Stories about Russian from July, 2009
Russia: Infringing on constitutional rights
LJ user srmt argues [RUS] that new regulations concerning correspondence is an infringement on the right of privacy regulated by the Russian constitution and the UN Declaration on Human Rights.
Russia: Politkovskaya laureate murdered
Just another death, just another obituary. That seems to be the general sentiment as news of today's murder of Russian Human Rights activist, Natalya Estemirova, broke. However, there are still people out there, in the Russian blogosphere, who challenge disillusion as yet another voice of conscience and tolerance is silenced by violent death.
Russia: GUM – a strategic object?
Your Life Will Turn Into Photography reports [RUS] that Moscow's world famous department store, GUM, apparently has been turned into a “strategic object,” along with an increasing number of Russian business ventures.
Russia: Social friction police
LJ user Savinkoff comments on [RUS] the establishment of Interior Ministry squads targeted at averting social friction in Russian regions, such as protests and demonstrations due to the economic crisis.
Russia: Moscow election posters
LJ user Ilya Yashin publishes [RUS] campaign posters for the upcoming Moscow local elections, illustrating the current Russian political landscape.
Nabucco: Running out of gas
Der Spiegelfechter comments on [GER] the agreement to build gas pipeline Nabucco and wonders where the gas will be coming from, whereas Der Unbequeme questions [GER] the need of yet another pipeline. LJ user xystos argues [RUS] why Nabucco is a mere mirage, and LJ user tertiaroma sees [RUS] the...
Belarus: The Grünwald pillow battle
LJ user reaktivny puz advertises [RUS] a 15 July celebration of the 1410 battle at Grünwald (Tannenberg) by staging a battle with pillows.
Belarus: Between Napoleon and Alexander
LJ user nicolaev writes about [RUS] Belarus during the Napoleonic wars and how the country related to Russia and the invading French.
Russia: Why there will be no new war with Georgia
LJ user ulakya rejects [RUS] fears of a new conflict between Russia and Georgia and argues why Moscow wants to avoid war in the Caucasus.
Russia: If you can't beat the west – join NATO
LJ user ne onegin defaitistically argues [RUS] that Russia should join NATO due to the alliance's military superiority, arguing if you can't beat them, join them.
Armenia: Flag display
517 Design [RU] posts a photograph of a billboard made up of the flags of those countries which will be entering films into the Golden Apricot festival in Yerevan. The blog notes the inclusion of flags from Azerbaijan and Turkey, countries with no formal diplomatic relations with Armenia because of...
Kazkahstan: Public administration discussed by bloggers
The bloggers are trying to understand what is happening in the country and how adequate is the public administration in Kazakhstan. Megakhuimyak thinks over the future of the local political elite by tracing the trends in the their education [ru]: In the beginning of the 20th century and in the...
Russia: Search engine politics
LJ user kostyaorlov posts [RUS] statistics on the frequency of searches for political parties by leading search engine Yandex in various Russian regions, thus indicating geographic variation of political interest among web users.
Russia: Putin breaking the law
Ilya Yashin tells [RUS] how Premier Putin apparently broke the law by serving US President Obama Russian caviar, considered contraband since capture of sturgeon was outlawed in 2007.
Russia: Burning books
LJ user red warrior red claims [RUS] that the Russian edition of a book by murdered dissident-in-exile, Alexander Litvinenko, has been confiscated and destroyed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in connection with a criminal investigation.
Russia: Ural curfew
LJ user wladimirmgerturns attention to [RUS] a 22 PM to 6 AM curfew for underaged, recently decided by politicians in the Chelyabinsk region of southern Ural.
Russia: Why Medvedev was drowsy at G8 summit
LJ user supehero gives his very own explanation [RUS] to why President Medvedev looked so drowsy at the G8 summit in Italy.
US-Russia: Rewinding the Russia reset
Two new presidents, two great powers, and three world leaders. That was the stage set as US President Obama earlier this week travelled to Moscow to meet Russia's President Medvedev and Premier Putin. With shared and conflicting legacies of idealism versus realism, the meeting held the promise of a new start in the two countries' relations. Still, as we rewind the "reset summary" for US-Russian relations, this was not exactly the outcome of the visit, at least when seen through the eyes of the Russian blogosphere.
Russia: Do you want to live in such a country?
Inspired by Obama's view that states serving its peoples, and not rulers serving their own interests, tend to survive and flourish in the long run, LJ user agitator mass posts [RUS] a poll with the question: “Do you want to live in such a country?”
Russia: Split among National Bolsheviks
Ilya Yashin analyses [RUS] the recent split among Russian National Bolsheviks, leading to the expulsion of the party's Moscow section and severe internal crisis.
Russia: Parliament and Patriarch
LJ user ybserver turns attention to [RUS] a decision of ruling United Russia party to consult the Orthodox Patriarchate on legislative proposals prior to parliamentary deliberation, and points out the constitutional separation between state and church in Russia.
