Stories from RuNet Echo from February, 2016
Ukraine's Eurovision 2016 Entry Is About Stalin’s Repressions. Russia Isn't Thrilled.
Ukraine’s entry for the Eurovision 2016 music contest is a song about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Stalin regime. So why are Russian officials upset?
Desperate for Safer Roads, Russians Are Literally Filling Potholes with Money
In the past five weeks, there’s been a new slew of pothole-related scandals. Depending on your attitude about lousy public services and motorways, these stories will either entertain or disconcert.
Anti-Extremism Police in Yakutia, Russia, Say They Have Ways of Finding You on WhatsApp
WhatsApp messenger is hugely popular in Yakutia—and the anti-extremist police force are on it.
Ukrainian Court Equates Social Network Profile With Mainstream Media
The social media pages containing "calls to overthrow authorities" were determined by the court to be "mass media" because they were public and accessible to an unlimited number of people.
Homophobia Mars a Chechen Model’s Dream
Many models dream of scoring a photoshoot for Dolce & Gabbana. 17-year-old Ilona Bisultanova's dream came true last month, but what followed online wasn't entirely beautiful.
Russians Find the Stories Hidden in Photos of Decay
There's a community on the Russian social network Vkontakte that takes photos of rust, peeling paint, and decay, and reimagines them as “abstract stories.”
Hard Labor for Woman Who Reposted Online Criticism of Russia's Actions in Ukraine
A Russian court found Vologzheninova guilty of "discrediting the political order" and of "inciting enmity" by reposting or liking online material critical of Russia’s actions in Crimea and in Donbas.
The KRA Factor: The Shaming of Kadyrov’s Online Critics
The Chechen ideologists have invented a highly effective way of influencing their online critics. The method has been tested in Chechnya and is now being used outside of the republic.
Blogging Is Making a Comeback in Russia, Thanks to the Man Who Helped Kill It
A funny thing is happening in the chaos of today’s Russian Internet use: people are starting to feel overwhelmed on social media.
This Writer and Activist Wants to Rescue the West's Knowledge of Russia, One Translation at a Time
Translator Thomas Campbell tries to bridge the gap through his blog. Last week, he visited NYU, where he described the experience of running his website and monitoring the Russian blogosphere.
It's Halftime in Russia
With oil prices tumbling and Russia’s economy on hard times, a carmaker is falling back on one of the industry’s most dependable marketing tactics: appealing to consumers’ sense of patriotism.
The Next Time You're in Moscow, Don't Bother Trying the Shawarma
Moscow awoke earlier this week to find that the city has a new face. Before dawn on February 9, the mayor's office tore down roughly a hundred small businesses.
Kremlin Censor Finally Brings Down the Hammer on the RuNet’s Pluckiest Freedom Advocates
Government censors have blocked the website of Russian digital rights organization RosKomSvoboda for a page with instructions on how to circumvent online censorship and access blocked websites.
Artists and Activists Unite in Support of Russia’s ‘Good People’
“I wish I could go to the detention center and sing, so the whole thing came down,” Anastasia said, describing her “ elven-princess” wish to free her imprisoned partner.
Ukrainian Censor's ‘Explicit Content’ Database Is Up for Grabs
Ukraine's now extinct National Expert Commission for Protection of Public Morality accumulated a database of "explicit" content during its tenure—and no one knows what to do with it.
Why Is a Russian Art Museum Granting Free Admission to Women Wearing 4-Inch Stilettos?
The music video has 32 million views in just three weeks. Even for one of Russia’s most popular rock bands, Leningrad’s new song stands out as an exceptionally popular hit.
ISPs Take Kremlin to Court Over Online Surveillance
“We’ve found a couple of brave providers that are ready to come with us on a crusade against SORM,” announced Leonid Volkov, co-founder of the Society for Defending the Internet.
Russian Social Network VK Claims to Protect Users From Warrantless Surveillance
VKontakte's Ukrainian spokesperson says the social network abhors censorship and only shares user data with secret services when presented with court orders. The website's turbulent history paints a different picture.
Russia and Chile Join the Global Campaign to Save a Saudi Poet From Execution
Poets and activists in Moscow and St Petersburg expressed their solidarity with Ashraf Fayadh, who's been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Similar events were held in Chile and Mexico.
