“We now joke that Belarus is even farther north than North Korea. We’re living under the conditions of a real fascist regime.”
New Europe
Everybody in the West used to assume the countries behind the Iron Curtain were little copies of the Soviet Union, with sausage shortages, tank parades and unbeatable women’s weightlifting teams.
I backpacked across the former East Blocs the summer after the Berlin Wall came down. After college, I taught English in a Czech school, traveling to Slovakia to witness Czechoslovakia’s peaceful dissolution in 1993. I hung out with journalists in smoky cafes and dreamed of becoming a foreign correspondent.
Today a generation is coming of age that learned about communism in history class. But New Europe is in no danger of getting old.
From Exile, Tikhanovskaya Calls For ‘2nd Wave Of Protests’ Against Belarus Regime
“The US, as one of the oldest democracies, should support the values of human rights, free elections and freedom of assembly,” says Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Women Lead The Way Against Belarus’ Patriarch, Says Svetlana Tikhanovskaya
“Our women understood they don’t have to stay in their kitchens and can fight for their rights beside — and even in front of their men,” Tikhanovskaya says.
‘Tightening The Screws’: Belarus’ Lukashenko Shows No Sign Of Bending To Protests
“It’s become scary because they can go after you simply for things like the color of your clothes.It’s like George Orwell’s 1984.”
Facing The Biggest Challenge Ever To His Power, Lukashenko Looks To Russia For Help
Alexander Lukashenko is spinning a narrative of a beleaguered underdog facing hostile forces that only Vladimir Putin has the power to stop.
Belarus’ Opposition Leaders Reemerge After Post-Election Crackdown
“The U.S. should not recognize Lukashenko as legitimate leader. It should recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of the presidential elections.”
A 37-Year-Old Opposition Candidate Challenges The Longtime Leader Of Belarus
“I’ve had to hide my children,” said Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. “I’m tired of putting up with it. I’m tired of being silent. I’m tired of being afraid.”
A New Law In Latvia Aims To Preserve National Language By Limiting Russian In Schools
“It’s a miracle Latvian survived as a language,” said Andis Kudors. “Latvians are sensitive because language is the main feature of our national identity.”
Excavation Of Lithuania’s Great Synagogue Highlights A ‘Painful Page’ From History
For decades, the principals at a boxy, two-story kindergarten in Vilnius unwittingly pored over their lesson plans a few feet above one of the city’s most sacred sites.
Near The Russian Border, U.S. and NATO Beef Up Their Presence
“From here we defend Copenhagen, Paris, London and Washington,” said Hannes Hanso. “This is where the tensions are now because of our eastern neighbor, Russia.”
