Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from December, 2007
Russia: Some More on Medvedev
Streetwise Professor writes about the man some (or many?) believe will succeed Putin as Russia's president in 2008: “I have not commented about Putin’s anointing of Dmitri Medvedev because I don’t do Kabuki theater or puppet show reviews.”
Russia: Yegor Gaidar's Book
Streetwise Professor reviews Yegor Gaidar's new book: “I believe that Gaidar is right that down this path lies ruin. I fear, however, that Russia will have to find this out the hard way. So Yegor Gaidar is a prophet without honor in his own country, among his own kin, and...
Lithuania: Coffee and Health Care
Music and Life – Everywhere! writes about Vilnius coffee houses and health care costs.
Russia: Middle Class
Dr. Sean's Diary writes on Russia's middle class, a subject that has inspired “a lot of informed journalistic comment – […] – but seemingly little in the way of academic research. How can you research something that doesn’t exist – and perhaps historically never did?”
Czech Republic: Jan Švejnar
Czech president is due to be elected Feb. 8 by a joint session of both chambers of the parliament, and Dr Sean's Diary writes about a likely contender for the post: Jan Švejnar, who “emigrated to the US in 1970 (where, as a dual-national, he is still based) taking a...
Russia: Attacks on Ingushetia.ru
Window on Eurasia reports on the attacks on Ingushetia.ru, a site that “often reports news about conditions [in Ingushetia] that the authorities do not want covered.”
Russia: “Don Putin”
Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog is reminded of Godfather as he reads about “Putin’s acceptance to be Prime Minister if his protege Dima becomes President.”
Russia: Rosstat vs Kremlinologists
Russia in the Media cites statistics to prove that two “brave Kremlinologists” engaged in “manipulations with numbers,” as they worked on a Russia piece for the International Herald Tribune.
Russia: Politics and Style
James of Robert Amsterdam's blog reviews recent coverage of “the marriage of Russia's emerging political culture and style.”
Russia: Putin on Modern Warfare
Vladimir Putin appears, sort of, on Modern Warfare video game, James of Robert Amsterdam's blog reports.
Russia: New York Times’ Coverage
Perspectives on the New Russia updates a recent post on the New York Times’ coverage of Russia.
Russia, Moldova: Natalia Morar's Expulsion
Perspectives on the New Russia and Robert Amsterdam write about journalist Natalia Morar's work and the possible reasons for her expulsion from Russia.
Russia: North Korean Laborers
Moscow Through Brown Eyes writes about North Korean laborers in Russia and examines other cases of coerced labor, elsewhere.
Russia: 1996 Attack on Red Cross in Chechnya
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the 1996 murder of the International Committee of the Red Cross personnel in Chechnya.
Soviet History: 1963 Race Rally
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about a little-known 1963 rally in Moscow's Red Square, when 500 African students rallied against racial discrimination, following the death of a Ghanian fellow student.
Ukraine: PM Tymoshenko
Ukrainiana writes about today's vote for Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister – a “completely public vote,” notes Orange Ukraine – and lists the new ministers in her cabinet. Foreign Notes explains the new defense minister's reluctance to vote for Tymoshenko – and points out Tymoshenko's “dilemma”: “If she is elected...
Ukraine: More Work From Olechko
Olechko posts two more of her beautiful 2007 paintings.
Armenia: Elephants Marry
After quite a few international controversies surrounding attempts to find a mate for Yerevan Zoo's only elephant, Blogian reports some happy news. Hrantik can finally share his life with an elephant from Moscow and the new relationship was apparently cemented by a “marriage ceremony.”
Russia: Deti Picasso
Georgia & the South Caucasus is impressed by the ethnic Armenian indie band from Russia, Deti Picasso. Fusing both traditional Armenia with alternative contemporary sounds, the blog hopes that the band will one day make it to Europe.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dragomir Milosevic Gets 33 Years
Srebrenica Genocide Blog reports on the sentencing of Dragomir Milosevic “for the shelling and terrorism campaign (all 5 counts of terror) against Sarajevo and its citizens from August 1994 to late 1995.”
Russia: Andrew Kuchins’ Report
Eternal Remont writes about Andrew C. Kuchins’ “Alternative Futures for Russia to 2017″ report and the Russian media's reaction to it.
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