Stories about Russian from February, 2014
“A Trip He Will Not Forget”: Russian Man Flies to Tajikistan By Mistake
A young man did not check his ticket before departure and arrived in Tajikistan's Kurgan-Tyube instead of Russia's Kurgan.
Kazakhstan's Charyn Canyon
Sergei Terekti presents [ru] a photo essay about his recent trip to Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan's own smaller version of the Grand Canyon in the United States: The main canyon is about 150 kilometers long; the Charyn River crosses it. Multiple gorges, valleys, and smaller canyons surround the Charyn Canyon. One of the main...
Chechen Dictator and Russian Nationalist NOT Taking Over Ukraine
As conflict in Ukraine's province of Crimea escalates, Internet hoaxes muddy the waters.
Yanukovich's Fabulous Palace Familiar to Russians
Russians, admittedly, are already familiar with examples of their own politicians' wealth and bad taste, as photos of their residences regularly leak onto the Internet.
Tajik Court Fines Journalist for Calling Docile Intellectuals ‘Shit’
A journalist who quoted Vladimir Lenin in criticizing state-appointed, docile intellectuals in Tajikistan has been ordered by court to pay over 6,000 US dollars in "moral damage".
From Kiev to Moscow: Russia's Tired Protest Antics
As a futile gesture of defiance Russian protesters brought several tires to a Moscow protest against political prisoners.
“We Are Not an Anomaly or Disease”: Gay Bloggers Speak Up in Tajikistan
Social media is enabling Tajikistan's gay community to speak up against widespread homophobic attitudes. These attitudes, however, are quite sticky.
Big, Bad Bullies of the Russian Media
Last week, popular journalist Vladimir Solovyov dedicated an entire radio show to dissecting and denouncing the Maidan-supportive tweets of a handful of students from Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. Why?
Ukrainian Revolution Rattles Russian Nationalists
Russian nationalists worry Russian-speaking Ukrainians will be "derussified."
Pro-Maidan Video Goes Viral Thanks to Pavel Durov, Russia's Zuckerberg
Given the political climate in Russia now, Durov's willingness to stake such an unabashedly pro-opposition position on the Ukraine crisis is rather astounding.
Tajikistan's Tastiest Blogs
There are three blogs in Tajikistan that are a must read for anyone interested in Tajik cuisine. Tajik Restaurant [Tarabkhonai Tojiki] [tj] shares cook-it-yourself videos and recipes of popular Tajik dishes. Suhailo's Cooking Diary [Daftari pukhtu-pazhoi Suhailo] [tj] teaches its readers to bake pastries popular in the country. Finally, Osh...
Kyrgyz MPs Explain Themselves Over a Prayer Room in Parliament
The recent opening of an Islamic prayer room in the Kyrgyz parliament has triggered a heated online debate about the boundaries between the state and religion in the Central Asian country. Responding to criticisms, MPs designed and circulated among journalists and bloggers a six-page document suggesting that prayer houses in...
Russian Politicians Stick to Their Guns as Ukraine Burns
For Russia's politicians, the battle lines over Ukraine have already been drawn, and now there can be no compromise.
Russians Eye Ukrainian Turmoil with Hope, Fear
"Seriously, 13 wounded armed cops equals urban warfare"
“They Fell Our Souls and Memory”: Felling of Trees Draws Anger in Tajikistan
Whenever the authorities in Dushanbe launch a redevelopment project, they start by felling trees. Over the last decade, Tajikistan's capital has lost thousands of trees.
Soviet-era Monuments and Slogans in Tajik Capital “Should Stay”
Over the last two decades, the authorities in Dushanbe have dismantled most of the Soviet-era monuments and huge political slogans on rooftops which had all been an important feature of the cityscape before 1991. However, as Radio Ozodi reports [tj], Tajikistan's capital has preserved a handful of Soviet statues, slogans, and signs...
The President That Could Not Stand His “Stan”
As far as countries go, "stan" is something of a bad brand. PR-sensitive Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is suggesting it could be time for a change to his country's name.
To Hell with the Games: Russians Turn from Sochi to Ukraine
Today, after a relative lull, violence returned to Kiev’s streets, causing a dramatic shift in RuNet activity. Indeed, the images coming out of Ukraine depict something like a civil war.
The Hilarity of Murder Among Russians
Where do you draw the line between a joke and a death threat? That question has been on Russians’ minds this week, after a controversial tweet by blogger Alexey Navalny.
Blood on the Ice, Fury on the Tubes
Drama is never far behind when the Russian and the USA national hockey teams meet on the ice.
Kazakhstan Gets Its First Medal in Sochi
Kazakhstan's Denis Ten finished third in men's figure skating tonight, bringing the country its first-ever Olympic medal in this sport.