ARMENIA Images depict Armenian soldiers who lost their lives in the violent conflict with Azerbaijan, a stark reminder of the human cost of war. Their deaths are not just statistics – they reflect the personal tragedies and national sorrow that accompany every armed struggle.
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has its roots in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, a territory that was part of Soviet Azerbaijan but largely populated by ethnic Armenians. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, full-scale war erupted. By 1994, Armenia had emerged victorious, leading to the creation of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh – a state never officially recognized by the international community.
For years, a fragile ceasefire held until renewed fighting broke out in 2020. Azerbaijan launched a military operation and recaptured much of the disputed land. In 2023, Azerbaijani forces seized the remaining areas of Karabakh, prompting a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians and effectively dissolving the breakaway republic.
The decades-long conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left deep scars in both nations, poisoning diplomatic relations and traumatizing generations. These photographs of fallen soldiers bring into sharp focus the very real price paid by individuals in the name of geopolitical disputes.
