The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Russian: Абхазская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика; Georgian: აფხაზეთის ავტონომიური საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა; Abkhazian: Аҧснытәи Автономтә Советтә Социалисттә Республика), abbreviated as Abkhaz ASSR (Russian: Абхазская АССР; Georgian: აფხაზეთის ასსრ; Abkhazian: Аҧснытәи АССР), was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR. It came into existence in February 1931, when the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SSR Abkhazia or SSRA), originally created in March 1921, was transformed to the status of Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Georgian SSR.