Armenian parliament dissolved paving way for June elections
Snap parliamentary elections will take place on 20 June.
Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia released from pre-trial custody
The UNM chair was freed on Monday after 11 weeks behind bars after the EU posted his bail.
Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia released from pre-trial custody
The UNM chair was freed on Monday after 11 weeks behind bars after the EU posted his bail.
Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’
Sent to war aged just 17, WWII veteran Vardanush Zakaryan tells how her love for her husband survived both war and death.
Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’
Sent to war aged just 17, WWII veteran Vardanush Zakaryan tells how her love for her husband survived both war and death.
Abkhazia to begin long-delayed vaccine rollout
Abkhazia received 6,500 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine on 30 April.
Abkhazia to begin long-delayed vaccine rollout
Abkhazia received 6,500 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine on 30 April.
Hundreds of endangered seals wash up dead on Daghestan’s shores
Eco-activists and scientists have warned of an environmental disaster in the Caspian Sea.
Hundreds of endangered seals wash up dead on Daghestan’s shores
Eco-activists and scientists have warned of an environmental disaster in the Caspian Sea.
Kocharyan snubs offer of triple alliance of former presidents
Second President Robert Kocharyan claimed the alliance might harm the Homeland Salvation Movement.
Kocharyan snubs offer of triple alliance of former presidents
Second President Robert Kocharyan claimed the alliance might harm the Homeland Salvation Movement.
Georgian TV crew attacked near Davit Gareja
The TV crew from Mtavari were accosted by a group of unknown men, several wearing Orthodox priest’s attire.
Talysh blogger ‘illegally moved’ from pre-trial detention
Aslan Gurbanov is currently appealing his conviction for ‘inciting national hatred’ and carrying out anti-government propaganda.
Features & Analysis
Is an interconnected Caucasus on the horizon?
Russia, Turkey, and Iran have all shown interest in participating in restoring the transport corridors.
Datablog | What’s a last name from Tbilisi?
While regional identities and stereotypes are a prominent part of Georgian culture, what share of people identify with each regional heritage?
Datablog | What’s a last name from Tbilisi?
By Dustin GilbreathWhile regional identities and stereotypes are a prominent part of Georgian culture, what share of people identify with each regional heritage?
Abkhazia is preparing for a tourist bonanza
The authorities expect record numbers of visitors, but some fear that Abkhazia’s infrastructure might buckle.
Abkhazia is preparing for a tourist bonanza
By Marianna KotovaThe authorities expect record numbers of visitors, but some fear that Abkhazia’s infrastructure might buckle.
Twin lawsuits in Bolnisi could have wider implications for Georgian minorities
Ethnic Azerbaijani activists in southern Georgia are waging a legal fight to change the overwhelmingly monolingual policies of local authorities.
Twin lawsuits in Bolnisi could have wider implications for Georgian minorities
By Shota KinchaEthnic Azerbaijani activists in southern Georgia are waging a legal fight to change the overwhelmingly monolingual policies of local authorities.
The shelter saving bears from exploitation in Georgia
Many bears in Georgia are kept in captivity — often as ‘decorations’ to attract tourists. One shelter near Tbilisi is trying to save such bears from a similar fate.
The shelter saving bears from exploitation in Georgia
By Tata ShoshiashviliMany bears in Georgia are kept in captivity — often as ‘decorations’ to attract tourists. One shelter near Tbilisi is trying to save such bears from a similar fate.
Transitioning off the grid
With little access to healthcare, trans people in Azerbaijan must choose between gender dysphoria or undergoing hormonal therapy on their own.
Transitioning off the grid
By Hamida GiyasbayliWith little access to healthcare, trans people in Azerbaijan must choose between gender dysphoria or undergoing hormonal therapy on their own.
Opinion
Opinion | On the apologists of Baku’s Military Trophy Park
Even the defenders of the shameful Trophy Park are forced to rely on false and disingenuous comparisons to justify its existence.
Opinion | Iran, a loser in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War?
Despite surface appearances, Iran may have much to gain in the new post-war political order in the South Caucasus.
Opinion | Armenia stands at a dangerous moral crossroads
If Armenia is to overcome the present crisis, the country’s quiet majority must spearhead a national moral conversion.
Voices
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![Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’]()
Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’
Sent to war aged just 17, WWII veteran Vardanush Zakaryan tells how her love for her husband survived both war and death.
