Featured stories about Eastern & Central Europe
Stories about Eastern & Central Europe
In Russia, it's the state against the internet
What a sovereign Runet is, no one still really understands. In the view of the Russian authorities, it apparently means destroying all the bad guys and rewarding all ‘our guys’.
Ukrainians in one of the most war-torn towns face grave realities but avoid despairing
In many respects, no matter when and how Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends, there will be no immediate happy ending for villages, towns, and cities like Izyum.
Without the ability to renew their passports abroad, Belarusians in exile are left in limbo
Belarusian leader Lukashenka signed a decree saying Belarusians living abroad will not be able to renew their passports at consulates abroad.
Russian art critic: “Street art cannot be killed or destroyed”
Since the war began, the street art capital of Russia status of Yekaterinburg has come into question: some artists have left Russia, while others have been imprisoned for their anti-war works
The six countries invited to join the BRICS club
"The expansion and modernization of BRICS is a message that all institutions in the world need to mould themselves according to changing times."
One traitor a day: The state of treason cases in Russia
"Holod" magazine has exposed a record number of criminal cases of treason and espionage, which are now being initiated more frequently than during the post-Stalin era in the USSR
The Chinese 2023 map has nothing new. But why are China’s neighbours mad about it?
The strongest reactions came from countries in Southeast Asia as the Chinese map claims virtually the entirety of the South China Sea.
The West’s Belarus policy: Does it make sense?
By damaging Belarus’s ability to act on its own and not achieving any positive results, the blockade of Belarus by its Western neighbors has been manifestly counterproductive, leading to excessive dependency on Russia
The story of a transgender person in an occupied city in Ukraine
Knowing the homophobic Russian state policy, members of the LGBTQ+ community tried to avoid the Russian occupiers, fearing they might face increased persecution because of their gender or sexuality.
In Russia, authorities filter information and algorithms help them
Social networks want their users to spend more time on their platforms, to leave a more extensive digital footprint that can be used for various purposes.
PhD student from Gabon killed in Russia's fourth largest city
PhD student from Gabon François Ndzhelassili was murdered in Yekaterinburg, in what appears to be a racially motivated killing at a time when Putin has turned to the Global South in search of support.
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. Did Russians know who he was?
In a poll conducted in Russia three weeks after the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group, only a third of respondents (33%) said they knew about “the military crisis that occurred in Russia on June 24.”
What a country at war can look like: A journey across Ukraine in photos
Life is flourishing in Ukraine but subtle signs and reminders of the full-scale war can be seen and felt even in the places most distant from the actual frontline.
US band The Killers had a rough crash-course in Georgian politics
The American band, The Killers, was booed off the stage during their much-anticipated concert Georgia after they invited a Russian drummer to join them onstage.
Villages near Russia's former Gulag capital Vorkuta are facing extreme river pollution
Journalists share how people in the remote villages of Komi, Russia, live after a major wastewater treatment plant accident. Officials and residents don't seem worried.
Which African countries may join the BRICS group of nations, and why do they want to?
"Economic considerations, with BRICS countries constituting a significant portion of global GDP, offer expansive trade and investment opportunities for African economies ... [and] can attract direct foreign investment, technological advancement, and bolster export capabilities."
Pictures of life and death in a battered Kramatorsk in the east of Ukraine
Life has changed in the scarred Donetsk region in the east of Ukraine, where a war has raged since 2014 and death is always on the horizon.
Gay couple fled from Russia to Moldova due to war and homophobia
After fleeing Russia due to the war and mounting homophobia, the couple is adjusting to being together without worrying that they could be arrested for being gay
Undertones: Russia's war strengthens Venezuelan solidarity with Ukraine
Alessandra Soler’s research reveals that for many Venezuelans, ‘Venezuela is also a victim of Russia’
For Venezuelans, the invasion of Ukraine hits close to home
For the past twenty years, the Venezuelan government has become increasingly intertwined with the Kremlin. Now, many Venezuelans protest against Russia's encroachments at home.
Suspectibility to conspiracy theories makes Western Balkans easy target for Russian disinformation, geopolitical analyst says
Although at first glance publishing disinformation seems accidental and sporadic, the occurrence is not at all random, but part of military doctrines of autocratic regimes intent of spreading geopolitical influence.
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