Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the newly independent state Georgia found itself on the verge of a civil war.

Rebel groups in Tbilisi came together to overthrow the newly elected President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was forced into hiding.Gunmen took to the streets and hospitals were overwhelmed.

In 2010, Tom Esslemont spoke to Lamara Vashakidze, a survivor of Georgia’s crisis.

(Photo: Two Georgian soldiers stand among bomb-damaged buildings in Tbilisi. Credit: Patrick Robert/Sygma/CORBIS/Sygma via Getty Images)