Anzor Kudba

Kudba was born in Batumi, Georgia's coastal city in the region of Adjara, which has a significant Abkhazian community. He graduated from Batumi Maritime Academy in 1958 and from Tbilisi State University's Faculty of Philology and Journalism in 1970.[2]

For several occasions, Kudba worked as a factory worker in Batumi and Rustavi. Since 1970, he has workered as a journalist. He was a correspondent of Adjara's Radio Broadcasting Committee. He was also a head of publicistic departament of Chorokh magazine.[2] He later got involved into politics and became member of Zviad Gamsakhurdia's movement, which sought to achieve independence from the Soviet Union. As Georgia moved closer to independence, Russian-backed separatists activated their campaign to separate Abkhazia from Georgia with the Russian help. Being elected as President of Georgia, Gamsakhurdia sent Anzor Kudba and Temur Gventseladze to Abkhazia with the goal of resolving situation through negotiations. After Gamsakhurdia was overthrown in Tbilisi by a military junta, Kudba followed Gamsakhurdia to Chechnya, where he met Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev. Kudba described Gamsakhurdia's overthrow and his death as tragic events.[3]

Later Kudba became head of Abkazians' Council of Elders in Adjara.

Kudba considers Abkhaz-Georgian conflict as being provoked by Russia to extend its influence in the Caucasus. He emphasized that this led to catastrophic economic, social and moral situation in Abkhazia. While Russia provoked conflict by promising to make Abkhazia flourish if it separated from Georgia, it actually caused only misery to Abkhazia and Georgia. He said this was Russia's deliberate policy and it just used Abkhazia for its own goals. Kudba emphasized that neither Abkhazia can exist without Georgia, nor Georgia without Abkhazia, and that historically they were always together. He also said that he dreamt to witness himself that Abkhazia would be reunited with Georgia. Kudba stated: "The time will come, the Abkhaz will stand on the right side of the history, and they will be proud that there was an Abkhazian who signed Georgia's declaration of independence".[3]