Ukraine’s leading World War II history museum will remove Soviet-era monuments as part of a push to erase centuries-old ties to Russia. “The museum space must get rid of the Soviet narrative, which has been used for decades to promote the myth of the ‘great patriotic war,’” the Kiev-based National Museum of …
Read More »Russian nationalist and staunch anti-Soviet: The legacy of Solzhenitsyn 50 years after his deportation from the USSR
Among the many great Russian writers of the 20th century, one man stands out in particular, whose works have had the greatest impact on social and political views on modern life in the country. This Nobel Prize winning philosopher is often quoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. An ideologist who …
Read More »EU tells ex-Soviet state to sanction Russia
The European Union expects Moldova to fully implement sanctions against Russia in order to demonstrate “European values,” the bloc’s ambassador in the former Soviet republic said on Tuesday. If Chisinau truly wants to join the EU some day, it needs to implement all of the bloc’s laws, rules and regulations …
Read More »‘Africa is fighting, Africa will win’: How Soviet art supported the decolonization of the ‘Dark Continent’
In the second half of the 20th century, the African continent lived through its own ‘parade of sovereignties.’ In 1960 alone, 17 new nations gained independence in what was formerly colonial Africa. While remaining economically dependent on Europe, the former colonies fought for political independence. The USSR tried to provide …
Read More »China questions sovereignty of ex-Soviet states
China’s ambassador to France has called into question the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, suggesting that their hazy status under international law makes it difficult to resolve conflicts over disputed territories such as Crimea. “Even these countries of the former Soviet Union don’t have effective status in …
Read More »Lavrov likens protests in ex-Soviet state to 2014 Kiev coup
The massive protests Georgia has been facing over the past week closely resemble the 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. Backed by external powers, these protests are just another plot attempt, he told the ‘Great Game’ show on Russia’s Channel 1. Over the …
Read More »Nazi collaborators, dissidents and Soviet functionaries: The untold story of how Ukraine achieved independence
The end of the Second World War and the defeat of Ukrainian Nazi-collaborators did not put an end to the nationalist movement in the Soviet republic. On the contrary, realizing the futility of underground armed struggle, the “patriots” took the opposite approach. Thus, political leaders in Kiev became unwitting accomplices, …
Read More »Ex-Soviet republic explains refusal to ‘return’ weapons to Ukraine
Georgia did not receive Buk anti-aircraft systems from Ukraine free of charge, but rather as part of a secret arms deal, the country’s defense ministry said on Tuesday. The statement came in response to a Ukrainian diplomat who alleged that Tbilisi was refusing to return weapons that Kiev had gifted …
Read More »Ghost of Soviet Union still haunts Washington – Moscow
The US’ support for Ukraine is motivated by a Cold War-era desire to weaken Russia and make Europe its subordinate, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek on Saturday. However, he foresees a new “multipolar world” emerging. Speaking to the American magazine a week after the Pentagon announced a …
Read More »Baltic state demolishes Soviet WWII monument
Workers have started removing the monument to the liberators of Latvia from the Nazis, with at least one excavator and a truck already at the site. Earlier, the city council of the capital, Riga decided to demolish the memorial despite protests from some. On Tuesday, Russia’s Zvezda TV reported that …
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