The number of teams participating in the UCI 2.1 category “Baku–Khankandi” Azerbaijan Cycling Race has increased, Azernews reports.
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Armenian youth prefer living independently
The average age of marriage in Armenia has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Statistics show that both women and men now marry around five to six years later. Young people explain this by saying that from the age of 18–20 they focus on building their careers. They believe this approach can ensure a stable income in the future.
Although divorce rates have risen in recent years, this does not mean that young people disregard marriage or treat it lightly. Sociological studies indicate that the new generation takes family life seriously and views it as a separate unit. Young people prefer to start a family when they can afford to live independently from their parents.
It is clear that the tradition of living with one’s parents is gradually losing relevance, both for the younger generation and for their families.
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Mother who encouraged her sons to live independently
Asmik has two sons. From their early years, she told them that at a certain age, they would need to live independently.
“I didn’t mean when they would start their own families. After completing their military service, the boys continued their education, found jobs, and by the age of 25, both rented apartments and began living separately,” Asmik says.
She recalls that relatives and friends reacted negatively to these changes in her family. She heard people gossiping, saying she was “getting rid of her children” or “trying to be European.”
Now both of Asmik’s sons are married. Each has bought an apartment on a mortgage and continues to live independently from their parents. But on weekends, holidays, and for various occasions, the whole family gathers at their parents’ home.
“We enjoy being together and have a wonderful time as a family. Living separately isn’t an attempt to seem modern. It’s the foundation for happiness and healthy relationships. Even if we had a large mansion where we could all live together, I would still advise my sons to live independently,” she explains.
Many years ago, her mother-in-law helped her gain independence and have her own space.
“I will be grateful to her for the rest of my life. At that time, it was unheard of. Today, it’s simply a necessary condition if you want your children to be happy,” Asmik insists.
She believes that as parents age, independent living becomes important for them too:
“People’s personalities start to change. Life isn’t the same as in youth or middle age. I don’t want to create problems for the younger generation. Besides, it’s hard for two women to live in the same kitchen. In my circle, I don’t know a single family that lived together without conflicts. We live once. Why burden each other, complain, or gossip?”
Asmik helps her sons’ families by looking after the grandchildren. She picks them up from kindergarten, cares for them, and entertains them until the parents return from work. On weekends, she takes the grandchildren to the cinema or park. The children stay with her when the sons and their wives go on trips or work assignments.
“I know families where grandparents live with their children but don’t spend time with their grandchildren. They don’t know their preferences or routines. For me, when I have a busy day, I give advance notice so they don’t count on me,” she says.
Asmik also has friendly relationships with her daughters-in-law. She says they sometimes even call to complain about her sons:
“I’m honest with them. I never hold grudges and speak openly. At the same time, I respect their personal space and decisions.”
Statistical data show a shift in the age of marriage
Young people told sociologists that they delayed starting a family because they wanted financial independence and stable incomes. They also said they aimed to secure their own housing before marrying.
According to data from the UN Population Fund in Armenia, the average age at first marriage has risen for both men and women. In 2024, women married for the first time at an average age of 29.1, while men were 32.6. In comparison, in 2004, the average age was 23.5 for women and 27.5 for men. Over the past 20 years, both men and women have started marrying roughly five years later.
‘We don’t tell a couple that the problem lies with their parents; they come to that conclusion themselves‘
Many couples on the brink of divorce turn to psychologist Aram Tandilyan. He says most problems stem from living with parents, parental interference in decisions, and a lack of personal space.
“In our society, people usually assume the husband’s parents play the ‘bad role,’” he explains. “But after several sessions, it becomes clear that the wife’s parents also exert influence. Couples often face interference from both sides in their shared life.”
Tandilyan points out that therapy doesn’t happen in a day; courses can last for months.
“The root of the problem is often that parents don’t raise children to make their own decisions. They don’t help them develop into independent individuals capable of taking responsibility for their lives. Another key issue is financial and psychological dependence on parents. For example, a forty-year-old man can’t pay his own utility bills—his parents cover them. Or a woman may create problems in her family just to gain her mother’s approval.”
He says young couples need time to recognise that the tangled issues in their relationship often trace back to parents, cohabitation, and dependence.
“We don’t tell them what to do or give direct advice. We have honest, open conversations. Through questions and answers, we help them reach the core of the problem. We create a situation that triggers a ‘wake-up’ moment. People often don’t fully understand the problem troubling them. Parents may take offence, but they are raising their children incorrectly.”
Tandilyan stresses the importance of fostering independence, self-confidence, and responsibility from an early age. He recommends starting with children as young as three and gradually expanding their freedoms and duties:
“There should be no difference between boys and girls. Boys also need household responsibilities. My eight-year-old son comes home from school, eats on his own, tidies his room, takes public transport to lessons, and returns home. I’ve met grown men who can’t even boil an egg or wash a dirty plate.
Especially with boys, mothers struggle to ‘cut the cord.’ They want to remain constantly involved, solving household problems, giving advice, providing financial support, and so on,” the psychologist says.
Armenian youth prefer living independently
Armenian youth prefer living independently
In recent years, developments in the international system have cast serious doubt on the future of multilateral diplomacy. The U.S. president’s announcement of suspending membership in dozens of international agencies has been portrayed by much of the Western media as Washington’s retreat from global commitments, even as a withdrawal from “global leadership.” Yet this interpretation misses the essence of what is happening.
