From the war in Ukraine to mass unrest in Kazakhstan to the people whose fight for rights have inspired countless others, here's a look back at some of the most compelling images captured in 2022 by RFE/RL's photographers.
2022: The Year's Best From RFE/RL's Photographers
- By RFE/RL
1
Destroyed Russian vehicles litter Vokzalna Street in the city of Bucha near Kyiv. Russian forces failed to encircle or capture the capital and eventually withdrew from the region. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
Nuzhnenko wrote: "This is one of the first columns of the Russian Army that entered Bucha. The photo was taken on March 1. On March 3, the city was occupied by the Russian Army.
"On February 27, I saw a video of a destroyed convoy of Russian vehicles in Bucha on Telegram. I learned from my colleagues about possible routes to the city, and on March 1 we went there. Everyone was confused; nobody understood what was happening or what to expect. It was two days before the city was occupied. I can’t help but keep asking myself whether those people with whom I spoke – and who I urged to evacuate and who assured me everything would be fine – are even still alive.”
Nuzhnenko wrote: "This is one of the first columns of the Russian Army that entered Bucha. The photo was taken on March 1. On March 3, the city was occupied by the Russian Army.
"On February 27, I saw a video of a destroyed convoy of Russian vehicles in Bucha on Telegram. I learned from my colleagues about possible routes to the city, and on March 1 we went there. Everyone was confused; nobody understood what was happening or what to expect. It was two days before the city was occupied. I can’t help but keep asking myself whether those people with whom I spoke – and who I urged to evacuate and who assured me everything would be fine – are even still alive.”
2
Kazakhs rally in Almaty on February 13 in memory of those killed during the unprecedented anti-government demonstrations in early January. (Petr Trotsenko, RFE/RL)
Peaceful nationwide protests over a hike in fuel prices were followed by violent unrest and a brutal crackdown in January. Hundreds of people -- including 18 security officers -- were killed in the clashes and President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev issued security forces a "shoot-to-kill" order.
Peaceful nationwide protests over a hike in fuel prices were followed by violent unrest and a brutal crackdown in January. Hundreds of people -- including 18 security officers -- were killed in the clashes and President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev issued security forces a "shoot-to-kill" order.
3
Mariupol on February 5. (Amos Chapple, RFE/RL)
Chapple wrote: "This photo was taken less than three weeks before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and largely destroyed Mariupol. It was strange to be there then and hear locals saying they felt an invasion was possible, while carrying on their normal lives. One local man on the beach told me he thought the chance of an imminent invasion was around 50-50. Then he just walked off with his partner and their cat on a leash as if they didn’t have a care in the world."
Chapple wrote: "This photo was taken less than three weeks before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and largely destroyed Mariupol. It was strange to be there then and hear locals saying they felt an invasion was possible, while carrying on their normal lives. One local man on the beach told me he thought the chance of an imminent invasion was around 50-50. Then he just walked off with his partner and their cat on a leash as if they didn’t have a care in the world."
4
The burned-out hulk of a Russian Grad missile launcher and the body of a soldier near Kharkiv on February 25. (Maryan Kushnir, RFE/RL)
Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
5
The center of Odesa looked like a sandbag fortress on March 5 as Ukrainian troops and residents prepared to repel a potential attack by Russian ground forces that never came. (Mykhaylo Shtekel, RFE/RL)
6
A march in honor of International Women's Day in Bishkek on March 8. (Gulzhan Turdubaeva, RFE/RL)
![The consequences of Russia's attack on Irpin, near Kyiv, on March 11. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL) Nuzhnenko wrote: "The border between death and life. On the horizon is the burning, smoking, occupied [city of] Bucha. Trapped civilians trying to flee the fighting come out wrapped in all white, holding white flags. Another soldier remarks, 'Everybody comes out in white, and those who want to go back to Bucha -- the Russians will kill them.'"](https://gdb.rferl.org/02330000-0aff-0242-967a-08da04336583_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
7
The consequences of Russia's attack on Irpin, near Kyiv, on March 11. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
Nuzhnenko wrote: "The border between death and life. On the horizon is the burning, smoking, occupied [city of] Bucha. Trapped civilians trying to flee the fighting come out wrapped in all white, holding white flags. Another soldier remarks, 'Everybody comes out in white, and those who want to go back to Bucha -- the Russians will kill them.'"
Nuzhnenko wrote: "The border between death and life. On the horizon is the burning, smoking, occupied [city of] Bucha. Trapped civilians trying to flee the fighting come out wrapped in all white, holding white flags. Another soldier remarks, 'Everybody comes out in white, and those who want to go back to Bucha -- the Russians will kill them.'"
