Salme, Abkhazia

Salme (Georgian: სალმე), also known as Psou (Abkhaz: Ҧсоу) is a village in the Gagra District of Abkhazia. It lies near the Black Sea coast, on the left bank of the Psou River, about 25 km north of Gagra, and falls within a Russian-controlled border security zone. Administratively, it is treated by Georgia as part of Gagra Municipality, while since the 1992–1993 war in Abkhazia it has been governed de facto by the separatist Republic of Abkhazia.

The village was established in 1884 by Estonian settlers and became one of the principal Estonian colonies in the Caucasus. Salme has historically been an agricultural community. During the Soviet era it was organized into collective farms, and in the post-war period subsistence farming and cross-border trade have predominated. The population, once overwhelmingly Estonian, declined sharply after the 1990s conflict, when hundreds were evacuated to Estonia. Today it remains the largest Estonian community in Abkhazia and retains limited Estonian-language schooling and cultural activities.