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Playing the Slots: Georgia’s Hidden Addiction?
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PAUL RIMPLE AND SOPHIA MIZANTE
Amid a Tbilisi slot-parlor boom, experts believe that problem gambling is on the rise in Georgia. The gaming industry may be pouring millions each year into state coffers, but the social costs of gambling are going unmeasured. |
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Tajikistan: Cotton Harvest Relies Heavily on Child Labor
When it comes to the use of child labor to help bring in Tajikistan’s cotton crop, the government’s heart may be in the right place. Officials in Dushanbe have tried to prohibit the practice. But practical circumstances in the impoverished Central Asian nation mean that children are still found out in the fields during the harvest season. |
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Afghanistan: Kabul Fortunetellers Find Niche amid Ongoing Turmoil
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ELISSA BOGOS
Through centuries of conflict, fortunetellers have been a steady source of consolation for Afghans. Some date their practice to the time of Alexander the Great, whose army sought out soothsayers during its conquest of the region. Today, falbins, as they are known, operate in Kabul out of small shops, shacks or on street corners outside mosques and shrines. Their popularity is persisting, despite the occasional police sweep and criticism from mullahs, who believe their practices to be un-Islamic. |
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Georgia: Hollywood Takes Over Tbilisi for Film About War with Russia
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE AND SOPHIA MIZANTE
Hollywood occupied downtown Tbilisi on October 20 to shoot scenes for a movie about the 2008 Georgia-Russia war. The government made available tanks to serve as props for the film, which stars one-time Oscar nominee Andy Garcia in the role of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. |
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Turkey: IMF Meeting in Istanbul Marked by Police-Protester Confrontation
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS
The Tsarist-era Russian anarchist gadflies Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin are widely credited with coming up with the slogan "anarchy is the mother of order." But on October 6, protesters mainly demonstrated that anarchy is the progenitor of destruction. |
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Armenia: Archeologists Say They’ve Found Remains of World’s Oldest Human Brain
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
An Armenian-American-Irish archeological expedition claims to have found the remains of the world’s oldest human brain, estimated to be over 5,000 years old. The team also says it has found evidence of what may be history’s oldest winemaking operation. The discoveries were made recently in a cave in southeastern Armenia. |
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Tajikistan: On Two Wings and a Prayer
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
Flying in the former Soviet Union often induces fatalistic feelings and a hefty dose of fear. These sensations are perhaps reasonable when boarding an elderly Soviet prop plane. They are exponentially compounded when flying the only route for which Moscow once dished out danger pay to pilots. |
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Georgia’s Abkhaz IDP Schools Keep Dream of Return to Abkhazia Alive
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
Nearly 20 years after Georgia’s disastrous war against Abkhaz separatists, Georgian children whose families fled the breakaway region still study in segregated schools designed to keep the memory of Georgian-controlled Abkhazia alive. Now that the dream of reunification seems to be fading, critics fear that the schools’ existence will complicate efforts to integrate displaced families into mainstream Georgian society. |
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Kyrgyzstan: Radioactive Legacy Vexes Bishkek
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
For a generation, Toko and his extended family have grown tomatoes, apples and strawberries along the Mailuu Suu River in southern Kyrgyzstan. Their little plot was a form of insurance, looked upon as a reliable food source that could help feed the family and produce some income amid the post-Soviet era’s economic uncertainty. But for the past year, an infernal legacy of the Soviet era has haunted Toko’s household. A new sign across the muddy lane tells the story: it displays the fearsome international trefoil symbol for radioactivity and reads, "Keep Out!" |
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Georgia: Tbilisi Woos Arab Investment
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
Eager to carve out cheaper trade routes, Georgia is becoming a favored destination for Middle East investors. Arab executives say the benefits of Georgia’s location outweigh the risks of basing operations in a country that recently fought a war with Russia. |
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Georgia: Villagers Want Jobs, Not Protests
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
Kiosk owner Dali Maghlabeli makes just two lari per day - a little over $1 - from the snacks and inflatable balls displayed in her tin hut on Georgia’s main East-West highway. For Georgia’s assertive opposition, people like Maghlabeli are targets of opportunity. But so far, Maghlabeli and others from the ranks of Georgia’s impoverished have shunned opposition efforts to recruit them for the campaign to force President Mikheil Saakashvili from power. |
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Kazakhstan: The Northern Aral Sea Makes a Comeback
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY JOANNA LILLIS
PHOTOS BY DAVID TRILLING
The rusting portholes of the Lev Berg, once a proud vessel in the Aral fishing fleet, stare out across the garbage-strewn expanse of the dry Aral Sea bed. The rotting, graffiti-covered hulk of this ship, resting in what used to be the harbor of Aral (formerly Aralsk), is a testament to the environmental devastation that ill-conceived irrigation policies inflicted on the region. But amid such evidence of despair, fragile signs of hope are starting to appear. |
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South Ossetia Diary: Tskhinvali Residents Who Fled to Georgia Left in Limbo
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY PAUL RIMPLE; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
