Our weekly digest of articles about emerging Europe published elsewhere this week, all of which caught our eye and all of which are well worth your time. Listing them here, however, does not necessarily mean that we agree with every word, nor do they necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.
—
The eye-popping churches of communist Poland
Built under difficult conditions, the extraordinary modernist edifices are an outstanding contribution to 20th-century architecture, writes Clare Dowdy.
Read the full story here.
—
Holy men: How Russian Orthodox priests helped annex Crimea
Investigative journalist Liliya Yapparova tells the story of how the Russian defence ministry got Orthodox priests to participate in negotiations with Ukrainian military personnel during the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Read the full story here.
—
Sarajevo siege: Brigade chiefs’ role in terrorising city ignored
Despite strong evidence that emerged in their superiors’ trials, officers who led brigades of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Sarajevo-Romanija Corps as it targeted Sarajevo with shells and sniper fire have never been indicted.
Read the full story here.
—
Aleksandr Dadaev is known as the Turkmen president’s ‘wallet.’ His next title might be ‘inmate’
After 12 years as one of the most trusted aides of Turkmenistan’s mercurial president, speculation is rife as to why Aleksandr Dadaev suddenly left his influential post in Ashgabat.
Read the full story here.
—
Estonia targeted by Russia-linked disinformation deluge
Kremlin-linked threat actors are undermining the government of Estonia and its relationship with the European Union through a concerted disinformation campaign, with wider ramifications.
Read the full story here.
—
Living the Dream: On Ludvík Vaculík’s A Czech Dreambook
It was Vaculík, not Kundera or Havel, who, through his nonfiction, provided the most nuanced and measured narrative of the political and cultural changes in the 1970s and 1980s.
Read the full story here
—
The story of Tunnel 29
In 1961, Joachim Rudolph escaped from one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships. A few months later, he began tunnelling his way back in. Why?
Read the full story here.
—
My favourite game: Lithuania v Bosnia-Herzegovina, World Cup qualifier 2013
A 1,125-mile trek to Kaunas brought the Bosnian diaspora together to celebrate a momentous qualification.
Read the full story here.
—
Playing a dummy; Belarus club puts virtual fans in the stands to fight virus
Belarus’s FC Dynamo Brest, one of a handful of soccer clubs still playing in Europe, is filling its stands with mannequins sporting cut-out portraits of fans to boost the atmosphere as many supporters stay home because of the coronavirus.
Read the full story here.
—
The abandoned site in Armenia once the ‘City of 1,001 Churches’
The capital of medieval Armenia, the city of Ani was a thriving center of trade and faith, survived by its haunting ruins.
Read the full story here.
—
Unlike many news and information platforms, Emerging Europe is free to read, and always will be. There is no paywall here. We are independent, not affiliated with nor representing any political party or business organisation. We want the very best for emerging Europe, nothing more, nothing less. Your support will help us continue to spread the word about this amazing region.
You can contribute here. Thank you.
