Chechen man hailed as unlikely hero of Russia’s Navalny protests
Footage of a 20-year-old Chechen student fighting off Moscow riot police has been widely shared on social media.
Gakharia’s support as PM skyrockets in new NDI poll
The Georgian Prime Minister saw his approval rating increase from 32% to 46%, with only 17% saying he was performing poorly.
Gakharia’s support as PM skyrockets in new NDI poll
The Georgian Prime Minister saw his approval rating increase from 32% to 46%, with only 17% saying he was performing poorly.
Child safe after hostage crisis in Yerevan resolved
The man surrendered to police after several hours of negotiation with Armenia’s Chief of Police.
Child safe after hostage crisis in Yerevan resolved
The man surrendered to police after several hours of negotiation with Armenia’s Chief of Police.
Anti-lockdown protesters call for end to ‘Canned Georgia’
There have been multiple protests since the Georgian Government announced that most lockdown measures would be extended until March.
Anti-lockdown protesters call for end to ‘Canned Georgia’
There have been multiple protests since the Georgian Government announced that most lockdown measures would be extended until March.
‘Last emir’ of Caucasus Emirate in Chechnya killed
Experts say it’s too early to talk of an end to the armed conflict in the North Caucasus.
‘Last emir’ of Caucasus Emirate in Chechnya killed
Experts say it’s too early to talk of an end to the armed conflict in the North Caucasus.
Georgia blames former ‘senior officials’ for Davit Gareja border dispute
Critics argue the case is an attempt to discredit the opposition.
Georgia blames former ‘senior officials’ for Davit Gareja border dispute
Critics argue the case is an attempt to discredit the opposition.
Georgia delays reopening economy
Plans to lift coronavirus restrictions starting from 1 February will, for the most part, be delayed.
Elderly ‘domik’ resident freezes to death in Armenia
The 70-year-old woman was living alone in a makeshift ‘domik’ home in the city of Gyumri.
Features & Analysis
Datablog | Are Georgia's risk-loving men to blame for the spread of COVID-19?
Research conducted by CRRC shows that young Georgian men are more prone to risky behaviour, including social behaviour which increases the chances of COVID-19 transmission.
Seven years after the suicide of Isa Shakhmarli — little change for queer Azerbaijanis
For the past six years, Azerbaijan’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community has marked 22 January as a day to fight homophobic hate.
Seven years after the suicide of Isa Shakhmarli — little change for queer Azerbaijanis
By Hamida GiyasbayliFor the past six years, Azerbaijan’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community has marked 22 January as a day to fight homophobic hate.
Georgians take queerness and gender-bending to TikTok
Queer Georgians are increasingly flocking to TikTok to explore and express their identities.
Georgians take queerness and gender-bending to TikTok
By Shota KinchaQueer Georgians are increasingly flocking to TikTok to explore and express their identities.
Azerbaijan’s volunteers in the line of fire
When the Azerbaijani government could not take of the people living near the frontline, these women stepped in.
Azerbaijan’s volunteers in the line of fire
By Hamida GiyasbayliWhen the Azerbaijani government could not take of the people living near the frontline, these women stepped in.
Armenophobia: ‘the oldest form of xenophobia in Georgia’
From racist tropes about rich and greedy merchants to overblown fears of separatism, Georgia’s ethnic Armenians are frequently the targets of hate.
Armenophobia: ‘the oldest form of xenophobia in Georgia’
By Shota KinchaFrom racist tropes about rich and greedy merchants to overblown fears of separatism, Georgia’s ethnic Armenians are frequently the targets of hate.
‘We’ve left our hearts there’: Displaced by war in Nagorno-Karabakh
The war forced tens of thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents to flee their homes, now some of them are ready to share their stories.
‘We’ve left our hearts there’: Displaced by war in Nagorno-Karabakh
By Dvin TitizianThe war forced tens of thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents to flee their homes, now some of them are ready to share their stories.
Opinion
Opinion | Azerbaijan’s new reality
After the war, Ilham Aliyev’s rule seems unassailable, but already this new order of things is showing cracks in its foundation.
Opinion | Now, more than ever, Armenia must secure the rights of people with disabilities
With scores left with disabilities following the war, the Armenian authorities must push forwards with plans to create an inclusive society.
Opinion | On the importance of losing
The only way forward between Armenia and Azerbaijan is to reflect on what has been lost and what is left to lose.
Voices
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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 | ‘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.
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![Voice | ‘My part in exposing this system’]()
Voice | ‘My part in exposing this system’
Sasha Kalmakhelidze, 24, was arrested for possession of MDMA. He tells the nightmarish story of his arrest and detention.
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![Voice | ‘Help comes from those who themselves need help’]()
Voice | ‘Help comes from those who themselves need help’
Eighty-six year-old Syrian refugee Shaziya Nukh has found nothing but poverty and isolation in Kabardino-Balkaria, the land of her ancestors.
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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 from the Georgian–South Ossetian conflict | ‘There is nothing worse than war’]()
Voice from the Georgian–South Ossetian conflict | ‘There is nothing worse than war’
‘When they started setting houses on fire, and burned down my cousins’ houses, we were forced to run away. We were afraid that they would burn us all. So we ran.’
In Pictures
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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.
