▁poss essions . ▁The ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ▁population ▁of ▁Sam urz ak ano ▁remained ▁relatively ▁una ffect ed ▁though . ▁The ▁decl ine ▁in ▁Ab kh az ▁population ▁left ▁M ing re li an ▁a ▁dominant ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Furthermore , ▁some ▁Georg ian ▁pe as ants ▁from ▁the ▁left ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Ing uri ▁River ▁also ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁bank ▁into ▁Ab kh az ia ▁where ▁we aker ▁practices ▁of ▁ser f dom ▁pre va iled . ▁ ▁The ▁rate ▁of ▁inter mar ri ages ▁between ▁the ▁Georg ians ▁and ▁Ab kh az ▁was ▁high ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁mixed ▁her itage ▁of ▁the ▁district ' s ▁population ▁and ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁special ▁category ▁" Sam urz ak ani ans " ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁Imperial ▁Russian ▁census . ▁This ▁group ▁was ▁made ▁up ▁chief ly ▁by ▁the ▁M ing re li ans ▁with ▁a ▁minor ity ▁of ▁Ab kh az . ▁ 3 8 % ▁and ▁ 3 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁district ' s ▁population ▁identified ▁themselves ▁as ▁M ing re li an ▁and ▁Georg ian ▁respectively ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁Soviet ▁census ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁with ▁another ▁ 2 6 % ▁ident ifying ▁themselves ▁as ▁Ab kh az . ▁The ▁latter ▁group ▁in ▁G ali ▁District ▁decl ined ▁greatly ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁formed ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁percent ▁of ▁its ▁population . ▁As ▁the ▁Soviet ▁cens uses ▁carried ▁out ▁after ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁didn ' t