Shakhveled Aivazov (b. 1956) is a decorated photojournalist who has worked for the Associated Press for more than 20 years. As a war reporter during the 1990’s he was often sent by AP to cover the conflicts in Chechnya, Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Abkhazia. “People often ask me how I became a military photojournalist, but I cannot answer this question unequivocally. Apparently, these are the impulses of the heart, the desire to bring the truth to the world. I will say this: no man can not experience horror and fear when bullets are flying nearby, shells are exploding, and people are dying. At first your hands are shaking, but as you work, you get a grip and after a while you just do your work in extreme conditions.” – Shakh Aivazov