Some 26,000 former residents of separatist-controlled South Ossetia are hanging in bureaucratic limbo within Georgia -- unable to register as Internally Displaced Persons and unable to return to collect the documents required to receive that status and its benefits. |
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Georgia: Opposition Gives Saakashvili Ultimatum to Resign
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
On the kickoff day of what they pledge could be ongoing protests, organizers of Tbilisi’s April 9 opposition rally gave Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili 24 hours to resign over alleged misdeeds ranging from election fraud to the 2008 war with Russia. |
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Georgia: Opposition Protest Marks 20th Anniversary of Soviet Crackdown
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
As Georgians prepare for April 9 opposition demonstrations meant to force President Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation, memories are also returning to an earlier April 9 protest 20 years ago -- one that resulted in the deaths of 20 people and marked the launch of a full-throttle campaign for independence from the Soviet Union. |
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Turkey: Obama Visit Prompts Turks to Get Caught Up in "Obamenon"
A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN LEWIS
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey has sparked what might be best described as an "Obamenon." Photographer Jonathan Lewis documented the public enthusiastic reaction to Obama’s three-day stay in Turkey in a EurasiaNet slideshow. |
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Turkey: Governing AKP Party Wins Local Voting, but Suffers Political Defeat
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS
Turkey’s Justice and Development Party was the clear winner in local elections on March 29. The results, however, constituted a clear setback for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, and raises questions about the implementation of its political agenda. |
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The Iranian-Turkish Border: A Hazardous Haven for Smugglers
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS
Smuggling along Turkey’s frontier with Iran is a low-reward, high-risk proposition, in which one of the occupational hazards is being shot at. But tough economic conditions in southeastern Turkey mean that there is no shortage of traffickers in illicit petrol. |
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Georgia: Georgian Rugby Squad Prevails against Russia
EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY PAUL RIMPLE; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY One player lit a candle and was kneeling in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. Another was pacing back and forth, listening to Luciano Pavarotti on his iPod. Members of Georgia’s national rugby squad were trying to stay loose before their March 22 match against the Russian team. |
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Georgia: Faith Is the Fashion, as Church Influence Soars
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Georgian Orthodox Church has become one of the most prominent actors in Georgia’s social and political life. |
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Kyrgyzstan: Manas Air Base Operations Continue, Despite Drama
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
At this stage, only confusion surrounds the fate of the US air base in Kyrgyzstan. Government officials, MPs and opposition politicians keep producing a cascade of contradictory statements. Amid the uncertainty, operations at the base are continuing, and US personnel there are striving to maintain a sense of normalcy. |
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Azerbaijan: From the South Caucasus to the South Pole, Top Baku Official Conquers Antarctica
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Call it one small step for man, one giant leap for Azerbaijan. After posting the world’s highest rate of economic growth, founding the first democratic republic in the Islamic world and ranking as the world’s champion of business-friendly reforms, the South Caucasus state has now become the first Turkic country to reach the South Pole. |
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Armenia: Layoffs Carry Protest Potential
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN; PHOTOS BY ANAHIT HAYRAPETYAN
Large-scale layoffs in Armenia are heightening social tensions. Some observers believe the trend could spur political protests as workers and business owners grow increasingly frustrated with the government’s economic course.returnees. |
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Kyrgyzstan: President Bakiyev Wants to Close US Military Base Outside Bishkek
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY DAVID TRILLING AND DEIRDRE TYNAN; PHOTOS BY DAVID TRILLING
Kyrgyzstan intends to close a US military base outside of Bishkek, according to a report distributed by the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The closure would deal a significant blow to Washington’s efforts to ramp up the US war effort in Afghanistan. Some analysts, however, suggest that reports of the base’s demise may be premature. |
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Georgian IDPs Complain: You Can’t Go Home Again
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
Four months after Georgians began to return to villages occupied during the August 2008 war, some villagers are complaining that the government is doing little to smooth their transition. While a government program exists to help Georgians displaced during the fighting, few resources aside from housing reconstruction appear to be available for returnees. |
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Kyrgyzstan: Farmers in Distress Turn to Selling Livestock
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
Kalybek is selling the last of his heifers. The price of hay has skyrocketed so fast in the past year that he can no longer afford to keep the animals. He hopes his two calves can stay alive until spring. Then he plans to sell them and use the money to purchase a train ticket to Russia, where he hopes he’ll be able to find a job. |
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Tajikistan: Construction Boom in Dushanbe Masks Economic Reality
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GEORGE CAMM
It’s an open secret that Tajikistan’s economy is in trouble. Yet despite dire predictions, Dushanbe will soon boast at least four new five-star hotels. The complexes scattered around the city center are part of a building surge that started two years ago when money from Russia’s energy-driven boom began trickling down to the Central Asian country. |
