https://daiterlens.com daiterlens Mon, 13 Mar 2023 02:30:04 +0000 https://daiterlens.com en https://daiterlens.com/Front-page Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:07:24 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/Front-page <img width="1554" height="1548" width_o="1554" height_o="1548" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a4d0828f35420bfcf3d5ce7f1626f2df19a00ea204d5ca60e06cb989e20442d/000077150015.jpg" data-mid="171347400" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0a4d0828f35420bfcf3d5ce7f1626f2df19a00ea204d5ca60e06cb989e20442d/000077150015.jpg" /> DAITERLENS &lt;- Choose a story https://daiterlens.com/Information Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:07:24 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/Information Matthew Daiter is a documentary photographer, specializing in environmental portraiture and cultural events. From Middle Eastern palace weddings and Tokyo sumo competitions to London fashion shoots and Himba villages, his photography elevates the medium through which people remember themselves and the events in which they engage. His focus on monochrome pushes his clients’ vision of abstraction and form for events and portraiture. Feel free to message about potential collaborations! Awards: Tokyo International Foto Awards 2024 (People, Wedding) International Photography Awards 2023 (Event, Competitive Event)Tokyo International Foto Awards 2023 (Editorial, Sports) Tokyo International Foto Awards 2022 (Editorial, Political)<img width="1554" height="1548" width_o="1554" height_o="1548" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a4d0828f35420bfcf3d5ce7f1626f2df19a00ea204d5ca60e06cb989e20442d/000077150015.jpg" data-mid="171345921" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0a4d0828f35420bfcf3d5ce7f1626f2df19a00ea204d5ca60e06cb989e20442d/000077150015.jpg" /> LinkedIn Instagram mdaiter8121@gmail.com https://daiterlens.com/Right-Image-Nav Mon, 13 Mar 2023 02:30:04 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/Right-Image-Nav Modeling 01/23 THE ELIZA PROJECT OUTDOOR / FASHION A fashion shoot around London 01/23 THE VANESSA PROJECT STUDIO WORK Experimental portrait studio shoot Weddings + Event Photography 05/23 SUMOS OF JAPAN EVENT Tokyo Sumo Ceremonies on film 02/23 FROM GRAD SCHOOL TO “SHE SAID YES” WEDDING Photograping my two friends of a decade getting married 10/22 AN AZERI PALACE WEDDING WEDDING A man with a $50 suit goes to a palace wedding in the Middle East Travel Series EAST ASIA 05/25 中國 TRAVEL Cordyceps, concrete, CCP SOUTH ASIA 04/24 SRI LANKA TRAVEL Trains, tuk-tuks, and oruwas 04/24 BANGLADESH TRAVEL Trains, rickshaws, and launches AFRICA 03/24 SOUTHERN AFRICA TRAVEL Motorcycle, motorcycle and more motorcycle LATIN AMERICA 01/24 CUBA TRAVEL Cars, cars, and more cars 11/23 ARGENTINA TRAVEL Pride, Milei, and coffee SOUTHEAST ASIA 11/22 BHUTAN TRAVEL A week around Bhutan with a laymonk and a Buddhist scholar 11/22 400 HOURS IN KUALA LUMPUR TRAVEL Street shots around Malaysia 10/22 VIETNAM: A VISUAL DIARY TRAVEL Saigon -&gt; a fishing village on the coast -&gt; the Chinese border -&gt; Con Dao HOW LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE CAUCASUS 05/22 PART 3: SOFT POWER’S EMERGING PROMINENCE TRAVEL Understanding soft power’s role and direction in Azerbaijan and Armenia 04/22 PART 2: PROTEST TRAVEL Understanding protest's role and direction in Azerbaijan and Armenia 04/22 PART 1: CITIES AND CULTURES TRAVEL An overview of Azerbaijan and Armenia 04/22 INTRO TRAVEL An intro Azerbaijan and Armenia https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-3-Soft-Power-s-Emerging Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:07:23 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-3-Soft-Power-s-Emerging HOW LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE CAUCASUS PART 3: SOFT POWER’S EMERGING PROMINENCE Category: Photography Subcategory: Political / Travel / Portrait Country: AzerbaijanGear used:Camera: Voigtlander Bessa R2ALenses: Voigtlander 50mm f/1.2 Nokton VM + Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron Vintage VMNighttime film: Cinestill 800T (one roll)Daytime films: Kodak Portra 400, Cinestill 50D, Karmir Film 160 (one roll, locally made in Yerevan. And they're scaling up!)Slide film for portraits and a bit of street work: (the legendary) Kodak Ektachrome 100 (one roll) "I'll be presenting at Venice Film Festival in a few months," Tahmina Rafaella, the first prominent female film maker from Azerbaijan, lets me know. "And then we'll see where it goes from there." We're taking a few portrait shots for an upcoming movie release as the sun sets. Her fiancé offers some advice with framing and lighting, and we fire off some shots. She details what a movie post production from the Caucasus can look like: weeks of post-production between Tehran and Baku, followed by retouching, and then worldwide movie releases. Her fiancé, also helping on-set, can't accompany her to Iran due to his prior involvement in the American military. "But it's okay, he's got work to do in LA." <img width="7024" height="4674" width_o="7024" height_o="4674" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf79136b56f18e0bc3821be5e72f1696bea69f381b3d11ee3b976dfad3716914/original.jpeg" data-mid="171158089" border="0" alt="One of the first female filmmakers from Azerbaijan, focused on amplifying feminist stories through film. Kodak Ektachrome 100" data-caption="One of the first female filmmakers from Azerbaijan, focused on amplifying feminist stories through film. Kodak Ektachrome 100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bf79136b56f18e0bc3821be5e72f1696bea69f381b3d11ee3b976dfad3716914/original.jpeg" /> <img width="4674" height="7024" width_o="4674" height_o="7024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fadf6565b904bf1e54a551c07a4a5d11786e7d9661441ccb109b70ca739dd9b/original-1.jpeg" data-mid="171158090" border="0" alt="Previously in the American military in Afghanistan, Henry assists in producing Middle-Eastern feminist films with his fianc&eacute;e. Kodak Ektachrome 100" data-caption="Previously in the American military in Afghanistan, Henry assists in producing Middle-Eastern feminist films with his fiancée. Kodak Ektachrome 100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fadf6565b904bf1e54a551c07a4a5d11786e7d9661441ccb109b70ca739dd9b/original-1.jpeg" /> "Many studios have started shooting movies here," my Armenian host explained. "It's cheap, it's got various landscapes and seasons, and it's close to Europe. It's simple and fast to produce media here." And new businesses in Yerevan reflect that. For example, Yerevan-based Black Dot Film just produced Porsche's advertisement for its 911 GT3 2021 in Armenia. Continuing that investment, Karmir Film currently is taking on film supply production, custom film stocks, and custom development for full length film movies (e.g. Super16). It might sound niche on the surface, but one of the producers has already created high-quality 35mm videos about Russian feminism from his lab. And on a personal note, their custom film stock renders beautifully. Described as a Kodak Aerocolor repackage, its red undertones gave my Armenian