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New Europe, Old Europe, and Dictators in Europe
The recent suggestion that Western Europe is "old" Europe and Central Europe is "new" Europe presents some other entangling issues. Assuming Europe can be divided into new and old anything only seems to validate the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
belarus • ukraine • leonid kuchma • aleksandr lukishenko • dictators in europe

Apocalypse Now?
Russia is not necessarily heading for the abyss, but given previous developments, Russia's history and parallels with Iraq, it's wise to at least make contingency plans. Primakov's government is likely to be Russia's - and the world's - last chance.
russia moscow kremlin belarus yeltsin primakov cri

It's Christmas in Russia
According to most Russians, 1998 was the worst come-down from the previous year since 1992 - and not without good reason. But, the government is enjoying a breather for now, as the 1999 budget went through the Duma on its first reading, and impeachment doesn't seem to be a hot issue outside the Kremlin. Meanwhile, the government's getting set to take over the banking system as part and parcel of a financial rescue program (old vodka, new bottles). Speaking of vodka, Premier Primakov seems to be following President Yeltsin's lead in promising purges to strengthen discipline in the government, as it gets set to tighten up on bootleg alcohol and tobacco. Maybe these measures will impress Belarusian President Lukashenka that Russia's fit to join his fine iron-fisted dictatorship.
russia moscow kremlin yeltsin primakov yabloko bel

My Crystal Ball Says...
The developing Belarusian dictatorship on the border draws some Russians' admiration for having the trains run on time and standing up to the West, unlike Russia itself. Russia just might be supporting Serbia against the West in order to burnish its image as a power to be reckoned with - and counted on. Meanwhile, the Y2K problem - about which nothing seems to be getting done even now in Russia - could be the destruction of all our hopes for Russia, and perhaps the world. All of these problems need to be followed closely.
russia moscow kremlin yeltsin belarus minsk lukash

Poland: The End Of Diversity
Poland had been a multiethnic state for centuries, and the Interwar period was a prime example of this diversity. Unfortunately, the Second World War put an end to this.
poland • ethnic • jews • ukrain • belarus

Rus: Festivals, Feasts and Events
What I have attempted to do here is tell you about some of the more famous or more interesting festivals of the people of the Rus.
festival • event • feast • rus • russia

Rus: How Climate Impacts Rus Culture
Climate has a terrific impact upon people. In the Rus this is as true as it is in the Sahara Desesrt. The vagaries & differences of temparatures is the causation of many social actions & reactions to the weather.
rus • russia • ukraine • weather • climate

Trans-Siberian: No Need to Book
By avoiding expensive tours and buying your Trans-Siberian train tickets directly you can not only save money but truly experience Russian hospitality.
trans-siberian railway • tran-siberian express • russia travel • belarus • moscow

Chernobyl Birds Endure Radiation
At the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, nature has taken over. Research on birds in the area tells us how things are going for species at Chernobyl.
chernobyl birds • birds at chernobyl • chernobyl disaster • nuclear disaster • chornobyl

hidden europe Magazine
Travel magazines are sources of ideas, tips, inspiration and relaxation. hidden europe magazine often looks at out-of-the-way parts of Eastern Europe.
hidden europe magazine review • nicky gardner • susanne kries • l'viv ukraine • sibiu romania

Rus: Folk Musik Instruments - Part 1
History & description of Rus folk musical insruments. Learn about some unique and very interesting musical instruments.
rus • russia • ukraine • belarus • music

Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna
Alexandra Fyodorovna, the last Empress of the Russian Empire, was a caring mother and wife. However, her flaws were frowned on by citizens unhappy with tsarist rule.
alexandra fyodorovna • romanovs • nicholas ii • tsaritsa • russian empress

Grand Duchess Elizabeth
Grand Duchess Elizabeth, married to Grand Duke Sergei, fell out with her younger sister Alexandra even while she attempted to help the sick and the poor.
grand duchess elizabeth • elizabeth of hesse • tsaritsa alexandra • grand duke sergei rasputin • tsar nicholas