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Tajikistan: Dushanbe Sticking with Cotton, Despite another Horrid Harvest
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
The cotton harvest in Tajikistan has fallen short of targets by nearly 40 percent. Despite the steep decline of the cotton sector in recent years, authorities in Dushanbe appear determined to stick with the troubled cash crop, even though the country is experiencing food shortages. |
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Georgia: A Tiny Village Emerges as a Potential Flashpoint
BY MOLLY CORSO
The tenuous security situation in the Georgian village of Perevi has exposed a conundrum for both Georgia and European Union. Both want Moscow to fully withdraw its forces from the town, but they have been forced to tacitly acknowledge that an abrupt Russian departure could result in a renewal of fighting between Georgians and Ossetians. |
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Kazakhstan: Cotton Harvest Fails to Provide Rich Pickings
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JOANNA LILLIS
This year’s cotton harvest in Central Asia has been accompanied by the usual controversies over child labor, water shortages, and low returns for backbreaking work. Cotton pickers from Uzbekistan continue to be attracted by higher rates of pay in Kazakhstan, raising concern that a labor shortage in Uzbekistan results in more children being sent to the cotton fields. |
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Georgian Opposition Demands Fresh Elections or Else
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
In the first massive street protests since the August war, Georgian opposition parties on November 7 demanded new presidential and parliamentary elections in 2009. A newly formed coalition of five parties presented a list of demands -- and deadlines -- to the authorities and threatened large-scale protests to force President Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation if the government does not comply. |
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Kyrgyzstan: Festival Celebrates the Kyrgyz Horse, Marks Revival
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING WITH REPORTING BY ALINA DALBAEVA
After decades of cross-breeding with stronger and larger Russian and European horses, the distinctive Kyrgyz breed, which is smaller and more agile than other equine types, appeared headed toward extinction. But the Kyrgyz horse has made a comeback in recent years, thanks in part to the efforts of Jacqueline Ripart, founder of Kyrgyz Ate (Kyrgyz Horse), a French-Kyrgyz non-profit dedicated to saving the animal. |
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Georgia: Abkhazia’s Monkey Business Returns to Health
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEX BY ELIZABETH OWEN; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia as an independent state may have fired speculation about military bases and trade ties, but one interesting question has been generally overlooked so far: what it means for Sukhumi’s monkeys. |
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Turkey: Highly Anticipated Trial of Ultra-Nationalist Group Starts with a Stop
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS
One of the most highly anticipated trials in recent memory in Turkey got underway on October 20, but the proceedings quickly ground to a halt, as the presiding judge grappled with the issue of overcrowding in the courtroom. In all, 86 defendants are standing trial -- all accused of taking part in a shadowy conspiracy that sought to overthrow the country’s moderate Islamist government. The outcome is widely seen as a test of political strength, pitting Turkey’s democratically elected Islamist leaders against stridently secular military and nationalist interest groups, commonly referred to as The Deep State. |
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Georgia: With Shooting Over, the Spin War Rages
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
TEXT BY ELIZABETH OWEN; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
It is early morning at the new Russian peacekeeping post at Karaleti, a few kilometers north of Gori, and one senior Russian officer is feeling philosophical. "The war is over," he tells a group of foreign journalists with a wry grin. "Now, it’s time for the information war to begin." |
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In Georgia, Political Views Are Often Best Said in Song
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY GIORGI LOMSADZE; PHOTOS BY MOLLY CORSO
Georgian politics has never been short on drama. But with less than a month to go before the country’s parliamentary elections, politicians are hoping that that the glitterati of Georgia’s music world can help them attract votes. |
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Central Asia: Regional Art Trends Are On Display in New York
A EURASIANET PHOTOESSAY
With the worst winter weather in several generations having already forced strict rationing of electricity in Tajikistan, officials are now worrying that unless there is an immediate warming trend, they may have to declare a state of emergency in the Central Asian nation. Perhaps the hardest hit section of the country during the cold crisis has been the mountainous Badakhshan Region, an autonomous area in eastern Tajikistan that borders Afghanistan. |
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New President Sarkisian Promises an "Armenia of Dreams"
A EURASIANET PHOTOESSAY
With the worst winter weather in several generations having already forced strict rationing of electricity in Tajikistan, officials are now worrying that unless there is an immediate warming trend, they may have to declare a state of emergency in the Central Asian nation. Perhaps the hardest hit section of the country during the cold crisis has been the mountainous Badakhshan Region, an autonomous area in eastern Tajikistan that borders Afghanistan. |
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Even in Warmer Times, Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Region is the Definition of Remote
A EURASIANET PHOTOESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
With the worst winter weather in several generations having already forced strict rationing of electricity in Tajikistan, officials are now worrying that unless there is an immediate warming trend, they may have to declare a state of emergency in the Central Asian nation. Perhaps the hardest hit section of the country during the cold crisis has been the mountainous Badakhshan Region, an autonomous area in eastern Tajikistan that borders Afghanistan.
