Stories about Eastern & Central Europe
Interview with Korean-Ukrainian podcaster Oleksandr Shyn about Taiwan's linguistic landscape
Taiwan is an extremely diverse society when it comes to languages. Global Voices interviewed Oleksandr Shyn, a Korean-Ukrainian podcaster who focuses on the island's linguistic landscape.
Activist: ‘It is not Russophobia, but a lack of awareness among employees’
An interview with a political refugee from Russia, now living in Italy who has experienced the problems that a Russian passport brings in the EU after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.
Belarusians in exile dismayed that no Belarusian was included in the prisoner swap
The plight of Belarusian political prisoners is often overlooked, and although 18 were released last month, an estimated 1,400 remain behind bars.
How the war in Ukraine prompted an exodus of Chechens from Russia
Every day spent in Chechnya is similar to gambling, and your life is at stake.
Russian courts often deny asylum to Afghans trying to escape from Taliban
The research included 59 court decisions issued from August 2021 to early June 2024. "Holod" found 18 positive and 41 negative decisions regarding the granting of political asylum.
Fact-checkers condemn physical attack against journalist of Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf
Fact-checking and journalist associations condemned of the attack against the ward-winning journalist Melita Vrsaljko, who covers climate issues for Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf that took place on July 16 near Zadar.
Some Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes
Initially, Russian athletes received 36 invitations from the committee, and Belarusian athletes, 27. However, some of those invited either declined straight away or first accepted and subsequently declined the invitations.
Workplace Burnout Syndrome is finally being recognized in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As of January 1, 2022, Workplace Burnout Syndrome is a recognized occupational disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Two Moldovan archers will carry the country’s flag at the Olympics
The Moldovan team will consist of 26 athletes in the following sports: wrestling, canoe and kayak rowing, equestrian sports, athletics (track and field), shooting, archery, and weightlifting.
How immigrants from Russia manage to live in South Korea for years without proper registration
Initially, residents from the East of Russia flocked to South Korea for money. Today, people come from all over Russia.
One of the last liberal universities in Russia shuts down its political science department
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022, a lot of formerly progressive universities had to adopt concervative policies under the pressure of the state or by own initiatives
Gamers from the Russian regions spend hours playing Tetris to win international tournaments
While other Russian athletes are not allowed to participate in international tournaments due to the war in Ukraine, Russian Tetris players do not face such restrictions.
Serbia bans festival that enabled collaboration between artists from Serbia and Kosovo
The festival “Mirëdita, Dobar Dan!” was founded in 2014 to promote cultural exchange and create “a tradition of collaboration” that would contribute to permanent peace and normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
‘Free at last’: Aussies respond to Julian Assange homecoming
"This case has … a serious chilling effect on public-interest journalism, and sends a terrifying message to any sources sitting on evidence of abuses by the government and its agencies."
In Georgia, a series of legal amendments are putting the country's EU aspirations on hold
A foreign agent bill, a ban on gender election quotas, and most recently an LGBTQ+ propaganda bill are just the latest legal amendments proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Albanian author Ismail Kadare remembered by authors from Central and Southern Europe
The news of Albanian writer Ismail Kadare's death on June 30 stunned global readers, who also include writers from Central Europe and the Balkans where he enjoyed a particular fame.
Poland plans to close the last border crossings with Belarus as migrant crisis continues
‘Like in Finland, the talk in Poland is of instrumentalized migration driven by a hostile foreign state, not of the humanitarian needs of those on the move.’
Central African Republic: Renewed relations with France despite Russian military presence
After pausing discussions following the Russian military group Wagner’s arrival in the Central African Republic in 2018, Paris and Bangui resumed talks and announced the next phase of their cooperation.
Russian LGBTQ+ activist attended the Pride march in Moldova
According to the organizers, it was the largest march in Moldova's history, with over 800 participants
Koryo-saram: The long and tragic story of Koreans in Russia
While the two dictators are growing closer, it is important to remember the tragic history of Koreans in the Tsarist and then Soviet Russia
‘Spectacularly disobedient’: Pride parades in the Balkans
Similar to previous years, several Pride marches took place on the same day in June across the Balkans from Skopje to Sarajevo and Sofia.
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