Romance of Nicholas and Alexandra
The romance between Nicholas II and Alexandra Fyodorovna would last all of their lives, even while Russia was suffering from the political turmoil of the Revolution.
romance of nicholas and alexandra • nicholas and alexandra • nicholas ii • alexandra fyodorovna • courtship of nicholas and alexandra

Torture in East European History
Rulers, military, and peasants throughout Eastern European history have been known to have used torture against their enemies, prisoners, or fellow citizens.
torture in eastern europe • torture in eastern european history • peasant torture in eastern europe • soldiers torturing officers • russian revolution torture

History of Faberge Eggs
Today, Faberge eggs are priceless masterpieces but their history began in 1885 with Tsar Alexander III, who commissioned Peter Carl Faberge to make an egg for his wife.
faberge • faberge eggs • russia • romanovs • easter

Review of 'Czars'
"Czars" is an unpretentious treatment of Russian rulers from the Rurik Dynasty to the Romanovs. Great for novice scholars of Russian history.
czars • tsars • romanovs • rurik dynasty • russian rulers

News From Everywhere
Various news events in Russian politics around the Fourth of July weekend: the miners' and utility workers' strike, Lev Rokhlin's murder and a new summit in Moscow in September even though START 2 hasn't (yet?) been ratified by the Duma.
russia moscow kremlin yeltsin rokhlin duma strike

Orthodox Christmas: Conflicts and celebrations
In the Western world we often neglect that there is a vibrant church in the East. In 1954 AD the Eastern and Western churches separated. One book reviewed on BookIdeas.com advanced that Christianity was unified until the Reformation--betraying a lack of knowledge of this schism on the author's part. Anyway, today sections of this Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas. I thought I would share with you this explanation of the Orthodox traditions and how groups are trying to re-identify with their spiritual past. Many thanks to Brian J Požun for providing this insight.
christmas • orthodox • struggles • identity • faith

European Championship Results
Further qualification games for next summer's competition: England fall behind but Poland,Germany, Czech Republic, France,Greece,Croatia and Romania make further progress
european championships • england • estonia • croatia • russia

The Imperial Russian army of 1914
With 14 million peasant drafts lead by an officer corps one percent of that size, the Russian army was short of every single thing except soldiers, bravery and enemies.
russian empire • the ukraine • belarus • poland • baltic countries

Elizabeth and Alexandra of Hesse
Elizabeth of Hesse became a Russian Grand Duchess before her sister Alexandra became Empress. The two German princesses approached life in Russia very differently.
elizabeth of hesse • alexandra of hesse • grand duchess elizabeth • empress alexandra • tsaritsa alexandra

Execution of the Romanovs
The Romanov family, including Tsar Nicholas II, were executed in 1918. The Tsar, Tsaristsa, Grand Duchesses, Tsarevich, a doctor, and three servants were killed.
execution of the romanovs • murder of the romanovs • yurovsky • tsar nicholas ii • alexandra fyodorovna

Economic Recovery Linked to Political Reform
Freedom House findings show that countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe are better off, the more they adopt democracy and the free market.

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, winner again on the European clay
Sanchez-Vicario started off the 1999 season very shakily, with a 2-4 win-loss match record in hand. She may have regained her winning ways in Cairo this fortnight, and found some much needed confidence one month before the defence of her French Open trophy.
arantxa sanchez-vicario • martina hingis • anna kournikova • mary pierce • lindsay davenport

Russian State Diamond Fund
Russia's State Diamond Fund is home to Russia's most important, and most impressive, treasures. Royal regalia, huge gems, and exquisite jewelry reside at the Kremlin.
state diamond fund • kremlin armory • peter the great • imperial crown of russia • orlov diamond

