Caucasus

On June 20, riot police confronted residents in Soyudlu, in western Azerbaijan, as they protested against the construction of a second reservoir intended to hold waste from a nearby gold mine. © Still from video shared on social media

Azerbaijani Authorities Crack Down on Eco Protests

Villagers demand end to construction of a second reservoir for a local gold mine.

10 Jul 23

In 2022, Karin Grigoryan and her husband opened Zove, a guest house in Karashamb, a village in Armenia's central region of Kotayk. Born and raised in the capital Yerevan, Grigoryan dreamed of moving to the countryside. The migration from large cities to rural areas has increased as people seek a slower pace of life and lower cost of living. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia’s Rural Population Grows

Experts attribute migration to the impact of the 2020 Nagorny Karabakh war and rising rental prices in Yerevan.

30 Jun 23

Ani's 19-year-old son was killed in 2020 during the Second Karabakh War and the 48-year-old has been dreaming of having another boy. In 2022 Armenia registered a high sex imbalance; experts maintain that the war and the country's fragile security situation may have triggered an increase of sex selection at birth. © Armine Avetisyan

Post-War Trauma Prompts Armenia’s Sex Imbalance

Experts note that the conflict and still-volatile security may be behind the rise of a skewed ratio between boys and girls.

22 Jun 23

Demonstrators hold banners in support of Georgia's European path. In 2022 Brussels granted membership status to Ukraine and Moldova but withheld Georgia's, stating that the government needed to fulfil a series of reforms by the end of 2023 for its application to advance. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Tbilisi’s Balancing Act Between Moscow and Brussels

Visits by the Russian elite and resumption of direct flights have angered many Georgians.

15 Jun 23

Since 1992, the Yerablur military cemetery, on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, has been the burial place of Armenian soldiers who died in the Nagorny Karabakh wars. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Is Armenia Giving up on Nagorny Karabakh?

Statements recognising Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity signal painful decisions may lie ahead.

8 Jun 23

Gita Hambardzumyan, 35, has lost her job at Artsakh Carpet, a rug manufacturer in Stepanakert. The mother of six spends long hours queuing for food as supplies of basic staples are low. © Siranush Sargsyan

Azerbaijan’s Blockade Paralyses Nagorny Karabakh

Economy is in freefall, with inflation soaring and unemployment on the rise.

6 Jun 23

Ukrainian flags dot streets in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Georgians overwhelmingly support Ukraine, but the government did not join its western allies in the sanctions against Moscow. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the country’s economy would suffer if Tbilisi sanctioned one of its main trading partners. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Georgians Struggle with High Prices Amid War in Ukraine

The influx of Russian exiles have pushed the cost of living up, while Tbilisi’s trade ties with Moscow have expanded.

1 Jun 23

Lena Mirzoyan with her pupils, who are holding the Yezidi flag. Numbering about 35,000 people, Yezidi are Armenia's largest ethnic minority. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia’s Yezidi Girls Choose School Over Early Marriage

Despite conservative social norms that mean girls can wed as young as 14, drop-out rates are declining.

1 Jun 23

(left) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan casts his vote in Turkey's general elections at a polling station in the Uskudar district on May 14, 2023 in Istanbul. (right) Republican People's Party (CHP) leader and presidential candidate of the main opposition alliance Kemal Kilicdaroglu arrives to cast his vote at a polling station during Turkey's General Election on May 14, 2023 in Ankara. © Umit Bektas-Pool/Getty Images and Burak Kara/Getty Images

Turkey Votes: Normalisation With Armenia Will Continue

The presidential contest looms large over the South Caucasus region and the outcome will have a profound impact in Yerevan and Baku.

19 May 23

A woman sings patriotic songs of the Soviet Union during a march near the Kremlin with pro-Communist demonstrators in downtown Moscow, Russia during May Day celebrations, May 2001. © Oleg Nikishin/Newsmakers

Back to the USSR? Memory Wars in the South Caucasus

Kremlin narratives have co-opted history and propagated a distorted memory of the Soviet past.

10 May 23

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