Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from May, 2010
Russia: Another Top Blogger Hacked
Site of one of the top Russian bloggers Maxim Sviridenkov [RUS] (#16 in Yandex rating [RUS]) had been hacked today, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. The site was defaced and the content deleted. This is the second [EN] top blogger hacked this year.
Estonia: “A Green Light to Join the Euro”
Edward Lucas, Itching for Eestimaa and AnTyx comment on Estonia's likely adoption of the euro on January 1, 2011.
Latvia: May 9 in Riga
Arnis Balcus posts photos from the May 9 celebrations in Riga and writes: “In Latvia 9 May is more than just a victory celebration, it is also an expression of collective identity for local Russians.”
Latvia: Neo-Nazi Cleared of Hate Speech Charges
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports that the Latvian Supreme Court has cleared a neo-Nazi of hate speech charges.
Slovenia, Croatia: More on the Border Dispute
Sleeping With Pengovsky posts The Definitive Guide to the Arbitrage Agreement Between Slovenia and Croatia – Part 1 and Part 2. Borut Peterlin posts this comment: “The border dispute with Croatia is the most important tool for manipulation with voters emotions, so no doubt [Janša, Podobnik and Jelinčič] would do...
Ukraine: Medvedev in Kyiv; Yanukovych & the Wreath
Reactions to the Russian president's visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, last week (which included the Ukrainian president being hit by a wreath during a commemoration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Monument) – at Kyiv Scoop, Ukrainiana (here and here), and Leopolis.
Russian DST Group Will Increase Investment in Foreign Internet Companies
Yuri Milner [EN], chief executive of the Moscow-based Digital Sky Technologies [EN] (DST) investment group, revealed [ENG] The Guardian his plans to continue investing in major foreign Internet companies. One of them might be Twitter. DST had already invested in Facebook, Zynga and ICQ.
Russia: Hosting Providers Sign Charter Against Illegal Content
Five hosting providers that allegedly control more than 25 percent of the Russian hosting market plan to sign a charter against ‘illegal content’, Vedomosti newspaper reported [RUS]. The charter implies more active involvement of hosting providers in filtering and blocking child porn, materials that break copyright or ignite hatred as...
Russia: Video of a Man With a ‘Little Blue Bucket’ Attacking Government Car Raises Controversy
A viral video [RUS] of a man with a little blue bucket [EN] on his head attacking a government car near Kremlin has been distributed recently in the Russian blogosphere. The action is considered to be a part of the protests against government cars using emergency vehicle lighting [EN] (“migalki”). However, the...
Russia: Moscow Government Abandons Social Media
Moscow mayor's office prepared a draft bill on access to the information with no mention of blogs or any kind of social media, gzt.ru reported [RUS]. Gzt.ru suggests the reason of the absence of Web 2.0 is the inability of the city's telecommunications committee to provide an effective information policy.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Mafia & Society
Fatalin's Blog informs its readers about Mafia, a group game where some participants take on the role of the mafiosa and kill those who represent citizens while both sides deceive each other. Invented in Russia, and alluding to societies in both countries, the blog notes that the game is especially...
Russia: Hacking of Women's Community Raises Gender, Ethical and Privacy Dilemmas
The legendary Russian women blog community "girls_only" with the most sensitive and private discussions was hacked by anonymous hacker and uploaded to a mirror site. The scandal raised a lot of legal, ethical and online security dilemmas. It also showed that men and women are creatures that live on different Internet planets and inspired online discussions about the gender differences.
Russia: Folk Humorous Rhymes In English
LJ-user laberintica posts English translations of “chastushka,” Russian folk humorous rhymes.
Slovenia: Student Protest Turns Violent
Borut Peterlin posts photos from the May 19 student protest in Ljubljana, which turned into a riot. Sleeping With Pengovsky writes: “What Ljubljana witnessed yesterday was not an outpour of crisis-fueled rage or misery. These kids go to school, do their homework, take tests and have crushes. They are not...
Russia: Video of Vibrating Bridge Over Volga River
User hrom252 posts a link to almost unbelievable video of the newly built bridge over Volga river that is vibrating under heavy wind like it's made of rubber. As blogger alliruk notes, the bridge was finished six months ago and now traffic in the city is paralyzed.
Russia: Kid Sets Up Lego Video Blog
A 7-year-old boy set up a Lego video blog “Lego News” presenting his Lego people as news anchors. Pilot series can be found here and here.
Czech Republic: Update on the Flooding
The Czech Daily Word links to photos and news updates on the floods in the Czech Republic.
Bulgaria: Update on Arevik Shmavonyan's Case
Maya's Corner posts a detailed update on the case of Arevik Shmavonyan, a pregnant Armenian citizen who is still being kept at the Special Centre for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi, and on the legal status of David Arutyunyan, Arevik's boyfriend.
Russia: Crisis and demography in Eurasia
Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion discusses the relationship between economic and demographic crisis in Russia and Eurasia.
Russia: Provider “Accidentally” Blocks Opposition Web Site
Web site sineevedro.ru dedicated to “Little Blue Buckets Society” (online community against law nihilism on the roads) has been shut down along with other resources at the Moscow-based hosting, ru_vederko reported. The incident might be connected to another recent road accident involving high officials.
Russia: Another Web site Closed For Extremism
Alleng.ru, one of the largest educational portals in Russia, has been turned off by the provider Peterhost due to the hosting of the electronic copy of the book “Basics of the Muslim Creed,” which is acknowledged by the Orenburg city court as “extremist,” blogger r_li reported.
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
