Global Voices Online

Streetwise Professor posts a detailed update on Russia's financial problems: “Whichever way Medvedev or Putin […] turn, they face stark choices. Protect the Ruble – burn through the reserves or throw an already wobbly economy into a tailspin by jacking interest rates. Let the Ruble fall – serious potential for political unrest and the almost certain destruction of Putin’s credibility and reputation as the man who restored Russia from its last default. Bail out the oligarchs – say goodbye to dollars and euros. Let the oligarchs default – say goodbye to Russian control over the “crown jewels” of Russian industry, or keep control of them by repudiating foreign commitments and forget about foreign capital for a long time to come.”

Recent Links also in Eastern & Central Europe

The Russian president's mansion became a topic of discussions on the Internet when people found a bidding offers invitation for services at the government Web site [RUS] dealing with different types of tenders. Giving the coordinates identical with the ones of the most important residency in the country, the government was seeking a company capable of providing services for a mansion with a church, golf and mini-golf courses, four swimming pools, three fountains, two saunas, a VIP-restaurant and stables.

Hundreds of young anti-fascists gathered in the center of Moscow. They mourned the murder of Ivan Khutorskoy, an activist of “Antifa,” Russian anti-fascist movement. A blogger chtodelat claims [ENG] it's the sixth “Antifa” murder in Russia during the last few years. The photos of the gathering made by lj-user ottenki_serogo can be found here [RUS].

English Russia writes about the phenomenon of “social network graffiti” [ENG] that became very popular among the users of the leading Russian social network Vkontakte.ru.