Abandoned Sukhumi massacre site

Eerie photographs reveal the abandoned burned-down parliament building where hundreds were killed in the Sukhumi massacre. More than two decades since the conflict, the site remains a visual scar and a reminder of Abkhazia’s battle for independence from Georgia.

Photographer Bob Thissen, 31, visited the historical site where more than 500 people lost their lives as guerrilla fighters sought to oust Georgian forces from the city in September 1993.

Six years after the bloodshed, known as the Sukhumi massacre, Abkhazia was declared an independent nation. Now, the former-Georgian parliament building lies scorched, its corridors a clash of derelict decay and overgrown roots that entwine around foundation posts.

Thissen, from Heerlen, the Netherlands, has been an urban explorer for over 10 years. He found the site to be eerie and haunted by its gory history. (Caters News)

To see more of Thissen’s work visit: www.bobthissen.com

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