Abkhazia spent the last journey of Prime Minister Gennady Gaguliya, who was tragically killed in a car accident on September 8. On this day, national mourning was declared in the republic, all flags were lowered, all events were canceled. The farewell ceremony was held in the Gudauta region, House of Culture from 11:00 to 14:00. Thousands of people came to honor the memory of the deceased. To the sound of mourning melodies, people carried flowers to the coffin of Gennady Gaguliya and did not hide tears. In the hall where the coffin with the body of the deceased was installed, a film was shown, which included photos and vivid episodes from the life of the Prime Minister. Employees of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, whose founder was Gennady Leonidovich, were among the first to honor the memory of the deceased. For many years, as president, he headed this team and did everything to get to know about this organization not only in Abkhazia, but also far beyond its borders. And it was thanks to the CCI that he managed to represent our republic at various exhibitions and meetings. Employees of the chamber took the news of the death of their former leader with pain and mourned him as a relative and close person all these days. At two in the afternoon, a mourning rally was held, led by Gennady Gaguliya’s advisor to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the RA-Vyacheslav Tsugba. He noted the importance of Gennady Gaguliya not only for the family, but also for the staff of the Chamber of Commerce and other departments, where he brilliantly showed himself as a leader. - Gennady Leonidovich has done a lot for Abkhazia. With his many years of hard work, he popularized our country, doing everything to raise the image of our state beyond its borders, - said Vyacheslav Tsugba. Speaking at the rally, President of RA Raul Khadzhimba noted that “the tragic death of a prominent statesman Gennady Gaguliya shook not only the citizens of Abkhazia, but many of our foreign friends.” It is difficult to overestimate its role in strengthening the defense capability of our country during the Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia. Its contribution to providing our army with weapons, ammunition, food, medicines and other necessary means. And the successful accomplishment of the complex tasks that the First President put Vladislav G. Ardzinba, Gennady Leonidovich achieved not only because of his business qualities, but also his great personal contacts in the near and far abroad. By nature, he was a modest man, never loudly talked about his personal merits. But they are known to people who stood at the origins of our great victory. Gennady Leonidovich held a number of high positions. After graduating from the construction department of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute, he passed a decent career path from a construction master to the prime minister of Abkhazia. In the Soviet era, he successfully led the Gudauta district consumer cooperative, was the chairman of the State Committee on Foreign Economic Relations, then after the war, during the most severe blockade, he served as deputy Prime Minister, three times as prime minister of the republic, was an assistant member of the State Duma of Abkhazia. Heading for many years the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic, Gennady Leonidovich was able to significantly raise its prestige, create a young and energetic team capable of influencing the socio-economic situation in the country. Moreover, he was able to bring the activities of the chamber to an international level. Despite the obstacles created by Georgian politicians, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry has managed to organize many exhibitions of the achievements of the economy and culture of Abkhazia in many states. And this work, often carried out jointly with our Foreign Ministry, contributed to the international recognition of our state. He has established reliable partnerships with a number of Russian territorial chambers of commerce, thereby strengthening our strategic and allied ties with a friendly state that recognized our independence. In 2016, for his personal contribution to strengthening the statehood of Abkhazia, many years of fruitful work, high professionalism, Gennady Leonidovich Gaguliya was awarded the Order of Ahdz-Apsha of the second degree. It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that there is no big friend, like-minded person, a major statesman next to us, whose thoughts, ideas and parting words helped to overcome the difficulties of growth and development that accompanied us. “Gennady Leonidovich is an excellent family man, a bearer of traditional Abkhaz values. I am sure that his relatives and all those who knew him would treat with great respect all that he could realize, working tirelessly, for the good of the people and the state. We will remember with great gratitude our good mentor, a colleague who has made a great contribution to the construction of a new Abkhazia! ”said Raul Khadzhimba in his speech. Speaking then, the Russian Minister for the North Caucasus, Sergei Chebotarev, stressed that "a great statesman, a great man, passed away." “Gennady Leonidovich was the pride of Abkhazia. This is a man who differed wise deeds and wise thoughts. And it is very painful that such a