Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from June, 2006
Russia: Cheburashka Existed For Real
Konstantin Dlutskiy of Russian Marketing Blog writes about the cartoon character Cheburashka, its creator Eduard Uspenskiy and a new finding that claims that Cheburashka “actually did exist in reality.”
Russia: Article on Chechnya
Sean Guillory discusses (and recommends) an article by Anne Neistat, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, on her recent trip to Chechnya's capital Grozny.
Russia: Family Histories
Brigid of Laughter in the Dark post a moving story about sharing family histories with Katia, an archive employee in Smolensk.
Poland: Communism Vs Capitalism
An angry comment forces the beatroot to continue an endless debate on whether life was better during communism.
Belarus: Chavez to Visit Minsk in July
Hugo Chavez plans to visit Belarus at the end of July, reports TOL's Belarus Blog: “Finally, the two outspoken haters of U.S. will meet. I am sure they have a lot of things to discuss, and I assume some spicy joint anti-Washington statements will be made during the visit.”
Ukraine: World Cup Wishful Thinking
“We've got three victories! and there are three more left… Go, Ukraine!” – by LJ user lokizzz A popular joke about Ukraine's spectacular – and totally unforeseen – World Cup performance and the resulting financial disaster seemed funny just a few hours ago. Then Italy defeated Ukraine in the quarter-finals...
Romania: Recycling
Andy H of Csikszereda Musings writes about recycling in Romania, something that, at first, doesn't seem to exist.
Romania: Getting a British Visa
Andy H of Csikszereda Musings reports on what it takes for a Romanian to get a British visa.
Romania: Plans To Withdraw From Iraq
Doug Muir of A Fistful of Euros writes that the Romanian PM plans to withdraw the Romanian battalion – 900 soldiers, the 5th largest coalition member – from Iraq.
Poland: Troops to be Relocated from Iraq to Afghanistan
The beatroot writes that 500 Polish troops are being transfered from Iraq to Afghanistan: “This will be a much more dangerous mission than the one the Poles got involved in, in the quiet area of central Iraq near Babylon after the invasion to oust Saddam.”
Poland: Poznan Uprising of 1956
The beatroot writes about a little-known 1956 uprising in Poznan, Poland, which preceded the famous Hungarian events.
Poland: Minorities
The beatroot writes that Polish “minorities” can't agree on “just how bad” things are getting for them in Poland. An interesting discussion is taking place in the comments section: “Polish racism is just the stupidity of the uneducated and simple xenophobic folk. It has no ideoligical or religious background.”
Slovakia: Anti-Hungarian Former Prime Minister
Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar writes that the new Slovak governing coalition may include the former prime minister known “for his anti-Hungarian (and Roma) rhetoric and actions.”
Ukraine: Latest on Ukrainian Parliament
LEvko of Foreign Notes posts an update on the really unproductive work of the newly-elected Ukrainian parliamentarians.
Russia: Four Diplomats Killed in Iraq
Four Russian diplomats were taken hostage and killed in Iraq, one more died shortly after the attack. Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes about the lack of coverage of the incident and posts a link to the video of the execution. Sean Guillory writes about the connection between these killings...
Russia: Justice Minister Replaces Prosecutor General & Vice Versa
TaliaXianne of Something In The Way She Moves tells “a true ‘only in Russia’ story“: minister of justice replaces prosecutor general – and prosecutor general replaces minister of justice.
Russia: Photographs Critiqued
Wu Wei writes about Simon Roberts’ photos of Russia published in Granta and some of the realities they convey: “I know what he means, but I'm not sure he really succeeds. Where is the dignity in most of these pictures when you know enough about the background.”
Russia: Ethnic Profiling on the Metro
Sean Guillory writes about the problem of ethnic profiling on Moscow's subway.
Russia: Moscow the Most Expensive City in the World
Sean Guillory writes about the cost of living in Moscow: though it has recently been declared the most expensive city in the world, the locals “know how to cut corners and navigate the city's costs with exactitude.”
Hungary: Gay Pride Parade
Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar writes about the Gay Pride that took place in Budapest this past Saturday – and recommendations on how to remain anonymous while marching.
Hungary: Lake Balaton Fish Bandits
Pestiside.hu writes about illegal large-scale fishing on Lake Balaton: “Despite the audacity of the poachers, who left 25 kilometers of nets behind last year, the criminals are largely untouchable, with only one such band being brought to justice.”
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
Daria Dergacheva is the Eastern Europe editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
