Stories about History from February, 2007
Ukraine: Chernobyl Posters
Ukraine List posts samples of Chernobyl poster art.
Palestine: A Lesson in History
Palestinian blogger Abu Issa takes us down memory lane to Palestine in 1948 through words, memories and photographs here.
The Balkans: Bloggers Discuss the ICJ Verdict
On Monday, after nearly ten months of deliberation, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre was an act of genocide, but that the pattern of the atrocities committed by Bosnian Serbs during the 1992-1995 war (which claimed more than 100,000 lives) was “too broad” to...
Sri Lanka: Inheriting Colombo
The Lolly DJ writes a fabulously touching piece on inheriting Colombo from a grandpa who came to Sri Lanka 65 years back.” In 1942, my grandfather, Arthur, was en-route to Singapore, when the impregnable city fell. The soldiers who were there became the stuff of myth, imprisoned and emaciated under...
Sudan: Diversity And Identity Crisis
Many of the posts on the Sudanese blogosphere during the past 2 weeks discussed Sudan's diversity and also revolved around the issue of identity. Sudanese Thinker had an interesting post entitled “Sudan: Arab or African?” He was responding to a question posted on Sudan Watch: Since Sudan belongs to both...
Morocco: Vintage Larache Postcard
MarocAntan, a blog dedicated to “documents and souvenirs of past Morocco” posts (Fr) an old postcard depicting an aerial view of Larache.
Taiwan: Name-rectification Debate
The two terms “Taiwan” and “Republic of China” ( R.O.C.) has been intertwined together for the last decades. However, after several elections, with the switch in ruling parties from the pro- Chinese- unification party KMT to the pro- Taiwan- independence party DPP, these two terms are now at the focus...
Poland: On “The Lives of Others”
Traveling Life writes this about the foreign film that got this year's Oscar: “Anyway, Lives of Others did make me appreciate a little more the hate felt by many towards the proponents and tools of the old systems. Even I can remember my mother being taken in for questioning to...
Romania: Bran Fortress
Romerican writes about the really complex history of Brasov’s Bran Fortress.
Soviet History: Chechen and Ingush Deportations
J. Otto Pohl writes about the deportation of the Chechen and Ingush people from their homeland 63 years ago.
Haiti: Who Was Louis-Jean Beaugé?
Haiti d'Outre-Mer shares some delightful folk anecdotes about legendary Jérémie native Louis-Jean Beaugé and his descendants. The mythic figure's name has become a Haitian Creole expression to designate people who are fierce. The blog explains that (Fr): “Louis-Jean Beaugé was an officer in the Jérémie garrison in the beginning of...
Egypt: Jesus Family Tomb Discovered.
Egyptian blogger Zeinobia gives us links to the discovery of a tomb allegedly belonging to the family of Jesus Christ here. She also gives us her very own analysis of the findings here.
Cuba: “Vamos a Selma”
Babalú Blog‘s Val Prieto posits an imaginary book entitled “Vamos a Selma” (“Let's go to Selma”) which offers a false and revisionist history of the American south and the civil rights movement, and asks: “How many of the same people that have lobbied for the “Vamos a Cuba” book to...
The Balkans: Reactions to the ICJ's Verdict
The massacre in Srebrenica was an act of genocide, declares the International Court of Justice. East Ethnia blogged while waiting for the verdict – and then provided an initial reaction as well as a guest-blogger's opposing point of view.
Russia: Feb. 23; Hatred for Bush
How do young men of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk celebrate the Army Day? Why do Russians hate George W. Bush? Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert answers these questions – here and here.
Russia: Post-Putin Future Discussed
Scraps of Moscow, Sean's Russia Blog, and Robert Amsterdam discuss this New York Times Magazine piece on Russia's post-Putin future.
Russia: Feb. 23
Thadhaea and Scraps of Moscow desribe what the Army Day in Russia feels and looks like.
Ukraine: Castles and Fortresses
Ukraine List posts an entry about Ukrainian fortress town Kamyanets-Podilsky. Olechko writes about the Palanok Castle in Mukachevo.
Sri Lanka: On Identity
Tiny Little Fractures on the exploration of identity in the Sri Lankan blogosphere. “Here’s the thing, I think barking up the tree of a “Sri Lankan national identity” is a mistake, especially when it seems to involve pigeonholing people into being Sri Lankan. I mean what makes a Sri Lankan,...
Kazakhstan: Afghanistan Veteran
neweurasia posts a fascinatin interview with a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
Zimbabwe: Mugabe in 1980
Kubatana blogs posts Robert Mugabe's inspiring speech, which was delivered in 1980: Yesterday The Herald published a compilation of speeches made by Robert Mugabe during his extended stay in power. Mugabe’s address to the nation on the eve of Zimbabwe’s independence was included under the title “An enduring legacy of...
