· September, 2009

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from September, 2009

Serbia: The Death of a French Football Fan

  30 September 2009

Brice Taton, a 28-year-old French citizen and a fan of the Toulouse football team, was brutally beaten by fans of the Partizan football team in downtown Belgrade on Sept. 17, before the Partizan vs Toulouse game. He died in a Belgrade hospital on Sept. 29.

Russia: “Afro Plus”

  30 September 2009

Adventures in Wheelville expresses solidarity with Moscow's African residents: “While Obama is busy making buddy with Medvyedev, scores of black folks on Moscow streets are looking over their shoulder every two seconds in fear. It's horribly ironic.”

Ukraine: Political Rivalry and Journalism

  30 September 2009

Foreign Notes writes about a popular Ukrainian political talk show that was to feature “a battery of eminent journalists” posing questions to PM Yulia Tymoshenko this past Friday, but which evolved into yet another political battle when a group of Tymoshenko's rivals showed up in the studio, seemingly uninvited.

Poland: Sexual Crimes and Roman Polanski

  30 September 2009

Polandian writes about Poland's plans to legalize chemical castration for those who commit sexual crimes against minors – and about the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland and the Polish foreign minister's intention to ask the U.S. president to pardon the film director: “Now, if the 1977 charge had been...

Czech Republic: Temelín Nuclear Power Plant

  29 September 2009

The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes about the Temelín nuclear power plant, which has been in the news recently “because of a controversial and overpriced contract awarded to a shady company whose former director was recently jailed for planning the violent abduction of his replacement.”

Lithuania, Latvia: Capitals of Culture

  28 September 2009

Viola in Vilnius writes that Riga has been nominated as one of the 2014 European capitals of culture, and comments on how this year’s title holder, Vilnius, has done so far.

Hungary: Pro-Nightlife Rally; Art Station

  27 September 2009

Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest posts photos and video from a rally in support of Budapest's nightlife and from a graffiti and extreme sports competition held inside a metro station whose construction had been halted due to financial difficulties.

Hungary: Political Talk Show Taken Off Air

  27 September 2009

GV Author Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest and Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum write about Nap-kelte, a morning political TV talk show that was taken off air last week, some 20 years after its launch in 1989.

Serbia: Gay Pride Parade Postponed

  24 September 2009

Sinisa Boljanovic writes about the cancellation of the gay pride parade in Belgrade and reviews bloggers reactions to statements made by politicians and ultra-nationalist groups regarding the event.

U.S., Europe: “R.I.P. Missile Defense”

  23 September 2009

A roundup of blog coverage of the Obama Administration's decision to abandon plans to build the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic: A Fistful of Euros; Edward Lucas; Poemless; Ukrainiana; FP's Passport; Leopolis – here and here; and Robert Amsterdam's Blog.

Latvia: Security Police Questions Blogger

  23 September 2009

Free Speech Emergency in Latvia highlights the case of a Latvian blogger who “harshly criticized the Latvian state and government as being little more than a rapacious mafia and has said in some posts that revolutionary violence against such a system would be justified” – and was later questioned by...

Russia: Ulitskaya-Khodorkovsky Correspondence

  23 September 2009

Robert Amsterdam's Blog links to OpenDemocracy.net's translation of correspondence between writer Ludmila Ulitskaya and former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, published (RUS) in Novaya Gazeta earlier this month.

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.