Three years at the OC Media academy

by Ismi Aghayev

• 3 min read

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OC Insider

What it means to remember a genocide

by Yousef Bardouka

•3 min read

Last Wednesday, I quietly commemorated the 161st anniversary of the Circassian Genocide in Tbilisi, much like I did in the past few years. But as I sat in the OC Media office, editing the news of the day, I could not help but let my mind wander, allowing myself to curiously scan the Telegram channels and Instagram accounts covering Circassian affairs in the North Caucasus just to see what was going down in Nalchik, Maykop, and Cherkessk. I knew the people there would commemorate the genocide a

OC Insider

Georgian Dream hides its anti-Western course behind EU flags

by Mariam Nikuradze

•4 min read

As Georgia’s Independence Day approaches, construction has begun in Tbilisi to prepare for the celebration. Commemorated on 26 May, the day usually consists of conscripts swearing the traditional oaths in a ceremony on Freedom Square — attended by government officials and their invited guests — as well as various concerts and events across the city and similarly across the country. In addition, the Georgian Parliament building is adorned with banners, decorations which usually include the EU f

OC Insider

Armenian authorities are choosing the wrong role model

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

Armenian authorities are taking steps to introduce new restrictions on media and freedom of speech ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. At the end of April, Armenia’s Justice Ministry released a series of draft legislative amendments, which, if adopted, would require media outlets — as well as individual social media users — to not only publicly refute or publish a response to insulting or defamatory content, but also to remove such expressions or even the entire publication. The authori

OC Insider

Russia’s cynical distortion of Victory Day

by Nate Ostiller

•3 min read

On Friday, Russia will hold a grand spectacle in Moscow to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. The official holiday — arguably the most important non-religious holiday in modern Russia — will feature a parade, and will be attended by several leaders from the Caucasus, including Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Abkhazian President Badra Gunba, South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev, and likely the heads of Russian republics in the North Caucas