hoto Essay: Life Among Chechen Refugees in the Pankisi Valley

Duisi, in the middle of the valley, is the main center where thousands of refugees from Chechnya have gathered. Most of them arrived in November 1999, when fresh outbreaks of violence hit Chechnya. Some have found living space in two big buildings near the Duisi market. Others have been taken in by relatives. For many, conditions are bearable. Many refugee children attend the village school and also go to separate lessons with volunteer teachers, also refugees.

Many said the escape from Chechnya was arduous. "We left our village on November 5," said one women who declined to give her name. "They [Russian troops] were bombing us. In Dagestan, they shot ground-to-ground missiles. We got into a large car that would take us to the border. But later the car broke down. We continued on walking. At the border only women, children and old men could get through. Men had to go back. It was very cold and snow reached up to our knees."

There have been alarming news reports about conditions in the Pankisi valley. The area is reported to be a haven for Islamic terrorists, as well as a center of drug trafficking operations and other illicit activity. In addition, Chechen rebels are said to utilize the region as a rest and re-supply depot for their ongoing struggle across the border in Chechnya.

But when I visited the Pankisi valley, there were few signs of such instability. Indeed, there was also no visible presence of the Georgian police or military. There were some roadblocks, but I could travel without anyone asking for my documents. Of course, that left me free to take plenty of photos.