Giorgi Tsulaia, a protester who faced an administrative charge of “obstructing pedestrian traffic” for rallying on a sidewalk, said Tbilisi City Court Judge Dacit Makaradze dismissed his case – the first decision under newly tightened protest rules on pedestrian zones, as dozens of similar cases await rulings.
“They called me from the Tbilisi City Court. Judge Davit Makaridze deliberated and terminated the ‘sidewalk’ case against me,” Tsulaia wrote in a January 8 Facebook post, adding, “All attempts to neutralize and intimidate those fighting for Georgia’s European and better future will fail.”
Tsulaia faced up to 15 days in detention under December legislative amendments that further tightened protest rules by mandating administrative detention for those who obstruct not only traffic but also the “movement of people.”
Dozens of other protesters were charged in similar cases in December, but their court hearings, initially scheduled for December, were postponed to January as the court has yet to issue first rulings in these cases. Tsulaia is the first to report the dismissal of the charges.
Georgia’s Public Defender Levan Ioseliani said on December 24 that his office plans to challenge the amendments adopted by the Georgian Dream parliament throughout 2025 to crack down on protests in the Constitutional Court, citing, among others, proportionality concerns.
Ioseliani criticized the introduction of mandatory detention for road blockages, arguing that it strips judges of alternative administrative sanctions and effectively mandates imprisonment. He warned that measures initially aimed at suppressing specific protests, such as the daily rallies on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, risk being broadly applied to other groups and forms of assembly.
For nearly a year, protesters had daily blocked Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue in front of parliament as a symbolic act of resistance against what they call the “Russian regime.” In October, Georgian Dream further tightened already strict anti-protest laws, making acts such as blocking roads and covering faces punishable by immediate detention rather than fines, with repeat acts subject to criminal liability carrying sentences of up to one year in prison.
In the initial weeks of enforcing the new laws since October, over a hundred people were arrested on administrative charges, while one was detained in November and charged criminally for a “repeated act.”
Starting in early November, police physically pushed protesters onto the sidewalks to prevent road blockages, prompting demonstrators to switch to evening downtown marches as an alternative form of protest. Detentions, however, continued during these marches.
The December amendments, in addition to introducing detention for obstructing the movement of people, also imposed a mandatory requirement to notify police in advance of planned assemblies.
Failure to notify police, comply with such instructions, or clear roads or sidewalks upon police order may result in administrative detention of up to 15 to 20 days, while repeat offenses may carry criminal liability punishable by up to one year in prison.
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What happened in Abkhazia in 2025
Looking back, slightly belatedly, at the past year.
We’ve picked three main socio-political events that took place in Abkhazia in 2025.
Presidential elections
Early resignation of the president and, accordingly, snap elections have already become something of a national tradition in Abkhazia. Three consecutive presidents—Alexander Ankvab (2014), Raul Khadzhimba (2020), and Aslan Bzhania (2024)—left office this way.
Immediately after stepping down, Bzhania announced he would run in the early 2025 elections. But the idea found no support, not even among his closest allies. They believed the former president had too much political baggage and instead backed another team member, Vice President Badra Gunba.
And here, the parallels with the past end.
While previous early elections had brought opposition candidates to power, in March 2025 it was Badra Gunba who won. In other words, the leadership in Abkhazia effectively stayed the same; only the person at the top changed.
Local experts point to the “Russian factor” as an explanation.
In previous years, Moscow did not actively support any specific candidate, understanding that whoever became president would remain loyal to Russia. But in the 2025 elections, the Kremlin made Gunba its favorite, giving him unprecedented support. His main rival, opposition figure Adgur Ardzinba, faced a media smear campaign from Russian outlets, which accused him of pro-Turkish leanings.
In the second round, Gunba secured 53% of the vote and became president.
Hunt for ‘anti-Russian forces’
The idea that Abkhazia needed an internal enemy in the form of so-called “anti-Russian forces” was first introduced by former president Aslan Bzhania.
He came up with this “bogeyman” in the third year of his presidency, after realizing his approval ratings were falling rapidly.
At first, the myth of “anti-Russian forces” was used to push through laws that benefited Russia but were highly unpopular in Abkhaz society.
Then things escalated: Bzhania began actively convincing the Kremlin that he—and only he—was Russia’s stronghold in Abkhazia, while all his opponents were under Western and Turkish influence.
Apparently, he was persuasive enough, because even after his resignation, the Kremlin continued the “witch-hunt.” As a result, two Abkhaz opposition figures were stripped of Russian citizenship, and three journalists were added to Russia’s registry of foreign agents.
The story (at least for now) was closed by Russia’s new Abkhazia overseer, Sergey Kiriyenko, who stated that there are no anti-Russian forces in Abkhazia. Later, President Badra Gunba repeated the same.
Reopening of Sukhum airport
The most significant economic event of 2025 was the reopening of Sukhum airport after a 32-year hiatus.
The airport had been inactive since the end of the 1992–93 Georgian-Abkhaz war. At that time, Georgia’s government requested that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) revoke its license, effectively banning international flights.
Despite this, Abkhazia and Russia reached an agreement to restore the airport, and on May 1, 2025, the first scheduled flight from Moscow landed in Sukhum.
Because of the missing ICAO license, flights are limited to Russia. Even then, Russia avoids overtly breaking international rules, so only small Russian airlines specializing in domestic flights—unaffected by international sanctions—operate to Sukhum.
Direct flights to Russia are expected to bring more tourists to Abkhazia and boost the republic’s budget. For now, however, actual revenues remain well below the projections.
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What happened in Abkhazia in 2025