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Copper Controversy Haunts Armenian Town
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
An increase in birth defects in the northern Armenian town of Alaverdi has prompted a debate about the operations of one of the town’s largest employers, the Armenian Copper Program.
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Armenia: In Capital’s Construction Boom, What Goes Up May Come Down
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN; PHOTOS BY ANAHIT HAYRAPETYAN
In the last five years, central Yerevan has been transformed into a vast construction site, with cranes seemingly outnumbering trees. Officially, the scores of multi-storied buildings are part of large-scale urban planning projects. Experts, however, assert that many of the new edifices violate urban planning and earthquake safety requirements.
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Georgia: President Offers to Hold Early Election to Defuse Crisis, Opposition Leaders Missing
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
A day after the imposition of a state of emergency in Georgia, President Mikheil Saakashvili proposed an early presidential election as a way to resolve the country’s political crisis. The offer, however, does not address the closure of two pro-opposition television stations. In addition, officials have not addressed the reported disappearance of two opposition leaders accused of collaboration with Russian intelligence services.
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Georgia: Government Declares State of Emergency, Pulls Plug on TV Broadcaster
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY ALEXANDER KLIMCHUK, SOPHIA MIZANTE AND MOLLY CORSO
The Georgian government forcibly broke up protests in Tbilisi on November 7 after five days of anti-government demonstrations. While there are no known casualties, over 200 people have sought medical treatment after Special Forces fired tear gas and used water cannons on crowds in downtown Tbilisi and at an impromptu alternative protest site. Amid government appeals for calm, officials also moved to take a pro-opposition television station off the air.
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Georgia: Protestors Pledge Continuous Demonstrations
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY MOLLY CORSO AND SOPHIA MIZANTE
In perhaps the largest demonstrations since the Rose Revolution, thousands of protestors from throughout the country gathered outside the Georgian parliament on November 2 to demand early legislative elections and a Georgia "without a president." While the government has refused to compromise on the election issue, the opposition has vowed to continue the protest until its goals are met.
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Armenia’s Ter-Petrosian Sets Stage for Tense Presidential Vote
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY EMIL DANIELYAN. PHOTOS BY KAREN MINASYAN
After nearly a decade of self-imposed political retirement, Armenia’s former President Levon Ter-Petrosian is seeking a return to power. His decision, anticipated for months, renders the outcome of an upcoming presidential election unpredictable.
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Sumgayit Journal: With More Jobs, More Smog
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY BY KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA. PHOTOS BY RENA EFFENDI
Amidst a hydrocarbon-fueled economic boom, the factories in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgayit, a former capital of the Soviet Union’s chemical industry, are back at work again, with questionable environmental results.
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Kyrgyzstan: Lyuli Minority Group Survives on the Margins of Society
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DANIEL SERSHEN
Yangi Makhalla, a dusty, low-slung neighborhood on the edge of the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, has a bad reputation. Most nonresidents are reluctant to set foot inside the settlement, home to most of Kyrgyzstan’s population of Lyuli, an outcast Central Asian minority group.
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Georgia: Disco Music Used as Vehicle for Peace
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY: TEXT BY PAUL RIMPLE, PHOTOS BY ALEXANDER KLIMCHUK
An October 13 disco concert by a band headed by a former member of the 1970s pop sensation Boney M has become the latest strategy in Tbilisi’s efforts to woo breakaway South Ossetia back into its fold.