person left us in such a tragic situation. I know Gennady Leonidovich quite a long time ago, when he was still in charge of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has always been distinguished by a huge responsibility for the work that he did and before all the work that he did for the benefit of Abkhazia. He always lived it. Gennady Leonidovich was able to express the most complex and deepest thoughts very simply. That was his talent, and that was his character trait. We communicated with him both outside the format and during negotiations, and he was always able to communicate difficult questions to the partner with simple language and good nature. Everyone heard him, everyone understood him, and everyone recognized him. Yesterday, before arriving in Abkhazia, after lunch, I received through diplomatic channels a letter signed by Gennady Leonidovich. It was very painful to read this letter, written with respect and signed by his even handwriting, realizing that he had already left us. This letter contained information about the Prime Minister of Abkhazia’s view on the integrated construction of the state. It touched upon the issues of economy, social sphere, construction of infrastructure. And when I read this letter to the end, I realized that we must do all this as a tribute to the memory of this great man. The memory of Gennady Leonidovich will forever remain in our hearts! ”- says Sergey Chebotarev. With pain spoke of Gennady Leonidovich Gagulia, Chairman of the Association of Chambers of Commerce of the North Caucasus Federal District and President of the Chamber of Commerce of North Ossetia-Alania Kazbek Tuganov. Expressing deep and sincere sympathy to the family of the deceased and the entire Abkhaz people from the leaders of the chambers of the North Caucasus Federal District, he stressed that his friends who came from Krasnodar Krai, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria, and colleagues and leaders of the Chamber of Commerce cities of Tuapse, Taganrog and others. “Many who knew him could not come to the funeral, but for each of us this is a serious loss and personal tragedy. Gennady Leonidovich is a person who created around him an atmosphere of friendship and warmth. And each of us loves Abkhazia also because he recognized Gennady Leonidovich and through him and his relationship to his country, we perceive Abkhazia as a country of warmth of friendship and creativity. As head of the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he did a lot to make Abkhazia known in many countries of the world. In this regard, many people want to do business and cooperate with this beautiful country. But for us, Gennady Leonidovich is also an authority, and a senior friend. He was older than many of us, but he was always the friend who was around. And there was no such case that one of my colleagues working with the Abkhaz Chamber of Commerce did not feel this friendly and professional attitude to work. There are many more words to say about Gennady Leonidovich, but the main thing we have to remember is that he created an excellent Chamber of Commerce and found partners who brought Abkhazia to the international level. He created a team that is now continuing his work, and he established contacts with the business community in many regions of the Russian Federation. We will always remember him, and he will always be in our hearts” emphasized Kazbek Tuganov. Gennady Gaguliya's close friend is a Soviet and Russian commander, retired lieutenant colonel, one of the three key leaders of the military peacekeeping operation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone, Alexander Chindarov called what happened to Gennady Gaguliya a great tragedy for both the family and the republic as a whole. He expressed his condolences to the family on behalf of all the paratroopers, pilots, officers of the air defense forces and the ground units of the former North Caucasus district who performed during the 1992-1993 World War II the tasks of protecting Abkhazia, and then the peacekeeping mission. “Gennady Leonidovich is a great man, decent and sincere. We are all sorrows and will always remember him. People like Gennady Leonidovich and Vladislav Grigorievich Ardzinba and their associates did a lot for the Victory and for the Abkhaz people. This is the way the biological process works - people either die. But the victory is eternal! Gennady Gagulia dedicated his whole life to this, so that the people of Abkhazia live in the world” noted Alexander Chindarov. In his opinion, today there are two questions facing everyone: for the sake of the memory of Gennady Gaguliya, support his family and perpetuate the memory along with the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of Abkhazia. This proposal of the general was greeted with applause. The following persons also spoke at the memorial meeting: Prime Minister of South Ossetia Eric Puhaev, ASU rector Aleko Gvaramia, ex-vice-president Valery Arshba and others. At the farewell ceremony, they read out condolences from the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It was also noted that dozens of telegrams and letters with words of sympathy had been sent to the head of state and the family of the deceased. Gennady Gaguliya was buried in the family cemetery in the village of Lykhny. A gun salute was made over the grave.