Stories about Russia from May, 2007
Russia: Off-the-Beaten-Path Research
Darkness at Noon blogs on his scientific research from “a run-down bus station in a little village about 2 hours outside of Lipetsk, which is itself about 10 hours from Moscow by train”: “Never did I think I would long for Moscow so intensely, but after a week in and...
Russia: Export of Bio Specimens Banned
Russia bans export of biological specimens, Siberian Light reports.
Russia: Pirates Strike Back
Russian pirates strike back: “By buying licensed Windows you sponsor the war in Iraq.” See the poster at Russian Marketing Blog.
Russia, Austria: Raiffeisen, Murder and Money Laundering
Robert Amsterdam writes about the alleged ties of Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) of Austria to murder and money laundering in Russia.
FSU: Interview With Edward Lucas
Peteris Cedrins of Marginalia interviews Edward Lucas, the Central and East European correspondent of The Economist – and a blogger.
Russia: KPRF/Just Russia Merger?
Siberian Light reports on the proposed merger of the Russian Communist Party with Sergei Mironov's Just Russia: “[…] I’m sure there are many within the Kremlin who would like to see the influence of the Communist Party diluted still further – although they are broadly supportive of Putin at the...
Russia: Attacks on Gays and a British Diplomat
“This weekend marked yet another not particularly glorious episode in Russo-British relations, as one diplomat and two (well known) British gay rights activists were attacked in separate incidents,” writes Siberian Light.
Russia: St. Pete Trivia
Apricotflan.com shares some St. Petersburg trivia: “How many bridges does it take to make a St Petersburg? 800.”
Russia, Estonia: Bronze Soldier Rumor
Vilhelm Konnander reports a rumor, which, if true, helps to understand what could actually have been behind the whole Bronze Soldier scandal.
Russia: Vacationing Survey
Russian-language LJ community eco_altai is a place for fans of ecotourism in Russia's Altai Republic to meet and share impressions and beautiful pictures. Right now, an interesting survey is being conducted there: on vacationing in the Russian Federation. Read on to learn some of the results.
Hungary: Budapest Photos
Budapest photos – at Pestcentric.
Russia: Investments in Austria
Robert Amsterdam writes about Russian investments in Austria.
Ukraine, Serbia: Investigating Political Murders
Taras Kuzio writes about political assassinations and pursuit of justice, and compares Ukraine to Serbia: “Ukraine’s fragile democracy is closer to Serbia’s democratising state than to Russia’s autocracy.”
Estonia, Russia: More on Cyber War
Edward Lucas writes on “cybersecurity,” and Urmo, in the comments section, gives an update on the Estonian-Russian “information war.”
Syria: Lebanon is Boiling
Writing from Syria, Mustafa Hamido says: “Lebanon is boiling. It is the filed of all conflicts in the world. When US tried to prove its strength in the world after its clear defeat in Iraq went to Lebanon and has supported anti-Eastern powers which includes an important portion of Christian...
Russia: Documentary on Litvinenko at Cannes
Sean's Russia Blog writes more on the Litvinenko case – and on the documentary on the subject to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday.
Estonia: Demography and Ethnicity
Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonia's demography and interethnic relationships: “Still, the reality for Estonia is, no matter what historical spin you put on it, there will be a large Russian-speaking community in Estonia for many years to come. Because of recent events in Tallinn, many are wondering what can...
Latvia: Interview with Aleksejs Tapins
Peteris Cedrins of Marginalia interviews Aleksejs Tapins of All About Latvia: Why do you blog? – […] At one point, it's become a search for my own identity. Who am I? Am I Russian/Latvian/American? I tried answering my own questions in hopes to show what some Russian-speaking people in Latvia...
Russia: Pioneers
The Turkish Invasion writes on the 85th anniversary of the Soviet Pioneer Organization.
Russia: “How to Get Your Plumbing Fixed in Russia”
The Turkish Invasion returns to Moscow from vacation and finds himself locked out: “All my attempts to get into my flat was vain because of a non existent door handle and a welded keyhole. I had to change sim cards to reach my landlord, who was enjoying a peaceful getaway...
Russia, UK: More on the Litvinenko Affair
“The British Crown Prosecution Service has charged Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoi with the murder of Alexandr Litvinenko. The question if anything will come of it,” writes Sean Guillory.