Global Voices Online

Eastern & Central Europe

Add live 'Eastern & Central Europe' headlines to your site

featured stories

Bulgaria, Macedonia: Blog Wars Over History

Yavor Mihaylov · 15:37, April 10th, 2008

lingua → mk · es

The relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia are no less complex and incomprehensible than those between Greece and Macedonia, although lately the former get less media exposure than the latter. The main problem between Sofia and Skopje is, once again, history. Yavor Mihaylov reviews the opinions of Bulgarian and Macedonian bloggers. 26 comments · »»

Bulgaria: What Can Force a Minister to Resign?

Yavor Mihaylov · 01:07, April 4th, 2008

lingua → mk · bn · sq · es

The deputy director of Bulgaria's special division for combating organized crime has been arrested on charges of corruption and contacts with organized crime groups. The minister of the interior is facing similar accusations - but is unwilling to resign. Yavor Mihaylov writes about a Bulgarian blogger who has launched a short story contest, hoping to get an answer to this question: "What has to happen so that we could see a minister tender his resignation?" 3 comments · »»

Stories

May 15th, 2008

Russia: Roses and Migrant Workers

Veronica Khokhlova · 23:33

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. 0 comments · »»

Macedonia: Bloggers Emphasize Need for Open Communication with Greece

Filip Stojanovski · 14:20

lingua → bn · mk

Amid the internal turmoil caused by Greek actions to block Macedonia's accession to NATO and the EU, and due to an increasing number of reports of attacks over Macedonian truck drivers by nationalist mobs in Greece, many Macedonian bloggers are attempting to bridge the gap of ignorance existing between the two nations. 19 comments · »»

Ukraine: Moscow Mayor's Sevastopol Controversy

Veronica Khokhlova · 00:06

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. 3 comments · »»

May 11th, 2008

PangeaDay: Impressions from Brazil

Paula Góes · 13:45

lingua → pt

Pangea day took place this Saturday, May 10 2008, and the world watched together a selection of films broadcast via the internet and TV simultaneously to every corner of the planet and with live broadcast in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro. See here a comprehensive wrap up: PangeaDay as seen by a Brazilian blogger. 3 comments · »»

Musical instruments from around the world

Juliana Rincón Parra · 03:56

lingua → mk · sq · pt

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. 1 comment · »»

Russia: Victory Day

Veronica Khokhlova · 00:10

lingua → es

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. 1 comment · »»

May 7th, 2008

Russia: Putin Out, Medvedev In

Veronica Khokhlova · 23:56

lingua → bn · es

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. 2 comments · »»

Georgia: War with Russia?

Onnik Krikorian · 07:15

The South Caucasus has always been a volatile and unstable region riven by ethnic conflict and instability. This has especially been the case since the breakup of the Soviet Union and not least because the region is often considered the gateway between Europe and Central Asia, as well as ... 6 comments · »»

Links

May 17th, 2008

Lots of interesting and informative posts on Crimea and Crimean Tatars, including the most recent one, with photos, about Khydyrlez, “the annual Crimean Tatar May celebration of strength and vitality” - by Marusia of My Simferopol Home.

J. Otto Pohl reminds readers that this coming Sunday, May 18, marks the 64th anniversary of Sürgün, the mass deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944.

The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia writes about what it feels like to be a foreigner in Slovakia.

Window on Eurasia writes that the Moscow Patriarchate is planning “to discipline Russian Orthodox priests who use the Internet to advance views at variance with those of the hierarchy or to challenge the church’s leadership in other ways.”

Lyndon of Scraps of Moscow is clearing his photo backlog and posting Moscow graffiti photos dating back to 2004-2005.

A brief update on Belarus - including the recent gay pride parade in Minsk - at Eternal Remont.

Maya of Maya's Corner writes about the murder of writer Georgi Stoev, 35: “In his youth, Stoev was involved in Bulgarian organized crime. […] Later on, he turned his back on mafia and began to write books about it. […] [My husband] usually skips voting, but now every time when Stoev's name is mentioned in the news, says, ‘I will vote next time - and not fot them.' ‘They' are today's rulers who transfered their power to the underground world.”