Stories about Russia from May, 2023
Russia may ban transgender transitioning
Over the past year, the situation for the transgender community in Russia has significantly deteriorated. in May 2023 the Ministry of Justice actively discussed either making more difficult or completely banning transgender transition.
‘Almost all famous artists have left or will leave [Russia], and those who remain will be blacklisted and banned’
For Russian rock, the “golden era” was the years of the underground, the end of the 70s and the first half of the 80s. The question is, will this “new underground” emerge?
Protests break out in Georgia as Russia flight routes resume
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned since 2019, on President Putin's orders, following Russian lawmaker Sergey Gavrilov's visit to the country in June 2019. They just reopened to much controversy.
The stories of Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to Islam
Their conversion is partly the result of the re-Islamization of Kyrgyzstan, which started in 1991, after Kyrgyzstan gained independence.
Creative initiatives add new content from Central and South Eastern Europe to Wikipedia
From the Baltic to the Balkans, enthusiastic groups from Central and Eastern Europe are finding innovative ways to enrich the Wikipedia, which serves as a primary source of educational content in the region.
Russian refugees: What changed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Now some Russians persecuted for their anti-war stance, or those running from military draft, are also among asylum seekers
Central Asian leaders display loyalty to Kremlin at the military parade in Moscow
Russia’s allies in Central Asia are in a delicate position. They have to maintain neutrality while being pressured by Russia, who is leveraging the region’s political, security, and economic reliance.
Building the homo militaris: Russia’s long game of militarized patriotism
The Kremlin’s promotion of militaristic patriotism has had a strong effect on Russian society. But the Soviet legacy of cynicism and “double-think” is actually working to mitigate it.
Russia arrests anti-war poet, claims terrorism charges for a theatre play
This is the first case of detention for a play in today's Russia. Prison sentences on charges for "publicly justifying terrorism" involve five to seven years in prison.
Fertile ground for con artists in Ukraine and Russia: 30 years of scams
Spartak Subbota promoted himself in Ukraine as a scientist, doctor, and psychology guru with an average 500,000 YouTube audience. A journalistic investigation suggested that the celebrity faked his biography and credentials.
Why don't global south postcolonial countries associate themselves with post-Soviet countries of Eastern Europe?
Analogies between postcolonialism and postsocialism might be too quick and, at the very least, require examining the region’s active participation in the policing of the physical and symbolic borders of “Europe.”
Russian citizens seeking citizenship in Ukraine are left in legal limbo
In 2022, their Russian IDs became toxic, and many found themselves unwelcome in Ukraine. Since the invasion began, more and more are seeing their legal documents expire.
The Lachin Corridor standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan ends, for now
On April 28, the Azerbaijani "eco-activists" blocking the Lachin Corridor near Shusha (Shushi) have suspended their action following the installation of an Azerbaijani border checkpoint on the corridor on April 23.
Antiwar art on the streets of Saint Petersburg: A form of resistance
A showcase of antiwar art that appeared on the streets of Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2023, all of which have already been destroyed by the authorities.
