Abkhazia is shunned by most of the world, so vacationers from Russia -- one of the few countries that recognizes the breakaway Georgian region's independence claim -- are a boon to its economy and self-image. The number of Russians visiting the lush coastal territory has been rising in recent years.
Abkhazia: Coming Back To The 'Soviet Riviera'
The beachfront in Abkhazia.
Tourists taking photographs on the waterfront of Sukhumi.
A Lenin mural in the grounds of an old sanatorium.
A girl from Moscow inside one of Abkhazia's Soviet-era hotels.
The bridge which separates Abkhazia and Georgia proper.
A Russian father and daughter walking to the beach at Gagra. An abandoned building site is in the background.