· May, 2010

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from May, 2010

Russia: Photos and Live Tweets of the Dispersal of the “Day of Dissent”

  31 May 2010

Bloggers nl [RUS], zyalt [RUS], Igor Podgorny [RUS] post pictures of the dispersal of today's “Day of Dissent” that is conducted on the 31st day of the month in order to celebrate 31st article of the Russian Constitution [EN] (freedom of assembly). Abstract2001 reports [RUS] at least 25 people arrested,...

Russia: Journalist's Blog Hacked

RuNet Echo  31 May 2010

Both LiveJournal (sina-ja-mina) and Facebook accounts of Andrei Maltsev [RUS], journalist and blogger, were hacked on May 31, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. This is the fourth blog hack this year and the third during the previous week (Following hack attacks of Maxim Sviridenkov [EN] and Renata Guseletova (aka demonessa22 [RUS])).

Russia: Blogger Describes His Experience With E-Gov Portal

RuNet Echo  31 May 2010

Alexey Grigoriev blogs [RUS] about his experience of starting a small business at e-government portal gosuslugi.ru. The portal is still full of technical bugs and even after online application one has to present all the papers in the regional tax service office.

The Balkans: Violent Treatment of Animals

  31 May 2010

Almost every day, dogs or cats are exposed to torture by cruel people who record their cruelties and publish the videos on the internet. Since the war, crime and various forms of violence have become a regular occurrence in the Balkans region.

Macedonia: Silly Songs Do Politics

  30 May 2010

The anthem published by the youth branch of the Socialist Party of Macedonia on YouTube was talk of the town on social networks and beyond as part of ridiculous advertising songs trend.

Russia: A Study of Local Discussion Boards

RuNet Echo  30 May 2010

Online forums in Russian cities are in a certain sense a unique phenomenon. It's not blogs that became the major platforms for open discussion in the regions, but discussion boards (called more often forums). Alexey Sidorenko shares some of the results of his study of local forums in Russia.

Russia: Bloggers Cover Moscow Gay Pride Parade

RuNet Echo  30 May 2010

LJ-user Zyalt published [RUS] pictures from Moscow gay pride parade [EN] that took place despite it the ban by Moscow authorities. The event organizers had to change its location several times. Other pictures of the parade, which was just a few minutes long, can be found here, here and here.

Russian “Little Blue Buckets” Movement Reaches Ukraine

RuNet Echo  30 May 2010

Ukraine-based feminist organization “FEMEN” [EN] conducted an action [ENG] in support of the Russian online movement “Little Blue Buckets” [ENG] and against the “unification of Russia and Ukraine under Kremlin patronage.” Activists with their breasts painted in blue tried to rally near the building of the Russian embassy in Kiev,...

Russia: Blogger and Activist Arrested for Viral Video

RuNet Echo  28 May 2010

Leonid Nikolaev (aka LJ-user nikolaevleo) the main actor in the recent viral video against cars using emergency vehicle lighting had been arrested, lj-user halfaman reported. The blogger suggests the arrest is provoked by the video Leonid took part in.

Hungary: Facebook vs iWiW

  28 May 2010

Marietta Le reports on the competition between a popular Hungarian social networking site iWiW and Facebook in Hungary.

Causes of Hatred in the Russian Blogosphere

RuNet Echo  27 May 2010

Lj-user blondycandy received [RUS] more than 400 comments on the question “Why there's so much hatred in the Russian blogosphere”? Evgeny Gorny summarized [RUS] the most often suggestions: general ‘offline’ unhappiness, inferiority complex, impunity, lack of education, envy, specific ‘Russian mentality’ and so on.

Russia: Taking Children as a New Method of Pressure on Journalists

RuNet Echo  27 May 2010

Children of Galina Dmitrieva, an oppositionary journalist and activist, were taken by Russian police after she published an investigation about Russian car manufacturer Avtovaz [EN], Anatoliy Baranov reported [RUS]. After instant blog-campaign her children were returned. Blogger Marina Litvinovich suggests [RUS] this method was used before against at least one oppositionary journalist.

Russia: Last Day of Classes in Moscow

RuNet Echo  27 May 2010

LJ users zyalt, medar, martin-sqare and alex-i1 (RUS) team up to photograph Moscow high school seniors celebrating the last day of classes on May 25. MoscowMom posts this observation: “Most Russian eleventh graders wear Soviet school uniforms (with the skirts MUCH shorter than they ever would have been prior to...

Russia: Explosion in Stavropol

RuNet Echo  26 May 2010

Miriam Elder reports at GlobalPost on the explosion in Stavropol, which took place next to a centrally-located concert hall shortly before a Chechen folk dance troupe was to perform there. LJ user dimazelensky, whose office is inside the concert hall building, wrote (RUS) that the police had cordoned it off...

Russia-USA: Like father like son

  26 May 2010

Windows to Russia turns attention to the only American soldier in the second world war serving in both the US and Soviet armies, who allegedly was also the father of current US ambassador to Russia.

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.