Stories about Russia from May, 2010
Russia: Photos and Live Tweets of the Dispersal of the “Day of Dissent”
Bloggers nl [RUS], zyalt [RUS], Igor Podgorny [RUS] post pictures of the dispersal of today's “Day of Dissent” that is conducted on the 31st day of the month in order to celebrate 31st article of the Russian Constitution [EN] (freedom of assembly). Abstract2001 reports [RUS] at least 25 people arrested,...
Russia: Journalist's Blog Hacked
Both LiveJournal (sina-ja-mina) and Facebook accounts of Andrei Maltsev [RUS], journalist and blogger, were hacked on May 31, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. This is the fourth blog hack this year and the third during the previous week (Following hack attacks of Maxim Sviridenkov [EN] and Renata Guseletova (aka demonessa22 [RUS])).
Russia: Blogger Describes His Experience With E-Gov Portal
Alexey Grigoriev blogs [RUS] about his experience of starting a small business at e-government portal gosuslugi.ru. The portal is still full of technical bugs and even after online application one has to present all the papers in the regional tax service office.
Russia: A Study of Local Discussion Boards
Online forums in Russian cities are in a certain sense a unique phenomenon. It's not blogs that became the major platforms for open discussion in the regions, but discussion boards (called more often forums). Alexey Sidorenko shares some of the results of his study of local forums in Russia.
Russia: Bloggers Cover Moscow Gay Pride Parade
LJ-user Zyalt published [RUS] pictures from Moscow gay pride parade [EN] that took place despite it the ban by Moscow authorities. The event organizers had to change its location several times. Other pictures of the parade, which was just a few minutes long, can be found here, here and here.
Russian “Little Blue Buckets” Movement Reaches Ukraine
Ukraine-based feminist organization “FEMEN” [EN] conducted an action [ENG] in support of the Russian online movement “Little Blue Buckets” [ENG] and against the “unification of Russia and Ukraine under Kremlin patronage.” Activists with their breasts painted in blue tried to rally near the building of the Russian embassy in Kiev,...
Russia: Blogger and Activist Arrested for Viral Video
Leonid Nikolaev (aka LJ-user nikolaevleo) the main actor in the recent viral video against cars using emergency vehicle lighting had been arrested, lj-user halfaman reported. The blogger suggests the arrest is provoked by the video Leonid took part in.
Causes of Hatred in the Russian Blogosphere
Lj-user blondycandy received [RUS] more than 400 comments on the question “Why there's so much hatred in the Russian blogosphere”? Evgeny Gorny summarized [RUS] the most often suggestions: general ‘offline’ unhappiness, inferiority complex, impunity, lack of education, envy, specific ‘Russian mentality’ and so on.
Russia: Taking Children as a New Method of Pressure on Journalists
Children of Galina Dmitrieva, an oppositionary journalist and activist, were taken by Russian police after she published an investigation about Russian car manufacturer Avtovaz [EN], Anatoliy Baranov reported [RUS]. After instant blog-campaign her children were returned. Blogger Marina Litvinovich suggests [RUS] this method was used before against at least one oppositionary journalist.
Russia: “Circassian Nationalism and the Internet”
At OpenDemocracy.net, Zeynel Abidin Besleney writes about “the role played by the internet as a lifeline linking otherwise isolated activists and communities and reinforcing the Circassian nationalist cause.”
Russia: Coalmine Disaster Victims’ Families vs Thugs?
Vadim Nikitin comments on “this week’s unprecedented measure to provide each widow of the [May 9] mine explosion victims with police protection to ward off attacks from organised criminals after their compensation payouts.”
Russia: Last Day of Classes in Moscow
LJ users zyalt, medar, martin-sqare and alex-i1 (RUS) team up to photograph Moscow high school seniors celebrating the last day of classes on May 25. MoscowMom posts this observation: “Most Russian eleventh graders wear Soviet school uniforms (with the skirts MUCH shorter than they ever would have been prior to...
Russia: Explosion in Stavropol
Miriam Elder reports at GlobalPost on the explosion in Stavropol, which took place next to a centrally-located concert hall shortly before a Chechen folk dance troupe was to perform there. LJ user dimazelensky, whose office is inside the concert hall building, wrote (RUS) that the police had cordoned it off...
Russia-USA: Like father like son
Windows to Russia turns attention to the only American soldier in the second world war serving in both the US and Soviet armies, who allegedly was also the father of current US ambassador to Russia.
Ukraine: Russia's return or political pragmatism?
Andrei Kolesnikov at openDemocracy analyzes relations between Russia and Ukraine after Russian president Medvedev's visit to Kiev last week.
Russia: Another Top Blogger Hacked
Site of one of the top Russian bloggers Maxim Sviridenkov [RUS] (#16 in Yandex rating [RUS]) had been hacked today, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. The site was defaced and the content deleted. This is the second [EN] top blogger hacked this year.
Ukraine: Medvedev in Kyiv; Yanukovych & the Wreath
Reactions to the Russian president's visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, last week (which included the Ukrainian president being hit by a wreath during a commemoration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Monument) – at Kyiv Scoop, Ukrainiana (here and here), and Leopolis.
Russian DST Group Will Increase Investment in Foreign Internet Companies
Yuri Milner [EN], chief executive of the Moscow-based Digital Sky Technologies [EN] (DST) investment group, revealed [ENG] The Guardian his plans to continue investing in major foreign Internet companies. One of them might be Twitter. DST had already invested in Facebook, Zynga and ICQ.
Russia: Hosting Providers Sign Charter Against Illegal Content
Five hosting providers that allegedly control more than 25 percent of the Russian hosting market plan to sign a charter against ‘illegal content’, Vedomosti newspaper reported [RUS]. The charter implies more active involvement of hosting providers in filtering and blocking child porn, materials that break copyright or ignite hatred as...
Russia: Video of a Man With a ‘Little Blue Bucket’ Attacking Government Car Raises Controversy
A viral video [RUS] of a man with a little blue bucket [EN] on his head attacking a government car near Kremlin has been distributed recently in the Russian blogosphere. The action is considered to be a part of the protests against government cars using emergency vehicle lighting [EN] (“migalki”). However, the...
Russia: Moscow Government Abandons Social Media
Moscow mayor's office prepared a draft bill on access to the information with no mention of blogs or any kind of social media, gzt.ru reported [RUS]. Gzt.ru suggests the reason of the absence of Web 2.0 is the inability of the city's telecommunications committee to provide an effective information policy.
