After fleeing Chechnya, four gay men spoke to me about bribery, secret meetings and their plans to return home when the region’s brutal anti-LGBT campaign comes to an end. Русский
As Russian law enforcement turns its steely eye to the country's classrooms, three schoolteachers share their experiences of politics and propaganda. Русский
They’ve been dismissed as a “teenage rebellion”, but the protests that shook Russia recently reveal how the country’s youth is slipping through the state’s fingers. Русский
Thousands have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest a law penalising the unemployed. But there’s every chance that the Lukashenka government is playing the long game.
Until Central Asia’s autocracies take their numerous commitments to democracy seriously, election observers can’t do their jobs. What can be done? Русский
This week, two political prosecutions in Russia were quashed — to much applause. But it’s too early to talk about positive trends — the authorities are merely changing their tactics.
Russians are increasingly aware that, instead of waiting for the state’s good graces, they need to take some matters into their own hands. Русский
In Armenia, calls to remain united in the face of external aggression are shutting down criticism and promoting pro-regime politics, even among the opposition. հայերեն
The murder of a young girl in a Ukrainian village has led to the expulsion of local Roma families. In the aftermath, observers are asking whether Roma have a place in today’s Ukraine. Українська
More than 20 years after it ended, Armenia is still experiencing the burden of victory in the war over Nagorno Karabakh.
The war in the east, the rise of paramilitaries and polarised public opinion are feeding fears of a violent seizure of power in Kyiv. Could Ukraine follow in Turkey’s footsteps?
In the two years since Ukraine’s Maidan protests, Ukrainian society has become increasingly politically active — with unintended consequences. Русский, Українською
