"Massive Fire Wipes Out Abkhazia's 4,000-Piece Art Collection"
TL;DR
A fire in Abkhazia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia, destroyed nearly 4,000 paintings at the National Gallery of Abkhazia, including works by celebrated artist Aleksandr Chachba-Sharvashidze. The collection, considered a national treasure by locals, suffered an irreparable loss, with only 200 artworks rescued from the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation, with officials considering arson and a short circuit as potential factors.
- Fire Destroys Thousands of Paintings in Abkhazia The New York Times
- Gallery fire destroys more than 4,000 artworks in Georgia’s separatist region Abkhazia CNN
- Fire destroys thousands of artworks in Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia Euronews
- Devastating fire destroys more than 4,000 paintings from national collection of Abkhazia Art Newspaper
- Fire destroys almost entire Abkhazia art collection of 4,000 works BBC.com
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