Nowruz

Nowruz

In Kyrgyzstan's only female prison, Nowruz brings a moment of respite

Alyona and a dozen women are dancing in a small sunny garden, to applause from their fellow inmates in Kyrgyzstan's only female penal colony. The penal colony was built more than sixty years ago, at a time when the Central Asian country was still part of the Soviet Union.

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is celebrated by many in the region as a time of renewal and rebirth. For these women, it offers a brief escape from the confines of their daily lives behind bars. The celebration of Nowruz brings a sense of joy and hope, even in the most unlikely of places.