Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from August, 2009
Russia: The Siege of Leningrad Museums
The Copydude has moved to St. Petersburg and launched a new blog: St. Petersblurb. The latest post there is about the Siege of Leningrad and today's monuments and museums commemorating the tragedy.
Russia: ‘The Coronation’ by Boris Akunin
Jost a Mon reviews The Coronation by Boris Akunin, among other “foreign” crime fiction items.
Ukraine: In Chinese, Yanukovych is Yushchenko?
Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy's Net.Effect writes: “It turns out that when you use Google Translate to translate (from Chinese to Russian) the expression “Vote for Yanukovych” (Yanukovych was Kremlin's favorite candidate), Google gives you “Vote for Yushenko” in the translated version. Global conspiracy orchestrated by Google!”
Ukraine: “Radiant Girl”
Chernobyl and Eastern Europe reviews “Radiant Girl” by Andrea White – a children's book about a young survivor of the Chernobyl catastrophe.
Hungary: 20 Years Since the Pan-European Picnic
Hungarian Spectrum writes about the 20th anniversary of the Pan-European Picnic, which was “held on a field in the middle of nowhere on the Austro-Hungarian border on August 19, 1989″: “A memorial park now commemorates the event that allowed about 600 East Germans to cross into Austria and to freedom...
Serbia: Belgrade's Terazije Monument
Belgraded writes about “the Terazije monument to the five Belgraders who were hanged at that spot for joining in the resistance against the Nazi in 1941.”
Russia: 18 Years Since August 1991 Coup
Window on Eurasia writes about the reactions to the 18th anniversary of the August 1991 coup in Russia.
Russia: “The Island of the Wild Horses”
Soviet Russia writes about “the island of the wild horses” in southern Russia.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: The Mostar Cross Controversy
Bosnia Blog writes about the controversy caused by the cross erected in Mostar in 2000.
Ukraine: Military Parade
Ukrainiana writes about the upcoming Independence Day military parade in Ukraine.
Ukraine: Street Children
Michelle Knisley of Scenes from the Sidewalk shares stories of some of the Ukrainian street children that her ministry has helped over the years.
Russia, Ukraine: Medvedev's Letter
Leopolis analyzes president Medvedev's letter to president Yushchenko.
Russia: Xenia Larina on RFE/RL
Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion translates LJ user xlarina‘s post (RUS) about “her husband’s unpleasant experiences” with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Russia: Suicide Bombing in Nazran
Robert Amsterdam's Blog writes about the Aug. 17 suicide bombing in Nazran, Ingushetia; A Step At A Time and Window on Eurasia cover the reaction of the Ingush president.
Poland, Ukraine: Łemkowszczyzna/Lemkivshchyna
Raf Uzar writes about “Lemko Land, better known as Łemkowszczyzna or Lemkivshchyna” and its people.
Hungary: Rudapithecus Hungaricus
Hungarian Spectrum leaves politics behind and turns to paleontology, writing about a fossil hominoid found in Rudabánya in Northern Hungary and known as Rudapithecus hungaricus.
Georgia, Russia: More on DDOS Attacks
More on the recent DDOS attacks – by Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy's Net.Effect – here and here.
USA: “I am getting deported on Wednesday”
Herta Llusho is a 19-year old student at risk of being deported from the United States to Albania. Bloggers at DreamActivist.org and other immigrant rights blogs are calling on Americans to help her.
Russia: Two Jets Collide at Air Show
Two Russian Su-27 fighters collided Sunday near Zhukovsky airfield during a rehearsal for the MAKS-2009 air show, killing Col. Igor Tkachenko, the commander of the Russian Knights flying group, and crashing into summer houses. LJ users pompeya, kpoxaxa, and mfirishka have posted a few photos (RUS) from the site of...
Hungary: Parking
Hungarian Spectrum writes about parking in Hungary.
Serbia: Belgrade Murals
Photos of new Belgrade murals – at Belgraded.