Stories about History from August, 2006
Ukraine: Chornovil Monument
Stefan of Dykun strolls around Kyiv and walks into the opening ceremony of the monument to Vyacheslav Chornovil.
Pakistan: Naulakha Pavilion
Metroblogging Lahore presents a History Tour – installment number 19 – this time “Naulakha Pavilion, built by Shah Jahan in 1632, is located on the western side of the Shish Mahal courtyard. It consists of a single rectangular room in marble with a typical convex roof in the style of...
Russian-Language Blogs: Miscellanea (1)
On August 19, LJ user sapojnik (39 years old, Moscow) wrote this (RUS) about the 15th anniversary of the 1991 August Putsch: The Day of Victory Over the CPSU It's necessary to have a clear understanding of what happened in August 1991. It wasn't the “collapse of the [Soviet] Union,”...
China: commercialize nation's inauguration
SohoXiaoBao blogs a local newspapers report on a Changsha resturant which changed the slogan in the nation's inauguration ceremony painting into “big rice bowl is now established”. The city commerical said that “the advertisement was inappropriate from political and emotional perspectives, it would have negective effect on the construction of...
Central Asia: Borders 2
Ben Paarmann has posted part two of his series of posts on the determination of Central Asia's national borders during the Soviet period.
Russia: Putin's Third Term; Young Guard
Sean's Russia Blog writes about the possibility of “Putin 3.0” and about a new youth organization called the Young Guard.
Russia: 113 Houses in Sokol
Copydude writes about the fate of Sokol, a Soviet-time “intellectuals’ thinkpark” near Moscow, and a common belief that “in St. Petersburg, the woman sweeping the yard will stop to discuss French impressionist film-making.”
Hong Kong: opium history
Dave and Stefan blogs a historical legal document showing the history of opium importation from 1908-1942 in Hong Kong.
Ukraine: Famine Records Open
Petro of Petro's Jotter writes that the previously secret KGB records on the Ukrainian Famine have been made public – and available online.
Belarus: Blogosphere Digest
TOL's Belarus Blog reviews what was being said on Belarusian blogs and online forums between August 17 and 22.
Sri Lanka: Women, harems and history
Life in Taprobane on women in Sri Lanka. “Not that the island lacked pretty women of suitable stature or the Kings got bored of their harems, they wanted to make some symbolic gestures. The Lankan women were a common topic of admiration, as evident in Sigiriya frescos, various temple paintings,...
Pakistan: Bolan Pass
Shirazi on the Bolan Pass and railways. “The present day railway track through Bolan Pass is actually the third attempt of laying railways through the pass. In 1889 torrential floods destroyed the track which was first laid on Bolan River bed”
Czech Republic: Socialist Grocery Store
My Czech Republic Blog writes about a “socialist grocery store” project run by a Czech newspaper: “For at least a year, readers have been sending in photos of the products that all of us who grew up in pre-1989 Czechoslovakia know and remember with that inexplicable fondness and nostalgia.”
Russia: Literary Chechens and Navajos
J. Otto Pohl posts a more detailed review of the book comparing depiction of Chechens and Navajos in Russian and American literature: “It is true that since 1868 the Navajos have kept their promise to maintain peace with the US government. They have also not asked for political independence. But,...
Russia: Remembering August 1991
Alex(ei) of The Russian Dilettante's Weblog writes about causes and consequences of the August 1991 failed coup.
Serbia: Travel Observations
Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic has visited Serbia and Republika Srpska and shares his observations. Here's one on Belgrade: “Belgrade's educated middle class has undergone a diaspora to western Europe in the last ten years, leaving a gap filled by a more rural demographic that has moved to the big...
Philippines: Ninoy Aquino
On the anniversary of Philippine senator Ninoy Aquino‘s death, Manuel L. Quezon III remembers the eventful day in 1983. Aquino was a leading critic of then Philippine ruler Ferdinand Marcos and he was assassinated at the Manila International Airport when he returned home from exile.
China: cultural revolution personal account
DANWEI puts up two first person accounts of cultural revolution translated and foreworded by Geremie R. Barmé.
Former Soviet Union: 15 Years Since the August Coup
Today is 15 years since the beginning of the events that some people consider (RUS) Russia's Orange Revolution – but which are better known as the August Putsch. This year, on August 20 and 21, memorial services will be held in Moscow for Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov,...
Uzbekistan: 15 Years On
Nick gives an outsider's view of Uzbekistan, 15 years after becoming an independent state.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sutjeska National Park
Novala, Europa felt like jumping and running through the fields in the beautiful Bosnia & Herzegovia, but was afraid of landmines; he did find a safe place eventually: Sutjeska National Park.
