Latest posts by Veronica Khokhlova from January, 2008
Ukraine: Minimum Wage vs MPs’ Income
Ukrainiana compares Ukraine's nationwide minimum wage with MPs’ official salaries.
Serbia, Slovenia: Kosovo Independence
Dr. Filomena writes on Kosovo's independence and explains why she thinks Slovenia should not be the first to recognize it: “If for no other reason, then for the sake of our investments in Serbia.”
Russia: German Sadulayev's Appeal
Window on Eurasia writes about a Chechen writer's appeal to his fellow countrymen.
Poland, Scotland: Wojtek the Polish War Hero Bear
The beatroot writes about Wojtek the Polish war hero bear.
Estonia: Fewer Stateless People
Itching for Eestimaa reports that the number of Estonia's stateless persons continues to decrease.
Czech Republic, Serbia: Embassy Corruption
The Czech Daily Word writes on the corruption scandal at the Czech Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
Serbia, Albania: Kosovo Rapper
BBC's Mark Mardell interviews “Kosovo’s premier rapper” Genc Prevlaka.
Czech Republic: Presidential Debate
Dr. Sean's Diary comments on the Czech presidential debate between incumbent Václav Klaus and challenger Jan Švejnar.
Serbia: Kostunica's Choice
A Fistful of Euros explains why PM Kostunica's refusal to endorse either of the candidates is good for Nikolic and bad for Tadic.
Ukraine: Affordable Housing
Ukrainiana writes on what looks like a competition between Ukraine's PM and president in promising a better mortgage deal to the electorate.
Albania: President Bamir Topi
A Fistful of Euros writes about Albania's president and some of his policies.
Russia: Osoaviakhim-1
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the Soviet balloon Osoaviakhim-1, which reached the record altitude of 22,000 meters on Jan. 30, 1934, but crashed during the descent.
Russia: Khodorkovsky on Hunger Strike
Robert Amsterdam posts updates on Mikhail Khodorkovsky's hunger strike in protest against the treatment of jailed former Yukos executive Vasily Alexanyan – here and here.
Russia: No Future for “Nashi”?
Robert Amsterdam and Vilhelm Konnander write about what looks like the end of pro-Putin youth movement Nashi.
Russia: Internet Regulations
Perspectives on the new Russia writes about the Russian government's plans to regulate the internet.
Albania, Italy: Adrian Paci
Living in Shkoder writes about the work of Adrian Paci, an Albania-born, Italy-based artist.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Against Division
Balkanizer comes up with “an argument against the division of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”
Belarus, Latvia: “Ploshcha”
Marginalia watches Ploshcha (“The Square”), a film about the March 2006 mass protests in Minsk – “and watching it is a good way to mark Ceauşescu's birthday and Suharto's death” – and muses on freedom in Latvia and the lack of it in Belarus.
Latvia: Law Firm's Name Change Attempt
Can you imagine a law firm with a name like this: “Viss mainījies skaļi klusēja migla virs pļavām aiz upes un jenotiņš to sajuta tik skaidri ka aizrāvās elpa un nosvīda uz ceļgaliem rātni uzliktās ķepiņas.” Latvian authorities cannot, either, according to Latvian Abroad.
Poland: New Government's Problems
The beatroot reports: “‘Civic Platform are clueless.’ That’s what many are saying of Poland’s still fledgling government. It must be the shortest political honeymoon in history.”
Slovenia: Janša, Janša, Janša
Adventures in Wheelville writes about “the new (and rather mysterious) art group Janša, Janša, Janša, a group of artists who'd recently changed their names to that of the Prime Minister for reasons which they would not divulge to the public.”