Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from March, 2016
This Russian Website Uses Neural Networks to Combine Images, With Awesome Results
A Russian website based on a neural networks algorithm allows Internet users to combine photos and works of art to create fantastical images.
Russia Gets Its Very First Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Last week, one of Nizhny Novgorod's biggest Orthodox churches got a new neighbor, located just around the corner: Russia’s very first Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Moscow Police Banned From Discussing Work Matters on Social Media
VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp are now officially off limits to Moscow police officers who want to discuss work-related matters or exchange official law enforcement data.
Center for Monitoring Propaganda and Disinformation Online Set to Open in Russia
Russia already has agencies that oppose and respond to cyberattacks, but the center's creators say it would be the first of its kind, monitoring and preventing information attacks online.
Russian Censors Target Public Wi-Fi Spots in Crusade Against Blocked Websites
Russian censors are now policing public Wi-Fi in places such as cafes, shopping malls or public libraries, to make sure ISPs are blocking access to websites that are officially banned.
Albanian Activists Rally Against a ‘Concrete’ End for Tirana's Last Public Park
"...the voice and perspective raised by numerous civic movements has met with outright arrogance by the Tirana Municipality authorities..."
BBC Says Russia's ‘Troll Factory’ Faked a Video Showing a US Soldier Shooting at a Quran
According to an investigative report by the BBC’s Russian-language service, the footage was actually staged by St. Petersburg’s infamous “troll factory,” the Agency for Internet Studies.
Yahoo Reports First Content Removal Requests from the Russian Government
This is the first time Yahoo has reported receiving Russian requests requests to remove user-generated content from services such as Flickr and Yahoo Groups.
European Union Signs Controversial Deal to Deport Refugees to Turkey
The EU will turn asylum seekers of all nationalities except Syrian back to Turkey, and accept one Syrian refugee for each refugee turned back.
Russian Journalists Create New Independent Trade Union
Russian journalists have founded a new independent trade union organization to boost professional solidarity and provide more support for reporters working in the country.
Twitter Through the Years: The RuNet Edition
For Twitter's 10-year anniversary, the Russian news outlet Kommersant collected dozens of "the most emblematic" tweets published throughout the platform's history. We picked out the ones coming from the RuNet.
Russia Plans to Fine Websites for ‘Propaganda’ of Circumvention Tools
The Kremlin is so worried about internet circumvention tools it now seeks to make mere mentions of them illegal and introduce fines for "propaganda" of ways to access blocked websites.
Europe Negotiates With Turkey to Slam the Door on Refugees
"Europe’s concern goes no further than guarding its external borders and containing people within Turkey – depriving vulnerable people and children fleeing war and persecution from seeking asylum in Europe..."
Russian Online Service Asks Women to Pay to Remind Their Boyfriends to Buy Them Flowers
“Using modern Internet-advertising tools,” the website says, ”we delicately remind your boyfriend that it’s been some time since he’s gifted flowers, and point out that flowers are important to women.”
Hear That? The Global Voices Podcast Is Back.
After a three year break, the Global Voices Podcast is back. In this edition, we take you to Mexico, China, Tajikistan, Macedonia and Russia.
Uber Is Now Sharing Data With the Moscow Transportation Department
Uber, the popular and contested taxi alternative, is now cooperating with the Moscow authorities and sharing their car movement data with the local transportation agency.
Citizens Overwhelm Macedonia's Election Commission With Reports of Suspicious Voters’ Registry Data
The SEC published a new web app allowing Macedonians to report irregularities in the Voters' Registry online. Ten days later, they shut it down down because of too many reports.
Are There Happy Places in Ukraine? Use This Map to Find Out
An international group of volunteers is creating an online map of all the places in Ukraine where people say they feel happy.
Citizen Sleuths Can Now Officially Report Irregularities They Find in Macedonia’s Voters’ Registry
The State Election Commission in Macedonia is now crowdsourcing all suspicious Voters' Registry irregularities by adding a user-friendly feature on their Web app with which citizen can report irregularities.
Anonymous Artists Place ‘Monument’ to Antidepressants in Macedonia’s Capital
A unique sculpture appeared in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, on March 9: a monument to the antidepressant Diazepam (also known as Valium).
For Its Dubbed Version, Marvel Removed Russian Insignia From a Scene in Its New ‘Captain America’ Trailer
Within hours, Internet users noticed that, in the Russian version, a soldier's arm at the very beginning of the trailer is missing the insignia visible in the original version.
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.
