· April, 2006

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from April, 2006

Belarus: Support for Jailed Opposition Leaders

  29 April 2006

Minsk, March 2006 – by anonymous: “One young woman was arrested while standing outside an internet cafe near October Square on Monday, as the tent camp was formed. She was released after three days, and returned on Friday to the prison walls to hand out letters from other detainees she...

Ukraine: Markets Won't Wait

  28 April 2006

At Foreign Notes, LEvko writes that Ukrainian president expects the coalition to be formed sometime in June, and Scott W. Clark cautions that this may be a bit too long for the country's economy: “If, as LEvko reports, this mess won't be sorted out until June, will the markets hold...

Chernobyl: First Victims

  28 April 2006

Oleksa of My Reflections writes about Chernobyl and its first victims: “However, it is the plight of the 14 firefighters that made the greatest impression on me. They arrived on the station mere minutes after the blast and had to extinguish fire with their bare hands, almost literally, throwing the...

Russia: Protes in Ufa Ignored by Media

  28 April 2006

As a discussion of media ownership and censorship in Russia is taking place at Russia Blog, Daut of Ufa Blog writes about a recent protest rally in Bashkortostan's capital that no local media have covered and no one seems to be aware of: “A demonstration in America will probably also...

Belarus: BBC Responds to Blogger

  28 April 2006

BBC responds to David McDuff of A Step At A Time regarding the possibility of broadcasts in the Belarusian language in Belarus – in addition to broadcasts in Russian, Ukrainian and English: “The problem surrounding delivery of the product into the region remains the key stumbling block. The World Service...

Belarus: Rumors On Belarus-Russia Relations

  28 April 2006

TOL's Belarus Blog considers rumors of “the future in Belarus-Russia relations,” one of which is that Kremlin would like to get rid of Aleksandr Lukashenko in order to incorporate Belarus into the Russian Federation.

Poland, Russia: Katyn Massacre

  28 April 2006

In 1940, the Soviets executed some 22,000 Polish officers; the victims’ families have now brought charges against Russia and are demanding full disclosure of the truth about the tragedy. Vilhelm Konnander examines the issue.

Belarus, Ukraine: Chernobyl Meaning

  28 April 2006

Vilhelm Konnander explains the meaning of Chernobyl for Belarus 20 years later. Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert disagrees with Sean Guillory's take on the lessons of Chernobyl: “To use Chernobyl as a reason to abandon nuclear power is like using the Titanic as a reason to discontinue...

Belarus: Milinkevich Arrested and Sentenced

  27 April 2006

Belarus bloggers react to the news of Aleksandr Milinkevich's arrest: Andrei Khrapavitski points out that “today practically all the key names of the Belarusian oppositions have appeared on prison rolls;” TOL's Belarus Blog sees this as “the biggest test for Belarusian people after the falsified presidential election;” and br23 blog...

Polish Blogosphere Update

  27 April 2006

Ever wonder what a day in the life of someone living in Poland would look like condensed into a 10-minute video? Neither did I until I came to Poland. The Blog from Poland set up a webcam from a Warsaw city window. Can you spot the shiny, yellow and red...

Belarus: Charnobylski Shlyakh Arrests

  27 April 2006

Iryna of TOL's Belarus Blog writes about more arrests and detentions in Belarus, following yesterday's protest rally “Charnobylski Shlyakh.” She also quotes Syarhei Kaliakin, an opposition activist: “20 years ago Chernobyl disaster has taken place. 10 years ago a political Chernobyl has happened, when the legally elected parliament was disbanded...

Russia: Kateryna Chumachenko's 1983 Letter

  27 April 2006

Michael Averko, a Diaspora Russian contributing to Russia Blog, writes about the letter that Kateryna Chumachenko, a (formerly) Diaspora Ukrainian wife of president Yushchenko, wrote to the Washington Times 23 years ago. In it, Chumachenko wrongly suggested “that Russian-Americans didn't petition to have Russia listed as a captive nation.” A...

Russia: American Votes For Yavlinsky

  27 April 2006

Raffi Aftandelian of maaskva: nashimi glazami writes (in English and in Russian, as always) about an American who went to the polling station instead of her apolitical Russian friend and voted for Grigoriy Yavlinsky: “I think even if given the chance I would never have voted for Yavlinsky. I was...

Slovenia: “Death to Fascism”

  27 April 2006

Slovenians commemorate their country's resistance to fascist occupation, writes Michael of The Glory of Carniola: “It's hard to imagine what this country would look like had that fight been lost. I suppose it wouldn't even be a country at all; just a memory.”

Belarus: Chernobyl and Charnobylski Shlyah

  26 April 2006

br23 blog writes about how he, then a 10-year-old son of two physicist parents, learned about the accident at the Chernobyl power plant 20 years ago. Ivan Lenin writes about today's protest rally in Minsk, and TOL's Belarus Blog links to Radio Liberty's photos from the rally.

Chernobyl: Letters Never Written

  26 April 2006

LJ user wall4 – originally from Lviv, Ukraine, now living in Connecticut – writes about his experience as a soldier forced to serve in Chernobyl 20 years ago (RUS). The piece is accompanied by several black-and-white army pictures. 20 Years Ago. Letters I haven't written. “Mama, I'll never forget how...

Chernobyl: Facts and Myths

  26 April 2006

Vilhelm Konnander writes about the facts and myths of Chernobyl: “The first news of the accident actually reached a western audience. High radioactive levels were registered at Swedish and Finnish nuclear plants already on 26 april. It quickly became apparent that the radioactivity emanated from somewhere within the Soviet Union....

Estonia: Land and People

  26 April 2006

Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa writes about a book about Scandinavia by Joanna Kavenna and his own perception of Estonia and its people: “Kavenna continually points out that Estonians are a simple people who are connected to nature and rocks and lakes. How true. I call my in-laws pakapikud –...

About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage

Filip Stojanovski
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Daria Dergacheva
Daria Dergacheva is the Eastern Europe editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.