Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from November, 2012
Croatian Senior Generals Acquitted of War Crimes
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia comments on this Friday's UN appeal court's judgment acquitting Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač of war crimes: […] Some people are delighted with...
Czech Kids’ Anti-Roma Attitudes Not Discouraged
Jeremy Druker of TOL's East of Center writes about anti-Roma attitudes among school students in the Czech city of Jihlava: […] These kids obviously get their opinions from their parents,...
Hungary: Why Do We Have To Pay Attention To China?
‘Az igazi Mao’ blog [hu] is trying to draw attention to the contemporary China that Hungarian citizens may not be too familiar with; its title refers to a Hungarian experimental...
Slovak “Decent Life” Protesters Burn EU Flag
About 100 people took part in a follow-up “Together for a Decent and Safe Life” protest [sk, images, videos], co-organized by Oskar Dobrovodský, in Bratislava on Nov. 10 (more about...
Lurkmore or Lurkless? The Russian Internet Blacklist In Action
A new Russian law that threatens Internet censorship came into effect on November 1. This week, netizen outrage followed the blocking of one particularly popular website by Russian ISPs. The...
New Hard Times for Russian Journalism
This week, one of the RuNet's biggest bloggers, Rustem Adagamov, posted a letter from Yevgenia Albats, the chief editor of The New Times, one of Russia's most prominent weekly magazines....
From Bosnia to Mecca: “A Pilgrimage on Foot”
An Aussie in Bosnia wrote about Senad Hadzic's walk from a town in northern Bosnia all the way to Mecca – here and here [en]; a Facebook page devoted to...
“Self-Defence is No Offence”: Nigerian Student on Trial in Ukraine
On Nov. 5, 2011, Olaolu Femi, a Nigerian student in Ukraine, was attacked by a group of young people in the city of Luhansk; he was detained the next day,...
The Trouble With Russian Nationalism
This year, Unity Day lived up to its name, though in a rather unexpected way. In 46 towns and cities across Russia, including Moscow, roughly 30 thousand people took part...
An Online Project for Monitoring the State of Russia's Roads
The RosYama project is a method of monitoring the state of the roads and their compliance with latest government standards. Anyone who notices a roadway that fails to meet these...
Is the Kremlin Trying to Stop Governors from Using Twitter?
In an article [ru] published earlier this week, Izvestia newspaper cited anonymous sources inside the Kremlin who claim that the federal government is now discouraging regional heads and governors from...
Russia's Volunteer Aid Capacity, On Vivid Display in Krymsk, Is Absent in Dagestan
In the aftermath of flood in Krymsk, Russia saw an outpouring of volunteer efforts, with civil society and representatives of different political fractions coming together to aid Krymsk's citizens. Perhaps...
Racism in European Football: Will New Rules Help?
October 2012 has seen racism rear its ugly head again, mainly in the European Leagues, especially in England affecting both the Premier League clubs and players as well as the...
Russians React to Obama's Reelection
With America's presidential elections finally over, Russians are reacting to Barack Obama's reelection, voicing fears and hopes about topics ranging from the Reset to America's waning global hegemony. Politicians and...
Massive Rally in Bulgaria's Capital Ends in Arrests (Updated)
On Nov. 5, some 1,500 people took part in an anti-government rally in Sofia, organized by the Bulgarian section [bg] of the Anonymous. There were other, smaller, protests in other...
Ukrainians Rally in Protest Over Vote-Rigging
Online reports that have been coming in from disputed districts over the past week offer a good insight into the Ukrainian election routine and also help explain the frustration of...
Despite Threats, Macedonian Activists Fight for Fair Energy Law
Members of the grassroots civil initiative AMAN, who are demanding fair energy legislation and an end to state-controlled price hikes in Macedonia, are facing various forms of pressure, including increasing...
Ink Duel: Bulgarian Artists vs Egyptian Artist in London
Studio 75, a London-based “100% independent, not part of any school, trend, fashion or directive” artist space is hosting ‘The Orientophobia Sessions’ this weekend. In the program of the Out...
The Latest LiveJournal Sensation, Courtesy of the Russian Special Forces
The anonymous LJ blog hardingush was created on September 15. Now, less than two months later, the blog, subtitled "Ingush Special Forces, is number 425th in LJ's general user rating....
What Ever Happened to Russian Nationalism?
Just two years ago, Russians' capacity for street protests seemed limited to soccer hooligans and race riots. This, it appeared at the time, was the most the world could expect...
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
