Protests and people fighting for social justice, pandemic, isolation, war - a year of 2020. This might be a year we don’t want to remember, however, photography helped not only document these difficult times, but also left a room for inspiration and beauty. Visuals in this collection capture the 12 months of 2020. From paintings and conceptual photography to documentary projects, our photojournalists managed to portray the painful, sensitive, emotional and the most important moments of the past year.  

Despite the lockdown photographers found a way to capture the intimacy of each story presented. Whether it’s emotional embrace of a couple, finding love online or losing houses after the war, photographers have outdone themselves in portraying the reality.

- Nino-Ana Samkharadze Photo Editor of Chai Khana

Feeling blue by Mano Svanidze

Demarcating a virus: conversations between neighbors by Natia Kalandadze

Street photography in the time of Covid-19  by Emin Mathers

Azerbaijan protests without politicians by Abbas Atilay

Garbage, garbage everywhere - Armenians confront litterbugs by Hakob Margaryan

An unspoken cost of war by Ulkar Natiqqizi

Living the conflict frame by frame by Aziz Karimov 

The voice of war by Vaghinak Ghazaryan

"Refugee I'm already ashamed of the word." by Mykolas Juodele

Buckwheat on the canvas by Nata Abashidze-Romanovskaya

Virtually yours: Romance during the pandemic by Nata Abashidze-Romanovskaya

For LGBTQI community in the Caucasus, isolation is a way of life by Sofi Mdivnishvili

Abroad Alone by Mariam Mumladze

Armenian women buck tradition, embrace solo life by Lusine Voskanyan

Check out :

Editor’s picks of 2020 - Short Documentaries

Editor’s picks from of 2020 - Feature Stories