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Afghanistan: New National Army Strives to Professionalize
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY SUMIT DAYAL
Six years after the formation of the Afghan National Army, it remains difficult to assess its fighting capabilities. American military advisers believe it may take up to a decade before Afghan units are capable of carrying out independent operations.
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Pan-Armenian Games Seek Ethnic Unity Amidst Divisions
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY ONNIK KRIKORIAN
In theory, it was all about unity. But the tensions on display at the IV Pan-Armenian Games, a mini-Olympics style event that attracted some 2,500 competitors from Armenian communities worldwide, indicated that divisions can run as deep as consensus in Armenia’s far-flung Diaspora.
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Bridge Connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan Set to Open
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING
A major new piece in Central Asia’s expanding transportation grid -- a bridge across the Pyanj River connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan -- is set to open in a few days. The United States, which supplied most of the funding and know-how for the project, hopes the bridge will promote regional stabilization.
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Chinese Growth Plans Stoke Fears of Central Asian Ecological Catastrophe
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JACK CARINO
Located a two-hour drive from the Kazakh border, the area around the Chinese city of Yining hardly seems beset by water difficulties. The land, well watered by the Ili River and its tributaries, remains lush and green despite the brutal summer heat. Seasoned local farmers are unable to recall a time when their irrigation channels dried up.
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Kazakhstan: Man-Made Environmental Hazards Threaten Lake Balkhash
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JACK CARINO
Late on a Friday evening, workers at the municipal stadium in the Kazakh city of Balkhash were busy rolling out broad strips of artificial turf. Real grass can’t grow due to pollution from the local metal plant, explained the venue’s administrator. In honor of the city’s 70th anniversary, she said with a grim smile, the factory itself was paying to install a substitute.
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Urumqi: China’s Economic Hub in Central Asia
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JACK CARINO
Arriving at the Bian Jiang Hotel in the western Chinese city of Urumqi, foreigners tend to be quickly surrounded by a bevy of salesmen and moneychangers. But the men hawking cell phone cards and clamoring to convert currency are not speaking Mandarin, or even Uighur, the language of the Turkic ethnic group indigenous to the area. The first language they try is Russian, increasingly the medium of commerce in China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
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Kazakhstan’s Capital Holds a Lavish Anniversary Celebration
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
TEXT BY JOANNA LILLIS; PHOTOS BY DEAN COX
Ten years after Kazakhstan’s capital shifted north, Astana held a lavish celebration to mark the occasion. Amid the festivities, President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the man responsible for shifting Kazakhstan’s capital, marked his 67th birthday.
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Tajikistan: Glimpsing the Power Source
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY CLIVE NIGEL
One and one-half hours from Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, smooth roads wind through the fertile Vakhsh River valley, past bountiful fruit orchards and families harvesting golden summer wheat. Just past the utilitarian structures of Nurek town, the road abruptly stops at a checkpoint where local police vigilantly watch out for foreigners, perceived spies, and anyone else who might be a source of a little "donation." Security is indeed tight around the world’s tallest dam.
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In Georgia, Preserving the Past Is Cause for Controversy
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
At first glance, Tbilisi’s picturesque tumbledown mansions might seem small cause for controversy. But a government plan to preserve Georgia’s architectural heritage, as embodied in these buildings, could prove a key test of how far ordinary Georgians are willing to go with the country’s gung-ho reform initiatives.
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Turkish Fishing Villages Blame Pipeline for Dwindling Catches
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY (PART 3)
TEXT BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER; PHOTOS BY RENA EFFENDI
At the end of the 1,760-kilometer-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, in the shadow of Turkey’s gleaming Ceyhan oil terminal, stands the hardscrabble fishing village of Golovasi. As in other nearby hamlets, the village’s fetid canal and dilapidated cement houses provide a stark contrast to the promise embodied in its high-tech neighbor -- and a strong illustration of misplaced local expectations that a pipeline means prosperity.
Water Wars Divide Disputed Territory of South Ossetia
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
TEXT BY MOLLY CORSO; PHOTOS BY ALEXANDER KLIMCHUK
Tensions over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia flared in early June as both Georgian and Ossetian-controlled villages in the disputed region were left without water. Adding to the problem is the existence of two rival de facto governments in the territory, both linked by the same Soviet-era water grid.
