PERSONAL PROJECTS: House Divided (Shifting Borders): Shifting Borders

A child takes a swim in the Enguri River, which is used as the borderline of the Russian-supported separatist territory of Abkhazia. The river was previously known as a good location for safely crossing into Abkhazia, but recent installation of barbed wire fencing and surveillance equipment has slowed those crossings. The border marks on the photo illustrate the words of a local, when she had a small dialogue with a Russian militant standing in a watchtower that overlooked her house near the Enguri river. “I tok my grandkids out for a swim on a hot summer day, when the kids were already in the water, one of the Russian militants from the watchtower addressed me to keep the distance, I asked why? He said in Russian that half of the river belongs to Russia and half to Georgia”. Orsantia village, Georgia, 2017.
Shifting Borders

A child takes a swim in the Enguri River, which is used as the borderline of the Russian-supported separatist territory of Abkhazia. The river was previously known as a good location for safely crossing into Abkhazia, but recent installation of barbed wire fencing and surveillance equipment has slowed those crossings. The border marks on the photo illustrate the words of a local, when she had a small dialogue with a Russian militant standing in a watchtower that overlooked her house near the Enguri river. “I tok my grandkids out for a swim on a hot summer day, when the kids were already in the water, one of the Russian militants from the watchtower addressed me to keep the distance, I asked why? He said in Russian that half of the river belongs to Russia and half to Georgia”. Orsantia village, Georgia, 2017.