Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from May, 2006
Belarus: A Band to Help Chernobyl Children
TOL's Belarus Blog reports that a band called Thievery Corporation has released a new single on iTunes: the proceeds of the downloads of the song will go to the Chernobyl...
Image from Ukraine: “Waterbottle Football”
By Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine These resourceful football fans in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains are using a 2-liter bottle as a ball. Dan's report on his trip to the Carpathians...
Russia: Blogger Dies on Mount Elbrus
Aleksandr Antonov (aka LJ user caesar_rb) 1979-2006 Aleksandr Antonov's last LJ post was a very happy one: he was going on a two-week vacation to conquer Mount Elbrus. Here's what...
Ukraine: 62nd Anniversary of Deportations of Crimean Tatars
J. Otto Pohl writes about the deportations of the Crimean Tatars, which took place 62 years ago: “In the early hours of 18 May 1944 some 32,000 members of the...
Ukraine: Support for Yushchenko Low
LEvko of Foreign Notes cites an opinion poll, according to which support for president Yushchenko is much lower than it was in February 2005, when he first elected.
Ukraine: New Mayor Against Teachers
Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about Kyiv's new mayor's alarming first steps: “We know someone who is a teacher in the Kiev district. She tells us that Chernovetsky...
Belarus: Yury Radzivil Trial
TOL's Belarus Blog reports on the trial of Yury Radzivil: “Yury faces 6 years in prison just for actually being almost killed. The man who has shot few times in...
Europe: Eurovision Song Contest
Rachel of Pustolovina: Adventure in Serbian shares her impressions on this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the first one she's watched.
Hungary: Prime Minister Decides Not to Watch The Da Vinci Code
Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar writes about the prime minister's failed attempt to watch The Da Vinci Code.
Poland: The Da Vinci Code
The beatroot writes about the apparent sin of going to see The Da Vinci Code in Poland.
Poland, Russia: Sciagawki/Shpargalki
Edward Lucas, Central and East European correspondent of the Economist, writes about sciagawki: cheat sheets used by Polish students to survive exams, which are “largely a memory test.” Tom Adshead...
Russia: No-Hot-Water Season Begins
Owen of Lex Libertas writes about a very common occurence in Russia: as it gets warmer, it becomes more and more difficult to take a shower – because of the...
Estonia: Tallinn's Architecture
Simon of Tallinn Daily Photo highlights one aspect of the city's architecture: “the marrying of modern around the old.”
Belarus: Athletes and Fans For the White-Red-White Flag
TOL's Belarus Blog writes about Belarusian athletes speaking up for the outcast white-red-white flag – and Belarusian fans promoting it abroad: “There is one embarassment, though: Lukashenka cannot prevent waving...
Poland: Gay Activist and Homophobia
rod 2.0:beta writes about Krystian Legierski, “a Polish-born black gay activist. He is 27 years old and the owner of Le Madame, the influential Warsaw club that was recently shut...
Poland: Revolution Needed to Fight Red Tape
Kinuk thinks a revolution is needed in Poland, at the local government level: “In the 21st century, I am waiting for the wheels of 19th century-style bureaucracy to turn so...
Ukraine: Obstacles in the Foreign Adoption Process
Cristin of the Ukraine Adoption blog reports that many American families willing to adopt Ukrainian children are losing patience after many months of waiting for the Ukrainian government agency to...
Ukraine: Vote for Tina Karol
Oleksandr of Messages From Canada calls to his non-Ukrainian readers to vote for Tina Karol, a Ukrainian contester in today's semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens.
Ukraine: New Government Likely to Emerge Soon
Vilhelm Konnander thinks Ukraine is about to get its government, at long last: “Seven weeks after the March parliamentary elections, Timoshenko again declares that she stands as victor and new...
Ukraine: Photographer Victor Suvorov Remembered
Abdymok.net remembers Ukrainian photographer Victor Suvorov, who died May 11 of injuries sustained in a car crash April 26: “. . . he was blunt, and plowed ahead like a...
Russia: Site Devoted to Victims of Racism
Daut of Ufa Blog is starting a memorial site devoted to the victims of racism in Russia. Some help is needed: “I have an incomplete list and very few photos....
