the forefront of building our independent state, protecting the rights of citizens of the republic. Valuable and unique creative experience of prominent media representatives is a good help for a new galaxy of journalists. 
 
 We have attached, and will continue to attach, paramount importance to freedom of speech, the right of every citizen to vote, considering these principles to be the democratic basis for building a rule-of-law state.
 
 I want to sincerely congratulate all the journalists of Abkhazia on a wonderful holiday - the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Abkhaz newspaper “Apsny” and the Day of the national press and media of the Republic of Abkhazia. I wish you, dear friends, good health, new ideas and further creative accomplishments!  
 
 Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my best wishes for the creative team of the editorial staff of the newspaper “Apsny”, a worthy successor to the traditions of the first national print edition, whose sources were Dmitry Gulia and his associates. ”