Chechnya photo essay

Couples must meet in public and sit apart from one another. All physical contact is forbidden before marriage. 3 Half of the girls in the ninth grade at School No. 1 in the Chechen village of Serzhen-Yurt wear the hijab, not formerly a part of Chechen tradition, Markosian writes.

After nearly two decades of conflict and the preceding 70 years of Soviet rule, during which religious participation was banned, modern-day Chechnya is going through an Islamic revival. For young girls in the republic, ordinary acts can bring severe consequences.

All Chechen girls, regardless of their religion, must wear head coverings in public schools and government buildings. 6 Chechen teens study the Koran at an underground madrasah. Markosian writes that Chechen youth have been quick to embrace Islam after decades of religious repression in the Soviet Union.

The few girls who dare to rebel become targets in the eyes of Chechen authorities. Documentary photographer and writer Diana Markosian shot this photo essay chronicling the lives of young Muslim girls in Chechnya who, she writes, are now coming of age in a republic that is rapidly redefining itself as a Muslim state. (17 PHOTOS)