The ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to victims of the Lata tragedy took place in Gudauta

To commemorate the victims of the Lata tragedy came people from all districts of the republic.

Gudauta. December 14. Apsnypress. Irena Dzhopua. The funereal ceremony attended President Raul Khadjimba, the Speaker of the Parliament Valery Bganba, MPs, heads of ministries and departments, heads of administrations of towns and districts.

«This is a terrible day for all the people of Abkhazia, when our enemies committed an insidious crime. Shevardnadze once again showed the world that his hands were stained with blood. Facing the will of the people, the unwavering spirit, our resistance, they have resorted to such a terrible method. They knew perfectly what they are going to do, how much of deceit and cynicism in this, but it was like they had any means to try to break the spirit of our people. But the people who fought for the liberation and independence of Abkhazia, more rallied. Vladislav made then that there was a commission of the Supreme Soviet of Russia headed by General Ochirov and the whole world knew that a crime was committed intentionally. We should not forget the sufferingour people passed through. And this terrible tragedy once again reminds us what the price went to our independence. This is a great memory. We bow our heads before all the victims of Lata tragedy", -csaid Adviser to the President on Culture, Science and Education, Vladimir Zantariya.

At the memorial meeting spoke the head of the children's hospital Maya Kondzhariya, who was a medic during the war. "We have met the helicopter with the bodies of the victims. All of them were mutilated, burned. It is impossible to say it words. Our people should not forget this day, it is necessary to tell the children so they knew what was a brutal war, and how they treated us", - said Kondzhariya.

Every year to commemorate the victims of the tragedy came the representatives of the Movement of Mothers of Tkuarchal. "It is our common grief. We came today to honor the memory of people who died in a helicopter. There were our friends, neighbors, relatives. In Tkuarchal today also held a commemorative event on the site of a helicopter taking off, but every year we come here", - said the chairman of the Movement of Mothers of Tkuarchal Nora Atsanba.


(AP): On December 14, 1992, during the War of Abkhazia, over the Lata village, Gulripsh district, Georgian State Council troops shot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter of humanitarian flight from the besieged Tkuarchal to Gudauta. As a result of the barbaric act were killed 87 people, including 35 children.