On the Borders in the Final Days of the War

Before PM Nikol Pashinyan signed the now infamous deal with Azerbaijan and Russia to end the Artsakh War, Azeri forces were making a push for territories which they deemed to be theirs from the northern parts of Karabakh to the southern tip of Armenia. The last remaining route open to enter Armenia after the Lachin corridor was cut by Azeri forces was through Karvachar. On the 15th of November, the Karvachar region was set to be ceded to Azerbaijan (now postponed to November 25), forcing Armenia to at some point create a new route to keep Stepanakert connected with Armenia. In Khachen, only elderly men and women remained, refusing to leave their homes while the men were at the front fighting for their land. In the region of Syunik, Azeri forces had been targeting Armenian villages with heavy artillery strikes, even using infiltration groups to enter some of these border villages like Davit Bek. Though the territorial integrity of Armenia remains intact, Azeris will be allowed to travel through Armenia to the enclave of Nakhichevan, which is another defeat for the Armenian republic. This new corridor will create a constant Turkish link between Turkey and Azeri territory.

The northern route through Karvachar

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The southern Armenian border

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Jonathan Alpeyrie
Born in Paris in 1979, Jonathan Alpeyrie moved to the United States in 1993. He graduated from the Lycée Français de New York in 1998 and went on to study medieval history at the University of Chicago, from which he graduated in 2003. Alpeyrie started his career shooting for local Chicago newspapers. He shot his first photo essay in 2001 while traveling the South Caucasus. After graduating, he went to the Congo to work on various essays, which were noticed and picked up by Getty Images, and signed a contributor contract in early 2004. In 2009, Jonathan became a photographer for Polaris images and SIPA press as well. Alpeyrie has worked as a freelancer for various publications and websites, such as the Sunday Times, Le Figaro magazine, ELLE, American Photo, Glamour, Aftenposten, Le Monde, BBC, and today he is a photographer for Polaris Images, with whom he signed in February 2010. Alpeyrie's career spans over a decade and has brought him to over 25 countries, covered 13 conflict zones assignments in the Middle East and North Africa, the South Caucasus, Europe, North America and Central Asia. A future photography book about WWII is in the works. Alpeyrie published a book with Simon and Schuster in October 2017. Alpeyrie has been published in Paris Match, Aftenposten, Times (Europe), Newsweek, Wine Spectator, Boston Globe, Glamour, BBC, VSD, Le Monde, Newsweek, Popular Photography, Vanity Fair, La Stampa, CNN, and Bild Zeit, ELLE magazine, Der Speigel, Le Figaro, Marie Claire, The Guardian, Bild and The Atlantic.
Jonathan Alpeyrie

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3 Comments

  1. Jonatnan,I appreciate your bravery in bringing so many important issues to the front with photographs. Words can’t describe the levels of inhumanity people can inflict upon others. the average American knows nothing of what happens in the rest of the world

  2. This war was mismanaged. I knew Armenia /Artsakh was in trouble when volunteers were old men going to the front line. Pashinyan lacks any military and political savvy. He is currently going after all domestic political opponents and crushing any criticism that comes his way. Tough guy on his own people and a traitor impotent useless “leader” against the real enemies. No thanks. Hopefully his time is up soon as he will forever be known as the loser of historic Armenian lands. Also lots of Russian praising as of late even though we all know they are no ally of Armenia. They are basically screw light and yes the only current option for any security that Armenia has. What a disaster. Yes we need unity more then ever. How does anyone take the current leadership seriously to unite with them?

  3. What do you do when the enemy attacks your Land & People? You just fold your hands & surrender?
    What was Padhinian supposed to do? What would you have done different?

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