Stories about Russia from September, 2010
Russia: September 30 is Internet Day
Russian online users celebrate Internet Day in the country on September 30. This day also traditionally marks the start of the voting process for the best Internet project in the...
Russia: Landscape and Trends of Online Transparency Initiatives
Alexey Sidorenko analyzes the five main groups of the Russian transparency projects: official and semi-official transparency websites; chaotic transparency communities; online representation of civil activism NGOs; next-generation transparency and civil rights activism social networks; and Ushahidi-based projects.
Russia: “Web of Justice”
The Russian Internet is presented, especially in some Western media, as being one of the few democratic forums in the country. However, these reports should be taken with a grain of salt, as it is still unclear just how much of Internet freedom the government is willing to tolerate.
Europe: “Mapping Stereotypes”
Via Dr Sean's Diary, “a series of maps of Europe mapping the (supposed) prejudices of various nations […] and, for some reason, also of gay men” by “Bulgarian visual artist,...
Russia: Moscow Mayor's Dismissal
Today, the main topic of all discussions in the RuNet is the dismissal of Yuri Luzhkov, mayor of Moscow. While some bloggers (1 [RUS], 2 [RUS]) consider it a victory...
UK: Interview With Donald Newholm On ‘History of USSR’ Tetris Song
A Good Treaty interviews Donald Newholm of Pig With The Face Of A Boy about the band's popular song, “A Complete History of the Soviet Union As Told By A...
Russia, Czech Republic: “The Velvet Surrender”
Robert Amsterdam's blog links to an investigative report by Gregory Feifer and Brian Whitmore, published in the New Republic (full text available to subscribers only, however), which examines “Russia's ambitious...
Russia, Israel, Syria: Missile Agreement
FP's Passport writes about the 2007 Russian-Syrian missile agreement and the Israeli efforts “to dissuade the Russians on fulfilling their contract.”
Russia: Pavlovsk During WWII
More on the history of the Pavlovsk Experiment Station – at Vaviblog.
Russia: Irkutsk-Moscow Train Travel Notes
Derek of The Kalpak travels for four and a half days on a Russian train – and arrives in Moscow.
Russia: Moscow Mayor Luzhkov Fired
Notes on the sacking of Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov: before (The Moscow Diaries and FP's Passport) and after (A Good Treaty, The Russia Monitor, Robert Amsterdam, Russia! and Windows to...
Russia: Lost and Found in Translation
Poemless posts a follow-up to her earlier entry about the contemporary Russian literature available in English.
Russia: “The Putin State Chronicles”
Streetwise Professor recommends Dmitry Sidorov's new blog at Forbes – The Putin State Chronicles – which provides “some great examples of the natural/mafia state in action.”
Russia: Search for Liza Fomkina and Her Aunt
On her blog and in a Moscow News column, Natalia Antonova writes about the search for Liza Fomkina and her aunt, who went missing in a town near Moscow on...
Russia: Shnurov's “Khimki Forest” Song
A Good Treaty writes about and translates Sergei Shnurov's “Khimki Forest” song, “an obvious satire of liberal-leaning musicians prone to activist art.”
Russia: Controversy On Twitter Use in the Government
Russian General Prosecutor's Office registered [RUS] a Twitter-account @genproc [RUS]. Previously [RUS], Federal Anti-monopoly Service got @rus_fas [RUS] account. While more than 20 high [RUS] Russian officials already started tweeting, country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is...
Belarus President Refused to Start a Blog
Blogger pilgrim-67 sarcastically comments [RUS] on Alexander Lukashenko's decision not to start a blog [RUS]: “That's a pity. I would be excited to read about Belarus cows and gaz wars in his blog […]...
Russia: Microsoft and Suppression of Dissent
Reactions to the Sept. 11 New York Times’ story about Microsoft and raids on advocacy groups by the Russian security services – at Oleg Kozlovsky’s English Weblog, Streetwise Professor, and...
Russia: Campaign To Save Pavlovsk Experimental Station
Vaviblog draws attention to the campaign to save Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov's Pavlovsk seed bank from destruction.
Russia, Poland: “The Fog Surrounding the Crash Remains”
Streetwise Professor writes about the ongoing inquiry into the April 10 plane crash that killed the Polish president and 95 others, reporting this, among other things: “Most peculiarly, the air...
Russia: Medvedev's “Chutzpah”
At The Huffington Post, Simon Shuster urges PM Putin to ask himself where President Medvedev got “such chutzpah”: “[Medvedev] is seen as having his own agenda for reforms, independent and...
