Stories about Russian from March, 2013
Russian Photographer Unearths Ghost Slum
A photo-blogger based in the city of Voronezh, located in central Russia not far from the Ukranian border, has taken a series of striking photographs [ru] (including an animated panorama) of...
As Liberal Russia's Secret Superhero ‘KermlinRussia’ Unmasks, Some See Evil
Arseny Bobrovsky, the owner of a Russian PR firm called “Daily Communications,” would be a thoroughly typical example of Moscow’s “creative class” liberals, were it not for one thing: Bobrovsky has a secret identity. At least he did, anyway, until March 25, 2013, when he and his accomplice Katya Romanovskaya outed themselves to the world as the authors of KermlinRussia, one of the most popular accounts on Russian Twitter.
VIDEO: Ukrainian Power Plant Ablaze, Town's Future Uncertain
At least one person was killed and five injured on March 29 in a major fire at the Vuhlehirska Thermal Power Plant in the Ukrainian town of Svitlodarsk, whose survival is now at stake.
Russian Anti-Corruption Blogger Appeals to Readers
Alexey Navalny, unofficial protest leader, took to his blog [ru] on March 27 to defend himself from what he says are unfair allegations of corruption. Navalny is currently a suspect in...
Regime Critic Goes Missing in Tajikistan
An outspoken regime critic and leader of a minority ethnic community has gone missing in Tajikistan. The country's internet users have largely missed his disappearance. The reactions from those who have paid attention to this case show that xenophobic attitudes run deep within Tajik society.
Russians Can't Agree on Billionaire's Suicide
When Alexander Dobrovinsky, lawyer to Russia's rich and famous, announced on his Facebook that Boris Berezovsky, controversial Russian oligarch living as a refugee in London, had committed suicide, RuNet reacted with disbelief.
Tajikistan: Opposition Leader Kidnapped?
The Tajik government appears to be steamrolling all signs of political opposition ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.
Crowdmapping Ukraine's Snow Volunteers
Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that Kyiv-based netizens have set up an online volunteer coordination map [uk, ru] and a website [uk, ru] to offer help to those affected by the unprecedented...
Shades of Communism in New Russian Registration Law
On the evening of March 18, 2013 group of around 12 people [ru] unveiled a long black-and-white poster in the Red Square, reading “Go f*ck yourself with your registration”. They set off flares and shouted slogans, among which were “Down with the Chekist government!” and “Putin will be executed!”
INFOGRAPHIC: More Money for Ukraine's Bloated Police Force
The infographics on Ukraine's law enforcement that many Ukrainian Facebook users have been sharing this month tells us that the country's police force is a bit too numerous and has been receiving more and more state funding over the past few years.
PHOTOS: Skis and Military Vehicles Battle Ukraine's Snowpocalypse
On March 22, Kyiv broke its monthly average of snow in just one day. While the authorities were combatting the weather, many Ukrainians united online to offer help and to share photos, stories and humor devoted to the snowfall. Tetyana Bohdanova reports.
The Criminal Economics of Kremlin Propaganda
Anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny is causing more waves at Aeroflot Airlines, where he has called for an internal investigation into a contract worth 64 million rubles awarded without competition to Apostol Media Group.
Russian Nationalists Rally Behind Subway Shooter
After all, how can one not react with outrage upon learning that Alexandra Lotkova, a pretty, twenty-one year old college student, got three years in prison for using a non-lethal gun to protect herself from knife-wielding thugs, who had already stabbed one of her friends!
How Russian Villagers Can Terrify the Kremlin
The ploy was simple: Andrei Turinov, a town councilman from Novouspenskii, posted to the Internet an open letter addressing Dmitri Medvedev, declaring the exit of 60 United Russia members from the party. The timing was perfect, and for a brief moment one small village in Krasnoyarsk had the attention of the nation's political elite.
Happy Nowruz from Central Asia!
How do people in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan celebrate Nowruz today? NewEurasia.net bloggers have produced a video that gives you an idea.
Religious Hatred on Facebook in Tajikistan
The shattered system of primary and secondary education, corrupt and rotten system of higher education, the official clergy which has lost [people's] trust, the absence of state-controlled religious education, weak and will-less intellectuals, the presence of a large number of uncontrolled websites with extremist and jihadist content - these are the major reasons why an increasing number of young individuals in our country become extremists.
“Suitcase Mood”: Why Ukrainians Are Moving Abroad
Some 6.5 million of Ukrainians, or 14.4 percent of the population, are emigrants. The theme of leaving Ukraine temporarily or for good comes up regularly in conversations that Ukrainians are having online.
Top Anti-Corruption Blogger Parties at Kremlin
Russia's best known anti-corruption blogger, Alexey Navalny, shocked [ru] many of his supporters when he attended a banquet at the Kremlin yesterday, March 18, 2013.
Sptn!k: Unconventional Russian Excursions Brought to You by Locals
The Sptn!k project was created in St. Petersburg and has now reached Moscow. Last month, Teplitsa's Ekaterina Izmeskyeva spoke with the creator, Aleksander Kim, about how the idea came about to create the portal, who becomes tour guides, and what interesting tours can be found on the site.
The Old Woman and a Potato: Ukraine's Poverty Story Goes Viral
Journalist Olena Danko wrote a short post about her supermarket encounter with an old woman who had just enough money to buy a single potato. A heartbreaking story, typical for Ukraine, with nothing in it that could surprise anyone who has lived in the country. Yet, within hours, it went viral.