8
Salome Barker, wearing an LGBT mask outside Tbilisi City Court on April 4, eyes the police as she waits for the verdict of those arrested on charges of violence against journalists. The arrests followed a rally on July 5, 2021, against a planned LGBT Pride march in the Georgian capital that turned violent as protesters attacked activists and journalists, including two RFE/RL reporters. (Mzia Saganelidze, RFE/RL)
Saganelidze wrote: "Having a free media and civil activism is vital for Georgia, because their existence gives us the opportunity to speak loudly about human rights, equality, free judiciary, the quality of democracy, and all the issues that will help the country to develop and create a better future."
Saganelidze wrote: "Having a free media and civil activism is vital for Georgia, because their existence gives us the opportunity to speak loudly about human rights, equality, free judiciary, the quality of democracy, and all the issues that will help the country to develop and create a better future."
9
Pakistani police inspect the area around damaged vehicles following a blast near the China Institute at Karachi University on April 26, killing three Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver, officials said. (Niaz Ali Khan, Radio Mashaal, RFE/RL)
10
Participants march during a Pride Parade in Pristina on June 9. (Arben Hoti, RFE/RL)
11
Ukrainian tank driver Yura, near Novoluhanske, Donetsk region, on June 11. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
12
A farewell to journalist Roman Ratushny in Kyiv on June 18. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
Nuzhnenko wrote: "On June 18, a farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv for the well-known public activist and journalist Roman Ratushny. There were many teary-eyed faces among the silent crowd of mourners who came to pay their respects. From the first day of the Russian invasion, Ratushny participated in the battles near Kyiv, and he later joined the military.
"Ratushny would have turned 25 on July 5. He died on June 9 in a battle near Izyum fighting for his country. I did not know Roman personally, although our paths crossed more than once at the various protests in Kyiv where he was always involved. No fire can burn the flame, Roman."
Nuzhnenko wrote: "On June 18, a farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv for the well-known public activist and journalist Roman Ratushny. There were many teary-eyed faces among the silent crowd of mourners who came to pay their respects. From the first day of the Russian invasion, Ratushny participated in the battles near Kyiv, and he later joined the military.
"Ratushny would have turned 25 on July 5. He died on June 9 in a battle near Izyum fighting for his country. I did not know Roman personally, although our paths crossed more than once at the various protests in Kyiv where he was always involved. No fire can burn the flame, Roman."
13
Kazakhstan's Altyn Dala nature reserve in the Kostanay region is where scientists support the population of kulans, a species native to Central Asia that look similar to donkeys but are as speedy and agile as horses, on June 22. (Petr Trotsenko, RFE/RL)
14
Georgians rally in support of European integration in Tbilisi on June 24. (Tamuna Chkareuli, RFE/RL)
15
Coffins containing the remains of 50 newly identified victims of the Srebrenica genocide are lined up inside a hall in Potocari on July 10 before burial. Bosnia-Herzegovina marked the 27th anniversary of the killings of thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serbian forces during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. (Sadik Salimovic, RFE/RL)
16
Bike couriers play chess and block traffic on Budapest's Margit Bridge on July 18 as they protest changes to a simplified tax regime known as KATA. Critics said the changes would hurt small businesses and affect hundreds of thousands of people. (Voros Szilard, RFE/RL)
17
A decaying Soviet symbol at an old factory dormitory in the Admiralteyskaya (Bishbalta in Tatar) district of Kazan in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan on August 1. (Andrei Grigorev, RFE/RL)
The district will mark its 305th anniversary in 2023. It was founded by the Russian ruler Peter the Great in 1718. It was initially a center for Russian shipbuilding and, during Soviet times, the district was known for the production of leather and medical equipment. Authorities promised to reconstruct the historic district several times but failed to do so.
The district will mark its 305th anniversary in 2023. It was founded by the Russian ruler Peter the Great in 1718. It was initially a center for Russian shipbuilding and, during Soviet times, the district was known for the production of leather and medical equipment. Authorities promised to reconstruct the historic district several times but failed to do so.
18
Smoke rises from a Russian strike at a farm in Ukraine's Donetsk region on August 8. (Maryan Kushnir, RFE/RL)
Kushnir wrote: "Military actions in Ukraine were at their height. The main theater of war moved to the east of Ukraine: the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in particular. Ukrainian troops maneuvered through the sown fields of the Donbas. Crops were burning and dying while soldiers were still holding their lines of defense."
Kushnir wrote: "Military actions in Ukraine were at their height. The main theater of war moved to the east of Ukraine: the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in particular. Ukrainian troops maneuvered through the sown fields of the Donbas. Crops were burning and dying while soldiers were still holding their lines of defense."
