▁distinguish ▁Georg ians ▁and ▁M ing re li ans ▁as ▁separate ▁national ities ▁they ▁together ▁constit uted ▁the ▁over wh el ming ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁district . ▁ ▁The ▁subsequent ▁history ▁of ▁Sam urz ak ano / G ali ▁basically ▁follows ▁that ▁of ▁modern ▁Ab kh az ia , ▁which ▁became ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁entity ▁within ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁Georgia ▁( 1 9 1 8 – 1 9 2 1 ), ▁then ▁the ▁Ab kh az ian ▁SS R ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁SS R ▁( 1 9 2 1 – 1 9 3 1 ) ▁and ▁finally ▁the ▁Ab kh az ▁A SS R ▁within ▁Georgia . ▁Under ▁Joseph ▁St alin , ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 4 / 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Ab kh az ▁schools ▁were ▁closed ▁and ▁cultural ▁institutions ▁were ▁suppress ed ▁which ▁is ▁sometimes ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁at ▁the ▁assim ilation ▁of ▁Ab kh az ▁into ▁Georg ians . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁se cess ion ist ▁war ▁in ▁Ab kh az ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁the ▁Georg ians ▁of ▁G ali ▁were ▁subject ed ▁to ▁system atic ▁eth nic ▁cle ans ing ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Ab kh az ▁milit ias ▁and ▁their ▁al lies ▁from ▁Russia ' s ▁North ▁C au cas ian ▁republic s . ▁By ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁G ali ▁District ▁had ▁been ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁se cess ion ist ▁with ▁the ▁exception