Georgia . Terror Incognito Georgia  by Daro Sulakauri The Pankisi Gorge region is a remote mountainous enclave in the far northeast corner of the Republic of Georgia.  Since December 1994, when war broke out between the Russian-backed central government in Grozny and a determined group of Chechen resistance fighters, Pankisi has witnessed an influx of refugees from Chechnya. Though not recognized or officially monitored by international agencies, Pankisi has become a refuge from state- sponsored terror for thousands of people who, ironically, are accused of waging terror at home. Chechens have a reputation for rugged individualism, even among the peoples of the Caucasus who (by any standards) are accustomed to rugged conditions and nurture a fierce sense of national pride and independence in light the imperialist tendencies of surrounding nations. By most estimates, approximately 5,000 Chechens escaped the deadly war in Chechnya by fleeing to Georgia's Pankisi Gorge. Chechen Boys. Pankisi has no jobs for young men and without any money, they cannot step outside Pankisi. Because the Georgian government has not yet supported them with any legal documents, it's impossible for them to search for jobs in the city. Kindergarten. A boy with green eyes.  Omaar, 7 years old. Omaar's family was bombed during the Chechen war while he was just a baby. He was left with only íhis grandmother, who survived. A School building. Local Mayor Elections. Chechen women in line hoping to get a chance to vote. Kindergarten. Lunch break. Due to lack of food, children have to share a bowl of soup. Chechen men and boys. Chechen man, Islam, in his house. Islam lost his brother during the bombing of Grozny.  He still remembers his brother dying in his arms. Due to the lack of electricity, the nights are very dark. An old hospital, built during the Communist period in Georgia.  It is now a home to several Chechen refugee families. Elia, mother of three children, was one of the thousands of Chechens who escaped the war in Chechnya. Chechen woman, Iase, with her daughter. During the war in Chechnya one of the bombs hit Iase's house in Grozny, the capital. She lost her home. Left in the streets, she followed the rest of the Chechens escaping to Georgia.  Crossing the border she ended up in the Pankisi Gorge where she settled. She is still hoping to return home one day. Chechen refugee boys on the playground. Caucasus Mountains. The Pankisi Gorge region, a remote mountainous enclave in the far northeast corner of the Republic of Georgia. A Mosque. Pankisi has one Mosque in the village. An old hotel built during the Communist period in Georgia. Now a home for Chechen refugees. Local Mayor Elections. The marketplace in Pankisi where everything is sold from coke to nails. You can even find a Barbie doll. Elia, mother of three children, was one of the thousands of Chechens who escaped the war in Chechnya. Like the birds flying to the north, Chechens believe that someday they will go back home to Chechnya.