Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from December, 2009
Russia, U.S.: Billy Joel in 1987
Siberian Light writes about Billy Joel, “who stumped up $2.5 million of his own cash, and became the first American rock star to tour the Soviet Union with a fully staged show” in 1987.
The Balkans: Sarajevo-Belgrade Train
Balkanology Blog reports on the recent launch of a direct Sarajevo-Belgrade train, the first one “in almost two decades.” CAFÉ TURCO recalls Serbia's recent history in a post titled “Serbia through the eyes of a train traveller (me).”
Hungary: Faluház/”Village House” in Budapest
BudapestZin writes about the renovation of Faluház/”Village House,” Budapest's largest apartment building: “In 844 apartments, more than 3000 people live in this building. That is approximately the population of an average Hungarian village.”
Russia: Stroganina in Yakutia
AskYakutia.com writes about stroganina, “the first traditional dish that will be offered you to try in Yakutia in winter.”
Lithuania: Buying Lithuanian (in Poland)
With a Grain of Druska reports on the Delphi portal users’ “quotation of the year” choice: “I follow the slogan ‘buy Lithuanian products’, but I buy them in Poland. There Lithuanian products are about half the price.”
Russia: Livejournal Shuts Down Putin's Critic
Russian popular blogging platform Livejournal has suspended an account of a historian Yuri Felshtinsky [ENG] after he had published a link to a Russian translation of his book “The Age of Assassins: The Rise and Rise of Vladimir Putin” [ENG].
Ukraine: Election and Freedom of Speech
Foreign Notes writes about the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine and the impact that its outcome may have on the freedom of speech: “It must be dispiriting for journalists to know how little impact is made by their revelations of Ukraine's leaders’ systematic abuse of power, and a worry to...
Russia: Kaliningrad's “Contraband Industry”
St Petersblurb writes about Kaliningrad authorities’ failure to deal with the region's flourishing “contraband industry.”
Poland, China: Lack of Response to Akmal Shaikh's Case
Polandian writes about Poland's lack of response to the execution of Akmal Shaikh in China: “[…] Akmal spent quite some time in Poland, was married to a Pole and is survived by two Polish children. The question was therefore raised as to why Poland did not join in the call...
Belarus: New Internet Censorship Regulations Planned
Belarus Digest writes about the alleged plans of the government to introduce “additional measures to regulate Internet in Belarus.”
Russia: Yeltsin's Daughter Blogs About Oligarch
Tatyana Yumasheva (LJ user t_yumasheva), daughter of the former Russian President Boris Yeltsin , recollects [Google Translation in EN] on her blog the early years of Roman Abramovich, Russian oligarch and the 51st richest person in the world.
Russia: “Criminalisation of Tourists”
St Petersblurb describes a recent misadventure at the Russian-Polish border and explains that “the criminalisation of tourists is just another huge nail in the coffin of Russia’s tourist industry.”
Russia: Role of Stalin Debated on RuNet
Heated discussions on RuNet in the wake of the 130th anniversary of Joseph Stalin showed how divided people are regarding his role in Russian history.
Slovakia: Coal That Does Not Burn
Tibor Blazko writes about Slovaks being fooled into buying coal from Poland that does not burn, but not taking legal action to fight fraud, and translates a few comments that show how differently Slovaks view what has happened.
Ukraine: The Pickle Project
The Uncataloged Museum introduces The Pickle Project, “an ongoing effort to document and share traditional foodways in rural communities in Ukraine as a way of understanding issues of sustainability, change and community.”
Serbia: EU Membership Application
Eternal Remont draws attention to some dubious math in Serbia's president's EU membership application speech.
Moldova: Public Menorah Crushed in Chisinau
Eternal Remont writes about the destruction of a public menorah in the capital of Moldova and cites a response issued by the Russian Orthodox Church: “We believe that this unpleasant incident could have been avoided if the menorah had been placed near a memorial for victims of the Holocaust.”
Russia: Irresponsible Extreme Travel in Yakutia
AskYakutia.com writes about irresponsible extreme travelers who end up having to be rescued.
Belarus: Santa & Snow Maidens Protest in Minsk
Belarus Digest reports on a protest rally against “restrictions on the public activities of unregistered organizations” that was held in Minsk on Dec. 22 by “one Santa, 14 Snow Maidens, and 5 New Year’s Bunnies.” Andrei Khrapavitski posts a few pictures from a Belarusian village on the eve of the...
Poland: Language and Identity Abroad
Raf Uzar writes about the Polish language and identity abroad – here and here.
Hungary: Dunakeszi Marsh Rally; Slam Poetry
Belatedly, links to Marietta Le's posts on a recent environmental rally against construction that would destroy the Dunakeszi marsh, and on the Hungarian slam poetry.
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