landscape photos bolder character and pop than I could have achieved using pro Kodak film, and for half the price. I had no idea what to expect from the Caucasus for developing film, but never would I have expected to see such stellar support for the film community in any city outside of SF / Zürich / Tokyo. What once used to be historically world-quality yet shadowed artistic and entrepreneurial talent -- as examples, Reza Deghati for photography and Alexis Ohanian for tech -- a flood of interest and outside investment has delivered new avenues of worldwide expression for artists and tech entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan and Armenia, respectively, since their releases from the USSR's vice-grip. <img width="700" height="521" width_o="700" height_o="521" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a07ba668ba9d2aaca6950c72a3532d10a5972e78ae1100b7a752dd1d222abb2c/original.jpeg" data-mid="171158788" border="0" alt="Circassian wedding (traditionally involving bride abduction on horseback), Azerbaijani wedding, USSR, 1965. Photo credit: Soviet Visuals" data-caption="Circassian wedding (traditionally involving bride abduction on horseback), Azerbaijani wedding, USSR, 1965. Photo credit: Soviet Visuals" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/700/i/a07ba668ba9d2aaca6950c72a3532d10a5972e78ae1100b7a752dd1d222abb2c/original.jpeg" /> CONCLUSION“Would you go back?” a friend asked when I returned to Zürich."In a heartbeat." A massive thank you to both Yasmin and Karen for hosting and showing me these places. Without your help, none of this would have been possible to the scale this has become -- thank you so much 😊. Interested in a gallery showing? I'm considering throwing one: sign up here. https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-2-Protest Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:07:22 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-2-Protest HOW LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE CAUCASUS PART 2: PROTESTCategory: PhotographySubcategory: Political / TravelCountry: Azerbaijan + Armenia Gear used:Camera: Voigtlander Bessa R2ALenses: Voigtlander 50mm f/1.2 Nokton VM + Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron Vintage VMNighttime film: Cinestill 800T (one roll)Daytime films: Kodak Portra 400, Cinestill 50D, Karmir Film 160 (one roll, locally made in Yerevan. And they're scaling up!)Slide film for portraits and a bit of street work: (the legendary) Kodak Ektachrome 100 (one roll) <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/487d90bf87277f7ecdca64ef93dbade9689d57b370d2e371fe2647f53e4f281e/armenia-portrait.jpeg" data-mid="171164964" border="0" alt="Pre-assembly prayers held for fallen Armenians during the Genocide. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Pre-assembly prayers held for fallen Armenians during the Genocide. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/487d90bf87277f7ecdca64ef93dbade9689d57b370d2e371fe2647f53e4f281e/armenia-portrait.jpeg" /> Photographing Armenia's Genocide Remembrance Day was going to be stressful due to how delicate the event's history had become. I knew that beforehand.“The genocide to Armenians was like the Holocaust to Jews”-An American-Armenian I interviewed at Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day It's easy to see how Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day would be so emotionally charged: 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered by the Turkish government through a forced genocide. The way with which Armenians congregate and express themselves in mass tends to be loud, direct, and incredibly visual. Turkish and Azeri flags were burned on a main stage before thousands of people with tiki torches marched through Yerevan, in order to show solidarity. <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d045194b7abb211a5e6611c82e1e5d2c32dfdec19f71cc226ddaa36bb087d5b0/original-45.jpeg" data-mid="171165172" border="0" alt="A deluge of supporters convene on the Armenian Genocide Memorial. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="A deluge of supporters convene on the Armenian Genocide Memorial. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d045194b7abb211a5e6611c82e1e5d2c32dfdec19f71cc226ddaa36bb087d5b0/original-45.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2259877518e2e531e306251e0631a00911e44b20133d3033017164901efe8a61/original-36.jpeg" data-mid="171165161" border="0" alt="Nationalism and unity are seen here, bleeding into one another while expressing grief. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Nationalism and unity are seen here, bleeding into one another while expressing grief. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2259877518e2e531e306251e0631a00911e44b20133d3033017164901efe8a61/original-36.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/45eeb1f9f442bc8154592fc637fefbf0cfde9974a708f3618584b6ed7d4fc8b1/original-47.jpeg" data-mid="171165175" border="0" alt="Two Armenians light candles in remembrance. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Two Armenians light candles in remembrance. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/45eeb1f9f442bc8154592fc637fefbf0cfde9974a708f3618584b6ed7d4fc8b1/original-47.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/473decadab8351fe3ec8bd30524a1754121043c3e36322674ddb3b976716da4f/original-46.jpeg" data-mid="171165174" border="0" alt="Tiki torch streaks across the main streets of Yerevan. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Tiki torch streaks across the main streets of Yerevan. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/473decadab8351fe3ec8bd30524a1754121043c3e36322674ddb3b976716da4f/original-46.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/590059264c3d766a40f1a4e3fdc3160397812304ab3606768da6c14a1d95bfc2/original-42.jpeg" data-mid="171165169" border="0" alt="Walls of grievers travel as one throughout Central Yerevan. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Walls of grievers travel as one throughout Central Yerevan. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/590059264c3d766a40f1a4e3fdc3160397812304ab3606768da6c14a1d95bfc2/original-42.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d945f08f538d4bd2317cf77ccf24ad49ca6a30a3967c6beff5b5afefd7b8df72/original-38.jpeg" data-mid="171165163" border="0" alt="A few college-aged kids, exhausted after marching from central Yerevan to the Genocide Memorial. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="A few college-aged kids, exhausted after marching from central Yerevan to the Genocide Memorial. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d945f08f538d4bd2317cf77ccf24ad49ca6a30a3967c6beff5b5afefd7b8df72/original-38.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07fb9386a9a9dbbe28bd556ff1b963afeb3c0997a81e3a4ca608b476117c4cfb/original-41.jpeg" data-mid="171165167" border="0" alt="An Artsakh flag - a common symbol of displaying support for reinvading Nagorno-Karabakh - flies. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="An Artsakh flag - a common symbol of displaying support for reinvading Nagorno-Karabakh - flies. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/07fb9386a9a9dbbe28bd556ff1b963afeb3c0997a81e3a4ca608b476117c4cfb/original-41.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9e675efc6620941d76efe66c0c566e6ba9f8f4f908668f48e5df4c36b9e40409/original-39.jpeg" data-mid="171165165" border="0" alt="The Armenian Opposition Party, one of the main supporters of the remembrance event, organizes this event to almost feel like a concert. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="The Armenian Opposition Party, one of the main supporters of the remembrance event, organizes this event to almost feel like a concert. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9e675efc6620941d76efe66c0c566e6ba9f8f4f908668f48e5df4c36b9e40409/original-39.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2a51358eed6666fc3f99f7ba2f9edd38b9ca8d1bf76a48c377d8513730f4e7a3/original-37.jpeg" data-mid="171165162" border="0" alt="Flags hang everywhere on Remembrance Night. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Flags hang everywhere on Remembrance Night. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2a51358eed6666fc3f99f7ba2f9edd38b9ca8d1bf76a48c377d8513730f4e7a3/original-37.jpeg" /> But what would have been lost on me, as an outsider to this culture, was the tie between somber mourning and driving political agendas. Countless Artsakh flags dotted the skyline, like the one above, throughout the night as veterans chanted on-stage about glory, power, and taking back Nagorno-Karabakh. Flag burnings were met with cheers. And it's to the benefit of the Opposition Party, whose identity has been heavily composed of taking back portions of Karabakh and forcing a government resignation. It's easy to draw lines between a unified identity for displaying grief being manipulated to bolster an audience around signaling nationalism. <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cac221188e924c25e0954a899b67b15d47a352f5d1a88357c0915ac6b4a60f54/original-40.jpeg" data-mid="171165768" border="0" alt="An air of hesitation surrounded those with tiki torches when asked to be photographed. Thankfully, this person cut through that. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="An air of hesitation surrounded those with tiki torches when asked to be photographed. Thankfully, this person cut through that. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cac221188e924c25e0954a899b67b15d47a352f5d1a88357c0915ac6b4a60f54/original-40.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f1a071f48096a1f9ec837022252ce6e9038d63b142bad40091cee94dfaa6357e/original-44.jpeg" data-mid="171165772" border="0" alt="Like Armenians were treated during the Genocide, facelessness provided a centerpiece over which returning Armenians could bond. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Like Armenians were treated during the Genocide, facelessness provided a centerpiece over which returning Armenians could bond. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f1a071f48096a1f9ec837022252ce6e9038d63b142bad40091cee94dfaa6357e/original-44.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8476ec730514aabfa605c9088995c9ed36d38e450c5ae5bb708728c80ea70f51/original-49.jpeg" data-mid="171165770" border="0" alt="All age ranges, from children to the elderly, has some sort of flame for Remembrance. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="All age ranges, from children to the elderly, has some sort of flame for Remembrance. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8476ec730514aabfa605c9088995c9ed36d38e450c5ae5bb708728c80ea70f51/original-49.jpeg" /> Subtle murmurs of English, French, and Dutch within the pocket of protestors were met with my friend's explanation as "probably birthright-ers or expats, coming back to show solitude". And just like that, a few birthrighters displaying support helped out with parts of this production. Two Swiss-Armenians even helped me sneak backstage to get some of these photos, and when my phone died. While lending me his phone charger, an American-Armenian explained his thoughts on the divide. He mentioned videos of Armenian soldiers being defaced in Baku's Military Park as the reason he believed it'd be dangerous for him to ever visit. And it's understandable how he'd have that opinion: Baku's Military Park has been heavily criticized for "racist portrayal of Armenians, as well as the insensitivity of displaying helmets that may have been taken from fallen soldiers". But what didn't seem to be broadcasted to the Armenians I interviewed was the torrential backlash internally in Azerbaijan and Turkey against the construction and portrayal of Armenians that erupted when the park was opened, or that all mannequins have been removed from the park after the intense recoil of public support. With any disjoint community, Brandolini's Law comes into full force -- it's just a shame to see it fragment communities to reinforcing isolation. <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88849782d07df3afeb6116aec78c53e82fd96cc24cbff2284292fd05e9c927f8/original-43.jpeg" data-mid="171165889" border="0" alt="Flags of all countries that acknowledge the Genocide. Cinestill 800T." data-caption="Flags of all countries that acknowledge the Genocide. Cinestill 800T." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/88849782d07df3afeb6116aec78c53e82fd96cc24cbff2284292fd05e9c927f8/original-43.jpeg" /> What I wasn't anticipating, though, was the week-long follow-up protest held by the Opposition Party blocking major roadways in the center of the city, complete with parades, loudspeakers and trucks calling for the President to resign. Flanked by bussed-in police forces, demonstrators marched as loud speakers blared nationalist propaganda. It's difficult to overstate the degree to which these demonstrations would consume the city: even from my house in Kond, 2km from the center of the city, I could easily hear war veterans delivering speeches from the center of the city. Armenian demonstrations grind non-stop Yerevan traffic to a standstill, forcing everyone to at least acknowledge its existence. <img width="2500" height="1875" width_o="2500" height_o="1875" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/36d18f6d52f4928bbfafc85584a56abf6dca145429f09e9630ef2f8913866bfc/original-15.jpg" data-mid="171166186" border="0" alt="TV crews usually would televise protest events. iPhone." data-caption="TV crews usually would televise protest events. iPhone." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/36d18f6d52f4928bbfafc85584a56abf6dca145429f09e9630ef2f8913866bfc/original-15.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1956" width_o="2500" height_o="1956" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d337937aafe2337975ba31d89697d8ecb138c5fac7a591d5a222a64c34701e5/original-19.jpg" data-mid="171166187" border="0" alt="Loudspeakers and pick up trucks: two of the most seen tools used to block streets and move crowds. iPhone." data-caption="Loudspeakers and pick up trucks: two of the most seen tools used to block streets and move crowds. iPhone." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6d337937aafe2337975ba31d89697d8ecb138c5fac7a591d5a222a64c34701e5/original-19.jpg" /> It's also not to say Armenian police simply spectate either. For the previously mentioned disobedience protest campaign, Armenian police have already arrested 414 demonstrators and 100 drivers participating in a car rally. And it's not like the young of Armenia are rolling over to engage in this. "When they start showing Artsahk flags, I can't stand it," my Peace Corps friend Lilit told me on a hike right after this protest. "It's over the top nationalism, and it's a ridiculous show." My primary host in Armenia rolled his eyes when he saw these protests. "I try to spend as little time as possible in proximity of any of this." And when photographing these events, my questions were met with distinct vocabulary by young people as "nationalism and propaganda" that older people reframed as "pride and patriotism". <img width="2500" height="1875" width_o="2500" height_o="1875" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4254c8a4a9f8af2da5749897753d04c4d53ef3138e4b59b9584baaa1ba40485b/original-17.jpg" data-mid="171166257" border="0" alt="Speakers brought in, giving televised speeches over a loudspeaker well into the night. iPhone." data-caption="Speakers brought in, giving televised speeches over a loudspeaker well into the night. iPhone." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4254c8a4a9f8af2da5749897753d04c4d53ef3138e4b59b9584baaa1ba40485b/original-17.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1510" width_o="2500" height_o="1510" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b69a3907fc5cb1682a8c5fd3f9a8ab9035c0049fdfbb82b6407e07745e7c0c2/original-18.jpg" data-mid="171166258" border="0" alt="Police, bussed in, establish a perimeter around the center of weeklong protests against the government. iPhone" data-caption="Police, bussed in, establish a perimeter around the center of weeklong protests against the government. iPhone" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8b69a3907fc5cb1682a8c5fd3f9a8ab9035c0049fdfbb82b6407e07745e7c0c2/original-18.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1875" width_o="2500" height_o="1875" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/12c1d6cd8a7965fd765437132236e1ac1732d648ee7895428d7b1c6ca2f841db/original-20.jpg" data-mid="171166265" border="0" alt="Military veterans and opposition party supporters camp out for days at a time in support of encouraging a resignation from the current President. iPhone." data-caption="Military veterans and opposition party supporters camp out for days at a time in support of encouraging a resignation from the current President. iPhone." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/12c1d6cd8a7965fd765437132236e1ac1732d648ee7895428d7b1c6ca2f841db/original-20.jpg" /> Meanwhile, Azeris also demonstrate - they just don't always have the liberty of knowing whether the government will support or disband their demonstration. Fines for demonstrating have increased 50-fold in the past decade, and the Azeri government has historically banned protests against the passage of legal amendments affecting protest assembly. And currently, Azerbaijani authorities require routinely denied permits to protest, with harsh punishments for violators. On my last day in Baku, locals held a fairly active protest "against everything -- predominantly freedom of expression and transparency" (a synopsis of the scattered feedback my friend and I had received). Plenty of journalists sprinted around the event taking photos and holding interviews, even in light of new media laws enforcing government registration and tracking. However, within 15 minutes of the protest chants and flag waving starting, police started incurring arrests through ripping people out from the crowd into police vans. Special police disguised as civilians formed walls around parks and statues, blockading portions of protestors following the main crowd, to dissipate any gathering. <img width="2500" height="1664" width_o="2500" height_o="1664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f1458e25c2061d413a3874b4aa6bb7b543338165a9f04b52bce9770178fa6910/original-23.jpg" data-mid="171166390" border="0" alt="Four men previously seen doing crowd control eye a man in wheelchair demonstrating. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Four men previously seen doing crowd control eye a man in wheelchair demonstrating. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f1458e25c2061d413a3874b4aa6bb7b543338165a9f04b52bce9770178fa6910/original-23.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1664" width_o="2500" height_o="1664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9c45476dfad783d651beaa94e8d539a0ae78002d60fa0a26a12be2aa877c5e63/original-16.jpg" data-mid="171166347" border="0" alt="Press attempt to interview key individuals before the police arrive and surround. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Press attempt to interview key individuals before the police arrive and surround. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9c45476dfad783d651beaa94e8d539a0ae78002d60fa0a26a12be2aa877c5e63/original-16.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1664" width_o="2500" height_o="1664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/37dac3f2ffbb53f6c5a8c4524ac4967f3168ef52f41bb8f6da8a237b31ee8452/original-21.jpg" data-mid="171166388" border="0" alt="Police surround and corner key individuals within a central Baku protest. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Police surround and corner key individuals within a central Baku protest. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/37dac3f2ffbb53f6c5a8c4524ac4967f3168ef52f41bb8f6da8a237b31ee8452/original-21.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1664" width_o="2500" height_o="1664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a544783d6bf77de6a7bc5727660a405e82bc2cae39e3edb17f93eea9de03211/original-22.jpg" data-mid="171166389" border="0" alt="Dozens of police form &quot;barriers&quot; to break shifting crowds, as the protest's location migrates and sprawls throughout a city. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Dozens of police form &quot;barriers&quot; to break shifting crowds, as the protest's location migrates and sprawls throughout a city. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6a544783d6bf77de6a7bc5727660a405e82bc2cae39e3edb17f93eea9de03211/original-22.jpg" /> Any conclusion comparing each country's method of mass expression would be a grand simplification that punctures the scope of this article. But I'll say this: Armenia's bottom-up, open, and emotional outcries of distaste and remembrance starkly contrasts Azerbaijan's more top-down, controlled, and finessed public image of assertions against the system. https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-1 Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:07:23 +0000 daiterlens https://daiterlens.com/How-Light-Shines-Through-the-Caucasus-Part-1 HOW LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE CAUCASUS PART 1: CITIES AND CULTURECategory: PhotographySubcategory: Political / Travel / PortraitCountry: Azerbaijan Gear used: Camera: Voigtlander Bessa R2A Lenses:&nbsp;Voigtlander 50mm f/1.2 Nokton VM +&nbsp;Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron Vintage VMNighttime film: Cinestill 800T (one roll)Daytime films: Kodak Portra 400, Cinestill 50D, Karmir Film 160 (one roll, locally made in Yerevan. And they're scaling up!) Slide film for portraits and a bit of street work: (the legendary) Kodak Ektachrome 100 (one roll) "Is there a medical doctor onboard?" rang over the intercom of flight LH612, Frankfurt -&gt; Baku. "If so, please come to Aisle 22 immediately." It was only fitting that there be a medical emergency before I even landed in Baku to start my journey. My boss's words kept ringing back. "Stay safe. Be vigilant." One tarmac-skid landing (and a heavy sigh of relief) later, and we had arrived in Heydar Aliyev International Airport. My friend picked me up in the airport: she was the only person I knew in all of Azerbaijan, and (her words) "I wouldn't have it any other way." Azeri hospitality is difficult to over-embellish: it's impossible to exaggerate something that seemingly has no bounds. After hearing that I was going to attempt to martshuka (mini-bus) through the countryside of Azerbaijan to remote Russia-bordering villages like Quba, she immediately forfeited her limited time home to be a volunteer host for a combined three weeks. "There's no way you'll navigate the system alone," she messaged a week before I boarded my plane. "I'm coming with you.” <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/507878f98f97b312ca672d267195dc18dd353c6a70a64664f53deb78512612b1/original-2.jpeg" data-mid="171179126" border="0" alt="Yasmin: a decade-long friend and the first Azeri to attend Stanford Undergrad. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="Yasmin: a decade-long friend and the first Azeri to attend Stanford Undergrad. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/507878f98f97b312ca672d267195dc18dd353c6a70a64664f53deb78512612b1/original-2.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/22ca02b83def147ff7fb9cd2cb2f3c7202c67669470891817cfb0020c77682d9/original-3.jpeg" data-mid="171179127" border="0" alt="Karen: helped bootstrap two of the most successful startups out of Yerevan. Karmir Film 160" data-caption="Karen: helped bootstrap two of the most successful startups out of Yerevan. Karmir Film 160" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/22ca02b83def147ff7fb9cd2cb2f3c7202c67669470891817cfb0020c77682d9/original-3.jpeg" /> Riding into Baku usurped any ideas I had about what an oil state's capital city would be. Posh Parisian apartments surround a central. sandstone-laden old city. To the west, freshly minted skyscrapers like the Flame Towers dominate the skyline from every angle. And along the coastline, ice cream and coffee stands dot the boardwalk, the city's primary escape from bumper-to-bumper traffic jams. It's a city that packs a sea, a mountain, and a city into a tight 50km^2 central area -- and with style. <img width="1200" height="1814" width_o="1200" height_o="1814" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/200f3ae8f1a4ed42c42967a23004bdb22c07c89cbb262614f16858b77721f68f/original-2.jpg" data-mid="171179331" border="0" alt="The Heydar Aliyev Center dwarfs anyone that enters. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="The Heydar Aliyev Center dwarfs anyone that enters. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/200f3ae8f1a4ed42c42967a23004bdb22c07c89cbb262614f16858b77721f68f/original-2.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="1360" width_o="900" height_o="1360" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9a75c6914f0d6d4336c9f74cca60580c8106578a0c06b2036045492ef6e36be4/original-10.jpg" data-mid="171179332" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/9a75c6914f0d6d4336c9f74cca60580c8106578a0c06b2036045492ef6e36be4/original-10.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="1365" width_o="900" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8a57d6eee772d8d22332bafc71e18944131b9b66798aab8b750fcfe82c4d853d/original-9.jpg" data-mid="171179333" border="0" alt="Sunset in Central Baku. Cinestill 50D" data-caption="Sunset in Central Baku. Cinestill 50D" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/8a57d6eee772d8d22332bafc71e18944131b9b66798aab8b750fcfe82c4d853d/original-9.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="1065" width_o="1600" height_o="1065" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be8470b7026ca21c8b139e07228a3cf7c22f7e9200f6f58a94b86874a9b41739/original-8.jpg" data-mid="171179335" border="0" alt="Dogs of Baku. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Dogs of Baku. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/be8470b7026ca21c8b139e07228a3cf7c22f7e9200f6f58a94b86874a9b41739/original-8.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="1360" width_o="900" height_o="1360" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/798a7c0736773a2ac4d3cdf51a0c1a2dbed34ebc8692e94af4925698f47971de/original-7.jpg" data-mid="171179336" border="0" alt="Cinestill 50D" data-caption="Cinestill 50D" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/798a7c0736773a2ac4d3cdf51a0c1a2dbed34ebc8692e94af4925698f47971de/original-7.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="1059" width_o="1600" height_o="1059" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0bbc2e1eb6d64e6bb997f8154f3a2b0f03b24ea12543b7b852c3132a6ca9e73/original-6.jpg" data-mid="171179337" border="0" alt="From a casual stroll down Baku's waterfront. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="From a casual stroll down Baku's waterfront. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0bbc2e1eb6d64e6bb997f8154f3a2b0f03b24ea12543b7b852c3132a6ca9e73/original-6.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="1353" width_o="900" height_o="1353" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f144030faf06e923381460d69ff50cb380ac5d74ae3580c69c85367ffe2ea062/original-5.jpg" data-mid="171179338" border="0" alt="Three men hold an impromptu meeting outside the presidential library. Kodak Ektachrome 100." data-caption="Three men hold an impromptu meeting outside the presidential library. Kodak Ektachrome 100." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/f144030faf06e923381460d69ff50cb380ac5d74ae3580c69c85367ffe2ea062/original-5.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1654" width_o="2500" height_o="1654" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16bdfa57854ad92dcfa78272d30a52bc8fa65c218f59477726f1a8986d060655/original-4.jpg" data-mid="171179339" border="0" alt="A young couple counters the typical Azeri undercurrent of hiding public displays of affection. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="A young couple counters the typical Azeri undercurrent of hiding public displays of affection. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/16bdfa57854ad92dcfa78272d30a52bc8fa65c218f59477726f1a8986d060655/original-4.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="1803" width_o="1200" height_o="1803" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f15891f070f476ed601d3479a62578aa674f1a34372c000f6faec071cbc79213/original-3.jpg" data-mid="171179340" border="0" alt="Informal produce stalls, run by local babushkas, populate the streets of Baku. Kodak Ektachrome 100" data-caption="Informal produce stalls, run by local babushkas, populate the streets of Baku. Kodak Ektachrome 100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f15891f070f476ed601d3479a62578aa674f1a34372c000f6faec071cbc79213/original-3.jpg" /> And when the sun goes down, the city becomes alive.