15 Facts About Sergei Bagapsh

Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was an Abkhaz politician who served as the second President of Abkhazia from 12 February 2005 until his death on 29 May 2011.

Sergei Bagapsh previously served as Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 1997 to 1999.

Sergei Bagapsh became Prime Minister of Abkhazia in 1997, overseeing a brief, but successful, war with Georgia during a high point of tensions and the displacement of 30,000 Georgian civilians.

In 2004, Sergei Bagapsh founded the United Abkhazia party in opposition to then-President Vladislav Ardzinba.

Sergei Bagapsh won a second term against Khajimba before dying of heart failure on 29 May 2011, due to complications from a surgery to remove cancerous growths on his lung.

Sergei Bagapsh was born on 4 March 1949 at Sukhumi in the Georgian SSR.

Sergei Bagapsh graduated from the Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture in Sukhumi.

In 1978, Sergei Bagapsh became responsible for information in the central committee of the Komsomol's Georgian branch and in 1980, first secretary of the Abkhazian Regional Committee.

In 1982, Sergei Bagapsh became secretary general of the Communist Party in the Ochamchira District.

From 1995 until 1997, Sergei Bagapsh was First Deputy Prime Minister of Abkhazia.

On 9 November 1995, Sergei Bagapsh was seriously wounded in an attack.

Sergei Bagapsh was appointed to the office of Prime Minister of Abkhazia on 29 April 1997.

From 2000 until 2004, Sergei Bagapsh was the managing director of the Abkhazian state-owned power company Chernomorenergo.

Under the agreement, Sergei Bagapsh ran for president and Khajimba ran for vice-president.

Sergei Bagapsh first addressed the matter of his candidacy in the 12 December 2009 presidential election when, during a press conference in Moscow on 18 April 2009, he announced that he would probably make use of his constitutional right to run for a second term.