IT in Belarus: The Golden Years
It took some time, but a vibrant tech community emerged after the fall of the USSR. Its rapid growth could now be threatened by the political crisis. First of two parts.
Upheaval in Belarus
The Revolution Will Be Advertised
How memes, graffiti, and marketing became tools for dissenters in Belarus. From Outriders.
‘I Drew You Naked’
One of the 30,000-plus Belarusians arrested during five months of anti-government protests drew life in a women’s detention center. From CityDog.by.
The Belarusian Inquisition
Hundreds of anti-government protesters say they have been brutalized and deprived of necessities at a notorious Minsk jail. From Outriders.
In Belarus, a New Civic Culture is Born
Recycled historical symbols in urban yards are just one part of an emerging, authentic grassroots activism.
The Pandemic That Wasn’t
Five firsthand accounts of the spread of the coronavirus in a country whose leadership first denied and still underplays the tragedy: Belarus.
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Around the Bloc
Kremlin Opposition Figure Detained Upon Return to Russia
Plus, Chinese university to open in Budapest, Uzbeks seeking love in South Korea, and more.
Russia Withdraws From Open Skies Treaty
Plus, a Hungarian treasure trove, Russian athletes propose new anthem, and more.
Lithuania Pays Tribute to Civilians Killed 30 Years Ago
Plus, Nazi symbols in the Russian circus, good news for bison, and more.
Corruption Investigation Topples Estonian Government
Plus, Navalny to return to Russia, hockey in Belarus, social media in Turkey, and more.
Swedish Court Sentences Pair for Attack on Chechen Blogger
Plus, operation stork nest in Poland, Putin hosts meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, and more.
Commentary
A Dose of Strong Medicine
In a peculiar way, the Polish celebrity COVID jab affair could do more to raise vaccination rates than any number of official PR campaigns.
EU Media Guidelines: Long on Platitudes, Short on Specifics
The why and what are clear in a recent EU report on threats to the media, but the how is missing.
Jabs of Doubt
In the end, Bulgarians’ inbuilt skepticism about the coronavirus vaccine will wither as the lure of the queue takes hold.
Latest News
Uneven Support for Turkey’s Coronavirus Casualties
The coronavirus pandemic has left Istanbul’s cleaners struggling to make a living.
Therapy From the Living Room
The pandemic forced Czech therapists to curtail their services, but when mental health needs kept growing they moved their sessions online. Might this method be here to stay? From Seznam Zpravy.
Our Best Stories of 2020
This holiday season, we revisit some of the most compelling stories published this year.
Time Off for Women’s Self-Care
Two Kosovo nonprofits join efforts to offer menstrual leave to employees, a concept that remains under debate worldwide.
Still Waiting for Answers
Despite a damning report from Serbia’s ombudsman, the government has yet to respond to multiple accusations of police brutality.
A City’s Rebirth
Berlin-style coffee shops, youth activism, and a Ukrainian-language bookstore in a post-conflict city in the Donbas.
