Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from September, 2006
Ukraine: New Head of Presidential Secretariat
LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about the new head of Victor Yushchenko's Presidential Secretariat, a 43-year-old Victor Baloha, a former mayor of Mukachevo, a man of “decidedly ‘mixed’ [political] background.” .
Notes on Montenegro and Transnistria
In his yesterday's Balkans Blog Roundup, Ljubisa Bojic quoted this passage on Montenegro by a Serbian blogger: […] I know how things operate down there. Its also a privatised state – I wonder how long it will be before the Europeans become intolerant of all those Russian businessmen who own...
Hungary: Rally Not Cancelled Amid Unrest
As the demonstrations in Budapest continue, Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar isn't too hopeful about the opposition's populist leader: “On the other hand, maybe he'll use the occasion to tell, not only his supporters, but also the brain-dead thugs that democracy (i.e. the ballot box and parliament)...
Bulgaria, Libya: Save the Tripoli Six
Declan Butler, a senior reporter at Nature, draws attention to the plight of the “Tripoli Six” – five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor on trial in Libya: “Can the blogosphere help free the Tripoli six? — innocent medics risking execution in Libya.”
Russia: New Home for the UN?
David McDuff of A Step At A Time suggests an alternative location for the UN: “It really is time that the United Nations were moved out of New York, and out of the United States. With the Soviet-like hate-speech of Ahmadinejad, and in the light – or rather darkness –...
Russia: Photos of Miners and Old Soviet Cars
English Russia reposts Alexander Schekmenev's photos from a miners’ village in Russia and the netwinds.ru's photos of old Soviet cars.
Russia: Countering Media Stereotypes
Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog, in an attempt to provide “accurate and fair reporting and analysis—without fear or favor” – of Russia, comes up with a list of “10 Western Media Stereotypes About Russia” and offers alternative views on each item.
Russia: LukOil in the U.S.
Russia Blog writes about LukOil gas stations in the United States.
Russia: Sakhalin Island
Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert relocates to the Sakhalin Island and, among other things, writes about the local TV news there.
Moldova: Cheap Phone Calls from the U.S.
Mihai Moscovici, a Moldovan studying in the United States, shares the cheapest way to make phone calls to Moldova.
Balkans Blog Roundup
On September 11, Viktor of Belgrade Blog writes: […] [Serbia] just won the water polo European championship, and here's a short video with the atmosphere from the streets of Belgrade (Kolarceva street, more precisely). It's like this, after all major successes in sports, but this is the first time we...
Esperanto Day / Esperanto-Tago
This is the first of a set of postings offering a roundup of the Esperanto-language blogosphere, culminating with a posting to review the Esperanto-Day postings. Esperanto Day is a project sponsored by the Esperanto League for North America that proposes that bloggers everywhere post a bilingual posting in Esperanto (and...
Hungary: Critical Mass Bike Ride Cancelled
Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar writes that this year's Critical Mass bike ride has been cancelled in Budapest because of the riots: “Understandably, the organisers have now decided it prudent not to have thousands of cyclists on the streets stretching police resources at the present time; I...
Hungary: Mid-Week Briefing
Pestiside.hu posts a Mid-Week Briefing: “As thing currently stand, we are going to treat the whole “Uprising '06” for what we think it is: a colorful little street carnival staged for the benefit of bored right-wing nudniks, self-important politicians (including some as or more dishonest than our current BSing PM),...
Ukraine: News Roundup
Foreign Notes covers the following subjects: investigation of the “allegedly illegal discriminatory” value-added tax reimbursements; Party of the Regions anatomy; Vladimir Putin's thoughts on Ukraine; former speaker goes into opposition.
Ukraine: Politics and Life
Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine reviews Ukraine's political developments and also writes about his visit to Ukraine: “I myself wasn't paying much attention to politics, in truth. Instead I was looking at things like… plastic bags. Specifically I was wondering how the 50 kopeck heavy-duty plastic bag makers hit on...
Ukraine: Art Scene
Petro of Petro's Jotter writes about Ukraine's art scene.
Ukraine: Loss of Face
Abdymok reminds the readers of the events two years ago by translating a non-published article about president Yushchenko's alleged poisoning.
Russia: Svetlana Bakhmina's Appeal
David McDuff of A Step At A Time writes about Svetlana Bakhmina's appeal “to have her sentence deferred for nine years, until her youngest child reaches the age of 14.” Bakhmina used to be a YUKOS lawyer and was sentenced to six and a half years of imprisonment in a...
Eastern Europe: Video documents homophobia on the rise
The latest twist in the long-running saga of anti-gay violence and state oppression took place yesterday in Moscow, as an appeals court upheld the earlier lower court ruling to ban Moscow's Gay Pride March in May 2006. The gay rights activists who brought the case will now attempt to challenge...
Hungary: PM's Lies and Riots in Budapest
Several weeks after the general election in April, Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said this at a closed meeting with members of his parliamentary faction: I almost died when I had to pretend for one and a half years as if we were governing. Instead we lied in the morning,...
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