Stories about Russia from August, 2010
Russia: Anothr Kemerovo Blogger Charged With Libel
A criminal case has been started against Alexander Sorokin (aka LJ user commentator40), Echo Moskvy reported [RUS]. He is charged with libel against Kemerovo governor Aman Tuleev [EN] for the post [RUS] in which he compares Russian regional governors to Latin American dictators. It is the second famous case [EN]...
Russia: Temporary LiveJournal Block in Ingushetia
Kaloy Akhilgov (aka LJ user kaloy), a press secretary of the president of Ingushetia [EN], confirmed [RUS] the block of LiveJournal.com in the republic [RUS]. He later wrote [RUS] that the block had been removed. The first news about regional block of LiveJournal [RUS] appeared on July 23rd, 2010 but...
Russia: “Watchmen Intro” Parody About Police
Popular Russian political designer and cartoonist Egor Zhgun (aka LJ user zhgun) published [RUS] his parody of “Watchmen Intro” involving sketches of famous misdeeds conducted by the Russian police.
Russian-Fires.ru, First Ushahidi Experience
Wildfires in central Russia have shown that the Russian blogosphere is capable of fast mobilization, cooperation and solidarity when it comes to natural disasters. The RuNet Echo team not only observed the blogosphere's reaction to the wildfires, but has become one of the few centers of coordination of volunteers and victims of the disaster.
Russia: Blogosphere Helps Man Fight Local Administration
This story has everything for an unconventional blockbuster: a lonely hero facing dozens of armed bad guys, corrupt police forces, private security firm, contract killers, and... thousands of bloggers fighting the system.
Russia: Internet Trolls for the Good?
Blogger fritzmorgen argues [RUS] in favor of Internet trolls [EN] in Russia. The bloggers claims that rolls help Russian bloggers improve their rhetorical skills, general knowledge and the ability to provide proper argumentation fast in the real life. In Russia, however, online arguments may lead to physical violence, he adds.
Russia: Yevgenia Chirikova – Leader of the Khimki Forest Defenders
The New Times posts a feature story [RUS] on Yevgenia Chirikova, a businesswoman who became the leader of the Khimki forest park defenders. Previously, several bloggers proposed [RUS] her as a candidate for the next presidential election.
Russia: Do Authorities Conceal Rate of Death Caused by Smog?
Blogger molitva-i-post writes [RUS] that Moscow medical services failed to evacuate the body of her grandfather who died of heat and smog. Hospitals and morgues are filled with the dead, blogger reported. Despite numerous similar cases, the Ministry of Health denied [RUS] the increase in death rate caused by high temperatures.
Georgia: Second anniversary of South Ossetia war
As Georgia marked the second anniversary of its August 2008 war with Russia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, online reaction has been mixed and largely polarized on geopolitical grounds.
Russia: Wildfire News Website Suspected to Be Attacked
LJ-user irka-knopkina writes [RUS] about a Vyksa city website [RUS] that is allegedly DDoS'ed for posting information about wildfires. Administration of a local factory prohibited access to the website to its employees, blogger added. Vyksa and surrounding areas were hit by severe wildfires recently.
Russia: Musicians Sign Petition for Detained Rapper
Ivan Alexeev (aka Noize MC ), a Volgograd-based rapper famous for its politically charged songs [EN], had been detained for 10 days after a concert where he sang an anti-police song. Blogger Norlink published [RUS] a petition for his defense that had been signed by the Russian rock-musicians.
China: Visa tales
With all the economic growth in China over the past few decades and a growing number of global travelers to match, have visa requirements for Chinese citizens been adapting in step? Well-heeled journalist Chen Zikun shares his experiences, see if or how any of them compare to yours.
Russia: New Bill to Rename Russian Police
Bloggers discuss [RUS] the Russian President's draft of police reforms bill published online at this website [RUS]. Proposed change of the name from “militsiya” [RUS] to “police,” one of the main symbolic changes in the draft, will alienate policemen even more, LJ user semen_serpent writes [RUS].
Russia: a Blogger That Wrote to Putin about Wildfires Regrets Writing
Alexander Pochkov (aka LJ user top-lap), shares [RUS] his regrets about writing to Russian Prime Minister [EN] Vladimir Putin. He claims he may lose his job and Putin's response made him a joke in the blogosphere. It would be better, he says, if he avoided writing and went to fight the...
Russia: Fires, Rynda and Putin Create Internet Meme
The coverage of Russian fires on the blogosphere took a different turn when notorious Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin replied to one of the posts on LiveJournal, popular blogging platform in the country, and, inadvertently, created a new Internet meme called "rynda."
Russia: Pro-Kremlin Youth Movements Allegedly Forge Photos
Blogger mr-bison posted a research [RUS] of photos published by two pro-Kremlin youth movements (“Nashi” and “Molodaya Gvardia“). He points out that all the photos of the pro-Kremlin activists where they “were fighting with wild fires” are forged.
Russia: Leader of Khimki Forest Defenders Detained
Yevgenia Chirikova, a civil rights activist and leader of the Khimki forest park defenders [EN] has been detained, infox.ru reported [EN]. More than 30 policemen came to detain her after she gave a press-conference in the Independent Press-Center.
Russia: Violence, Drinks and Love on Airborne Forces Day
LJ user zyalt decided to take a walk with a photo camera around Gorky Park in Moscow on the Airborne Forces Day (August 3). Here is his photo report.
Russia: Crowdsourcing assistance for victims of wildfires
Severe wildfires in Russia have continued to spread since last week, displacing thousands of citizens. A new website using Ushahidi software, Russian-fires.Ru, is mapping not the fires themselves, but citizens who need help and those who wish to offer help.
Video Contest: Internet for Peace
The Internet has been nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. As part of the ongoing debate on the contribution of Internet to our society, Condé Nast and Google Ireland have joined to organize this video contest and the winner will have the opportunity to travel and get their video featured on Italian MTV.
Russia: Pictures of Village Destroyed by Wild Fires
LJ user photomans posts [RUS] compelling pictures of Verkhnyaya Vereya, one of the villages destroyed by fires in Russia.
