Decoding the 2021 vote in Russia: 10 Key Takeaways
The election in Russia might have offered little or no choice, but still provided unique insights into the state of affairs at the Kremlin and gave a glimpse into the Russian future. From Novaya Gazeta.
Upheaval in Belarus
Belarus Authorities to Liquidate Domestic Violence Shelter
Looking back at the importance of Radislava to women in need.
‘If You Thirst for Freedom, Seize It!’
In the songs they sang during the 2020 uprising, Belarusians stood up to personal inertia, fear, and alienation.
The Minsk-Prague Underground Express
How activists persuaded Czech authorities to evacuate dozens of brutalized Belarusians out from under the noses of the Lukashenka regime.
No Way Back
A prominent Belarusian sociologist talks about political turmoil and the degradation of state institutions in Belarus. From Nasha Niva.
Dozens of Activists Rounded Up in Belarus ‘Terror’ Crackdown
Observers speculate the Lukashenka regime is clearing the stage for further action. From Naviny.by.
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Around the Bloc
Widespread Criticism of Russian State Duma Election
Plus, more money for films shot in Czechia, legal tit-for-tat between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and more.
2021 Russian Fires Worst in Its History, Greenpeace Says
Plus, an assassination attempt in Kyiv, a spying scandal in Georgia, and more.
Russian City Mourns Victims of University Shooting
Plus, Chinese phones in Lithuania, Turkey singled out in Freedom House report, and more.
Warsaw Refuses to Close Coal Mine Despite Hefty Fine
Plus, Hungary to pay back taxpayers, Iran at odds with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and more.
Ruling United Russia Party Claims Victory in Parliamentary Elections
Plus, primaries in Hungary, the thriving Mongolian Stock Exchange, and more.
Regional headlines and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday.
Commentary
Blowing Bubbles
An economic gathering and a papal visit send radically contrasting messages about politics and society.
Dark Ages for Russian Civil Society
Russia brands independent journalists and activists “foreign agents,” as the West looks on.
EU vs. Poland: Too Little, Too Late?
Instead of confronting Poland’s behind the scenes leader Kaczynski, the Commission preferred to strike a rotten deal with him. A commentary from Gazeta Wyborcza.
Four Days That Shook the (Soviet) World
Thirty years ago this week, hardliners in Moscow failed to overthrow Gorbachev, but their legacy lives on in Putin’s Russia.
Latest News
Kramatorsk’s Rebellious Gene
A new kind of museum exhibit reflects the metamorphosis of a once-sleepy Ukrainian town into a regional capital – and not only that.
I’m Not Afraid of Death. I’m Only Afraid of the Vaccine
Interviews with inhabitants of two small towns in Hungary with sharply contrasting experiences of COVID vaccination. From Telex.hu.
A Dumping Ground
How Europe’s plastic waste ends up on a roadside in Adana. From Inside Turkey.
Defeat and Departure
A new exodus: leaving Russia in 2021. From Novaya Gazeta.
Waking Up From the China Dream
After a period of infatuation in Central and Eastern Europe, promise fatigue and changing geopolitics have led to policy changes from Vilnius to Bucharest. From the Prospect Foundation.
The Refugees Are Coming (Again)
Disinformation campaign intensifies as Afghan refugees arrive in North Macedonia, and even Glenn Beck gets into the act.
