“The 2008 Russian-Georgian war lasted five days, taking lives of several hundred and displacing several thousand people. Those who proved “lucky” returned to their homes, but they have to learn anew how to live the life which was divided forever into the life before and after the war.
The old woman sitting on the bed stares listlessly at the mirror that has a hole torn by a cluster bomblet. This bomblet killed her husband in August 2008. Exhausted and apathetic, these war-affected people seem to lack any energy to notice a photo camera, the energy which they fully expended to save their lives. Life, however goes on in war-torn villages a well as new places of resettlement – first, in refugee camp tents or school and kindergarden buildings and then, in ghetto-like settlements that were built for refugees. Everyone is equal there, everyone was given a tiny patch of land and identical roofed walls of square shape that can hardly become home.
The environment devoid of individuality, which seems impossible to break through and people affected by the war – stories narrated with great sensitivity and compassion by Levan Kherkheulidze and his camera.” – Archil Kikodze.
Levan Kherkheulidze
In 1994 Levan Kherkheulidze graduated from Georgian Technical University, Faculty of Architecture. In 2002-2005 worked for “24 Hours” newspaper, as a photographer. In 2005-2013 was a photographer of a popular magazine “Hot Chocolate”. From 2009 Levan Kherkheulidze works as a photo editor and photographer for “Liberali” publication. From 2005 he was a participant of several group exhibitions as well as personal exhibitions in Georgia and number of European countries.
