Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from September, 2023
Ukrainian civil society leader focuses on Taiwan: Interview with Hanna Hopko
Global Voices interviewed Hanna Hopko, former MP, civil society leader and one of the most vocal supporters of Taiwan in Ukraine, to hear about ongoing cooperation and dialogues.
Nagorno-Karabakh surrenders but what of the future?
Over the last three years, mutual accusations of ceasefire violations continued unabated. So did, mutual hostile rhetoric throwing any prospects for peace out of the window.
‘I want sci-fi to be normal and intimate': Interview with Czech comics artist Filip Zatloukal
As Czech comics are being recognized at home and internationally, Global Voices spoke to Filip Zatloukal, an artist who explores new styles in an art form mixing text and illustration.
Yakut movie ‘Aita’ was censored in Russia
The reason Roskomnadzor cited was that the movie attempted to break the 'principles of the unity of the peoples of Russia.'
Young people attempt to build the city of the future in Russian province, while residents seek the past
Artists have come back to Chaykovsky, a small town in Russia, and have established a public cultural center there. They now face resistance from officials and a lack of understanding among local residents.
The vanishing asterisk: The evolution of the EU’s approach towards Kosovo
There exists a noticeable lack of uniformity in how EU institutions, bodies, committees, and agencies refer to Kosovo in official capacities. However, the gradual fading away of the asterisk and footnote has become subtly apparent.
The Kremlin’s tactics to enlist more men to war
Russian authorities are struggling to sell the war to potential soldiers, but an electronic drafting system might change the game
Protest demands justice two years after COVID-19 hospital fire in North Macedonia
The company that built the hospital and state officials who approved the construction faced no accountability for the fire that killed 14 people
A story from a Russian POW camp in Ukraine
A year ago, this camp was a regular penal colony for Ukrainian prisoners, but its purpose was quickly changed to make it a temporary accommodation for thousands of Russian citizens.
In Russia, it's the state against the internet
What a sovereign Runet is, no one still really understands. In the view of the Russian authorities, it apparently means destroying all the bad guys and rewarding all ‘our guys’.
Ukrainians in one of the most war-torn towns face grave realities but avoid despairing
In many respects, no matter when and how Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends, there will be no immediate happy ending for villages, towns, and cities like Izyum.
Without the ability to renew their passports abroad, Belarusians in exile are left in limbo
Belarusian leader Lukashenka signed a decree saying Belarusians living abroad will not be able to renew their passports at consulates abroad.
Russian art critic: “Street art cannot be killed or destroyed”
Since the war began, the street art capital of Russia status of Yekaterinburg has come into question: some artists have left Russia, while others have been imprisoned for their anti-war works
The six countries invited to join the BRICS club
"The expansion and modernization of BRICS is a message that all institutions in the world need to mould themselves according to changing times."
One traitor a day: The state of treason cases in Russia
"Holod" magazine has exposed a record number of criminal cases of treason and espionage, which are now being initiated more frequently than during the post-Stalin era in the USSR
The Chinese 2023 map has nothing new. But why are China’s neighbours mad about it?
The strongest reactions came from countries in Southeast Asia as the Chinese map claims virtually the entirety of the South China Sea.
The West’s Belarus policy: Does it make sense?
By damaging Belarus’s ability to act on its own and not achieving any positive results, the blockade of Belarus by its Western neighbors has been manifestly counterproductive, leading to excessive dependency on Russia
The story of a transgender person in an occupied city in Ukraine
Knowing the homophobic Russian state policy, members of the LGBTQ+ community tried to avoid the Russian occupiers, fearing they might face increased persecution because of their gender or sexuality.
In Russia, authorities filter information and algorithms help them
Social networks want their users to spend more time on their platforms, to leave a more extensive digital footprint that can be used for various purposes.
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