This holiday season, we revisit some of the highlights of the year.
We at Transitions are taking a break for the holidays. Look for new stories starting 5 January 2026.
Dancing on the Edge of the World
Estonia’s most Russian city tries to redefine itself as a meeting point between East and West, memory and transformation, silence and voice.
by Isabelle de Pommereau
Keeping Kherson Warm Under Fire
Boiler workers keep providing heat to a besieged island neighborhood, braving missile strikes, floods, and power cuts.
by Stanislav Ostrous
Moldova’s ambitious plan to restore its ravaged forests makes progress, yet much more needs to be done.
by Peter Yeung and Georgeta Carasiucenco
The War That the World Watched
How the media shaped the course of the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia.
by Tihomir Loza
Designer Nevena Ivanovic reimagines identity by stitching together Balkan memory and Japanese philosophy, proving that materials matter less than the stories told with them.
by Kaja Novak
Citizen scientists armed with sensors and cameras are exposing toxic pollution in port cities and challenging institutions to act – the view from Albania, Italy, and the Netherlands.
by lavialibera, Pozitivi, and Momus
After the Mourning, Where Next for Serbia?
A year of protests hits a symbolic high with marches and peaceful demonstrations on the tragedy’s anniversary, but with the despised government more entrenched in power than ever.
by Camillo Cantarano
What began as mourning for the victims of avoidable tragedies is turning into a mass anti-corruption movement led by young people across the Balkans.
by Boyko Vassilev
The War for Those Who Did Not Fight
Ukrainian civilian prisoners as a tool of Russian political blackmail.
by Stanislav Storozhenko
The similarities between Czechoslovakia in 1938 and today’s Ukraine are striking. But this time, the appeaser is the United States.
by Alfred Thomas
Tatiana Zelenskaya: Art and Activism
How an artist, game designer, and organizer from Kyrgyzstan uses her skills to challenge societal norms and fight for women’s rights.
by Lamaria Washington
Bosnian Women Fight Back Against Culture of Violence
How dedicated volunteers are helping women seek protection from abusive partners.
by Una Cilic
