The region known as Abkhazia is a semi-independent zone within Georgia in which a great deal of transportation and other infrastructure has been deserted in recent decades due to a lack of funds. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union the region came into conflict with the rest of Georgia as Georgians pushed toward independence from Russia. Today, Russia issues passports for Abkhazians, pays their retirement pensions and provides citizenship to many of the people. Nonetheless, since the fall of the USSR the local budgets have not been enough to maintain many buildings and train networks as illustrated by the images above.
