Nearly 20 years have passed since a May 1994 ceasefire put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh war, in which Armenian forces seized control of the ethnic-Armenian-majority region within Azerbaijani territory. In the two decades that have passed, the conflict has remained unresolved, refugees from the region have been unable to return home, and Nagorno-Karabakh's 1991 declaration of independence is unrecognized abroad. But inside the disputed territory, residents are carrying on with ordinary life in the midst of the so-called frozen conflict. (Photos by Margot Buff, RFE/RL)
[EMBARGOED] In Nagorno-Karabakh, Daily Life At The Heart Of A Frozen Conflict
1
Men sit in a park in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh.
2
A car passes by the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region declared independence in 1991, a status that is not recognized outside its borders.
3
A military officer rides a bus in Stepanakert. The region is under the joint control of Armenian forces and the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Forces, but few servicemen are seen in the regional capital.
4
A building in Stepanakert damaged by fighting. Civilian areas of the city endured heavy shelling in 1991-1992.