[8] This led to protests in Georgia, which culminated into a massive major anti-Soviet and pro-Georgian independence rally in Tbilisi on 9 April 1989, which was violently dispersed by Soviet Interior Ministry troops, resulting in the deaths of twenty, mostly young women, and the injury of hundreds of demonstrators.

[12] The victory of a nationalist coalition in October 1990 only further led to increased issues, as the newly elected Chairman of the Georgian Supreme Soviet, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, was outspoken in his desire to reduce the autonomy of the non-Georgian population in the country.

[14][15] A power-sharing deal was agreed upon in August 1991, dividing electoral districts by ethnicity, with the 1991 elections held under this format, though it did not last.

[12] However, with the breakdown of the Gamsakhurida government in Georgia, and efforts by Eduard Shevardnadze to delegitimize Gamsakhurdia by failing to honour agreements he signed, and Abkhaz desires to utilize the ongoing Georgian Civil War, it fell apart.

[16] Thus on 23 July 1992, the Abkhaz Supreme Soviet re-instated the 1925 constitution, which had called Abkhazia a sovereign state, albeit one in treaty union with Georgia.

Under korenizatsiia the Abkhaz were not considered one of the "advanced" peoples in the USSR, and thus saw an increased focus on their national language and cultural development.

[21] 1918–24  Turkestan3 1918–41  Volga German4 1919–90  Bashkir 1920–25  Kirghiz2 1920–90  Tatar 1921–91  Adjarian 1921–45  Crimean 1921–91  Dagestan 1921–24  Mountain 1921–90  Nakhichevan 1922–91  Yakut 1923–90  Buryat1 1923–40  Karelian 1924–40  Moldavian 1924–29  Tajik 1925–92  Chuvash5 1925–36  Kazakh2 1926–36  Kirghiz 1931–92  Abkhaz 1932–92  Karakalpak 1934–90  Mordovian 1934–90  Udmurt6 1935–43  Kalmyk 1936–44  Checheno-Ingush 1936–44  Kabardino-Balkarian 1936–90  Komi 1936–90  Mari 1936–90  North Ossetian 1944–57  Kabardin 1956–91  Karelian 1957–92  Checheno-Ingush 1957–91  Kabardino-Balkarian 1958–90  Kalmyk 1961–92  Tuvan 1990–91  Gorno-Altai 1991–92  Crimean