Kyrgyzstan: German Teacher Embarks on Funding Run for Schools
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
TEXT BY HAMID TOURSUNOF; PHOTOS BY ERIC GOURLAN
Martin Fluch is a mountaineer and a jogging enthusiast, as well as an educator and an idealist. All these interests and traits are now being combined in a noble cause – raising awareness about the terrible state of Kyrgyzstan’s educational infrastructure.
Krtsanisi: Preparing Troops for Deployment to Iraq
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KUCERA; TEXT BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the US training of the Georgian military is seen as a serious menace. The Russian-backed secessionist governments in those territories try to score propaganda points by portraying training programs as a precursor to a US-backed Georgian invasion of their respective territories.
Turkmenistan: Making a Bid for Cradle-of-Civilization Status
PART 5 OF TURKMENISTAN IN TRANSITION SERIES
Even in mid-spring, a stark landscape greets visitors to the Gonur-depe historical site in eastern Turkmenistan. Standing amid sand and rock at the edge of the Karakum desert, it is hard to imagine that a rich civilization once thrived here, built around a lush oasis fed by the Murgab River.
Turkmenistan: Where Authorities Emphasize the Cult in Culture
PART 4 OF TURKMENISTAN IN TRANSITION SERIES
The weekday crowd at Turkmenistan’s main amusement park, called The World of Turkmen Fairy Tales, was surprisingly large. Deep within an artificial mountain, children crowded to squeeze into the first of seven rooms, eager to see their favorite Turkmen legends enacted by animatronic figurines. Outside, where the connections to local fables were tenuous, there were long lines for the roller coaster and bumper cars.
Life Along the Pipeline: BTC’s Impact on Azerbaijan
A EurasiaNet Photo Story
Photos by Rena Effendi. Text by Rovshan Ismayilov
Part 1 of 3
As part of its ongoing coverage of energy issues in the South Caucasus, EurasiaNet is providing an illustrated overview of how the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has affected the lives of residents in its three host countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Here, photographer Rena Effendi and writer Rovshan Ismayilov document the changes in Azerbaijan.
Georgia’s Rustavi: Heading from Bust to Boom?
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
It was the post-Soviet comeback that was never expected to happen. With the recent reopening of its steel works, the Georgian city of Rustavi, long a derelict memorial to Soviet industrial might, is slowly returning to life, officials say. But despite the optimism, some residents, media and non-governmental organizations argue that vexing problems linger on.
Jewish Community Helps Georgia and Israel Draw Closer
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY
Text by Marina von Koenig and Nino Taktakishvili. Photos by Sophia Mizante
Russian trade and transportation blockades may have weakened Georgia’s economic growth, but the country has managed to secure significant foreign investments. Last year’s economic expansion of 10 percent, according to government figures, is due not least to the emergence of new economic partners, among them Israel.
Azerbaijan Grapples with Growing Drug Addiction
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY
PHOTOS BY RENA EFFENDI. TEXT BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
Drug addiction is growing rapidly in Azerbaijan, experts and physicians say, and although the government has made important strides to fight the trend, lingering trouble areas could hamper a correction of the trend.
The Challenge of De-Mining Karabakh
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY SOPHIA MIZANTE; TEXT BY ZOE POWELL
As preparations reportedly begin for fresh talks on January 23 between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, attention is again focusing on questions of displaced persons and borders. But lingering in this remote mountainous region is an issue that threatens to undermine any chances for peace with a particularly devastating impact: land mines.
South Ossetia's Vladikavkaz Connection
A EURASIANET PHOTO COMMENTARY BY DANIEL J. GERSTLE
The Russian Duma's December 6 resolution calling for recognition of the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia sparked outrage within Georgia, and some degree of befuddlement abroad. Outsiders may wonder why Russian lawmakers, who oppose secessionists at home, voted to support independence for the territory. Ossetian national ideology and the Ossetian people's historic ties with Russia provide the key to understanding this relationship.
Nagorno-Karabakh Gains a Constitution, But Little Clarity for Future
TEXT BY ZOE POWELL. PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
The disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a remote, predominantly ethnic Armenian region formerly held by Azerbaijan, gained a constitution on December 10, but the impact of the vote remains contentious. The international community, if it followed the referendum at all, criticized it as a potential threat to ongoing, delicate talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory. But for the separatist leadership itself, the vote was no more than a natural step in its 15-year journey toward full-fledged independence.
Georgian Hip Hop: Creating a Beat for the Caucasus
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY: TEXT BY PAUL RIMPLE. PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
Since its debut in the early 1990s as underground music, rap has become a leading mainstream genre for Georgia, a country better known for the intricate melodies of polyphonic choirs than the pulsating rhythms of the hip-hop beat.
