Stories about Russia from September, 2008
Russia: Ukrainian NGOs Exporting Orange Ideas?
Osteuropablog discusses [GER] an article on Rosbalt.Ru about a perceived threat of Ukrainian NGOs in southern Russia bringing an Orange Revolution to the country.
Estonia-Finland: Divided views on dealing with Russia
Itching for Eestima discusses how Finland deals with its Russian neighbour in the Georgia war context and reflects on Estonia's role.
Russia: Getting the Message Through
Kosmopolit comments on the difficulties for Russian leaders to get their message through internationally, when their political language does not come across to their audience.
Russia: Western Response
Robert Amsterdam writes that “the Western response to [the Russian-Georgian conflict] should be mercantile and specific. The West should attack the visas, bank accounts and financial transactions of those involved in the planning of this invasion, as well as those who intend to invest in these occupied territories.”
Russia: South Park Extremism
Sean's Russia Blog reports: “The Russian Extremism Law has found a new target: South Park.”
U.S.: Obama and McCain on Russia
Sean's Russia Blog notes that Barack Obama and John McCain “are basically saying the same thing” about Russia in their speeches: “Both are rather bland statements that are more to say that they know Russia exists rather than how to deal with it.”
Georgia: War With Russia Poll
Social Science in the Caucasus comments on a telephone opinion poll conducted in the aftermath of the recent Russia-Georgia conflict over South Ossetia. Although the specialist blog says that this is the first time it has heard of the pollsters, it provides its readers with the results in which 42.4...
Russia: Washington Post's Coverage
The Ivanov Report dissects the Washington Post's recent coverage of Russia: “What was somewhat surprising, though, was the level of the Post's attention to the topic: between August 9 and September 2, the Post has published a whopping 37 editorials and op-eds (and I might have missed some) — not...
Russia: Personal Responsibility
Estonian blogger Flasher T of AnTyx writes this in response to a post about Russia by the Economist's Edward Lucas: “I am disappointed in Edward Lucas for perpetuating this intellectual farce. They would have us believe that all the evil and injustice of Russia is down to the Chekists, or...
Russia: The Economist's Debate
Vilhelm Konnander and Wu Wei weigh in on the debate on Russia vs. the West currently taking place on the Economist's website.
Russia: Life on an Oil Drilling Platform
White Sun of the Desert blogs – here and here – about life on an oil drilling platform 15 km off Sakhalin Island.
Russia: Pipeline “Victory”
Window on Eurasia writes about Russia's “major victory on pipelines”: “[…] the Russian government will now have full and uncontested control over pipelines between the Caspian basin and the West which pass through Russian territory and will be able either directly or through its clients like the PKK to disrupt...
Russia: Thoughts on Magomed Yevloev's Murder
Window on Eurasia discusses a recent piece on Magomed Yevloev's murder: “Moreover, the West […] is too focused on talking to Moscow ‘about the interpretation of the third paragraph of the fourth point of ht Medvedev-Sarkozy plan’ to be concerned with such ‘details’ as a political murder, ‘lest it put...
Russia-Georgia: Unimportance of Political Events
Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog questions the importance of events and how they are spun by the media, and posts a few examples to prove the point in relation to the Russia-Georgia war.
Russia: American and European expectations of Russia
The 8th Circle draws attention to the Transatlantic Trends 2008 report, dealing with e.g. views toward a Reassertive Russia, NATO’s mission in Afghanistan, and Turkey’s relations with the West.
Russia, Georgia: War and Art
IZO writes about the possible impact of the Russian-Georgian conflict on the art world and freedom of speech.
Russia: St. Pete Remembers Beslan
A few photos from a Beslan commemoration event in St. Petersburg – by LJ user alter-gregor (RUS).
Abkhazia: Vacation Photos
Vacation photos from Abkhazia, by LJ user zyalt – here, here, here and here.
Caucasus: More Journalists Attacked, Killed
Following the death in police custody of a prominent critic of the authorities in Ingushetia, Terror News Briefs says that a rare anti-government rally held to protest the death of yet another journalist in the Russian Federation is sign of increased volatility in the Caucasus. Meanwhile, The Other Russia comments...
Russia: Four Years Since The End of Beslan School Siege
Natalia Antonova writes this on the fourth anniversary of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis: “And, for many of us, the world has not been the same since. That’s all I can say about it, really. Although, even though I’ve linked to C.J. Chivers’ “The School” before, I’ll go ahead...
Russia: “Is Putin a Closet Republican?”
Sean's Russia Blog wrote on Aug. 31 that “for some, Putin’s Republican affinities are all too clear: Putin is a [closet neocon] and the his real intent of his [interview with CNN] was to cast [a veiled vote for John McCain]. There are 243 comments to this post now.