Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from January, 2017
Meet ‘VKgoeswild,’ Ukraine's Classical Pianist-Turned Rocker
Despite winning numerous awards at international classical piano competitions and training with some of the biggest names in classical music, Viktoriya Yermolyeva decided to tackle another kind of music: rock.
Tabloid Tells Abusers How to Exploit Russia's Decriminalization of Domestic Violence
The pro-Kremlin tabloid “Life” shared a bizarre video, titled “He Beats You Because He Loves You,” reviewing the “top five ways to commit domestic violence” and get away with it.
Journalists of Closed Hungarian Newspaper Népszabadság Score ‘Symbolic Posthumous Victory’ in Court
A Hungarian court has ruled that last October's sudden closure of the country's leading opposition daily, Népszabadság, was illegal.
Melania Trump Returns Gloriously to Her Homeland, Now as a Meme
During the U.S. presidential campaign, Slovenians didn't show much interest in Mrs. Trump. That changed, however, after Donald Trump's surprising victory in the Electoral College
A Russian Pilot Fights to Keep His Aging Aircraft From the Scrapheap
Alexander Poddubny has taken extraordinary measures to keep his Ilyushin Il-14 from the scrapheap, and now he's drowning in debt for his efforts.
Russian Political Prisoner Ildar Dadin Files Request to Move Prisons
"Are there really no colonies closer to Moscow?" Dadin's wife asked Russia's State Penitentiary Service.
In Moldova, Civil Society Stands Up to ‘Big Brother’ Law
Pressured by civil society, Moldovan legislators debate whether to amend the flawed surveillance-enabling legal changes, called the "Big Brother" Law, or to demand a completely new proposal by the government.
Russian Developers Launch ‘Airbnb for Homophobes’
A new Russian website supposedly calculates the number of LGBT persons in cities around the country, in an effort to help people evade anti-discrimination policies by homestay networks like Airbnb.
Russian Police Lose an Easy Way to Trap ‘Internet Extremists’
On Tuesday, by revising one of its default privacy settings, the Russian social network Vkontakte significantly reduced the number of shared photographs publicly visible on individual account pages.
The Tyrants Bring the Invaders: What Follows After Russia Helps Secure Assad's Victory
Russian’s bombing campaign in Syria has helped put an end to Aleppo’s civil democratic experiment, once a beacon of hope. What next?
The First Non-US Animated Short to Win an Oscar Was Made by a Director From Croatia
With Academy Award nominations around the corner, learn about the director from Croatia who won the Oscar in 1961 for Best Animated Short Film.
Russia Says No to Political Crowdfunding by Individuals
Russia's version of PayPal is shutting down the transfer of money to individuals collecting funds for political purposes—a decision that will undermine one presidential bid to challenge Putin in 2018.
Moscow's Top Cancer Hospital Under Pressure Amidst Drive for Health Care Privatization
Critics worry Moscow's Oncology Hospital No. 62 will close as part of a broader movement towards the privatization of the Russian health care system.
They’re Partying This Friday to Make America Great Again, In Russia
Invitations went out over social media this week, informing journalists about inauguration festivities organized by the “White Star” art collective, which includes several prominent figures in Russia’s pro-Kremlin youth movement.
The Bosnian Politician Caught Lying About an Invitation to Trump's Inauguration
“Unless the departing administration denies me a visa, I’ll be at the inauguration,” have turned out to be famous last words for the president of Republika Srpska.
Mapping the Smells of Kyiv
A small motley crew “with notepads taken from conferences and scraps of paper” recorded the scents of Kyiv this winter. The results, it turns out, are glorious.
Russians Are Hacking Your Beloved Fairy Tales. (LOL.)
It's not for everyone, but if you’ve got Russian and English under your belt, and you don’t mind a little obscenity, you’re liable to fall in love with this meme.
Website That Published ‘Yanukovych Blog’ Says It Was Fake
Little more than two weeks after first appearing on the news website Korrespondent, a blog purportedly written by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has been deleted by the publication's editors.
New Russian App Works Like Uber, But for Funerals
It has all the convenience and technical pizzazz of the transportation network Uber, but this Russian app helps your arrange funerals, not rides.
UK Horror Writer Graham Masterton Organizes Short Story Contest for the Inmates of Poland's Prisons
“The prisoners can write about anything they like. Even though they’re locked up, I want to see them setting their imagination free.”
Ukraine Bans Russia’s One Independent TV Station
The Ukrainian government has voted to remove Russian independent TV station Dozhd from its list of approved foreign broadcasters, giving providers one month to remove the station from their networks.
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