The Pope Reassures Muslims During Turkish Trip
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PATRICK ANDRADE
Since its debut in the early 1990s as underground music, rap has become a leading mainstream genre for Georgia, a country better known for the intricate melodies of polyphonic choirs than the pulsating rhythms of the hip-hop beat.
New Constitution Comes into Force in Kyrgyzstan
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY
PHOTOS BY ELENA SKOCHILO
Kyrgyzstan took a step back from the brink of political upheaval when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev placed his signature November 9 under a new constitution introducing strong checks on executive authority. While the constitutional settlement would seem to avert tumult for the time being, some observers say a significant change in Kyrgyzstan’s political culture is needed before the country can enjoy a prolonged period of stability.
Kyrgyzstan: Anti-Administration Protest Turns Violent
BY DANIEL SERSHEN
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ELENA SKOCHILO
The standoff between political forces in Kyrgyzstan turned violent on November 7 when thousands of protesters demanding President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s resignation clashed with a smaller group of Bakiyev supporters in front of the country’s parliament. Later in the day, opposition leaders and the president reached a tentative compromise that could potentially defuse the crisis.
Armenia: Socialism in One Village
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYANA
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ONNIK KRIKORIAN
"Long Live Communism!," "Long Live Socialism!," "Long Live the Great October Revolution!" In the Armenian village of Lernamerdz, about 40 kilometers from Yerevan, communism and its triumphant proclamations are not a dim recollection. They are a way of life.
Georgia, Azerbaijan Debate Control of Ancient Monastery’s Territory
BY DIANA PETRIASHVILI AND ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ALEXANDER KLIMCHUK
An unresolved border between Georgia and Azerbaijan has put under question one of the South Caucasus’s most significant cultural and religious landmarks, the medieval David-Gareja monastery complex, located in Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia: Violation of Fishing Ban Threatens Lake Sevan
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
Armenian scientists are charging that violation of a ban on fishing for whitefish poses a severe challenge to the eco-system of Armenia’s Lake Sevan, the largest alpine lake in the Caucasus and one of Armenia’s best-known natural landmarks. In response, the government has pledged to tighten the ban as of mid-November, but local villagers remain skeptical, saying that their livelihoods depend on the fish.
Georgia: Officials Claim Victory in Russian "War" on Georgian Wine
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
With the end of Georgia’s grape harvest season, officials are claiming that a government campaign to defend the country’s wine industry against a seven-month Russian embargo has triumphed. But despite the optimism, serious obstacles – from low grape prices to rampant falsification – remain.
Azerbaijan: Russia to Blame for Delayed Gas Deliveries to Georgia?
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY RENA EFFENDI
Azerbaijan will not be able to supply Georgia this year with the additional gas supplies that the Georgian government is seeking in order to forestall the possibility of an energy crisis. Some experts in Baku believe that Russia’s ongoing diplomatic row with Georgia is influencing Azerbaijani policy decisions.
Bush: Kazakhstan a "free nation"
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY BRENDAN HOFFMAN
Washington rolled out the red carpet for Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Following September 29 talks, US President George W. Bush downplayed concerns about Kazakhstan’s recent democratization record, emphasizing that the Central Asian nation appears committed to building institutions "that will enable liberty to flourish."
Harsh Sentences for Juvenile Offenders Raises Questions About Georgia's Justice System
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
The sentencing of a 14-year-old Tbilisi resident, Giorgi Zerekidze, to a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder has raised questions about Georgia’s largely unreformed juvenile justice system. With an appeal schedule for September 27, representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and local human rights organizations maintain that putting Zerekidze behind bars would violate international norms.
Assyrians Experience Slow Cultural Revival in Southeastern Turkey
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER
Filled with honey-colored stone homes with exquisite relief carvings, Midyat, located in southeast Turkey, is one of the country’s most beautiful ancient towns. Once almost exclusively populated by Assyrian Christians – an ancient sect that traces its roots back to the earliest days of Christianity and that still uses Aramaic, the language spoken during the time of Jesus, for its liturgy – the town is now almost completely devoid of its original inhabitants.
Amid Reconstruction Efforts, Afghanistan’s Largest Coal Mine Rusts Away
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PATRICK ANDRADE
North of Kabul, just beyond the famed Salang pass in the Hindu Kush Mountains, are found a few blackened entrances to the largest coal mine in Afghanistan. Photographer Patrick Andrade recently visited the Karkar mine to document the difficult conditions under which Afghan miners operate.
