Marina Bartsyts

Marina Bartsyts (Russian: Марина Барцыц; born 16 November 1964) is an anthropologist and former politician from Abkhazia.

Bartsyts was born on 16 November 1964 in the village of Blabyrkhua in Gudauta district, Abkhazia.^[1] Her parents were Mkan Bartsyts and Venera Tskua; they had two sons and two daughters, of which Marina is the youngest.^[1]

After finishing school, Bartsyts went to study history at Rostov State University.^[1] She graduated in 1987, in 1992 moved to Moscow to study at graduate school at the Institute of Ethnology in Moscow and graduated there in 1995.^[2]

Shortly after arriving in Moscow, however, Bartsyts heard that war in Abkhazia had broken out.^[1] She returned to Abkahzia in September 1992 to join the conflict, first arriving in Gudauta to work with Vladislav Ardzinba.^{[citation needed]} By October, Bartsyts had joined the frontline and was with the 2nd Verkhneeshersky Battalion.^{[citation needed]} Bartsyts trained as a medic and served as a medical instructor on the Gumistinsky Front.^{[citation needed]} During the war, Bartsyts took many photographs on a World War 2 era Soviet camera: her collection is one of the most important records of life during the war.^{[citation needed]}

Bartsyts researches Abkhazia, its settlements and its people, examining their traditional culture in terms of law, psychology and gender.^[2] She has worked on the city of Sukhum and its place relative to other Abkhazian cities.^[3] She has published research into traditional Abkhazian folklore.^[4] Bartsyts research into Abkhaz culture sees it based on three principles: hospitality, respect for elders and respect for women.^[5] In particular, she sees a historic balance of respect between men and women.^[6]

From 2001 to 2007, Bartsyts served as a deputy in the People's Assembly of Abkhazia.^[2][7] At the time of here election in 2007, she and her fellow deputy Emma Gamisonia were the only women serving in the parliament.^[8] She is a member of the Supreme Council of the World Abaza Congress.^[1]

Bartsyts works at the Abkhazian State University.^{[citation needed]}