Bulgaria: Discussing the “European Idea”
Young Bulgarians and guests from Italy, with support of the New Bulgarian University and project “Beautiful Europe” [bg] will meet on May 23 to discuss the “European idea” and what Europe means to Bulgarians at an event called “Blue Night” - an evening dedicated to the European idea [bg]. The... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 21, 4:41pm
Bulgaria: Calling for National Protest Against Shale Gas Extraction
Activists in Bulgaria have called for national protests against shale gas extraction on May 22. There is a Facebook event [bg] “National protest against shale gas and changes in Forest Law!”. Tensions are growing after The Greens' activist posted a video [bg] showing a secret meeting between the Bulgarian Academy... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 21, 4:36pm
Tajik singer bellows tunes of adoration for Russia’s Putin
A Tajik singer has summed up his support for Russia’s pro-Putin political culture via music.
Tolinjon Kurbanhanov has mixed music, politics and religion in a melodious melting pot, void of separation and flourishing with his own ... Read more...
neweurasia.net » Tajikistan, May 20, 11:49pm
Macedonia: Graffiti Art in “Times of Revived Antiquity”
A short documentary on the Macedonian graffiti scene within the context of the state-sponsored art/construction boom, made by two female scientists and bloggers, has been shown at the renowned archeological conference Buffalo TAG 2012. Filip Stojanovski reports. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 19, 5:59pm
Afghanistan: Women's Voices Raised to Poetry
Through twitter, Al Jazeera shares the video story of a group of Afghan women who are using poetry as a way to empower themselves and reclaim their voice. Written by Juliana Rincón Parra comments (0) Share: Donate facebook twitter reddit StumbleUpon delicious Instapaper Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 18, 6:54pm
Russia: The RuNet's Enduring Tomatoes & Tusovki
To a casual observer, the RuNet and the Russian protest movement seem current and contemporary. It is easy to forget, however, that the core of the RuNet and the protests it's inspired has now existed for almost a decade. Burning questions asked seven years ago about the true nature of major figures are still prominent today, such as questions about a certain Andrei Morozov. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 18, 3:05pm
Armenia: State Sponsored Fascism
Following support from government officials and representatives of the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashanktsutyun (ARF-D) for two Neo-Nazis accused of firebombing a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, Unzipped: Gay Armenia asks if the country is moving towards a form of state sponsored fascism that threatens the rights and well-being of its own... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 18, 5:44am
Armenia: Blogger Calls for Resignation of Homophobic Dashnak MP
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on the continuing controversy surrounding Artsvik Minasyan, an MP from the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation–Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). The blog says that in addition to bailing out a Neo-Nazi arsonist in police custody, Minasyan continues to make homophobic statements in the media following the 8 May firebombing of... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 18, 1:43am
Armenia: Homophobic Firebombing Controversy Continues as Officials, MPs Promote Hate Crime
Controversy continues to surround the firebombing of a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, as officials and politicians praise the arsonists. Online, however, many are instead speaking out against those nationalists doing so. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 17, 6:29pm
Georgia: No Sex and the City
No Sex and the City — Georgian Liberal (an oxymoron) blog comments on the physical confrontation between priests accompanying religious parents and LGBT activists marching in Tbilisi, Georgia. The blog details events as they happened, including the alleged inaction of the Georgian police when they were asked to intervene to... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 17, 4:37pm
Georgia: LGBT Activists Attacked by Orthodox Religious Group
Marching to mark the 17 May International Day Against Homophobia, LGBT activists were blocked and assaulted by a group of Orthodox Christians as they marched in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 17, 4:21pm
Russia: NHL Stars Return to 2012 World Hockey Championship
Undefeated after seven games, and boasting an All-Star lineup, the Russian national team will face Norway in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 World Ice Hockey Championship. Many bloggers have framed the story as a homecoming for Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, with others reflecting on their complicated past in Russian international competition. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 16, 9:31pm
Victory Day, CIS, EU, Russia, Korea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazulin, NATO; News Sport, Culture and Polish scandal
From the Top...#509 Read more...
