After breaking out around 04:00 on January 21, the fire in the building of the Central Exhibition Hall in separatist Sokhumi, Abkhazia, has been localized. However, the incident severely damaged the structure, significantly affecting the second floor. Reports indicate that more than 4,000 paintings from the National Art Gallery's collection were destroyed in the fire. The cause of the fire is believed to be faulty electrical wiring. The separatist Interior Ministry of Abkhazia is conducting an investigation, considering various possibilities, including arson.

Dinara Smyr, the de-facto Acting Minister of Culture, stated that the burned paintings included works by artists such as Alexander Chachba-Shervashidze, marking an irreplaceable loss for the national culture of Abkhazia.

Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova expressed sympathy and pledged assistance to Abkhazia, calling the incident a real tragedy.

TV channel "Abaza" announced the cancellation of entertainment programs in response to the destruction of the paintings.

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, reacted to the fire and called on the international community to protect the cultural heritage of Georgia in the occupied territories. "The fire that destroyed the Sukhumi National Gallery in occupied Abkhazia is a tragedy for all of us. I am sorry for what is a direct result of the neglect of cultural identity by both the de facto leadership and the Russian occupiers. I call on the international community to restore attention to the protection of our cultural heritage in the occupied territories," the president wrote in a post published on social network X.