· February, 2008

Stories about Ukraine from February, 2008

Ukraine: Baba Paraska

  25 February 2008

Ukrainiana writes about Baba Paraska, “an elderly activist easily recognized as the icon of the Orange Revolution,” and her birthday wishes to president Yushchenko.

Ukraine, Russia: “An Octopus of Cash and Gas Flows”

  25 February 2008

Ukrainiana sums up the results of Yulia Tymoshenko's recent visit to Moscow: “It’s still unclear when and to what extent the current matryoshka system will be redesigned in favor of a more transparent one. The system Ukraine has today — an octopus of cash and gas flows — hinders energy...

Ukraine: Yanukovych's Real Estate

  25 February 2008

Ukrainiana translates and comments on Victor Yanukovych's controversial statements about the state-owned real estate he is allegedly attempting to privatize at “at a discount price.”

Russia, Ukraine: February 23

  25 February 2008

Scraps of Moscow, Ukrainiana, and Windows to Russia! write about the Defender of the Fatherland Day (formerly known as the Soviet Army Day). Feb. 23 also happens to be president Victor Yushchenko's birthday, and, as Window on Eurasia points out, it is also the day on which Stalin’s deportation of...

Ukraine: Yatsenyuk and Highway Patrol

  20 February 2008

Ukrainiana writes about Ukraine's parliamentary speaker's rough encounter with the “Ukrainian driving culture” – impersonated by “the deputy chief of Kobra, a special highway patrol force authorized to inspect officials’ cars.”

Kosovo: Views from the Russophone Blogosphere

  20 February 2008

According to the Yandex Blogs portal, over 3,700 posts on Kosovo independence have appeared in the Russian-language blogosphere in the past three days. Some of these posts have received dozens, if not hundreds, of comments. Below are a few snippets of this lively discussion, all translated from Russian.

Ukraine: Baloha's New Project; Rudkovsky's Crime

  18 February 2008

Foreign Notes reports on a new political project of president Yushchenko's chief of staff Victor Baloha, and on how Mykola Rudkovsky's alleged crime – “misappropriation of state funds and flying abroad on private visits” – is actually pretty common in Ukraine's governing circles.

Kosovo & Serbia: Independence Blogging

  18 February 2008

Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday, Feb. 17, has caused both celebrations and protests - as well as plenty of media coverage and an avalanche of blog posts. Below is a selection of some Anglophone bloggers' views.

Ukraine, Russia: NATO Politics

  15 February 2008

Foreign Notes writes about Ukraine's NATO-related politics and the muted response to Putin's comment about re-targeting Russian missiles against Ukraine.

Ukraine: Kyiv-Lviv Marshrutka

  15 February 2008

Olechko writes about her trip from Kyiv to Lutsk by marshrutka – and posts yet another beautiful sketch (be sure to click on the thumbnail to enlarge it).

Russia: Bribes

  14 February 2008

Moscow Rules writes about corruption and reposts a table of “the current going rate for bribes people have to pay to do business here in Russia,” originally published in a Russian business daily.