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Displaced | Georgia

 

By Jean Ross

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Published April 2023

 

Long before the invasion of Ukraine, Russian military forces intervened in multiple wars in Georgia; first in Abkhazia in the early 1990s and later in South Ossetia. Roughly a quarter of a million people, mostly ethnic Georgians, were displaced during the conflicts. While many remained in the areas bordering the conflict zones, others relocated to Tbilisi and other cities, often living in large congregate housing complexes. Continued hostility, exacerbated by ongoing Russian presence, has dimmed displaced families’ dreams of returning home. These images, and the stories that go with them, document their multi-decade struggle for social and economic integration. They also explore broader questions regarding the treatment of civilians displaced by armed conflict broadly and the specific humanitarian toll of Russia’s wars against its neighbors.

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Jean Ross

 

Jean Ross is a California-born documentary and street photographer exploring the interplay between people and place. Studying at the International Center of Photography, her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. and Mexico and several online publications. As a public policy researcher and advocate, she has sought to reduce inequality and promote economic and human rights nationally and abroad.