&nbsp;Throngs of people flood the streets, the younger population usually staying out until the early morning in ultra modern clubs like Enerji or wine bars like Room. Colombian boxers, English aristocracy, Azeri Red Crescent workers - you can find anyone you want crowded around a bar. The social dynamic bleeds through a local filter: gossip spreads, and PDA's strictly off-limits. Overall, it's a fairly peachy atmosphere: people are easy to talk to, but there are boundaries you simply don't cross. But like one shock after another, going to the north and the west of the country uprooted all of those opinions about Azerbaijan thus far. <img width="1600" height="1059" width_o="1600" height_o="1059" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f43bf35fa7f7118b2180edcb38c40a3e89b1667f12080ab796732b576ae70af6/original-11.jpg" data-mid="171179515" border="0" alt="Three hours from Central Baku: ice caves of Quba, near Khilaniq. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="Three hours from Central Baku: ice caves of Quba, near Khilaniq. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f43bf35fa7f7118b2180edcb38c40a3e89b1667f12080ab796732b576ae70af6/original-11.jpg" /> Heading into the countryside of Azerbaijan for even half an hour shows the incredible speed with which Baku has sprinted towards modernity, while villages fight to preserve culture and languages that have existed for thousands of years. And it's easy to see how these languages avoided the touch of time: the Caucasus are an incredibly walled-off garden, surrounded by massive ranges of mountains, waterfalls, and snow. During the Caucasus Wars, it took Russia half a century&nbsp;to invade. During WWII, Hitler barely began any attempt at this region before turning back. The nooks and crannies of the mountains can only be accessed by Lada, and even then, it's a rough ride to ascend. <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/78cc4f9f4ff1ef3a80c99e208a0f32aac466fbcfca9d55f01dc05db1870f86d1/original-6.jpeg" data-mid="171179808" border="0" alt="A typical chaihana at night. Ganja, Azerbaijan. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="A typical chaihana at night. Ganja, Azerbaijan. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/78cc4f9f4ff1ef3a80c99e208a0f32aac466fbcfca9d55f01dc05db1870f86d1/original-6.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bb0be8e2df50a95153e22cc7495b6dbbd12ac09fbea4f16a25bd84cd8814cadc/original-9.jpeg" data-mid="171179810" border="0" alt="Lake G&ouml;lg&ouml;l. About 40km away from the Armenian border. Eerily quite while visiting. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="Lake Gölgöl. About 40km away from the Armenian border. Eerily quite while visiting. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bb0be8e2df50a95153e22cc7495b6dbbd12ac09fbea4f16a25bd84cd8814cadc/original-9.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0044c02638406cbb1934721b70ba30e8fd8ce7c1e720325ee40a96cdd03fc9a1/original-13.jpeg" data-mid="171179821" border="0" alt="A sunset above Goygol National Park. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="A sunset above Goygol National Park. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0044c02638406cbb1934721b70ba30e8fd8ce7c1e720325ee40a96cdd03fc9a1/original-13.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d92604c36354b99a9096771883e1dd78cdf8b6fdf01fb69c8d8dfae6de67033f/original-10.jpeg" data-mid="171179820" border="0" alt="Golden hour at G&ouml;lg&ouml;l Lake. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="Golden hour at Gölgöl Lake. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d92604c36354b99a9096771883e1dd78cdf8b6fdf01fb69c8d8dfae6de67033f/original-10.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4a3a7e663cadcfe49aa3565135e805f312060343c6d6ebb0aee30cf00cc4278/original-11.jpeg" data-mid="171179819" border="0" alt="Nizami Obelisk, one of the many statues seen around the country honoring his life. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="Nizami Obelisk, one of the many statues seen around the country honoring his life. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b4a3a7e663cadcfe49aa3565135e805f312060343c6d6ebb0aee30cf00cc4278/original-11.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/50f50cdb196287286883b318739016dd0e1ced37f839a658e74edb8f04679697/original-12.jpeg" data-mid="171179818" border="0" alt="Nizami Statue at midday. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="Nizami Statue at midday. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/50f50cdb196287286883b318739016dd0e1ced37f839a658e74edb8f04679697/original-12.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa9e3f54a2ba322b90bb144d96869c9857ac30b96223b3536fbb952b9496dff4/original-8.jpeg" data-mid="171179811" border="0" alt="Typical waterfalls near the northern border of Azerbaijan / southern border of Russia. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="Typical waterfalls near the northern border of Azerbaijan / southern border of Russia. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa9e3f54a2ba322b90bb144d96869c9857ac30b96223b3536fbb952b9496dff4/original-8.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/30b9d0136b616e7380a744929fd838893225970a684083712f126d17e7041c9a/original-7.jpeg" data-mid="171179812" border="0" alt="A smaller northern village near Laza. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="A smaller northern village near Laza. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/30b9d0136b616e7380a744929fd838893225970a684083712f126d17e7041c9a/original-7.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/58d21a45f76386fec78c306ec02f6ae3f7a0e802e944fec8bcdaf37c6a5b02f6/original-5.jpeg" data-mid="171179813" border="0" alt="Waterfall hikes near Laza, Azerbaijan. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="Waterfall hikes near Laza, Azerbaijan. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/58d21a45f76386fec78c306ec02f6ae3f7a0e802e944fec8bcdaf37c6a5b02f6/original-5.jpeg" /> These contrasts ricochet throughout the Caucasus. Lakeside resorts like Gölgöl only separate themselves by tens of kilometers from conflict areas. Hiking to a waterfall could very well mean hiking to a Russian border crossing point. Even Nakhchivan, the birthplace of Azerbaijani nobility, is currently walled off from the rest of the country. CULTURAL RESILIENCE If you look back at ethnographic maps, you'll notice these demographics and cultures haven't changed positions much within even the past 100 years. