Featured stories about Belarus
Stories about Belarus
9 April 2018
How Nationalism Played a Role in Preserving Orthodox Christian Cultural Heritage During the Soviet Union Era
Some of the artistic legacies of Orthodox Christian religion were used to promote patriotic pride during the Soviet Union era.
13 May 2017
New Documentary Throws Shade on Police Investigation Into Dissident Journalist's Murder in Kyiv
A new investigative report challenges the role of Ukraine's authorities in a stalled murder case surrounding a dissident journalist assassinated in Kyiv last summer.
16 March 2017
The Amazing, Endearing PSAs of the Belarusian Ministry of Emergencies

The Belarusian ministry in charge of managing disasters and national emergencies has produced a cartoon show. The series features animals in Looney-Toons-style misadventures, and teaches children how to stay safe.
21 February 2017
The Strange Death of Russia's Closest Alliance

Almost three years ago, President Alexander Lukashenko suddenly realized that his country's weak sense of national identity was a serious problem. It's been odd times for Belarus ever since.
10 February 2017
Travel Blogger Faces Eight Years in Azerbaijan Prison Over Nagorno-Karabakh Visits and Posts

One blogger, three passports and the intricate international relations of the Caucasus region. This gets pretty complicated.
25 January 2017
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.
14 December 2016
Belarus Moves to Block Tor in Fight Against Online Anonymity


Belarus is ramping up efforts to crack down on Tor. But does Minsk actually have the ability to block the anonymity network?
28 November 2016
Internet Freedom Declines in Russia and Ukraine, Improves in Belarus


Russia, Belarus and the Central Asian states were all rated "not free" in Freedom House's 2016 "Freedom on the Web" report.
16 November 2016
The World According to Russian Stereotypes

RuNet Echo explores popular stereotypes about foreigners gleaned from autocomplete suggestions generated by the website Yandex, Russia’s most popular Internet search engine.
5 October 2016
‘September': A New Platform for Leftists Across the Former Soviet Union

"It's not October yet, but it's coming." That's the tagline for "September," a new website that aims to be a platform for leftist thought across the former Soviet Union.
29 June 2016
Belarusians Get Naked and Get to Work. (President's Orders.)

Belarusian Internet users have been taking off their clothes in the workplace, after President Lukashenka's video address went viral.
10 October 2015
Belarus Catches Up to Russia With Its Own Pro-government ‘Troll Factory’

Leaked emails published on ElectBy suggest pro-government Belarusian Republican Youth Union directs its local chapters to leave negative comments on articles about recent opposition rallies.
8 October 2015
Belarusian Author and Journalist Svetlana Alexievich Wins 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature

Alexievich is the 14th woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature, and the first Russian-language author to be granted the honor since 1987, when Joseph Brodsky received the prize.
5 October 2015
Belarusians Protest Against Russian Military Bases Inside Their Borders

With a 500-strong rally in the capital Minsk and more action on social media, Belarusians spoke out against the planned Russian military aviation base on Belarusian soil.
21 September 2015
New Mobile App Helps Belarusians to Keep an Eye on Violations in Presidential Election

The creators of "Vochy" hope the mobile app helps broaden Belarusian citizens' knowledge of their voter rights and provides an opportunity to quickly report election violations to independent observers.
26 March 2015
Belarus Tightens Grip on Internet With New Data Retention Decree


The new data retention demands are just the latest in a string of restrictive Internet measures employed by Belarus in the wake of the next presidential election.
25 February 2015
Belarus Bans Tor and Other Anonymizers


Belarus is banning anonymizers, typically used to circumvent government censorship and reach online resources banned inside the country, including many of the opposition websites.
24 February 2015
The Dress Rehearsal for the Belarusian Crackdown


"Belaruskaya Pravda" chief editor Yuri Dubina says the recent crackdown in Belarus on independent online media is only "the dress rehearsal" before the presidential election this November.
22 June 2014
Russian Phone Prankster Fools Belarus Dictator

After Lukashenko found out he was a victim of a prank, he apparently gave his security apparatus "a week" to find Vovan and bring him to some form of justice.