· June, 2011

Stories about Russia from June, 2011

Belarus: Report from Another Non-Violent Protest Event

RuNet Echo  30 June 2011

Belarus Partizan publishes [ru] a detailed report (with photos and videos) on another non-violent protest action (#2906v1900 [ru/by]) in Belarus that took place on June 29, 2011. Police assisted by 3 buses of civilian police helpers (‘druzhinnik‘) and 2 BTRs detained nearly 100 participants. The next action organized by the net-based “Future...

Russia: Propagandist Videos Against Alexey Navalny Flood RuNet

RuNet Echo  29 June 2011

Anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny publishes [ru] examples of propagandist videos against him. One video claims [ru] (150,000 views) Navalny is mentally ill and needs help from a Dr Kurpatov, famous TV star. The other [ru] (152,000 views) – that Navalny is an American spy literally filled with dollars. Both techniques...

Russia / Afghanistan: Photos From A School in Kabul

Photoblogger zyalt publishes [ru] pictures from a school in Kabul, Afghanistan. Schools have neither electricity nor water. Students are forced to get into classrooms after breaks by class monitors. Despite all this, comprehensive education would be unimaginable in Afghanistan just ten years ago, blogger writes.

Russia/Moldova: Eduard Bagirov, Internet Hooligan, Arrested in Moldova

RuNet Echo  28 June 2011

Bloggers discuss [ru] the 30-day arrest [ru] of Eduard Bagirov [ru], writer and a blogger close to pro-Kremlin propagandists, in Moldova. Oleg Kozyrev says [ru], Bagirov's arrest is connected with his activity as a commentator on Moldova unrest in 2009. Kommersant, however, provides [ru] the official Moldovan version – Bagirov (known...

Video: Celebrating the Solstice

  27 June 2011

The celebrations for Summer and Winter Solstices were full of lanterns, dances, flowers and bonfires. Lets tour around the world to check out the different celebrations: Solstice at Stonehenge, Feast of Saint John's bonfires in Spain, Inti Raymi in Peru, we tripantu in Chile and Kupala Day in Russia or Midsummer's night in Poland.

Russia: Deciphering Covert “Bath Salt” Drug Advertisements

  27 June 2011

LJ-user re3 writes [ru] about covert drug graffiti (e.g. “Aromatic salt – call center 24 hours”). Graffiti look like regular guerrilla ads air sprayed on the building walls. They, however, advertise fast delivery of the so called “Bath Salt” drug. The blogger claims whole Urals region is filled with such ads, some of which, might be...

Russia: The Origins of Anti-Clericalism in the Blogosphere

RuNet Echo  20 June 2011

T.Chumakova at portal-credo.ru writes [ru] about anti-clericalism in the LiveJournal communities. She distinguishes 5 types of anti-clerical users and lists the origins of the phenomenon: 1. “Influence of neo-pagans, Old Style Believers, Protestants, and other ‘external agents’,” 2. Lack of religious education, 3. Transformation of the Orthodox church into the ritual...

“Russia For All” Exhibition Sparks Off Discussions On Russian Identity

RuNet Echo  20 June 2011

Bloggers actively discuss [ru] “Russia For All” [ru, .pdf] exhibition. Viktor Bondarenko and Dmitri Gutov, the authors, aim to combat the nationalist slogan “Russia for Russians.” Each painting contains a name of a well-known historical person and his/her ethnic origin. In the numerous discussions around the blogosphere, netizens ask a question,...

Russia: Ministry's Online Blunders

RuNet Echo  16 June 2011

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has recently started to mobilise on the Internet and in the past weeks two important events have taken place in the Internet world which have drawn attention to Ministry's activities.

Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania: 70th anniversary of deportations

RuNet Echo  16 June 2011

Otto's Random Thoughts commemorates the 70th anniversary of deportations from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania following the June 1940 Soviet occupation of the countries, whereas Itching for Eestimaa reflects upon the political and social legacy of the deportations for Estonia.

Russia: Southstream as a hoax

RuNet Echo  15 June 2011

Streetwise Professor questions whether Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom will actually build the Southstream gas pipeline – the main competitor to the Western-financed Nabucco pipeline.

Russia: Yuri Budanov's Assassination Exposes Deep Wounds of Chechen Wars

RuNet Echo  15 June 2011

The June 10 assassination of Yuri Budanov, the former Russian army colonel convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old Chechen woman during the Second Chechen War, has reignited inter-ethnic tensions both online and offline, and reinforced the feeling of bitter disappointment with what appears to be a permanent state of lawlessness in the country.

Russia: New Initiative to Enforce TV Morality

RuNet Echo  14 June 2011

An initiative to create a Public Oversight Board for media control in Russia may seem like a passage from Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four but it is a reality in the country, which still struggles to accept the concept of democracy and free speech.