Shadows in the Apple Garden

Ever since the conflict of 2008, Georgian villagers along the scarcely demarcated line of South Ossetia live in the shadow of the military bases and hear the Russian-armed patrols. Neither the monitoring missions, nor the occasional ardent support of compatriots from the capital can chase the uncertainty of their situation away. Rather, it becomes a habit.

People built new homes next to the ones that got destroyed in the conflict and carried on working in the orchards and fields sliced by the barbed wire, and pick the firewood beyond the newly-erected sings under the risk of being abducted.

The apple trees might get damaged, but the roots stubbornly dig deeper into the ground.

Tamuna Chkareuli

Tamuna Chkareuli is a Georgian photographer and journalist based in Tbilisi. Having a keen interest in social issues, she mainly photographs and writes on human rights, with particular focus on disability and gender-related problems.

After graduating in MA Documentary photography and photojournalism from the University of Westminster (2017), she has worked both in London and Tbilisi as a freelance photojournalist, developing her personal projects at the same time.

In 2018 she became a grantee of Tbilisi Photography Museum with the mentorship provided by NOOR. In 2019 she’s been a selected participant of Nikon-NOOR workshop in Barcelona. She’s a part of Women Photograph mentorship program since 2020. She was 2021 fellow of RFE/RL Georgian Service regional journalism program. In 2021 she’s been awarded EU journalism prize for the best investigation.

Tamuna Chkareuli's works have been shortlisted for Kolga International photo showcased at Tbilisi Photo Festival and Rome Art Week. Tamuna is represented at Diversify Photo. Her recent work on Ukrainian refugee crisis has been published in New Lines Magazine and Hyperallergic.

She is currently working as a freelance journalist/photographer. You can view more of her work here.