Images taken over a decade reflect the ever-changing cultural landscape of this exceptional, tiny gorge, where women try to break stereotypes and simultaneously maintain Kist traditions.  

Tako Robakidze is a documentary photographer who focuses on social and political issues, exploring the consequences of wars in Georgia. She became a National Geographic Explorer in 2022 after receiving a storytelling grant from the National Geographic Society. Tako is also a fellow of the Magnum Foundation’s Photography and Social Justice program and has been awarded the Stanley Greene Legacy Prize and fellowship from Noor. She has long been a contributor to National Geographic Magazine - Georgia. Her latest feature story, “The Forbidden Language,” highlights the resilience of people living in occupied Abkhazia.