In Azerbaijan, Landmines Give No Chance for Peace
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JOHN WENDLE
Gourban’s eyes shine angrily as he tells the story of the day he had his arm ripped off by a rocket he found while collecting scrap metal on a former battlefield in the Fizuli region of southern Azerbaijan. Like other villagers’ stories, it starts simply: "I found a piece of metal in the fields." And then veers into tragedy. Later that same day, Gourban woke up at a hospital missing his left arm from the elbow down.
Armenian Youth: Ready to Rock?
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ONNIK KRIKORIAN
Armenia has not traditionally been a country known for its rock, nor for a great interest in the rock scene. But all that is beginning to change.
Tank Maneuvers Showcase New Afghan Army’s Capabilities
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JOHN SMOCK
It an ironic geopolitical twist, tank crews prepared four aging Russian-made T-62s for maneuvers on a recent summer day under the gaze of American, German and Romanian military trainers.
Displaced Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan Face Difficult Living Conditions
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
Acting Kyrgyzstani President Kurmanbek Bakiyev stated May 18 that over 1,500 Uzbeks crossed into Kyrgyzstan following the Andijan events. Many displaced Uzbeks, as this EurasiaNet photo essay shows, continue to grapple with difficult living conditions.
The Baku Jazz Festival: Reviving a Tradition in Azerbaijan
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY
TEXT BY ISHHAD DUNCAN
PHOTOS BY RENA EFFENDI
Jazz has always held a special place in Azerbaijan. Under Soviet rule, jazz’s syncopated beats were banned. Today, nearly 14 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, jazz’s place in this oil-rich city stands strong thanks to the International Baku Jazz Festival.
South Ossetia: Where Peace is a Relative Term
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE
In the breakaway region of South Ossetia, peace is a relative term. Though a ceasefire agreement between Georgian and South Ossetian forces remains in effect, sporadic hostilities continue apace. And even though a peace proposal may be on the table now for the region, so far, only one side – Georgia – is embracing it.
Baku Wrestles With a Development Dilemma
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY RENA EFFENDI
Since regaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, has experienced a sudden influx of investment, most of it connected with energy development projects. The images in this photo essay strive to underscore that many of Baku’s development decisions are driven by greed instead of sound policy, resulting in a lack of urban planning.
Promises Still Power Georgia’s Electricity System
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
This New Year’s, the television was on at Imzari Chartishvili’s home in the West Georgian village of Lesa. Although no one watched it most of the time, its presence was a comfort. The broadcasts came as a special holiday gift from the Georgian government: a 24-hour supply of electricity.
Afghans Seek to Rediscover the Meaning of Leisure
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PATRICK ANDRADE
Amid the tumult of Afghanistan’s reconstruction, a fortunate few are trying to rediscover the concept of leisure. The Kabul Golf Club is among the recreational options that have appeared in and around the Afghan capital. But as this photo essay by Patrick Andrade illustrates, a round of golf features some unique hazards.
The Complex Search for Peace in the Georgian Region of South Ossetia
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JUSTYNA MIELNIKIEWICZ
The peace process in South Ossetia, one of Georgia’s renegade regions, is less two-weeks old, but it is already showing signs of fraying. This photo essay by Georgia-based photographer Justyna Mielnikiewicz attempts to capture the prevailing mood in Ossetia as the opposing sides attempt to resolve their differences.
Photo Gallery: Elections in Afghanistan
BY ED GRAZDA AND PATRICK ANDRADE
High voter turnout led to long lines at polling stations during the October 9 presidential election in Afghanistan. Balloting was marred by controversy over the poor quality of ink used as a means of thwarting those seeking to cast multiple votes. Photographers Edward Grazda and Patrick Andrade strive to capture the enthusiasm and the confusion that marked election day.
Photo Gallery: Elections in Afghanistan
BY ED GRAZDA
Award-winning photographer Edward Grazda has spent recent weeks on the campaign trail in Afghanistan, leading up to the October 9 presidential election. EurasiaNet has assembled a photo gallery of Grazda's work featuring prominent presidential candidates.
Afghanistan: Women Seek to Carve out Economic Niche
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY CAMELIA ENTEKHABI-FARD
One of the major aims of Afghanistan’s reconstruction effort is the firm establishment of women’s rights within a conservative Islamic context. As this EurasiaNet photo essay by Camelia Entekhabi-Fard shows, some enterprising Afghan women have already carved out an economic niche in Kabul.
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