Nagorno-Karabakh, a small region in Azerbaijan that has declared itself independent but remains unrecognized by the rest of the world, was one place actively trying to increase its population – by giving out cash at births and weddings, writes the British Photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind at the Guardian.



She has been a guest at the Karabakh wedding and shares her impressions. She notes in particular that the young couple, Artak and Armine, received around £470 at their wedding. They could go on to get £150 for their first baby, £310 for the second, £780 for the third, and £1,110 for the fourth. Families with six children under the age of 18 get a house.



“These are significant amounts in a country where income is very low. Within three years of the incentive being introduced, the birth rate had spiked by 25%,” Taylor-Lind.



She then describes the Karabakh wedding; she notes that the celebrations began at the bride’s house, then they continue at the groom’s house. The guests eat, drink and dance a lot. She counted about 200 guests. The newly married couple is sitting in between their "best couple" – a pair who have been married for a few years and whose job is to be their guardians, a bit like god parents.

The photographer writes that the groom’s village is on the border with Azerbaijan. She was told that the ceasefire regime is violated frequently; they kill both soldiers and civilians.