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the Erivan Governorate and Baku's census data, published in the late 1890s. (Fun side-fact: the Erivan portion was acquired by Russian State Police manually, a method deemed "barely illegal".) <img width="2500" height="1703" width_o="2500" height_o="1703" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/212a091b78ecac0fd1c936aec07869069a5d0a8a0cd0166c51b6c4dbb99479f7/original.png" data-mid="171179874" border="0" alt="Erivan Republic Ethnographic Makeup, 1890s" data-caption="Erivan Republic Ethnographic Makeup, 1890s" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/212a091b78ecac0fd1c936aec07869069a5d0a8a0cd0166c51b6c4dbb99479f7/original.png" /> <img width="1200" height="1815" width_o="1200" height_o="1815" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/af3ccb69b5185fa4fafe97821d2fa21ac0b3ffd48453a8eac7f2f83c12c652fe/original-4.jpeg" data-mid="171179873" border="0" alt="Baku Ethnographic Makeup, 1890s" data-caption="Baku Ethnographic Makeup, 1890s" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/af3ccb69b5185fa4fafe97821d2fa21ac0b3ffd48453a8eac7f2f83c12c652fe/original-4.jpeg" /> Now check this out: as more maps come through, tracking (mostly) the same groups of people...the pockets don't change. Take the Talysh in the bottom right knob of the Baku map, bordering Iran (depicted in red). It's similar through any ethnographic map you look through, from the late 1890s to present day, even in the face of Soviet assimilation attempts. <img width="2500" height="1855" width_o="2500" height_o="1855" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/61b2f3b8ec73831b606412cd59b0ae666ea1cdc9bd6109bc22ae4b91e5c62223/original-14.jpeg" data-mid="171179893" border="0" alt="1929 Ethnographic Makeup of Armenia and Azerbaijan" data-caption="1929 Ethnographic Makeup of Armenia and Azerbaijan" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/61b2f3b8ec73831b606412cd59b0ae666ea1cdc9bd6109bc22ae4b91e5c62223/original-14.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="2008" width_o="2500" height_o="2008" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5ed00ef86c2c83593a03ec5316fd9cc08d37d3e53fa5ed8e20c9589f808bb355/original-16.jpeg" data-mid="171179899" border="0" alt="1950s Ethnographic Makeup of Azerbaijan and Armenia" data-caption="1950s Ethnographic Makeup of Azerbaijan and Armenia" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5ed00ef86c2c83593a03ec5316fd9cc08d37d3e53fa5ed8e20c9589f808bb355/original-16.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1796" width_o="1200" height_o="1796" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7da44d5815fadb9e6e1184025a89b3badf3b17bd43aae75ed9cd59d2cbbb55a8/original-15.jpeg" data-mid="171179898" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7da44d5815fadb9e6e1184025a89b3badf3b17bd43aae75ed9cd59d2cbbb55a8/original-15.jpeg" /> <img width="1356" height="1376" width_o="1356" height_o="1376" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f25244ba05f7d45944f2c3f128f904e9797525c4fff6c43d942f400b85954a84/original-1.png" data-mid="171179897" border="0" alt="2003 Ethnographic Makeup of the Caucasus" data-caption="2003 Ethnographic Makeup of the Caucasus" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f25244ba05f7d45944f2c3f128f904e9797525c4fff6c43d942f400b85954a84/original-1.png" /> And it's not like these are inaccessible communities. The photos below are from the Lezgic villages (upper-right hand side, Baku / Azerbaijan map) we hiked through, near Qriz (a town a few km south of the Azeri / Russian border). <img width="2500" height="1654" width_o="2500" height_o="1654" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bd10d1fe9ebd8c811993cc8a1f467f0faf247631f422dab38a47166dd4752d42/original-12.jpg" data-mid="171179913" border="0" alt="Overlooking the Lezgic/Russian Border. Kodak Portra 400" data-caption="Overlooking the Lezgic/Russian Border. Kodak Portra 400" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bd10d1fe9ebd8c811993cc8a1f467f0faf247631f422dab38a47166dd4752d42/original-12.jpg" /> <img width="2500" height="1654" width_o="2500" height_o="1654" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa7a9bb24d444a7cdb7d65c3132c20522b7590bb946bd763b44c134c30a6337c/original-13.jpg" data-mid="171179914" border="0" alt="In Khinaliq, UNESCO World Heritage Site and predominantly Lezgic village on the Russian border. Kodak Portra 400." data-caption="In Khinaliq, UNESCO World Heritage Site and predominantly Lezgic village on the Russian border. Kodak Portra 400." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa7a9bb24d444a7cdb7d65c3132c20522b7590bb946bd763b44c134c30a6337c/original-13.jpg" /> “The only other American we’ve met was recording data for a linguistics PhD” - A local mountaineer we grabbed tea with, Qriz, Azerbaijan You can see other forms of cultural resilience throughout ex-USSR states (...Ukraine, 2014 / 2022), without a doubt. But being able to just drive for four hours out of Baku and see this / hear an entirely different language shatters the Western projection of "the Russian monolith" I had grown up with in America. Armenia carries a similar ping-ponging effect as well: modern capital, tucked-away minority cultures. Hipster coffee shops, health food brunch places, and new wave art monuments line Yerevan's streets. A kids' skatepark sits in front of the largest church in town. A new co-working space currently occupies an ex-Soviet post office, co-run by Armenians and Russians, hosting photography shops and hipster clothing stores. One of the most famous photographers in the country, Arthur Lumen, currently owns coffee shops that host local film depositories for local processing. But, cross through the "portal to Kond", and you're back in a suburb founded in the 17th Century untouched by the rest of the city's development construction companies. And with the flood of Russians heading to Yerevan from the 2022 Ukraine war, even more construction is planned for the upcoming future. <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7bc9bd5ac37abd0a874245498a005b38e3d88383c5d35d47fbbadd0313032847/original-17.jpeg" data-mid="171179984" border="0" alt="Swarovski Crystal Palace Exhibition, Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Swarovski Crystal Palace Exhibition, Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7bc9bd5ac37abd0a874245498a005b38e3d88383c5d35d47fbbadd0313032847/original-17.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6eb8ffc03eed56a0757b57464217afa55b6eaa9ae5f12048a268a06cac1659e1/original-18.jpeg" data-mid="171179982" border="0" alt="A kids' skatepark, outside Saint Gregory The Illuminator Cathedral. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="A kids' skatepark, outside Saint Gregory The Illuminator Cathedral. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6eb8ffc03eed56a0757b57464217afa55b6eaa9ae5f12048a268a06cac1659e1/original-18.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/13d87cd57130849bb35bb0575e3ebb72733a5b9edaf3094c39f233023c4d592e/original-22.jpeg" data-mid="171179979" border="0" alt="One of many of Circular Park's fountains. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="One of many of Circular Park's fountains. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/13d87cd57130849bb35bb0575e3ebb72733a5b9edaf3094c39f233023c4d592e/original-22.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a37862c3391f7451e24821692823758ed21c2af18d635be6a236eeaf87c4293/original-20.jpeg" data-mid="171179977" border="0" alt="Matenadaran. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Matenadaran. