Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from May, 2017
Russia's Internet Censor Asked for a PornHub Premium Subscription. PornHub Gave It 10
PornHub has given Russia's Internet watchdog 10 free premium subscriptions, half of which it is giving away "for charitable purposes."
Macedonian Students’ Photo Project Reveals Scenes From WWI, Then and Now
A photo exhibit combines street scenes in the southern Macedonian town of Bitola during World War I and their situation today.
Croatians Are Planning a Repeat of Last Year's Massive Protests for Educational Reform
"Anyone who's thinking more than four years ahead knows that investing in education is worthwhile."
Plagiarism Scandal Involving the Minister of Science and Education Still Stirs Croatia
A group of academics, supported by over 11 thousand signatories of an online petition, keep demanding the removal of plagiarists from high-ranking public office in Croatia.
When Journalists Are Attacked, Macedonian Authorities Are Dangerously Slow to Act
Some media workers who were targeted during mob violence at Macedonia's parliament in April haven't filed reports with police because they don't believe anything will come of them.
An Interview With Anna Veduta, Russian Activist, Expert, and Feminist
RuNet Echo speaks to Anna Veduta about her work for Russia’s anti-corruption crusader, her relocation to the United States, and her experience as a regional expert and feminist.
Cries of Impunity as Macedonia's ‘Bloody Thursday’ Parliament Attackers Get Suspended Sentences
According to members of the security forces who spoke anonymously to journalists, the attackers planned to execute people, but were deterred by the eyewitnesses filming the event on their phones.
A Russian University Wanted to Award Duterte an Honorary Doctorate, but He Flew Home Too Soon
One of Russia’s most prestigious universities planned to award controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte an honorary doctorate, but he left the country before the ceremony could take place, Russian media...
Russia's State Duma Invites a YouTube Star to Speak
A woman who once submerged herself in a bathtub filled with potato chips for her 5 million YouTube subscribers, Sasha Spilberg addressed the State Duma this Monday.
Russian Crooner Joins Effort to Attract Tourists to War-Torn Eastern Ukraine
Nearly three years into the war in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics are making a renewed attempt to attract foreign tourists to their Russian-backed statelets.
Panic Over Russian Online Suicide Game Sparks ‘Whale Hunt’ in China
Pro-government groups are waging a campaign against the game, and internet censors have predictably gone into overdrive.
The Russian State Media: Champion of Internet Freedom. (From Now On.)
With millions of Ukrainians now at risk of losing their beloved online services, Russia's state media did what it often does in unexpected geopolitical situations: it suddenly changed sides.
Ukraine Sanctions VKontakte, Other Russian Social Media Websites
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed an order instructing the country's Internet providers to block several major Russian social media websites.
Three Decades and Several Films Later, a Creative Translation of ‘Alien’ Endures in the Balkans
"Then there's Alien or Osmi Putnik which literally translates to "The Eighth Passenger". What was the sequel translated as? More Passengers?"
New Documentary Throws Shade on Police Investigation Into Dissident Journalist's Murder in Kyiv
A new investigative report challenges the role of Ukraine's authorities in a stalled murder case surrounding a dissident journalist assassinated in Kyiv last summer.
Diversity, Interrupted: Anti-Gay Crusades Mar Ukraine’s Tolerant Facade
As this year’s Eurovision Song Contest enters its final weekend, a half-painted rainbow arch meant to symbolize the event’s slogan, “Celebrate Diversity,” hovers ominously over the center of Kyiv.
The Russian Journalist Responsible for the Trump-Lavrov Photo Speaks Out
TASS photojournalist Alexandr Scherbak, the man who took Wednesday's controversial pictures in the Oval Office, accuses the U.S. government and media of “hysteria.”
Russian Pensioners Troll Opposition Leader in Awkward Rap Video
The video was produced by a fringe activist organization in Krasnodar called "Social Justice."
Let Us Spray: Orthodox Graffiti Comes to Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church and street art don’t tend to mix, but a recent collaboration between a provincial street artist and a priest has proven an exception to that rule.
Oleg Kashin Explains How Russia Reinvented the Political Rumor Mill
RuNet Echo translates an article by Oleg Kashin about the messaging app Telegram, focusing on the rise of “channels” dedicated specifically to spreading anonymous political rumors.
Who's Paying for the Meme War Against Alexey Navalny?
The scheme comes in the wake of news about a major mudslingling campaign that the Kremlin was reportedly planning against Navalny.
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