Separated Memory: The Influence of Spatial Discourses on the Nation-Building Process of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Abstract

This thesis seeks to deconstruct the discourse of national building in the contemporary de facto Republic of Abkhazia through spatial discursive analysis. It contributes to a stronger academic engagement with the spatial dimension of conflict and discursive analysis. In order to do so, this thesis has analyzed three forms of spatial discourses, respectively: destruction, separation and remembrance. By looking at these forms of spatial discourse concerning the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-93 this thesis has established that spatial discourses are of significant importance during the nation building process. This thesis argues that a few of the contributions to the nation building process in Abkhazia through spatial discourses are: physical evidence of the nation, creation of cohesion among its population, establishment of cultural hegemony, an instrument in order to cleanse the cultural landscape from unwanted cultural signs.