Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from February, 2006
Albania: Dajti Mountain Cable Road
Anna of annasblog writes about skiing in Montenegro and taking a recently installed cable road to Tirana's Dajti Mountain.
Belarus: Elections and the Atmosphere of Fear
Tobias Ljungvall writes about the beginning of the election campaign in Belarus, the backlash against the opposition, and the atmosphere of fear reported by Gunnel Arbin, a Swedish journalist who has recently traveled to Belarus. Among the scare techniques used by the regime is a new article in the criminal...
The Balkans: Current Events and Stability In The Region
Mat Savelli of Roma Roma and a commenter named Owen discuss implications of the impending lawsuit against Serbia and other issues relevant to the region's stability.
Ukraine: Pre-Election Observations
Less than a month before the election, Oleksandr of Messages From Canada assesses Ukraine's major political parties’ presense on the Web and their platforms: he's unsatisfied and bored with what he learns. LEvko at Foreign Notes discusses campaigning styles of the three major parties and predicts an increasing support for...
Albania: Cell Phone and Electronics Market in Tirana
Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana visits local markets selling mobile phones and electronics (many of which are either stolen or fake), doesn't buy anything, and is “thankful” for being “wealthy enough not to have to choose between going without or going illegal.”
Albania: Dogs and Garbage in Tirana
Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana writes about the city's garbage disposal problems – and the locals’ dislike of stray dogs.
Albania: Tirana To-Do List
Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana posts a Tirana To-Do List: “Experience the last outpost of post-communist chaos while you still can.”
Russia: Moscow's Suburbs and Sightseeing
Snowsquare.com and Two-Zero visit the more remote Moscow neighborhoods – Konkovo and Tyoplyi Stan – and take pictures. Jane Keeler of From Russia With Blog has lots of stories and photos from her sightseeing trip to Moscow, too.
Russia: Moscow's Tverskaya Street
Snowsquare.com writes about Moscow's central street, Tverskaya: the unique way of lighting it at night, and the final days of Hotel Minsk (22 Tverskaya), built in 1964.
Russia: Maslyanitsa
W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile writes about Maslyanitsa, a part-pagan, part-Christian holiday, celebrating the arrival of spring and the approach of the pre-Easter fast, and how it is marked in Russia nowadays.
Afghan Whispers
Afghan Reality encourages foreign forces such as Canadian soldiers stay in Afghanistan. The blogger says “Security. Security. Security. This is a persistent call for international assistance from the Afghan government, civil society and most importantly from the ordinary Afghans. How could peace and stability be envisaged without reassuring the safety...
Russia: Photos From Feb. 23 Rallies in Moscow
Marina Litvinovich links (RUS) to photos from Feb. 23 rallies and marches that took place in Moscow: here, here, here, here, here, and here. The majority of the photos are from the rally in front of Russia's Defense Ministry, where people gathered to demand the army's reform and resignation of...
Russia: Krasnaya Polyana Ski Resort
W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile reads “the story of a complete ski-wimp on a trip to Krasnaya Polyana” in SKI Magazine. Krasnaya Polyana is Vladimir Putin's favorite ski resort.
Russia: “Salt Crisis”
Two-Zero writes about “salt crisis” in Russia – allegedly, a direct consequence of the “gas crisis” in Ukraine – and the difficult relationship between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia: “Buratino-the-Pooh”
Konstantin of the Russian Marketing Blog shares a really weird label: instead of a bear, there's Buratino, the Russian Pinocchio, on the cake called “Winnie-the-Pooh Cake”: “No, Russians don’t call Pinocchio Winnie. Why is this picture on the cake’s box? Call “Vega-Nord” Bakery hot line.”
Russia: More On the Anniversary of Khrushchev's Speech
Somewhat belatedly, links to more posts by Sean Guillory's on the 50th anniversary of Nikita Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin: Boris Kagarlitsky on “sacrificing” the dictator in order to save the system; Anne Applebaum on “authoritarian impulse” in countries new to democracy; Julian Evans on the “cult of Putin” in Russia;...
Russia: Anatoly Fomenko and his New Chronology vs David Irving
Alex(ei) of The Russian Dilettante's Weblog writes about a respected Russian mathematician Anatoly Fomenko and his controversial “new chronology of world history” – in which, for example, “Jesus Christ and emperor Constantine were the same person.” Alex(ei) cites an anonymous LiveJournal user: “…if David Irving deserves three years in jail,...
Russia: Chechen and Ingush NGOs Fear the Pressure On Them Will Increase
David McDuff of A Step At A Time has translated an article by Liza Osmayeva on the Chechen and Ingush NGOs’ concern about local law enforcement agencies’ increased interest in their work. Representatives of the Ingushetia-based Information Centre of the Council of Non-Governmental Organizations and the Chechen National Salvation Committee...
Ukraine: Faces and Churches of Lviv
Carpetblogger has visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and shares photos of local churches of various denominations and of the creatures that look at you from the buildings.
Kazakhstan: Protests in Almaty
neweurasia and Registan.net write about yesterday's opposition protests in Almaty over the murder of opposition leader Altynbek Sarsenbaev.
Ukraine: Party of Putin's Politics
Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about some Ukrainian parties competing in this year's parliamentary race; among them is the Party of Putin's Politics (Neeka's Backlog has more on it) and the Pensioners’ Party.
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
