"It was the celebration that we wanted, and it had to be, because – the organisers reiterated – freedom is in our tradition". The 2019 edition of Kyiv Pride closes with about 8,000 estimated participants – almost twice than in 2018 – and without the violence that had characterised the previous editions. A photo story by Monica Ellena
It is one of the most beautiful lakes in Slovenia, located in the heart of the Trglav park. You can still breathe the atmosphere of an Alpine culture that has not lost its typicality
Moldova is a landlocked country, but its inhabitants don't give up the pleasure of spending a day on the beach. In Chişinău there are several urban parks that have bathing lakes within them. A photo-report by Francesco Brusa
They were meant for escape from Baku’s sizzling summer days, when high humidity and powerful winds can cover the skin with a gritty, wet film. Bağ evi (literally, “garden house”) are the equivalent of dachas in Russia. Photos by Sheyda Allahverdiyeva
The village of Fioletovo in northern Armenia is one of a kind. Nestled among the mountains north of Lake Sevan, it is home to 1,500-odd Molokans, a Christian sect which split from Russia’s Orthodox Church in the 16th century
Sky-high pollution rates led Prishtina authorities to close the centre to traffic, while many citizens protested to ask for new measures to improve quality of air. A photo-report by Veton Kasapolli/OBCT
A harsh, essential land, a life marked by isolation and the perpetual, unrelenting cycle of seasons. A photo report by Ivo Danchev, in the mountains of northern Albania, in the Pukë and Fushë Arrëz areas
Agronomist, winemaker, beekeeper. Jak Pacani, animator and owner of the "Ersi" winery, has been a true pioneer in the reorganisation of agriculture in the Zadrima region after the collapse of Albania's centralised system in the early 1990s. A photo report by Ivo Danchev
Until recently, the alluvial region of Zadrima in the north of Albania was well known for the breeding of silkworm. The latter served for the production of traditional, bright colored cloths, patiently and passionately hand-woven to the chassis by women from the area. A photo-story by Ivo Danchev
When they play, their eyes sparkle, just as they should — for they are the Diamonds. This all-girl band rocks the time away in Aparan, a town about 60 kilometres north of Yerevan which does not shine with opportunities for teenagers, especially girls. By Inna Mkhitaryan