Lachin: Life In No Man’s Land

Photographs © Onnik James Krikorian 2001-3. 

ARTICLES ABOUT LACHIN

LIFE IN NO MAN’S LAND

Following a 1994 ceasefire agreement that put fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh on hold, there are also disagreements on the return of lands surrounding Nagorno Karabakh too.

First published 2001

LACHIN CONFRONTS A DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS

The flag of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh flies over the local administrative buildings in the center of Lachin, the strategic lynchpin connecting the disputed territory with the Republic of Armenia. The town and surrounding area, regarded as vital for Karabakh’s security, appear to be experiencing an unsettling demographic shift.

First published 2006

Suarassy

LACHIN: THE EMPTYING LANDS

The local residents of Suarassy seem oblivious to the hidden danger as they herd cattle down a road known to have been mined during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war of the early Nineties. Despite the mangled military lorry rusting in a ditch to one side, none of their cows have so far detonated seven anti-tank mines still believed to be buried underneath, so they reckon the road is safe.

First published 2006

LATEST BLOG POSTS

Remembering Georgi Vanyan

Remembering Georgi Vanyan

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso has just published my short piece remembering Armenian human rights and peace activist Georgi Vanyan who sadly passed away recently after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. 

An immeasurable and catastrophic loss for the region – Georgi Vanyan RIP

An immeasurable and catastrophic loss for the region – Georgi Vanyan RIP

It is with great sadness that I write this post. Georgi Vanyan, human rights and peace activist, has died. Upon hearing that he had been moved on to a ventilator after being diagnosed and hospitalised in Tbilisi with COVID-19 I think we knew that this was how it was going to end, but that doesn’t make the loss any less painful. Following last year’s war, Georgi was needed now more than ever.

Revisiting the Tekali Process: Georgi Vanyan in Tbilisi

Revisiting the Tekali Process: Georgi Vanyan in Tbilisi

It was a pleasant surprise to receive a phone call from perhaps Armenia’s main peace builder, theatrical director turned activist Georgi Vanyan. All going well we’ll meet up again in a few days. I had first interviewed him in 2009 and isn’t just one of the main advocates for peace and regional integration, but one of the few genuine ones. His approach has always been refreshing.