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4a37862c3391f7451e24821692823758ed21c2af18d635be6a236eeaf87c4293/original-20.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/170f175fe52f352f5216341bcd9d8512dd9fdee0dc7381a3f69a76490338cd27/original-19.jpeg" data-mid="171180050" border="0" alt="Cascade Complex, a multi-use facility. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Cascade Complex, a multi-use facility. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/170f175fe52f352f5216341bcd9d8512dd9fdee0dc7381a3f69a76490338cd27/original-19.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/159f8dee04af691ef7c0985de653892c6fd1c900693ac4ed46fd79c082f63248/original-24.jpeg" data-mid="171180051" border="0" alt="Central Yerevan. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Central Yerevan. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/159f8dee04af691ef7c0985de653892c6fd1c900693ac4ed46fd79c082f63248/original-24.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7484eea4764bc5f01fb5e04586c66a895f2a4bb14052b7c6cf64ed0a14890ddb/original-21.jpeg" data-mid="171180053" border="0" alt="Around Yerevan, it's fairly easy to spot anti-Azeri graffiti. But it's rare and promising to find small notes like this, hidden under highway passages. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Around Yerevan, it's fairly easy to spot anti-Azeri graffiti. But it's rare and promising to find small notes like this, hidden under highway passages. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7484eea4764bc5f01fb5e04586c66a895f2a4bb14052b7c6cf64ed0a14890ddb/original-21.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6aeea72b012015a295c247778dd23b0e2a303ffd0a4a4e6a67b9e4ec70ca11ed/original-23.jpeg" data-mid="171180052" border="0" alt="Armenian skaters. Cinestill 50D." data-caption="Armenian skaters. Cinestill 50D." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6aeea72b012015a295c247778dd23b0e2a303ffd0a4a4e6a67b9e4ec70ca11ed/original-23.jpeg" /> Yerevan, Armenia And as soon as you leave Yerevan, you'll find thousand year old monasteries in Geghard, hiking trails in Dilijan, and your fair share of dubious Turkish-Armenian border crossings in Khor Virab. Again, the contrast that the landscape packs within a 30 minute drive is limitless throughout the Caucasus, with a sprawl of tucked away subcultures. <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cf25c43203bc72449dd2764a9027c92679eedfafa866da7aeefd66c6da9e9b3a/original-33.jpeg" data-mid="171180174" border="0" alt="Onlookers in Geghard Monastery. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Onlookers in Geghard Monastery. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cf25c43203bc72449dd2764a9027c92679eedfafa866da7aeefd66c6da9e9b3a/original-33.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ae340cb1f9aa2b186c508447b879528d71ca205b93e5d84804e11bc1548700f3/original-29.jpeg" data-mid="171180172" border="0" alt="Two elderly men, holding a picnic in Garni Gorge. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Two elderly men, holding a picnic in Garni Gorge. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ae340cb1f9aa2b186c508447b879528d71ca205b93e5d84804e11bc1548700f3/original-29.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1d1e91c07734d6619c2b309ba5eda2f83c3995104ba0d368ed1ac2a392a9550/original-27.jpeg" data-mid="171180173" border="0" alt="Vendors outside Geghard. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Vendors outside Geghard. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1d1e91c07734d6619c2b309ba5eda2f83c3995104ba0d368ed1ac2a392a9550/original-27.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/461d53b2193a5ad7e342aae913e892990de9e7d835c90117c51a9b1c4d789512/original-26.jpeg" data-mid="171180275" border="0" alt="Two men pose outside their Lada on Garni Gorge. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Two men pose outside their Lada on Garni Gorge. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/461d53b2193a5ad7e342aae913e892990de9e7d835c90117c51a9b1c4d789512/original-26.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1748fa4a9f30b820cb1d45808d56a2bcbf7de3f2287a2a757aad78be2aace698/original-34.jpeg" data-mid="171180274" border="0" alt="A military family having lunch outside Garni Temple. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="A military family having lunch outside Garni Temple. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1748fa4a9f30b820cb1d45808d56a2bcbf7de3f2287a2a757aad78be2aace698/original-34.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c4cf6d3701333ef27df1987412bca55c1e685d134fd170802db07f5722452767/original-31.jpeg" data-mid="171180273" border="0" alt="Azat Reservoir. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Azat Reservoir. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c4cf6d3701333ef27df1987412bca55c1e685d134fd170802db07f5722452767/original-31.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0a21dcaa9084a23014f4ce843c5bbfcd22fb2ebdaf46e4f6c5b077972d4294c/original-32.jpeg" data-mid="171180285" border="0" alt="A man plants a candle in Khor Virab. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="A man plants a candle in Khor Virab. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0a21dcaa9084a23014f4ce843c5bbfcd22fb2ebdaf46e4f6c5b077972d4294c/original-32.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1790" width_o="1200" height_o="1790" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/53bcc6f0e2ea764273b936c5bd2c64ec6e3d474f1e07feaf082111b46da9cb0f/original-28.jpeg" data-mid="171180290" border="0" alt="One man, one accordion. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="One man, one accordion. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/53bcc6f0e2ea764273b936c5bd2c64ec6e3d474f1e07feaf082111b46da9cb0f/original-28.jpeg" /> <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ef17a82b2006f5d73cccde8bb058dc137abbe53e854c6533bbcc4c299020c015/original-25.jpeg" data-mid="171180289" border="0" alt="Rain overhangs Dilijan, the &quot;little Switzerland&quot; of Armenia. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="Rain overhangs Dilijan, the &quot;little Switzerland&quot; of Armenia. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ef17a82b2006f5d73cccde8bb058dc137abbe53e854c6533bbcc4c299020c015/original-25.jpeg" /> Even now, as Baku and Yerevan have undergone a deluge of construction and warp-speed renovation into the modern era, villages remain a springboard into tangible history, well-guarded languages and meticulously preserved cultures. It's truly incredible to witness. And as obligatory when talking about the Caucasus, Ladas. <img width="2500" height="1676" width_o="2500" height_o="1676" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1fe739133d69f8aab2da4bc71a0768b2345fb894b95e7ccc99b76101f150ffda/original-30.jpeg" data-mid="171180309" border="0" alt="A lone Lada with an Armenian / Artsakh flag heads down the highway towards Yerevan. Karmir Film 160." data-caption="A lone Lada with an Armenian / Artsakh flag heads down the highway towards Yerevan. Karmir Film 160." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1fe739133d69f8aab2da4bc71a0768b2345fb894b95e7ccc99b76101f150ffda/original-30.jpeg" />