Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from August, 2016
The ‘Russian Quora’ Branches Out
The question-and-answer Russian website “TheQuestion” reportedly completed a second investment round this summer, securing $500,000, and is opening new offices in Berlin and London.
Twenty Years of Russian Political Campaign Ads
RuNet Echo looks back at the most memorable political advertisements in Russia over the past two decades, highlighting some of the strangest, silliest, and scariest videos put out by politicians.
Put Down the Marvel and DC, Kids: Russia Just Bought You a Patriotic Comic Book.
The three “primary goals” of the comic book are creating alternatives to foreign superheroes, incentivizing teenagers to become active in sports, and raising basic levels of knowledge about military service.
Ice Cold and Up to Your Knees: Russian Pensioner Has Spent 5 Years Living in a Flooded Home
The water, which nearly reaches his knees, is black and ice cold. Even in the summer, when the weather can be quite warm in the city, the water is freezing
Russia's Parliamentary Race Gets Another Erotic Tabloid Scoop
Baronova has refused to comment publicly about the leaked pictures, but she did say she'll be happy to “take up the discussion about her chest” after the elections are over.
The City of Mariupol, Ukraine's Line in the Sand
"This is a war in which the interplay of informational conflict and physical violence is especially evident, in which disinformation and propaganda muddle motives, deny violence, and seek to confuse."
A Serbian Town’s Donation Drive for Flood-Hit Skopje Proves Solidarity Breeds Solidarity
"Citizens of Šabac, Loznica, Bogatić, Koceljeva, Vladimirac, Krupanj and other cities/municipalities, it is time! Show solidarity to Macedonia and the city of Skopje! We won't forget their aid in 2014!"
Online Petition Against Russia's Draconian Anti-Terror Laws Tops 100K Signatures
Those who signed the online petition expressed solidarity with Russian ISPs and mobile providers who say the Yarovaya laws will hurt both the Internet industry and the RuNet users.
Astronomy May Have Just Debunked Russia's Claims About a Ukrainian Incursion Into Crimea
Russian state television may have broadcast false evidence released by the Federal Security Service allegedly showing the discovery of a weapons cache belonging to Ukrainian “saboteurs” caught in Crimea.
Despite Flood Devastation, the Macedonian Government Pours Millions Into a Ferris Wheel
At least 21 people died, and dozens are missing and injured, in floods that hit the Macedonian capital Skopje, following torrential rains on August 5.
Russian Officials in Crimea Shut Off the Internet at the Ukrainian Border
“This was to ensure that certain special forces... so there would be no infiltration... For security reasons, these measures were necessary, and people understand why.”
Today Moscow Accused Ukraine of Sending Terrorists Into Crimea. Russian Internet Users Have Been Saying It for Days.
Russian officials waited almost three days before going public with the story. There were earlier unconfirmed reports, however, including an apparent all-points bulletin issued by the Russian Interior Ministry.
Empathy for the Enemy and the Oppressed: Political Pop Songs from the Eighties
A look back at seven pop hits from the 1980s that pack a political punch.
Macedonian Activists Suspect Ruling Party Used Emails to Impersonate Environmental Activists
Local media told OhridSOS, a citizen-led environmental protection initiative, that they received emails from someone claiming to represent the group. The emails expressed strong support for ruling party leaders.
Here's Why Russian Facebook Users Love Donald Trump
Politically engaged Russian social media users are making their opinions on Donald Trump known. Mostly, they seem to be quite taken with the man—for some very different reasons.
Remembering the Yugoslav Anti-War Movement of the Early 1990s
Internet users in the former Yugoslavia have decided to break with political elites' divisive rhetoric, and remember the region's proud, albeit unsuccessful, attempts to stop the wars of the 1990s.
The Russian Caucasus They Don’t Show You in the News
In a special report for RuNet Echo, Ksenia Khudadyan speaks to Anton Lange, the author of a new photo project titled “The Range. The Caucasus from Sea to Sea.”
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