Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Tavush Province, 22 November 2014

This area had big economic importance for the region during the Soviet time. Today, it is a neutral zone and is only used by Armenia and Azerbaijan to exchange captives and bodies.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 23 November 2014

An Armenian soldier points at Armenia-Azerbaijan border on the map. Recent tensions have been concentrated along north-eastern border in Tavush Provins.

Yulia Grigoryants

Talish, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, 29 April 2016

The view of Talish village few days after the frozen conflicted exploded in April 2016.

Yulia Grigoryants

Nagorno-Karabakh, Talish, 30 April 2016

Nagorno-Karabakh defense army soldier observes the situation on the border.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 23 November 2014

On 7 August 2014. Karen Petrosyan, 33 y.o., a native of Chinari village, gets lost near the border. Within hours, Azerbaijan has announced, that he was saboteur; by the next day, the death of Karen was announced,

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Martakert Province, 29 April 2016

For security reasons the road leading to Talish village in Nagorno-Karabakh is protected with soil and sand.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 9 February 2015

During the last few years the kindergarten of Chinari village turned into one of the targets for Azeri Army. For security reasons, the state blocked all the windows and even at noon electrical light is needed here

Armenia, Nerqin-Karmiraghbyur, 7 February 2015

On 5 February 2015 Vanik Ghukasyan, 60 y.o., native of Nerqin Karmiraghbyur village, is shot dead by Azeri armed forces in his own house.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 23 November 2014

For security reasons all windows of secondary school in Chinari village were blocked.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Nerqin Karmiraghbyur, 7 February 2015

Mother gives an evening bath to her child. Especially in the evenings people avoid going out from the house. Bathrooms are usually located outside.

Yulia Grigoryants

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Shushi, 2 May 2016

An old man carries drinking water in the city of Shushi, the former cultural center of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 23 November 2014

Azerbaijan handed over the body of Karen Petrosyan only 2 months after his death. It was tortured so badly that the funeral ceremony had a closed coffin. Karen’s mother never saw the body of her son.

Yulia Grigor

Armenia, Chinari, 23 November, 2014

Khoranashat monastery (13 century) is located 200m from Azeri military posts.
Only three years ago, mass was still being held under this dome.

Yulia Grigoryants

Armenia, Chinari, 9 February 2015

Almost all the houses in the border villages are outfitted like military posts.

Yulia Grigoryants

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Talish, 3 May 2016

The remains of the war in 90ies are mixed here with recent destructions.

Yulia Grigoryants

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Shushi, 1 May 2016

World War II memorial, with bullet traces from the war in 90's.

Yulia Grigoryants

An Unfinished War

For the last two decades, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have been living under constant threat of a very fragile and frequently violated ceasefire. Inhabitants of border villages and soldiers alike have been living like “hostages”, trapped between peace and war.

Violence against the Armenian population in the Azerbaijan SSR in the late 1980s, the fight for the independence of disputed Nagorno-Karabakh and its reunion with Armenia SSR lead to a large-scale war by the early 1990s. After 5 years of war, a cease-fire agreement was signed. But the frozen conflict between the two nations has never been settled and is on the brink of escalating into full-scale war once again.

The ceasefire violations are especially evident throughout the entire Nagorno-Karabakh - Azerbaijan line of contact and even along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. On the night of April 2, 2016, tensions erupted when Azerbaijan launched attacks along the entire line of contact. Four days of intense fighting followed, highlighted by the use of heavy artilery, tanks, and military helicopters, which resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides. The fighting was eventually halted by another ceasefire agreement. In the uncertain conditions of this tenuous ceasefire, a full-scale war may start any day.

Yulia Grigoryants

Yulia Grigoryants is an independent photographer and producer from Armenia currently living between France and Armenia. Her extensive professional background in documentary film production helped develop her storytelling abilities while covering social, cultural, and human rights issues including conflict zones.

Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, she fled the country in 1988 because of violence against the Armenian population. She grew up during a time of important political and social changes for Armenia, with the transition from the Soviet system to independence, devastating earthquake, five years of war, and years of social-economic hardship, which still continues to this day.

Yulia’s works have been exhibited and published internationally, including Washington Post, L’oeil de la Photographie, etc. In 2015 her photographs were twice exhibited at UN House Armenia. Next year Yulia won The Best New Talent award at IPA-CIS, was nominated for the annual Lucie Award and shortlisted for Sony World photography award.