Ukraine's Second Revolution
In an essay written in 1990, Aleksandr Solzenitsyn predicted a "Slavic union" consisting of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus would emerge to dominate Eurasian politics. As with so many other matters of policy analysis, Mr. Solzenitsyn may be proved more correct than he expected. That will be especially true if Mr. Putin has his way in respect of Ukraine's regional divide.
ukrainian politics • 2004 election in ukraine • corruption in ukrain • elections in ukraine

Burial of the Romanovs
The burial of the Romanov bodies after the execution in July 1918 was conducted by Yakov Yurovsky. The remains of the Romanovs were buried in a pit for decades.
burial of the romanovs • romanov bodies • remains of the romanovs • yurovsky • execution of the romanovs

Ivan III - The Great
Ivan the Great unified Russia under one ruler - the tsar - and provided freedom from the Golden Horde. His marriage to Sophia brought influences from Byzantium to Moscow.
ivan iii • ivan the great • ruler of all russia • first tsar • gatherer of russian lands

Reasons for the Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was an inevitable result of peasant dissatisfaction, poor leadership, an unpopular monarchy, political movements, and war.
russian revolution • russian revolution of 1917 • reasons for the russian revolution • tsar nicholas • nicholas ii

Riches of East European History
Eastern European history has long contrasted the lives of the poor with the riches of the ruling classes. Despite the disparity, we're still intrigued by these treasures.
eastern european riches • eastern european treasures • faberge eggs • state diamond fund • crown of monomakh

The Romanov Children
Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei were the last tsar's five children. None of them were to live a full life after revolution came to Russia.
romanovs • grand duchess olga • grand duchess maria • grand duchess tatiana • grand duchess anastasia

Dependent Natural Gas Importers
Portugal, Finland, South Korea, Belgium, Spain and Hong Kong are among major trade economies that depend solely on natural gas imports from other countries.
dependent natural gas importers • top gas importing countries • global imports of natural gas • total world gas imports • natural gas import statistics

Gediminas of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was ruled by Grand Duke Gediminas who sought help from the Pope, but remained pagan in the end.
gediminas • lithuanian history • grand duchy of lithuania • ruthenians • rusyns

Mink Mustela vison
One of the mammals of the Arctic is the mink. The mink (Mustela vison) belongs to the Mustelidae or weasel family. The mink along with other fur bearing animals attracted trappers, traders, and settlers to the North Country.
mink • arctic • weasel • fur • dark brown

Poland, The Allies, And World War II
Before and during World War II, Poland was at the mercy of not only Germany, but also the Allies and Russia. While the war was started over Poland, Poland didn't really benefit much.
poland • wwii • allies • nazis • russia

The International Perspective, Part 1
In this two part series, we will look at the issue of the death penalty from an international perspective, specifically how that perspective relates to the United States’ use and support of capital punishment.
death • penalty • death penalty • u.s. • us

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Poland and Lithuania have a shared history that goes back to the 14th century. This has had both positive and negative consequences for Lithuania.
poland • lithuania • commonwealth

Currencies in Eastern Europe
When traveling around Eastern Europe, chances are you're changing currencies regularly. How can you get zloty, tolar and koruna straight in your mind, and your wallet?
eastern european currencies • introduction of euro • european union economic agreements • oanda currency converter • coin collecting

East Europe and Russia Resources
Reading local English-language and ex-pat newspapers is the perfect way to prepare for travels in Eastern Europe and to keep up with the culture.
prague daily monitor • prague post • slovak spectator • bulgarian post • nacional newspaper croatia

Eastern European Tourist Boards
Official tourist information for Eastern European countries is available - the quality varies, but some countries supply good information to English-speaking tourists.
tourist information centers • eastern europe tourist boards • mediterranean as it once was • estonia tourist information office • tourist offices

International Baby Names for Boys
So what are people around the world naming their babies? Here's a list of the most popular international names for baby boys.
baby boy names • international names • world names • popular names • 2006

Karl Marx and Communism
Karl Marx was a revolutionary economist. His communist manifesto was followed by dozens of countries during its peak popularity. Today only a handful remain.
communism • karl marx • communist manifesto • communist countries • marxism

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