The BEING HAD Times, May 16, 9:17pm
Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko's Plight and Euro 2012
There must be some corners on the web where football fans are still having apolitical discussions of Euro 2012, scheduled to take place in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 to July 1. For the past few weeks, however, the upcoming sporting event has featured prominently in arguments and discussions among those who seem more interested in the Ukrainian and European politics than sports. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 16, 9:12pm
Russia: State TV Justifies May 6 Police Violence, Cites Spanish Bill Criminalizing Online Protest Organization as Example
In the final segment of the report [ru] on the May 6 protest in Moscow, which ended in clashes with riot police, the Russian state-owned Channel 1 mentioned, among other things, a Spanish draft law [en] criminalizing online organization of public protests, as an example of the “much tougher” treatment... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 16, 5:42pm
Global Voices Seeks Contributing Editor for RuNet Echo Project
Global Voices is seeking a part-time Contributing Editor to support our coverage of Russian citizen media, as part of our RuNet Echo project. The project provides comprehensive and deep reporting on and analyses of the Russian-language online community. The purpose of the initiative is to deepen our coverage and analysis... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 16, 5:06pm
Armenia: Fears After Nationalist Firebombers Released on Bail
Following the firebombing of of an 'alternative' and gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, LGBT and other civil society activists are concerned by the rise of nationalism and hate-speech in the country. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 16, 1:08am
Latynina on Putin and Mechel
Other Russia translates Yulia Latynina from Yezhedevny Zhurnal: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
Pasko on Silent Solzhenitsyn
Writing on Robert Amsterdam's blog hero journalist Grigori Pasko takes the late Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn to task for his shameful silence on so many issues of his day: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
Russian Society: As Sick as it Can Get?
As if the world needed any more reasons to stay as far away from Russia as humanly possible, the Teleraph reports that sexual harassment is now perfectly legal in Russia. In fact, the judges are encouraging it! Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
The Sunday Shock: Chechens Take over the Russian Army!
Paul Goble reports: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
The Sunday Sacrilege: Annals of Russia's Islamic Bomb
Paul Goble reports: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
Vladimir Putin, Crybaby
Writing in the Moscow Times Andrei Kortunov, president of the New Eurasia Foundation in Moscow, says that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is a classic crybaby. Just as in Soviet times, Russia is being governed by a barbaric hoard of little boys who cannot engage in civilized argument but can only lash out with crude violence whenever anyone dares question them. In other words, an army of little Stalins. Read more...
La Russophobe, May 15, 9:15pm
Macedonia: Blogging in Estonian about Skopje Marathon/Half-Marathon
Sandra Jürs blogged in Estonian about her participation in the Skopje Marathon/Half-Marathon [mk, en] on May 6, 2012. Written by Filip Stojanovski comments (0) Share: Donate facebook twitter reddit StumbleUpon delicious Instapaper Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 15, 6:35pm
Kyrgyzstan: Can a Blogger Be the Fourth Branch of Government?
