Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from August, 2023
PhD student from Gabon killed in Russia's fourth largest city
PhD student from Gabon François Ndzhelassili was murdered in Yekaterinburg, in what appears to be a racially motivated killing at a time when Putin has turned to the Global South in search of support.
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. Did Russians know who he was?
In a poll conducted in Russia three weeks after the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group, only a third of respondents (33%) said they knew about “the military crisis that occurred in Russia on June 24.”
What a country at war can look like: A journey across Ukraine in photos
Life is flourishing in Ukraine but subtle signs and reminders of the full-scale war can be seen and felt even in the places most distant from the actual frontline.
US band The Killers had a rough crash-course in Georgian politics
The American band, The Killers, was booed off the stage during their much-anticipated concert Georgia after they invited a Russian drummer to join them onstage.
Villages near Russia's former Gulag capital Vorkuta are facing extreme river pollution
Journalists share how people in the remote villages of Komi, Russia, live after a major wastewater treatment plant accident. Officials and residents don't seem worried.
Which African countries may join the BRICS group of nations, and why do they want to?
"Economic considerations, with BRICS countries constituting a significant portion of global GDP, offer expansive trade and investment opportunities for African economies ... [and] can attract direct foreign investment, technological advancement, and bolster export capabilities."
Pictures of life and death in a battered Kramatorsk in the east of Ukraine
Life has changed in the scarred Donetsk region in the east of Ukraine, where a war has raged since 2014 and death is always on the horizon.
Gay couple fled from Russia to Moldova due to war and homophobia
After fleeing Russia due to the war and mounting homophobia, the couple is adjusting to being together without worrying that they could be arrested for being gay
Undertones: Russia's war strengthens Venezuelan solidarity with Ukraine
Alessandra Soler’s research reveals that for many Venezuelans, ‘Venezuela is also a victim of Russia’
For Venezuelans, the invasion of Ukraine hits close to home
For the past twenty years, the Venezuelan government has become increasingly intertwined with the Kremlin. Now, many Venezuelans protest against Russia's encroachments at home.
Suspectibility to conspiracy theories makes Western Balkans easy target for Russian disinformation, geopolitical analyst says
Although at first glance publishing disinformation seems accidental and sporadic, the occurrence is not at all random, but part of military doctrines of autocratic regimes intent of spreading geopolitical influence.
Serbian ruling party troll farm leak revealed identities of over 14,500 ‘bots’
Vidaković stated that he paid EUR 15,000 (approximately USD 16,540) for the list, with money collected from the Serbian diaspora.
Disinformation fuels church protest against gender equality in North Macedonia
The iconography of June 29 protest, organized by Macedonian Orthodox Church and right-wing political parties, included religious and nationalist symbols, Russian flags and participation by pro-Kremlin politicians and associations.
The story of the ‘little Russian houses’ in Havana, Cuba, in photos
The distant memory of the phrase, "I'm going to buy from the Russians" is a dusty memory of the period when they lived in this area.
Unfreedom Monitor: Civic Media Observatory findings report
The Unfreedom Monitor is a project to analyse, document, and report on the growing phenomenon of the use of digital communications technology to advance authoritarian practices.
Bosnian Genocide commemoration in Tuzla: ‘We don’t harbor hatred, but we will never forget’
“You lose everyone in the genocide and then someone says the genocide never happened. It’s very painful and it hurts. It’s like I had never had anyone,” said Srebrenica survivor Nura Begović.
Interview with Ukraine's most translated author, Russophone novelist Andrei Kurkov
Global Voices interviewed Andrei Kurkov, one of Ukraine's most prolific and translated authors, who writes his novels in Russian and his non-fiction in Ukrainian.
One day with Azov instructors as a prospective soldier in Ukraine
A sudden announcement of free military training for civilians caused a ruckus, with all the places booked in 10 minutes, as Ukrainians are prepare for a long war ahead.
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