In 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian-backed separatists in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, started a war to claim independence from Georgia. Up to 300,000 Georgians were displaced. These figures have only increased since the so-called “Five Day War” between Russia and Georgia in 2008 and up to 20% of Georgian territory is now under occupation.
Since 2011 occupational forces started so called "borderization" process - installation of artificial barriers (barbed wires, signs, fences etc.) along the occupation line. As the topic of Russian occupation and the shifting of so-called borders moves deeper and deeper, more territories gather behind the barbed wire fences, leaving the local community without land, harvest and even own houses. The installation of the barbwires has already affected directly around 200 Georgian families. They were forced to flee their homes thus creating further wave of IDPs. Moreover, kidnapping of local residents for "illegal border crossing" by Russian FSB has become almost a common practice: since the start of the "borderization" more then 1000 people have been detained.
“Creeping Borders” was produced with the support of Magnum Foundation as part of the Photography and Social Justice Fellowship.
My work is focused on documenting socio-political conditions in Georgia and aspects of daily life especially in regions of the country and minority groups of society. I believe that it is very important to tell stories, which are underrepresented in media, or distorted in pseudo-narratives and to point at social injustice that are evident in our surrounding.
12 Dariali Turn, 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
Mobile (Georgia): +995 577530077
Email: takoroba@gmail.com
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