From the effects of the coronavirus pandemic to the aftermath of armed clashes, here are some of the most striking images of the year as taken by RFE/RL's photographers.
2021: The Year's Best From RFE/RL's Photographers

1
Children on a bus during the valenki (felt boot) festival in Kukmor, Tatarstan, Russia, on January 5.

2
Serbians celebrate Orthodox Christmas Eve at the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade on January 6.

3
A man wears a costume during the celebration of the Malanka winter holiday in the village of Krasnoyilsk in western Ukraine on January 14.

4
A man submerges himself in icy water the Epiphany celebration in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on January 18.