You are presented with the collection “The Mirror of Conflict: Untold Stories, Georgian–Ossetian Context,” which serves as a continuation of the analytical anthology “The Mirror of Conflict: Georgian–South Ossetian Context.” This volume presents the Georgian–South Ossetian conflict through the eyes of people living on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line, reflecting the mirror that both communities have had to confront—and continue to confront—to this day.

When it comes to analyzing conflict or potential resolution pathways at various levels, the human experience is often given less attention, which undoubtedly hampers a full understanding of the situation and leads to decisions that insufficiently consider the interests of ordinary people who bear the heaviest burdens of conflict and war. The memories and experiences of these individuals hold the key to any attempt at peaceful conflict resolution—whether at the national, regional, or international level. It is through these personal perspectives that one can understand the deeply significant choices regarding forgetting or remembering, remorse and forgiveness, or holding onto retribution, decisions that affect not only the individuals themselves but also future generations and their own life trajectories.

The collection of human stories included in this volume began in late 2015. Journalists Irina Kelekseva and Goga Aptsiauri asked ordinary people affected by the conflict to recall their experiences and reflect on past events from a present-day perspective, to speak about the present, relationships, and hopes for the future. The authors of these personal accounts include men and women of different ages, both older and younger, those who grew up during the conflict and those who had lived side by side before it, those who recall coexistence, and those courageous enough to share their memories.

Although each person’s experience is entirely unique and filled with profound personal pain, names and surnames are deliberately omitted to emphasize that the suffering endured by one individual echoes the experiences of many others, highlighting the universality of human hardship in the context of conflict.