Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from August, 2014
Ukraine Asks Facebook’s Zuckerberg to Discipline Kremlin Bots
Ukrainian Facebook users have complained to Mark Zuckerberg himself that their accounts are being blocked on the site in droves—and they're blaming the Kremlin's bot army.
Ukraine Blows Up Twitter with News of Russian Invasion
As Russia expanded its push across the Ukrainian border in what the media described as a stealth invasion, Ukrainian Twitter users replied with thousands of posts and trending hashtags.
With Body Bags Returning from Ukraine, ‘the War’ Comes Home to Russians
At the wrong ends of bullets and bombs, people have been dying in Ukraine for months already. Now there are new signs that Russian soldiers are joining in the bloodshed.
Documenting Nationalistic Hate Speech in Macedonian Media
Human rights expert, activist, and blogger Žarko Trajanoski published a series of analyses about nationalistic, right-wing hate speech in Macedonian media, often veiled as “patriotic” speech. „Патриотскиот“ говор на омраза...
Serbia’s ‘Declaration of Internet Freedom’ Wins Big Support from Western Dignitaries
Serbian bloggers have drafted a Declaration of Internet Freedom, and representatives of the international community are showing their support.
Macedonian Police Harass Journalists Covering Protests
Police harassment of media seems to have become a regular occurrence in Macedonia, which has included the detainment and sentencing of some journalists in the country. On August 25, 2014,...
Blogger Law Traps Russia's Activists in Limbo
The new blogger law's vagueness makes it an extremely potent tool for controlling dissent in Russia.
‘Behind the Wheel': A Look at the Women Tajikistan's Russia-Bound Men Leave Behind
"Behind the Wheel" is a short film about migration and an extraordinary woman named Nigora, who overcame betrayal and local gender stereotypes to set up shop fixing car tires.
From Cats to Military Parades: Photoblogger in Sevastopol Reflects Crimea's Patriotic Euphoria
These days, Crimean photoblogger Natalya Golovan is more likely to document a military ceremony or a celebratory fireworks display than the cats she photographed before.
Analysts Warn about Fragility of Peace in Macedonia
Analysts warn of the high risk of ethnic clashes in Macedonia that began earlier in 2014 when protesters questioned the sentencing of six Albanian Macedonian men for a "terrorist killing".
Crowdsourcing the Investigation of Eastern Ukraine's Russian Ghosts
Armchair military experts, social-media archive spelunkers, and ideologues all work together in creating conflicting versions of events in eastern Ukraine, making disinterested analysis and verification very difficult.
Ukrainian Daredevil Climber Admits to Painting the Moscow Star in Ukraine's Colors
The story of Russia's colour revolution has taken a new turn: a famous Ukrainian roofer Mustang Wanted admitted painting the star atop a high-rise in Moscow yellow and blue.
Russia Finally Gets Its Color Revolution
The race to desecrate national symbols seems to be taking its toll on Moscow officials, who found it necessary to arrest several painters for using the colors yellow and blue.
Two Years Ago, Tens of Thousands of Macedonians Took to the Streets Against Poverty and Corruption
Macedonians are marking two years since the beginning of the "AMAN" protests that called for an end to social disparity and corruption in the country, one of Europe's poorest.
Moscow Shutters 4 McDonalds for Poor Sanitation, But You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Russia closed four McDonald's locations in Moscow for "sanitary violations" in what some say is another stage of the sanctions war. The RuNet exploded with disbelief—and photos of Russian bathrooms.
Russians Don't Care for Bloggers, Approve of Bloggers’ Law
Russians are mostly unaware of the new bloggers' law, and those who do know about it think it's a good idea, a new public opinion poll has found.
Russia's Mockery of Jen Psaki Has Failed
One of the RuNet's latest attacks on the U.S. State Department spokesperson reveals how even Russia’s noblest patriots seem to rely on American resources when deriding the White House.
Donetsk's Guerrilla Separatists Kidnap the Ukrainian Guerrilla Artist Who Dared to Mock Them
A Ukrainian guerrilla artist who has been stealthily putting up artworks mocking the separatists of the Donetsk People's Republic in the occupied city of Donetsk was captured by the rebels.
Mother-Daughter Duo Walk the Sarajevo Red Carpet in Palestinian Flag Dresses
Sabina Šabić, executive producer of Sarajevo War Theater, stirred comments when she appeared with her daughter at the famed Sarajevo Film Festival in gowns made from the Palestinian flag.
Twitter Popularity Brings No Joy to Self-Dubbed “Shitty Slovyansk” Blogger
The information war and the real one have almost become synonymous for a Ukrainian Twitter blogger from Slovyansk, and he is sick of both.
Russian APCs Cross Into Ukraine, Mystery Convoy Still Stuck on Border
As speculation swirls around the Russian humanitarian convoy traveling into Eastern Ukraine, Western journalists following the procession have witnessed a column of armored vehicles crossing the border into Ukraine.
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
