Stories from RuNet Echo from September, 2011
Russia: A New Online Game Might Change Offline Moscow
A graduate of Strelka Institute Andrey Goncharov gave an interview about his final project an online game “Crowdsourced Moscow 2012″. According to the interview the game can contibute to real democracy and allow people to participate in reshaping the offline public space of their city through online.
Russia: Pro-Kremlin Youth Movement Leader Seeks New Internet ‘Activists’
A journalist from “Afisha” magazine had succeded to attend a secret meeting in the underground Moscow bunker dedicated to the training of a new generation of pro-Kremlin Internet activists organized by a leader of “Nashi” youth movement Vasiliy Yakemenko. Yakemenko demanded from pariticipants to initiate citizen Internet-based campaigns and argued that the main goal...
Russia: Expert Analyzes RuNet's Role Under Putin's Presidency
Nikolay Kononov, a columnist of Russian “Forbes,” says [ru] that the Internet will be the only space where real politics will take place in the era of new Putin's presidency. In an article “12 Years in the Internet” [ru] he predicts that the virtual politics will be able to penetrate to...
Russia: “For Russia Without Putin” Rally in Moscow
Ilya Varlamov (@varlamov) and Roustem Adagamov (@adagamov) are tweeting [ru] and posting pictures from the not-too-numerous “For Russia Without Putin” opposition rally in downtown Moscow.
Russia: Racial Propaganda in the State-Owned Media
Drawing on a rich tradition of "political technology" honed under both the Tsarist and Soviet police states, the Russian media are now rife with paid stories planted to advance specific agendas. Will Partlett examines what appears to be a recent example of this practice.
Russia: Controlled Media Support Party Hijacking
With Russia’s parliamentary and presidential elections quickly approaching, political battles are becoming an almost daily occurrence. The latest scandal has reminded many bloggers that political celebrities can be discredited as fast as they're pushed into the spotlight.
Russia: Cyber Security Code of Conduct?
The Russian government is attempting to spread the system of Internet controls abroad. Russian bloggers are interpreting these attempts as either the current regime's basic self-preservation instinct, or, even more troublesome, as inadequate thinking about the Internet.
Russia: Google Office Invites Iranian Ambassador to ‘Disperse Myths’ About ‘Contemporary Persia’
“Mr Ambassador [Reza Sajadi] had told us about contemporary Persia: about progress in science and technology in his country, developing tourism, situation of women in the Iranian society, had dispersed many myths around Iran and its traditions, and had invited us to visit Iran and enjoy ancient culture of the...
Russia: Indie Band Uses ‘Office Violence’ Viral Video For Promotion
Biting Elbows, Moscow-based indie/punk band, has shot quite funny viral video for the promotion of its debut album. The clip reminds both the “Matrix,” and 2008 ‘Russian Office Rampage‘ footage (later recognised as the ad for Timur Bekmambetov's movie “Wanted“).
Russia: Unjustly Convicted Businessman-Blogger Released From Jail
Alexey Kozlov, businessman and a former millionaire, who was imprisoned in 2007 under trumped-up accusations, has been released from jail, rian.ru reported [ru]. Kozlov received online popularity for his “Butyrka [name of Moscow prison] blog [ru].” The blog was set up by Olga Romanova, Kozlov's wife and a renowned journalist....
Russia: Governor's Death Rumors Provoke Harsh Reaction Among Authorities
Alexander Mikhelson, head of “United Russia” fraction at Kemerovo regional Duma, has proposed [ru] a new draft bill that implies stricter responsibility for online libel. The action followed the appearance of the rumors [ru] that Aman Tuleyev, governor of the Kemerovo region, was found dead. Previously, local police had set up a task force...
Russia: To Vote or Not To Vote?
As the Russian parliamentary election approaches, the Internet is fast becoming the main stage for the debate on the election strategy that the Russian opposition should take. Alexey Sidorenko reports.
Russia: Prosecutor General Calls For Control Over Social Networks
“You saw what had happened in London. To my mind, it is evident that there should be control over this [social network] activity, and I think it will be a reasonable control, in the interest of protection of the civic liberties,” said Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika at the summit of...
Ukraine: Photographing the TB Epidemic
Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk (@dondyuk) is documenting the TB epidemic in Ukraine: “Each day 30 people die. Each year takes more than 10,000 lives.” Dondyuk's powerful, heartbreaking photographs of TB patients can be viewed online on his Tumblr blog [ru], his website, and on Lightstalkers.com [en]. On Sep. 15, an...
Russia: President's Office Orders Blog Campaign to Neutralize 2012 APEC Summit Criticisms
Russian president's office administration had published a grant proposal for a blog campaign worth of 3 mln roubles (about 100,000 US dollars) to support the organization of 2012 APEC Summit in Vladivostok, gazeta.ru reported [ru]. The blog campaign will, among others, include reacting to negative messages posted online, “creation of a...
Russia: Crowdsourced Map of Electoral Violations Launched
Electoral monitoring association “Golos” together with gazeta.ru had launched Kartanarusheniy.ru, a crowdsourced mechanism for collecting user data on electoral violations. Ushahidi-like map (although developed on a different software) allows users to report agitation violations, administrative and police pressure, bribery, misuse of power, violation of candidates’ rights.
Russia: Plane Crashes with Lokomotive Ice Hockey Team
On the afternoon of September 7, 2011 an airplane carrying nearly all the players of the Lokomotive professional ice hockey team crashed only 500 meters after take-off near Yaroslavl in Russia.
Russia: Digital Graveyard Launched
Pomnipro.ru, the website advertised as the ‘social network for the deceased,’ had been launched in Perm, lenta.ru reported [ru]. Despite the groups dedicated to the dead have existed before in Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte, it is the first specialised online memorial in RuNet.
Russia: Teenager-oriented Cigarette Branding Abandoned
Donskoy Tabak, Russian tobacco company, criticised by the bloggers for its controversial ad campaign and branding oriented at teenagers and young women, had abandoned the idea of the new line of cigarettes “Sweet Dreams,” Alexey Navalny reported [ru].
Russia: Bromine Leak in Chelyabinsk City (Video)
Blogger piligrim67 publishes [ru] photos and video of a bromine (toxic halogen) leak at Chelyabinsk railway station. According to Chelyabinsk.ru [ru], due to the leak of 10,000 liters of bromine 2 persons hospitalized, about 100 reported signs of intoxication.