Ilya Karimdjanov is a pest. Armed with a camera, a question and the most popular blog on Kyrgyzstan's most popular blogging platform, Kloop.kg, he is a one-man citizen media machine, the nemesis of rule-breaking cops, corrupt university teachers and the Kyrgyz monetary system. Well, someone has to keep them all... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 15, 10:50am
Russia: Duma Deputy Wants Criminal Liability for Extremist Tweets
Yesterday, on May 14, Aleksandr Khinshtein, a Duma deputy and member of United Russia, wrote a letter to Yuri Chaika, the Prosecutor General of Russia. In that letter, Khinshtein noted emerging extremist trends on Twitter and Facebook, and called on the state to prosecute users who advocate violence and other illegal acts. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 15, 8:42am
Russia: Website Appears Publishing Civil Servants' Incomes
The project "Public Profit" was established so that anyone interested could access information about the salaries of civil servants and state deputies. The information is compiled using public records and disclosed in accordance with Russian law. The published data are often surprising. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 15, 12:22am
Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Destruction and Preservation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict
During the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris and Armenians were displaced. With hundreds of settlements also razed, and thousands of monuments destroyed, Conflict Voices looks at the issue of cemeteries, some of which were destroyed, but also... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 14, 3:40am
Armenia: LGBT Community Fears After Yerevan Bar Firebombed
Le Retour in 3 Parts comments on last week's firebombing of D.I.Y., a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. Believed to be the work of Neo-Nazis, the blog says fears are running high in the LGBT community that hate crime is on the increase. Written by Onnik Krikorian ... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 13, 9:24pm
Georgia: Five Dead in Flash Flood
The Young Georgians posts video of this weekend's flash flood in Tbilisi, Georgia. Five people, including two children, are reported dead. Written by Onnik Krikorian comments (0) Share: Donate facebook twitter reddit StumbleUpon delicious Instapaper Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 13, 9:07pm
President interviewed, Relations with Russia, Victory Day amnesty, Car imports, Milinkevich; News, Sport, Culture and Polish scandal...
From the Top...#508 Read more...
The BEING HAD Times, May 12, 9:17pm
Ukraine, France: The Future of Franco-Ukrainian Relationship
Odessablogger comments on the statements made by Ukrainian political scientists regarding the future of the Franco-Ukrainian relationship following the election of François Hollande as the President of France. Written by Veronica Khokhlova comments (0) Share: Donate facebook twitter reddit StumbleUpon delicious Instapaper Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 12, 8:01pm
Lithuania: Alleged Child Abuse Case
At OpenDemocracy.net, Violeta Davoliūtė draws attention to “some of the more sober realities of life in today’s Lithuania,” highlighting a highly publicised case of alleged child abuse that is “being played out against a background of mob rule, support from politicians and complicity on the part of the police.” Written... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 12, 7:36pm
Serbia: May 6 Elections Results
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia sums up the results of the first round of the elections in Serbia and predicts what is to come after the May 20 runoff: “Assuming that Tadić defeats Nikolić by his usual narrow margin in two weeks, a government that looks a lot like the... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 12, 7:14pm
The Russian Army is a Sad Joke
The Associated Press reports: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 12, 9:18am
Listening to Russia: Who Really Rules?
The Levada public opinion firm has been running a survey (link in Russian, staff translation, corrections welcome)since december of last year asking Russians who has the "real" power in their country. Read more...
La Russophobe, May 12, 9:18am
Russia: A Change in Name Only
Writing in the Seattle Post Intelligencer Lara Iglitzin, executive director of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, which has supported NGOs working for human rights and democracy in Russia since 1989, says that Russia is singing the same old neo-Soviet song: Read more...
La Russophobe, May 12, 9:18am
Armenia: NGOs Condemn Arson Attack on Gay-Friendly Bar
Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts the text of a statement by a group of NGOs including the Helsinki Citizens Assembly in Vanadzor, Women's Resource Center, and Pink Armenia, among others, condemning the 8 May arson attack on D.I.Y., a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan. The blog also reports that two members of... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 11, 3:00pm
Russia: Yavlinsky Stir Reveals Opposition Rift
True to Yabloko's troubled past and present, Yavlinksy's May 10 blog post criticizing protest escalations has upset many and pleased relatively few. Current developments in the opposition have widened the gap between populist dramatics and nuts-and-bolts politics. Read more...
Global Voices Online - Eastern & Central Europe, May 11, 8:41am
Afghanistan: How to Use an Afghan Box Camera
The Presurfer shares a small video documentary of one of the only two remaining Afghan box photographers left in Kabul, and how he takes pictures and processes them inside a small black box. Written by Juliana Rincón Parra comments (0) Share: Donate facebook twitter reddit ... Read more...
Global Voices Online - Central Asia & Caucasus, May 10, 11:25pm