I travelled to Tskaltubo, a former Soviet spa town, to hear the stories of Georgia’s Abkhazian refugees, who still reside inside ‘abandoned’ sanatoriums intended as temporary homes. “Hope is the last thing to die,” Lasha told me, standing in the...
Is Abkhazia a country? Is Abkhazia in Georgia? Do any countries recognise Abkhazia as an independent nation? Here’s everything you need to know. Navigating the labyrinth of geopolitics in the Caucasus region can often leave even the most astute observers...
“Cha Cha, Vodka, Pive!” The sellers outside the Novy Afon cave entrance were attempting to cater to the unquenchable thirsts of the holidaymakers. Home brew wine, lethal spirits and beers. As the Russian tourists stocked up on their drinks for the...
The Sukhumi Piers are a decaying reminder of Abkhazia’s former glory. I want to show you the crumbling pleasure piers of Sukhumi, on the promenade of Abkhazia’s fragmented yet intriguingly alluring capital. This seaside city was once a thriving...
Abkhazia’s abandoned Psyrtskha Railway Station is in a state of romantic decay! Is there such a thing as romantic decay? I’ll leave that up to you to decide, but if anywhere in the world deserves this adjective, it’s most certainly Abkhazia’s...
I was unceremoniously dumped off the bus by the harsh Abkhazian bus conductor on the edge of Novy Afon. He didn’t take too kindly to my severe lack of Russian language skills- the lingua franca of the region- when I asked if this was the stop....
Along the Borders chronicles my multi-year journey along Britain's borders, boundaries and frontiers. Published by Penguin Random House, and available now!
