Deinstitutionalisation, Kutaisi, Georgia
Photographs © Onnik James Krikorian 2007.
ARTICLES ABOUT DEINSTITUTIONALISATION
SUFFER THE CHILDREN
A mother waits patiently to enroll her son at an Auxiliary Boarding School for children with learning disabilities somewhere in the heart of the Armenian capital. It doesn’t seem to matter to the staff that the twelve-year old isn’t disabled, all the school requires, the Director says, is a medical certificate.
First published 2003
CHILDREN OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
At just eight months of age, Tiesa and her two sisters were abandoned by a roadside. They survived by eating roadkill — frogs, in fact — and drinking water from puddles before being discovered. The children, two of them with learning disabilities, were placed in Tbilisi’s Infant House, an orphanage by any other name.
First published 2014
LATEST BLOG POSTS
Armenia: The Spear
Being based in Armenia for 12 years hasn’t only given me plenty to photograph and write about, but also provides me with an opportunity to fix for many large media organizations. Last year, for example, I regularly fixed for the BBC, Al Jazeera English and The Wall Street Journal as well as photographed and organized a series of reports for The National. However, albeit with a few exceptions, the subject matters were the same — Armenia-Turkey relations and the unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
Личная история: Война и Переселение
Я родилась в Варденисе, в 1984-ом году. Четыре года спустя вся моя семья, а также родсвенники в связи с массовыми переселениями вынуждены были покинуть Армению и бежать в Азербайджан. Тогда мне было 4 года и, оглядываясь назад я не могу вспомнить все, что я оставила там , за собой. И я не знаю, к лучшему это или нет, что я не все помню. Но перед моими глазами проносятся отрывками воспоминания о нашем доме, садике, игровой площадке, моих друзьях, яблочном деревце и о петуке, которого я очень любила.
Personal Reflections on Conflict and Displacement
i was born in vardenis in 1984, but four years later my entire family, including all my relatives, had to leave armenia. i was only four when i left armenia, fleeing to azerbaijan due to the mass displacements. in retrospect, i don’t know whether that’s fortunate or not as i am unable to remember everything i left behind. however, i do remember our house, our garden, the playground, my friends, my apple tree, and the rooster which i loved so much.