Stories about Russian from May, 2008
Ukraine, Russia: Personae Non Gratae
On May 12, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was declared persona non grata in Ukraine, following his calls for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. On May 15, Russia denied entry to Vladyslav Kaskiv, one of the leaders of the 2004 protests in Kyiv and member of the Our Ukraine/People's Self-Defense faction in the Ukrainian parliament. LJ user varfolomeev66, a Russian journalist, compares the two cases.
Uzbekistan: Tashkent blogged
It is very interesting to notice that during the recent days the Uzbek blogosphere was mainly discussing Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. Today, Tashkent is at a stand of its beauty, as it is too early for summer heat and it is green and clean also. For a long...
Kazakhstan: Diplomacy of Stars
Publicist reports on the “Diplomacy of Stars” Festival that has taken place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and provides photos of the post-Soviet classic music celebrities [ru].
Ukraine: A View From Crimea
Last week, Ukraine banned Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov from the country, after he called for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. The incident received much coverage in the Russian and Ukrainian media and blogs. Below is one more post, written by a Russophone resident of Balaklava, a Crimean town that has an official status of a district of the city of Sevastopol.
Tajikistan: The power of gossip
Recently, the Uzbek website UzMetronom disseminated information about possible murder of Hasan Sadulloev, the bother-in-law of Tajik President Rahmon. Hasan is considered to be one of the wealthiest and powerful persons in today's Tajikistan. According to the website, Hasan was shot by his nephew on May 2 and died in...
Moldova, Turkey: Natalya Morar's Istanbul Airport Adventure
Natalia Morar, a journalist who was deported from Russia after a Russian magazine ran her stories on the alleged siphoning of huge sums of money abroad by the country's high-ranking officials, blogs about how she almost got deported from Turkey by the unsuspecting Turkish border guards.
Russia: Oleg Kozlovsky Update
Political activist Oleg Kozlovsky blogs about his release from jail: “I look a little worse for wear because I refused to eat while in prison as a way of protesting against the obviously illegal nature of my arrest and trial.” LJ user ivansim reported (RUS) that Kozlovsky was hospitalized shortly...
Russia: British Fans and UEFA Cup
LJ user yashin posts LJ user marie_automne‘s pictures of the British football fans arriving in Moscow for the Champions League final. Pictures of Moscow posts a photo report from the “idol worship” in Moscow's Red Square, where the UEFA Cup is being displayed next to Lenin's Tomb.
Armenia: “Non-Armenians”
Seetizen, the blog of a youth activist in Armenia, decries the latest action by the pro-radical opposition Hima youth movement — a list which labels various celebrities, political figures and others as “non-Armenian” because of their support for the authorities. And Nothing Else Matters also weighs in with its own...
Russia: Roses and Migrant Workers
Russian photographer Oleg Klimov visited a commercial greenhouse outside Moscow and posted his observations about a birthplace of the roses one buys in Russia's capital.
Kazakhstan: Monuments, Economics, Gender and Media
The blogosphere of Kazakhstan was not too keen to discuss perturbations in the official government. The traditional May holidays have become a naturally most popular theme, however many other issues were also traced by the bloggers. Thus, pycm posts a photo of the Eternal Fire monument in Atyrau, a city...
Ukraine: Moscow Mayor's Sevastopol Controversy
Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov got himself barred from Ukraine this week, after announcing during a trip to Sevastopol - "a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy" - that the city did not belong to Ukraine. Below are a few opinions from the Russophone blogosphere.
Russia: “Rules” for Activists
“A Russian blogger has offered six detailed rules for those who wish “to engage in civic activism” in that country without risking being “beaten in the head,” a guide that highlights both what cautious Russians can do to advance their interests at little risk to themselves — and what they...
Uzbekistan: Unwanted Changes
After the disintegration of the USSR, the Soviet communist identity and ideology ceased to exist and the new countries confronted the vital problems of defining new identities and ideologies. Most of the ex-Soviet countries were quick to give up the past and embrace the new life with new national values...
Musical instruments from around the world
Videos with interesting instruments from different corners of the world, including some made from recycled cans and plastic sodabottles, a record of how didgeridoos are made, and a Russian folk song on a hurdy gurdy.
Russia: Victory Day
Victory Day was as much of an event in the Russian blogosphere as it was in the streets of Moscow and other Russian cities on May 9. Veronica Khokhlova reviews some of the posts.
Russia: Putin Out, Medvedev In
On Wednesday, Dmitry Medvedev became Russia's third post-Soviet president. Bloggers discuss the outgoing president's legacy, the political situation in Russia, and the traffic situation in Moscow on the day of Medvedev's inauguration.
Russia: “The March, Sort Of”
The Russian opposition was to hold a protest rally on May 6 in Moscow, on the eve of Dmitry Medvedev's inauguration as president Vladimir Putin's replacement, but city officials refused to allow it - and leaders of the oppositional coalition ended up canceling the Dissenters' March at the last minute. Dozens of protesters were detained by police anyway.
Tajikistan: Electricity in Exchange of Salaries
The mayor of Dushanbe and Chairman of the Tajik Parliament's Upper Chamber Mamadsaid Ubaidulloev proposed a strange way to raise funds for construction of Rogun hydropower station – one of the biggest energy projects in Tajikistan. He calculated all salaries of the Dushanbe residents and drew a conclusion that if...
