Three Circles Around the Sea

Colin Aherne

 2022-2023 – Georgia

About this series

In the autumn of 2022 and spring of 2023 I spent two months in Georgia documenting the current tensions in the country, following the influx of Russian immigrants after the start of the war in Ukraine. Since February 2022, many Russian immigrants have moved there. Some are availing of the relaxed visa requirements so they can leave Russia for a new life, while others are using Georgia as a springboard to other European countries. Although the tracking is not accurate, as of September 2022 it is estimated that since the start of the war in Ukraine, more than 200,000 Russians have arrived in Georgia, a country with a population of just 3.7 million. Tensions are high, the cost of living has dramatically increased and for the locals, it has resurfaced a lot of painful memories of the war in 2008.
“They are using this country as a comfort zone and Georgia is dying, they are all coming and we’re just standing and watching, what can we do?”

Photographer: Colin Aherne
Nationality: Irish
Based in: Berlin, Germany
Website: colinaherne.com
Instagram: @colinaherne

Colin Aherne is an Irish photographer based in Berlin, Germany, where he works on projects that are a mix of personal, documentary and partially staged works, with a focus on place, connection and small stories within a larger context. He also makes music and at times combines the two, making an immersive experience of photography and music.