Latest posts by Veronica Khokhlova from March, 2012
Slovenia: Family Code Referendum (and Other “Election Season” Updates)
Sleeping With Pengovsky has been covering Slovenia's referendum on the Family Code (here and here), the mayoral by-elections, and the upcoming presidential election.
Russia: Kenyans at Pro-Putin Rally Identified As Moscow Circus Acrobats
A month ago, the video of a group of anonymous Kenyan men, who allegedly participated in a pro-Putin rally, received much attention on the RuNet. One blogger recognized the Kenyans as the acrobats who had been brought to Moscow by the Russian circus authorities, to hone their skills and have them later perform here.
Belarus: “15+2=17″ – Bloggers React to Executions of Kanavalau and Kavalyou
At TOL's East of Center, Jeremy Druker and Anna Shamanska review and translate some of the reactions from the Belarusian blogosphere to last week's executions of the two young men convicted for the 2011 Minsk subway bombing: “Many Belarussian users on [… Vkontakte …] used pictures of Kavalyou and Kanavalau...
Ukraine: Oksana Makar's Gang Rape Case
Foreign Notes, EUobserver.com, and Ukrainiana write about Oksana Makar's horrible gang rape case. Media mentions, updates and fundraising info [ru, uk] is here (support site), here (Vkontakte page), and here (Twitter).
Russia: Madonna Responds to St. Petersburg “Gay Propaganda” Law Controversy
Singer Madonna has responded to the St. Petersburg “gay propaganda” law controversy on her Facebook page (21,226 ‘likes’, 2,372 shares, 1,422 comments so far): “[…] I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community, to support the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to...
Russia: “Anatomy of a Protest” Film Causes “NTV Lies” Scandal
On Sunday, March 18, there were old TV sets, a mock coffin, and plenty of flowers and cookies outside the Ostankino TV tower in Moscow, where a few hundred protesters gathered for a mock funeral of the "truthful television."
Macedonia: “Who Wants War in Macedonia?”
At civil4tolerance (tolerance-mk) blog, Xhabir Deralla explains why the Macedonian government is responsible for the current rise of interethnic violence.
The Balkans: Debating Angelina Jolie's Film and the Legacy of War
Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, has received much publicity, both positive and negative, in the Balkans, adding fuel to the ongoing debate on the legacy of the wars fought in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Slovakia: Parliamentary Election Update
The Economist's Eastern Approaches blog writes about the situation in Slovakia prior to the March 10 parliamentary election, and about the election's results.
Poland: Szczekociny Train Crash, Yet Another Tragedy
Polandian writes about the reactions to the March 3 deadly train crash in Szczekociny, Poland: “When the comments were gathered from the prominent politicians, one that stood out was [PM] Donald Tusk saying something like ‘…This is the worst disaster since… the last such tragedy’.”
Ukraine: Eurovision, Gaitana, and Racism
Odessablog writes about the Ukrainian far right's reaction to this year's Eurovision nomination – Gaitana, a Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent: “It doesn’t matter that she was born in Kyiv, has lived there all her life, is a Ukrainian citizen, or that her mother is a...
Russia: Putin as Presidential Candidate and as President-Elect
Eugene Ivanov of The Ivanov Report writes about Putin the presidential candidate and Putin the President-elect.
Russia: “The Way Forward”
OpenDemocracy.net posts an English translation of Yuri Saprykin's Lenta.ru text [ru] on the new, post-election goals of Russia's protest movement. (More insight into the March 4 presidential election and the opposition in Russia – from journalist Tikhon Dzyadko and an independent election observer Julia Chegodaikina.)
Russia: Anglophone Bloggers Discuss Election Fraud and Post-Election Future
Veronica Khokhlova reviews the most recent Anglophone blog discussions of the March 4 presidential election in Russia.
Russia: Ballot Stuffing or Machine Testing?
Glenn Kates (@gkates) shares a link to an election webcam video from a polling station in the North Ossetian village of Chikola, which “appears to show ballot stuffing.” “They could just be testing the machine though,” @gkates adds. Of the 91 comments on the video's YouTube page, the most popular...
Russia: Photos from Elections in Yakutsk
On the Yakutsk City Facebook page, local blogger Bolot Bochkarev (eYakutia is one of his projects) has started posting photos [ru] from the presidential and mayoral elections in the capital of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, which is six hours ahead of Moscow.
Russia: Pre-Election Summaries
At OpenDemocracy.net, LJ user drugoi (Rustem Adagamov) “outlines how his trust in the outgoing president vanished and sums up the mood in Russia’s capital just days ahead of the country’s presidential election.” Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog examines the “known knowns and unknown unknowns” of the upcoming vote and...
