· July, 2008

Stories about Russia from July, 2008

Russia: Reaction to Captive Nations Speech

  29 July 2008

Former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar comments on the negative Russian reactions to US president's George Bush parallel between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in a recent speech celebrating the Captive Nations’ week. Idel-Ural Kray presents an alternative view (RUS) of the matter.

Latvia, Russia: Views of European Court Ruling

  29 July 2008

Marginalia presents a Latvian view of the background to and case of Kononov vs. Latvia, which Latvia lost last week in the European Court of Human Rights, whereas Voices from Russia gives a Russian view of perceived Latvian motives for the original war crimes’ charges against Kononov.

Soviet History: The Afghan War

The Turkish Invasion writes at length about the Soviet Afghan War and posts pictures from the memorial in Kyiv. Window on Eurasia writes that Russian Afghan War vets “want Moscow to celebrate their war too.”

Latvia: European Court Goes Against Riga

  27 July 2008

Who has the right to pass judgment on what a man does in the service of his country during wartime and what should the legal grounds for such a verdict be? These are some of the key issues surrounding a legal process on WWII war crimes against a soviet veteran, Vasily Kononov, that has been dragged through the Latvian legal system since 1998. However, earlier this week, the European Court of Human Rights found that Latvia lacked legal grounds for prosecuting Kononov. Following the verdict, the Russian blogosphere has generally reacted with joy and relief, although there have also been some opposing voices.

Russia, US: A Cuba Crisis in the Making

  26 July 2008

Der Spiegelfechter (GER) comments on rumours in Moscow, according to which Russia might station strategic bombers on Cuba in reply to deployment of the US missile defence system to Poland and the Czech Republic. Is it a new Cuba crisis in the making?

Russia: Statistics – True or False?

  25 July 2008

LJ community Politika v Rossii (RUS) discusses results from a set of Russian opinion polls, quite alarming for the government, and asks whether the figures are true or false.

Russia: Increasing Difficulties for Expats

  25 July 2008

Copydude argues that foreigners living in Russia are experiencing increasing difficulties with staying on due to stiffer visa regulations, and even portrays the situation as an exodus for expats from the country.

Russia: Orthodox Instead of Universal Values?

  25 July 2008

A Step At A Time quotes an RFE/RL piece on the adoption by the Russian Orthodox Church of its Basic Principles on Human Dignity, Freedom, and Rights. One of its authors, Eurasianist Aleksandr Dugin, argues that the 1948 UN Human Rights declaration should be reexamined. Western HR-values should be replaced...