Latest posts by Vilhelm Konnander
Estonia: Language and History
Giustino of Ithing for Eestimaa discusses Estonians’ obsession with language – and especially their own as opposed to Russian – against the backdrop of a recent interview with the country's president Toomas Ilves.
Belarus-Poland: Ex Presidential Candidate Arrested in Warzaw
According to LJ user artem_ablozhei [ru], former Belarus presidential candidate Ales Michalevic earlier today was arrested at Warzaw airport by Polish police acting on an extradition request by Belarus authorities.
Slovenia: Photography Under Legal Attack
Stefan Geens of Dliberation discusses how photography is under legal attack in Slovenia, since the country's information commissioner has decided that all faces in published panoramic photography should be blurred out – a decision with great consequences for the Slovenian photo scene.
Russia: Super Babushka Competition
Kyle Keeton of Windows to Russia writes about the 2011 Moscow Super Babushka Competition, and how it is a way for local authorities to shed light upon the important social role of the babushka (grandmother) in Russian society.
Slovenia: Projections for Parliamentary Elections
Sleeping with Pengovsky analyses opinion polls for the upcoming December 4 parliamentary elections in Slovenia.
Ukraine: Petroleum Sets Fire to Party of Regions Tactics
LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about a rising scandal in Ukraine, where the governing Party of Regions allegedly used a petroleum trade scam to finance the party during election campaigns.
Ukraine: Turning into a European Pariah?
Jonathan Hibberd of Chicken in Kiev addresses how Ukrainian politicians are increasingly becoming a pariah in the European Union, following the verdict of opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko.
Croatia: Alcatraz of Yugoslavia
Bill Kralovec of Bill's Blog recounts the story of the Adriatic prison island of Goli otok – the Alcatraz of Yugoslavia – where Yugoslavia held its political prisoners during the reign of Tito.
Lithuania: Corruption within the Educational System
Alan Hendrixson of With a Grain of Druska discusses problems arising from corruption within Lithuanian education and health system.
Latvia: Graffiti and Decay in Riga
Juris Kaža of Failed State Latvia? writes about graffiti and social decay in Latvian capital Riga.
Albania: One in three pays bribes
Home of the Albanian Blogger reports that one out of three Albanians pays bribes, making the country the most corrupt in Europe.
Russia: Beslan Watershed for Democracy
I am Donna Welles writes about Beslan on the 7th anniversary of the hostage crisis claiming hundreds of lives, becoming a watershed for the downslide of Russian democracy.
Russia: Intoxicating Economics
Streetwise Professor argues against the bad economics of promoting Russian wine production to turn consumption patterns from stronger to weaker alcoholic beverages in order to fight the country's rampant alcoholism.
Latvia: Electoral Expectations
Veiko Spolitis of Baltic blog spans the pollster field in the runup to the 17 September parliamentary elections in Latvia and finds that a great but decreasing proportion of voters are still undecided.
Russia: Alcohol Consumption Down
Russland in der Krise! notes [ger] that alcohol consumption in Russia has decreased from 18 to 15 litres of alcohol, and attributes the decrease to a change in consumer habits and less availability.
Russia: 20 Years After the Putsch
Putin Watcher joins in commemorating all the bicentennials of soviet demise coming up this August by writing about the failed coup against Gorbachev in 1991.
Russia: Arresting Political Opposition
Vladimir Kara-Murza of Spotlight on Russia argues that Putin's Russia is becoming increasingly Kafkaesque as opposition leader Boris Nemtsov again – twice in two days – has been arrested for exercising political rights and freedoms, at the same time as Prime Minister Putin is seemingly becoming all the more detached...
Ukraine: Closing Window to West
LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about increasing western critique against the trials against former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Timoshenko, and several of her ex-colleagues, and how this – combinded with corruption and bad business climate – is effectively closing the window to integration with the European Union.
Baltics-Sweden: Twenty Years of Independence
Albatros of Litauen blog reports about [ger] Swedish celebrations of 20 years of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and how Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, apologised to his Baltic colleagues for recognizing soviet annexation during World War II.
Russia: Volga German Deportation Turns 70
Otto's Random Thoughts commemorates the 70th anniversary of the soviet deportation of Volga Germans during the Second World War.
Serbia: Dramatic Return of the Chetniks
Carl Savich of Serbianna writes about the 1942 radio play, Treasury Parade, starring Orson Welles, and how it glorifies the Chetniks’ struggle against Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
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