Museum of the Abkhaz Kingdom

The Museum of the Abkhaz Kingdom is located in New Athos (Abkhazia), on the territory of the Waterfall complex, next to the temple of Simon Kananit. Next to the museum is the historic building of the power plant (1903), the dam of which overlaps the Psyrdzha River at the exit from the picturesque gorge in the narrowest place.

The relatively small hall of the museum will show the finds of the paleontological collection, a detailed archaeological exposition reflecting the ethnogenesis of the Abkhazians, its material culture from stone tools, through the Bronze Age, megaliths, the ancient era to the Middle Ages. Here you will learn the history of the birth of Abkhazian statehood and its development from the times of Rome and Byzantium to the Turkish rule and its entry into the Russian Empire about the revival of the state in the Soviet period, the Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia against Georgia in 1992-1993, and the fact of recognition of independence on August 26, 2008.

The section “Ethnography” will tell about the peculiarities of life, economic structure and characteristic features of the Abkhazians. The stand “Old Species” illustrates New Athos and its surroundings during the period of activity of the New Athos Simono-Kananite Monastery. It was at that time that the acquaintance of the population of Russia with Abkhazia and its history began. The museum is open daily, from 10-00 to 18-00 hours, there is also the possibility of free photo and video shooting.