Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
Shift to Soviet-Russian National Identity in Ukraine
The Viktor Yanukovych administration is undertaking a radical overhaul of Ukraine’s national identity that turns its back not only on the Yushchenko era, but also on two earlier presidents. All three presidents promoted Ukrainophile national identity that was based on the doyen of Ukrainian historiography,... MORE
Chechen Officials Press Moscow to Assist with Demining as Blasts Still Claim Lives
On May 6, the Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian Knot) website reported that the Chechen parliament resolved to address Moscow with a request to assist with clearing minefields in the republic. An estimated 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) of land in Chechnya remain littered with landmines years after... MORE
Medvedev Presides Over the Victory Day Celebrations and Condemns Stalin
Sixty five years normally would not be considered a significant anniversary, but Victory Day is special for all Russians, so every official fanfare was blown last weekend and military parades were held from Sakhalin to Sevastopol. The holiday has always had a sad undertone because... MORE
Chechen Leader Says he Does Not Repress Religion and Press Freedom, or Kill his Opponents
Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, on May 5 slammed a report by a US government commission on infringements of religious freedom worldwide in which he came in for particularly harsh criticism. Earlier this month, Kadyrov was listed a “predator” of press freedom, and last month the... MORE
“Tired” Lukashenka Ready to Run for Re-election
While the date of the next presidential election in Belarus has not been determined definitively –February 6, 2011 has been mentioned as a possibility– Belarusian President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, during a visit to the Homel’ region, declared that “a very hard campaign” awaits him because “some... MORE
Constitutional Amendments Further Polarize Turkish Politics
Turkish domestic politics has been focused on a controversial constitutional reform package, proposed by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). In what appears to be a new trench war, the Turkish parliament has held the second round of voting on the proposed changes.For the... MORE
Kyrgyz Instability Presents Challenges for Russia, China and the SCO
On April 23, the Security Council secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in Tashkent in preparation for the organization’s annual summit also scheduled to be held in the Uzbek capital in June. In the aftermath of the violent protests on April 7 that... MORE
Historical Context for Regional Response to Recent Events in Kyrgyzstan
The international reaction to the events of April 6-7 in Kyrgyzstan follows a pattern that is becoming all too familiar in the region. Over the past 19 years, many of the former Soviet republics have experienced violent and/or unexpected transitions in the form of political... MORE
The Circassian Question is Driving Change in the Northwest Caucasus
On April 28, the President of Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Boris Ebzeyev, accepted the resignation of the republican government. The main reason for the government’s replacement was the ethnic imbalance of power, as Moscow’s envoy to the region Aleksandr Khloponin has demanded that an ethnic Circassian be appointed... MORE
Political Competition Intensifies in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government today is torn between its efforts to gain international legitimacy and maintain its domestic popularity. It has convicted former president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, of mass murder. Lacking formal legitimacy, the provisional government’s decision to convict Bakiyev was largely an act targeted towards its... MORE