Stories about Russian from February, 2014
Despite Bans, Central Asians Observe Valentine's Day
Looking at how people in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan observed Valentine's Day.
“Celebrating Valentine's Day Is a Direct Way to Hell” in Tajikistan
Popular among younger people in cities, Valentine's Day struggles to gain broader acceptance in Tajikistan.
Did Turkmenistan Get Cold Feet Before the Sochi Winter Olympics?
Warm-wintered Turkmenistan failed to send a singe athlete to this year's Winter Olympics. The only representative the republic sent to Sochi was its sport-loving president.
Welcome All to Russia's 2014 Olympic Hunger Games

Another way to poke fun at Russia's hosting of the Winter Games has emerged: comparisons between the Olympics and the wildly popular Hunger Games franchise.
Russia's Patriotic Overdrive in Sochi?

The Soviet Union may have defeated Hitler, but modern-day Russia’s war against fascism wages on. And the Sochi Olympics have amplified the fight.
Tajik Team at Olympics Opening Ceremony Included a Russian “Tourist”
Following the Olympics opening ceremony, many people in Tajikistan were shocked to find out [ru] that one of the individuals who walked into the ceremony in Sochi alongside Tajik athletes under...
“Dreamlike Kyrgyzstan” As Seen by a Photographer
Kloop.kg presents [ru] a collection of photos from “dreamlike Kyrgyzstan” by Russian photographer Danil Korzhonov.
Tajik Bloggers Ask to Meet With President
Every year, the president of Tajikistan meets with selected members of the national intelligentsia in Dushanbe, in late March. These meetings normally feature long speeches by the president followed by...
Media Overblowing Extreme Right's Role in Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests
Protesters include liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, nationalists and cosmopolitans, Christians, non-Christians and atheists, according to a group of scholars pushing back against the media's misrepresentation of Euromaidan.
Russian Commentator Apologizes for Mistaking Uzbekistan for Tajikistan
Renowned Russian sports newscaster has apologized for mistaking the national team of Uzbekistan for that of Tajikistan during a live television broadcast from this year's Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Responding...
Three Main Blogging Platforms in Kazakhstan
Mr Wow! introduces [ru] the three most popular domestic blogging platforms in Kazakhstan: A decent and law-abiding blogger in Kazakhstan inhabits one of the three reserves: Yvision [yvision.kz], Gonzo[gonzo.kz], or...
The Dependence of Russian Independent Television

For some Russians online, a recent press conference has turned attention away from political repression toward questions about the television business and TV Rain’s troubled past in that industry.
Russian Commentator Mistakes Uzbekistan for Tajikistan at Olympics Opening Ceremony
A renowned Russian sports commentator mistook Uzbekistan's national team for that of Tajikistan in a live broadcast from the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
A Riot Within Pussy Riot?

"Since we are now on opposite sides of the barricades with Nadya and Masha, separate us. Remember, we are no longer Nadya and Masha, they are no longer Pussy Riot."
Some Kazakh Bloggers Dine With the Mayor, Some Get Jail Terms
Three Kazakh bloggers have been sentenced to 10 days in jail for protesting outside a restaurant where a mayor was meeting with their fellow bloggers.
Moscow School Shooting: Firsthand Accounts and Mistaken Identities

"The MPs are thinking small. To avoid school shootings, you shouldn't ban guns, you should ban schools"
Surname Change As “National Duty” in Tajikistan
Following a controversial assertion by Tajikistan's Prosecutor General, senior officials in the country continue claiming that citizens whose surnames end in “-ov” or “-ev” are not patriots. Speaking to journalists...
Tajikistan Is “Besieged by Snow”
A massive snow storm has caused a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of people in Tajikistan.
Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review
A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by...
13 Olympic Memes as Sochi Games Approach

RuNet Echo takes a look back at some of the funnier jokes that the Russian online community made about the Sochi Olympics during the years of preparation















