Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from May, 2023
‘You gave me wings': Moldovan Eurovision finalist thanks his fans
Along with the Moldovan singer, musicians from nine other countries qualified from the fist semi-final for the Grand Final: Croatia, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway.
Creative initiatives add new content from Central and South Eastern Europe to Wikipedia
From the Baltic to the Balkans, enthusiastic groups from Central and Eastern Europe are finding innovative ways to enrich the Wikipedia, which serves as a primary source of educational content in the region.
Russian refugees: What changed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Now some Russians persecuted for their anti-war stance, or those running from military draft, are also among asylum seekers
Central Asian leaders display loyalty to Kremlin at the military parade in Moscow
Russia’s allies in Central Asia are in a delicate position. They have to maintain neutrality while being pressured by Russia, who is leveraging the region’s political, security, and economic reliance.
Rewritten, recorded, reframed: Ukrainian wartime songs
Home, mothers, and soil are frequent symbols in Ukrainian wartime songs. These themes have deep roots in Ukrainian folklore — which is frequently referenced in Ukrainian contemporary music.
Building the homo militaris: Russia’s long game of militarized patriotism
The Kremlin’s promotion of militaristic patriotism has had a strong effect on Russian society. But the Soviet legacy of cynicism and “double-think” is actually working to mitigate it.
Shared narratives of the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s: An opportunity for reconciliation
Young people from former Yugoslavia have been left at the mercy of the dominant nationalist discourses and war-mongering rhetoric, used by the political elite as manipulation tools almost three decades after the wars.
Russia arrests anti-war poet, claims terrorism charges for a theatre play
This is the first case of detention for a play in today's Russia. Prison sentences on charges for "publicly justifying terrorism" involve five to seven years in prison.
Fertile ground for con artists in Ukraine and Russia: 30 years of scams
Spartak Subbota promoted himself in Ukraine as a scientist, doctor, and psychology guru with an average 500,000 YouTube audience. A journalistic investigation suggested that the celebrity faked his biography and credentials.
Why don't global south postcolonial countries associate themselves with post-Soviet countries of Eastern Europe?
Analogies between postcolonialism and postsocialism might be too quick and, at the very least, require examining the region’s active participation in the policing of the physical and symbolic borders of “Europe.”
Russian citizens seeking citizenship in Ukraine are left in legal limbo
In 2022, their Russian IDs became toxic, and many found themselves unwelcome in Ukraine. Since the invasion began, more and more are seeing their legal documents expire.
The Lachin Corridor standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan ends, for now
On April 28, the Azerbaijani "eco-activists" blocking the Lachin Corridor near Shusha (Shushi) have suspended their action following the installation of an Azerbaijani border checkpoint on the corridor on April 23.
Antiwar art on the streets of Saint Petersburg: A form of resistance
A showcase of antiwar art that appeared on the streets of Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2023, all of which have already been destroyed by the authorities.
Ways of punishing dissent in Lukashenka’s Belarus
The regime of Belarusian dictator Lukashenka continues to repress Belarusians in many ways, some of them unheard of since Soviet totalitarianism.
Moldova's Eurovision participant makes humorous plug for support on official Instagram
Pasha Parfeni, a Moldovan singer who was chosen during the national round to participate in this year's Eurovision, posted a picture of his car which he wants to sell
The rise and fall of linguistic diversity at Eurovision
Eurovision performers are opting out of their countries' official languages to sing in English in order to gain popularity with judges and fans. But is this a successful strategy?
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