Archive for February, 2009
Nashi Pranks Oppositionists
By Sean at 26 February, 2009, 10:43 am
On Tuesday, Nashi pulled off its best prank yet on the hapless Russian opposition. In the words of Nezavisimaya gazeta, the stunt “will undoubtedly go down in the history of Russian youth politics as the greatest failure in the last ten years.” Nashi is known for its acts of political trickery and harassment. Over the [...]
Read More >>Beatlemania Soviet Style
By Sean at 14 February, 2009, 10:19 am
The BBC World Service has an interesting documentary on Beatlemania in the Soviet Union. When the Fab Four hit the international scene in 1964, youth in the Soviet Union were no exception in succumbing to their tunes. But unlike fans in the West, the Beatles’ aficionados had to record songs off the Western radio, smuggle [...]
Read More >>Gunpowder Economics
By Sean at 11 February, 2009, 9:20 am
Feeling the pains of economic crisis? Can’t find a suitable place for expanding market share? Don’t fret. There is one sure fire way to keep those exports up. Sell more weapons. President Medvedev seems to agree, according to comments he made on Tuesday. Russia sold 10 percent more weapons in 2008–a record $8.35 billion worth. [...]
Read More >>Thinking Privatization Allowed
By Sean at 8 February, 2009, 3:24 pm
Laurie Taylor briefly interviews the authors of the controversial Lancet article on Post-Soviet privatization on his Thinking Allowed. His discussion with Megan Comfort that follows on women who have boyfriends and husbands in prison is worth a listen too.
Read More >>The Rising Russian Right
By Sean at 8 February, 2009, 11:42 am
I’m normally not a big fan of the Guardian’s Luke Harding, but I think he deserves kudos for his latest article, “Putin’s Worst Nightmare.” Harding opens with the chilling and brutal murder of Karen Abramian, who was stabbed 56 times by two skinheads named Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, both 17, as he returned from [...]
Read More >>Nashi Spies Unmasked
By Sean at 8 February, 2009, 12:55 am
Perhaps Nashi has found a purpose in Medvedev’s Russia: functioning as an army of provocateurs and spies. This week, Anna Bukovskaya, a former Nashist, blew the whistle on Nashi’s undercover operation to infiltrate and surveillance opposition youth organizations. In a statement published on Ilya Yashin’s blog, Bukovskaya stated:
I, Anna Aleksandrovna Bukovskaya, was the federal deputy [...]