19
Truffle hunting in northern Bulgaria on August 9. (Amos Chapple, RFE/RL)
Chapple wrote: "For years, I had heard about truffles being dug up in the forests of Bulgaria, but it was always hard to source details. It seemed like one of those hazy, far-off things that were too hard to get access to. Then I found a guide based in Sofia who had contacts in the truffle industry. Through him, I was able to link up with truffle hunter Ivaylo Penev and his two adorable dogs. Sometimes still photos capture a moment that might not reflect the rest of the experience, but this photo really did sum up the working life of Penev: out in nature at sunrise with his truffle tool and two dogs that literally could not contain their joy at starting work."
Chapple wrote: "For years, I had heard about truffles being dug up in the forests of Bulgaria, but it was always hard to source details. It seemed like one of those hazy, far-off things that were too hard to get access to. Then I found a guide based in Sofia who had contacts in the truffle industry. Through him, I was able to link up with truffle hunter Ivaylo Penev and his two adorable dogs. Sometimes still photos capture a moment that might not reflect the rest of the experience, but this photo really did sum up the working life of Penev: out in nature at sunrise with his truffle tool and two dogs that literally could not contain their joy at starting work."
20
Ukrainian soldiers fire from a mortar in the Donetsk region on August 10. (Maryan Kushnir, RFE/RL)
21
Eighteen-year-old student Alishah cuts an unusual figure on the streets of Karachi in southern Pakistan on August 25, taking fares in her auto rickshaw and driving people around the city. Her diabetic father taught her to drive before his death six months earlier. Since then, she has taken on his role, supporting her family while continuing her studies. (Radio Mashaal, RFE/RL)
22
Denys, a Ukrainian serviceman who had worked as an archaeologist and teacher until Russia launched its invasion on February 24, rests between combat work as a member of a mortar unit in advanced positions in the Donetsk region on August 29. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
Nuzhnenko wrote: "While sitting in a trench on the front line, we talked about history, ancient times, about how Denys conducted excavations in the south and taught young people to preserve their cultural heritage. We laughed together that he is now an archaeologist in the Donbas. There is no war without black humor, and journalists in the war in certain places are the only non-military people that the fighters can meet and think back on a previous life that seems so far away."
Nuzhnenko wrote: "While sitting in a trench on the front line, we talked about history, ancient times, about how Denys conducted excavations in the south and taught young people to preserve their cultural heritage. We laughed together that he is now an archaeologist in the Donbas. There is no war without black humor, and journalists in the war in certain places are the only non-military people that the fighters can meet and think back on a previous life that seems so far away."
23
Mass burials of people and Ukrainian soldiers discovered near the city of Izyum on September 15. (Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL)
24
The migration of horses from the Tusheti Mountains to eastern Georgia on October 11. (Amos Chapple, RFE/RL)
Chapple wrote: "This was the end of the first day to shoot the story about a female Georgian horse herder making the trip down from the mountains and across to the lowland plains of Kakheti, where the horses will spend winter. I’d had an eventful day of nearly being thrown off my horse, who was called 'Al Qaeda.'
"This photo was taken after I’d set up my tent, then jumped onto the back of an old Soviet truck that was hauling concrete irrigation pipes. I rode in the truck for a while as it swung down these mountain paths until I saw the herd. I jumped off and had just enough time to grab a few shots of the last daylight with Nadia Beard, RFE/RL's freelance correspondent in Georgia, riding in front of the herd and the Georgian herders at the rear as they headed toward the campsite and a long-awaited dinner."
Chapple wrote: "This was the end of the first day to shoot the story about a female Georgian horse herder making the trip down from the mountains and across to the lowland plains of Kakheti, where the horses will spend winter. I’d had an eventful day of nearly being thrown off my horse, who was called 'Al Qaeda.'
"This photo was taken after I’d set up my tent, then jumped onto the back of an old Soviet truck that was hauling concrete irrigation pipes. I rode in the truck for a while as it swung down these mountain paths until I saw the herd. I jumped off and had just enough time to grab a few shots of the last daylight with Nadia Beard, RFE/RL's freelance correspondent in Georgia, riding in front of the herd and the Georgian herders at the rear as they headed toward the campsite and a long-awaited dinner."
25
In solidarity with the women protesting in Iran for rights and freedom following the September death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo organized a rally in Pristina on October 12. (Arben Hoti, RFE/RL)
At protests worldwide in support of the demonstrations that have swept Iran for the past few months, women have cut off their hair in solidarity with Iranian women’s refusal to wear the hijab, or head scarf, as part of the protest.
At protests worldwide in support of the demonstrations that have swept Iran for the past few months, women have cut off their hair in solidarity with Iranian women’s refusal to wear the hijab, or head scarf, as part of the protest.