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![Voice | ‘In my hands, a weapon has become a work of art’]()
Voice | ‘In my hands, a weapon has become a work of art’
Artak Tadevosyan from Gyumri gives new life to used bullets and casings.
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![Voice | ‘I was kidnapped by my family’]()
Voice | ‘I was kidnapped by my family’
Devran Ibrahimsoy, 25, did not receive his family’s support when he discovered his gender identity; after he fled to Baku, they even kidnapped him.
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![Voice | ‘I’ve been homeless since 2000’]()
Voice | ‘I’ve been homeless since 2000’
The trials, tribulations, and occasional moments of grace in twenty years of living on Tbilisi’s streets.
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![Voice | ‘We are all tired, but we shouldn’t give up’]()
Voice | ‘We are all tired, but we shouldn’t give up’
Georgian doctor Nino Kvirtia talks about fighting both the coronavirus and the accompanying disinformation.
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![Vitali Safarov’s mother: I must know why they killed my son]()
Vitali Safarov’s mother: I must know why they killed my son
The mother is appealing the court’s verdict which said the murder wasn’t a hate crime.
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![Voice | ‘Whether I have a disability or not, I am still me’]()
Voice | ‘Whether I have a disability or not, I am still me’
Jamila Mammadli, 26, talks about love, her passion for the theatre, and the preconceptions about disability that are pervasive in Azerbaijan.
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![Voice | ‘They say Georgia is a tolerant and diverse country; these are just words’]()
Voice | ‘They say Georgia is a tolerant and diverse country; these are just words’
Gulgun Mamadli, 22, talks about experiencing xenophobia and hate speech during the pandemic.
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![Voice | The bitterness of the Kvankhidatli salt — the women salt miners of Daghestan]()
Voice | The bitterness of the Kvankhidatli salt — the women salt miners of Daghestan
In the mountain village of Kvankhidatli, women recall ‘going to the salt’ since the beginning of the 20th century.
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![Voice | Tamara Mearakishvili: ‘If I’m found guilty, I will not run away’]()
Voice | Tamara Mearakishvili: ‘If I’m found guilty, I will not run away’
The veteran activist and journalist reflects on life in Akhalgori, her ongoing prosecution, and the Georgian Government’s approach to South Ossetia.
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![Voice | ‘People should not lose their sense of responsibility’]()
Voice | ‘People should not lose their sense of responsibility’
When Armenia confirmed its first case of COVID-19, Naira Stepanyan, a doctor specialising in infectious diseases, was the first to treat him.
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![Voice | ‘The occupation of Abkhazia makes us occupied too’]()
Voice | ‘The occupation of Abkhazia makes us occupied too’
Nona Bukia tells of the social ills that have been caused by Abkhazia’s closure of crossing points three years ago.
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![Voice | ‘Every afternoon I came home from school broken’]()
Voice | ‘Every afternoon I came home from school broken’
Narek, 29, from Stepanakert, describes how he was tormented at school while teachers often protected the abusers.
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![Voice | ‘I left prison with a double stigma — I was a convict and HIV-positive’]()
Voice | ‘I left prison with a double stigma — I was a convict and HIV-positive’
Tamuna Gakhokidze, 37, is HIV-positive woman from Tbilisi who speaks about her diagnosis, about stigma, as well as how she discovered her diagnosis and learnt to live with it.
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![Voice | The women on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic]()
Voice | The women on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic
Three women employed in women-led fields share their experiences of life and work in a pandemic.
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![Voice | ‘My family urged me to return to Armenia; but I decided to stay in China’]()
Voice | ‘My family urged me to return to Armenia; but I decided to stay in China’
When the coronavirus hit, Emma Petrosyan, 28, from Alaverdi, chose to stay in China, the country she has lived and worked in for a year and a half.
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![Voice | ‘Just give me back my children’]()
Voice | ‘Just give me back my children’
Chechen tradition dictates that children of divorce belong to the man and his family. Jamilya shares her story of being separated from her children.
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![Voice | ‘Life is tough for a young widow’]()
Voice | ‘Life is tough for a young widow’
A woman from Duisi, Pankisi Valley, speaks of being married too young, losing a husband and the hardships of being a widow in a conservative society.
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![Voice | ‘I’m not a girl, I’m an athlete’]()
Voice | ‘I’m not a girl, I’m an athlete’
Despite all odds, in just one year, Patima Ayshalova has become one of Daghestan’s top boxers.
