JONATHAN CAMPION is a British travel writer, copy editor and Russian-language translator. He now lives in England, after spending 14 years working and travelling in Eurasia.
Severnaya Dvina embankment, Arkhangelsk; north-west Russia, close to the Arctic Circle.
To my left: the path beside the Severnaya Dvina river, which led me to the town’s timber port, buried in the snow, then to Svyato-Troitskaya church, then the bridge over the river. … More Calm in Arkhangelsk (northern Russia)
*** A stunning street in the Cihangir district of Istanbul – one of the world’s truly magnificent cities.
The Flame Towers loom above every street in Baku. At night their neon displays light up the city on their own: first orange and red flames lick up the sides of the towers; then they fill up with splashes of water; then the complex turns the colours of Azerbaijan’s flag – green, red and blue. It is a needless show of wealth, but an extraordinary sight. … More Flame Towers and Şəhidlər məscidi – Baku, Azerbaijan
I arrive at Yerevan’s train station just after dawn, and buy coffee and bread from the underpass between platforms – fuel for the four-hour journey to Gyumri, Armenia’s second city.
The train is dusty and dilapidated; it has hard seats and filthy windows. It goes slowly, bumpily, its wheels making soothing clunks on the rusted tracks.
The journey is haunting. The landscape of western Armenia looks abandoned, left for dead. But this isn’t so. This rocky corner of the Caucasus is far from an unwanted wasteland: it is one of the most emotionally charged places on earth. … More Photo essay: Armenia’s sorrow (Yerevan to Gyumri by train)
In the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, close to Georgia’s border with Russia’s North Ossetia, the village of Kazbegi is a breathtaking stop along the Georgian Military Highway.
People come here for the hike to Gergeti Trinity Church – a climb of 2170 metres (7120 feet) into the mountains. The trek through farmsteads and forests, and the view from the chapel, are stunning. … More Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), Georgia
Spending time in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s grand, roomy capital, I learned a lot about daily life in Central Asia: … More Six things I felt in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
On 4 and 5 April 2019, two of my photographs will be displayed at the photo exhibition ‘Daily Life in Central Asia’, at the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. … More My photographs in SEnECA’s ‘Daily Lives in Central Asia’ exhibition (BOZAR, Brussels – April 2019)