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![Voice | ‘I did all these things so that the women would not lose hope’]()
Voice | ‘I did all these things so that the women would not lose hope’
Vafa Naghi tells the story of how she left behind a promising career to return to her village and help its women gain their independence.
In Pictures
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![In Pictures | Anti-dam protesters gather in Kutaisi]()
In Pictures | Anti-dam protesters gather in Kutaisi
On Sunday, thousands gathered in the central Georgian city of Kutaisi to protest the construction of the nearby Namakhvani hydropower project.
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![In Pictures | Forgotten by the highway]()
In Pictures | Forgotten by the highway
From hammocks to nazuki sweet bread, the roadside wares that make travel in Georgia such a delight are in danger of disappearing.
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![In Pictures | Bakuriani’s corona freeze]()
In Pictures | Bakuriani’s corona freeze
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought life in Georgia’s most popular ski resort town to a painful standstill.
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![In pictures | Borjomi’s year-long winter]()
In pictures | Borjomi’s year-long winter
Residents of the legendary spa town have banded together to try to survive the disappearance of the summer tourism boom.
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![In Pictures | Women’s voices in forestry]()
In Pictures | Women’s voices in forestry
The women who live off Georgia’s forests, and the women who tend to them tell their stories.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s ‘jarti’ collectors]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s ‘jarti’ collectors
A look at Georgia’s uneasy scrap industry shows how Georgia’s present situation reflects in the piles of tin, copper, and brass.
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![In pictures | Strategic object: Baku’s years of transformation]()
In pictures | Strategic object: Baku’s years of transformation
In a four year project, Chloe Borkett captured images of Baku’s metamorphosis in the 2010s from a different angle.
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![In pictures | Rustavi: The city of factories]()
In pictures | Rustavi: The city of factories
Rustavi’s factories have led to ‘alarming’ levels of air pollution in the city — local activists, backed by the city council, are getting fed up.
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![In pictures | Black Lives Matter protest in Tbilisi]()
In pictures | Black Lives Matter protest in Tbilisi
Several dozen protestors gathered in central Tbilisi in support of the ongoing demonstrations in the United States.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s night bus — a shelter on wheels]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s night bus — a shelter on wheels
Tbilisi introduced a night bus two years ago between the city centre and the airport. Now, it serves as overnight accommodation for the homeless.
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![In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri]()
In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri
Hopes for a bumper tourist season in Armenia’s second-largest city have been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
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![In pictures | Ghost apartments and hyperbuilding in Batumi]()
In pictures | Ghost apartments and hyperbuilding in Batumi
Soaring tourism in the popular casino town has brought with it a construction boom — one that seemingly has no end in sight.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s first night under curfew]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s first night under curfew
On 31 March at 21:00, the streets of Tbilisi emptied as the country entered its first night of curfew.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi in a state of emergency]()
In pictures | Tbilisi in a state of emergency
The new restrictions on businesses and freedom of movement have left the streets of Tbilisi eerily empty.
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![In pictures | International Women’s Day at Tbilisi’s largest flower market]()
In pictures | International Women’s Day at Tbilisi’s largest flower market
Despite the panoply of colours and the sweet smells, for some of Tbilisi’s flower sellers, it is not an entirely festive affair.
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![In pictures | Struggle in the open-air: Tbilisi’s Navtlughi Bazaar]()
In pictures | Struggle in the open-air: Tbilisi’s Navtlughi Bazaar
The open-air bazaars of Tbilisi began with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s; they remain a vital lifeline for many.
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![In pictures | Life along the Azerbaijani border regions of Gazakh and Tovuz]()
In pictures | Life along the Azerbaijani border regions of Gazakh and Tovuz
Along the Armenian Azerbaijani border, ceasefire violations occur frequently from both sides.
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![In pictures | The uncertain life of lorry drivers along the Georgian Military Road]()
In pictures | The uncertain life of lorry drivers along the Georgian Military Road
One of the most common sights along the Georgian Military Road, after the mountain views, is the lines of lorries queuing at the Russian border.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s dying evergreens]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s dying evergreens
As the trees on Tbilisi’s periphery turn orange and die, environmental activists say more must be done to save Tbilisi’s last green areas.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — the hardships of selling lemons to survive]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — the hardships of selling lemons to survive
Selling lemons in the streets at ₾1 for a bag of 5, Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — almost exclusively elderly women — struggle to scrape out a living.
