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Friday 22 January 2021

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January 22, 2021
The Week In Russia: 'No. 2 Politician, No. 1 Headache'

The United States got a new president this week, but it’s hard to escape the impression that Russia’s political world has also seen a big change in less than seven days, a shift that will shape the future in unknown ways.

January 22, 2021
Alphonse Mucha's Masterpiece Slav Epic Explained

With news that a probable home has been found for the Slav Epic, a series of masterworks by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, we take a look at what the paintings represent.
January 22, 2021
Ahead Of Protests, Russia Cracks Down On Navalny's Allies -- And TikTok

Ahead of protests in support of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, his supporters across Russia are being targeted in a sweeping state crackdown against anyone calling for demonstrations.
January 22, 2021
The Week's Best: 10 RFE/RL Stories You Need To Read (Or Watch)

Hey, you're busy! We know rferl.org isn't the only website you read. And that it's just possible you may have missed some of our most compelling journalism this week. To make sure you're up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL.
January 21, 2021
Kazakh Police 'Kettle' Freezing Protesters For Nine Hours, Blasting 'Blizzard' Song

A so-called “kettling” operation against a handful of protesters in Kazakhstan went far beyond the way police in the West use the controversial tactic to control mass demonstrations.
January 21, 2021
Tajiks Bury 'Juro Ako' -- Khujand's Beloved Last Jew

Residents of the northern Tajik city of Khujand have buried the city’s last Jew, marking the end of an era. Jura Abaev had emigrated to Israel three times but returned to Khujand within months each time, saying it was the only place he felt truly at home.
January 20, 2021
'Swamp Of Poverty': Uzbek Cotton Farmers Refusing To Work With 'Cluster' Monopoly

Uzbekistan’s agriculture "cluster" reforms have proven to be a new form of “hidden” or “secret privatization” -- a scheme used during the 1990s by corrupt officials and their private-sector cronies in former communist countries of Eastern Europe to plunder state firms.
January 20, 2021
Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?

A legal battle over whether a small strip of Black Sea shoreline is a beach or not reveals a struggle to impose the rule of law over one of Bulgaria's most influential politicians.
January 20, 2021
We See You! How Russia Has Expanded Its Video-Surveillance System

In 2020, Russia ranked third in the world in terms of the number of CCTV cameras on its territory. The country also invested millions of dollars in facial-recognition software and launched one of the world's most comprehensive surveillance systems in Moscow. While authorities say this will increase
January 20, 2021
Long Lost Love: Moldovan Villagers From Important Soviet Photo Discovery Found

The stories behind the now famous portraits by Moldova's "Village Genius."
January 19, 2021
In A Response To Navalny's Arrest, Clues To Biden's Russia Policy

Russia's detention of Aleksei Navalny, and his earlier poisoning with a powerful, banned, Soviet-era nerve agent, pose an early challenge to the incoming Biden administration. Can the new White House balance human rights concerns with things like expiring nuclear arms treaties?
January 19, 2021
Leaked Belarusian Audio Points To Plan For Barbed-Wire-Bound 'Camp' For Protesters

A group of former Belarusian security and justice officials has released an explosive audio recording said to be a top Interior Ministry official talking about plans to build an internment camp for protesters and urging officers to use force at anti-government rallies.

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Friday 22 January 2021

The Week In Russia: 'No. 2 Politician, No. 1 Headache'

Alphonse Mucha's Masterpiece Slav Epic Explained

Ahead Of Protests, Russia Cracks Down On Navalny's Allies -- And TikTok

The Week's Best: 10 RFE/RL Stories You Need To Read (Or Watch)

Kazakh Police 'Kettle' Freezing Protesters For Nine Hours, Blasting 'Blizzard' Song

Tajiks Bury 'Juro Ako' -- Khujand's Beloved Last Jew

'Swamp Of Poverty': Uzbek Cotton Farmers Refusing To Work With 'Cluster' Monopoly

Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?

We See You! How Russia Has Expanded Its Video-Surveillance System

Long Lost Love: Moldovan Villagers From Important Soviet Photo Discovery Found

In A Response To Navalny's Arrest, Clues To Biden's Russia Policy

Leaked Belarusian Audio Points To Plan For Barbed-Wire-Bound 'Camp' For Protesters

Editor's Picks

Ahead Of Protests, Russia Cracks Down On Navalny's Allies -- And TikTok

The Week's Best: 10 RFE/RL Stories You Need To Read (Or Watch)

Kazakh Police 'Kettle' Freezing Protesters For Nine Hours, Blasting 'Blizzard' Song

Tajiks Bury 'Juro Ako' -- Khujand's Beloved Last Jew

'Swamp Of Poverty': Uzbek Cotton Farmers Refusing To Work With 'Cluster' Monopoly

Trending Stories

Navalny Investigation Shines Light On 'Putin's Palace'

Popular Soviet War Ballad May Come To The Defense Of The Motherland As Russia's Olympic 'Anthem'

In Living Color: Georgia Before The Soviets Arrived

EU Lawmakers Demand Halt To Nord Stream 2 Over Navalny Arrest

Serbia Becomes First European Nation To Use China's Sinopharm Vaccine

Meet The 'Poor Italian Architect' Who Designed 'Putin's Palace'

Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?

Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan Finally Reach Deal On Lucrative Caspian Sea Energy Field

Kremlin Whistle-Blower: 'Putin Has No Option But To Stay In Power'

Long Lost Love: Moldovan Villagers From Important Soviet Photo Discovery Found

Trending Visuals

Inside 'Putin's Palace'

Pole Dancing And Fancy Toilet Brushes: Millions Watch Navalny Video On Alleged 'Putin Palace'

The Pole Or Bust! The Loneliest (And Coldest) Lenin

Before The Killings: Rare Photographs Of Russia's Last Royal Family

Young Amputee Faces Struggle To Pay For Prosthetics After Nagorno-Karabakh War

From Minsk To Vladivostok, People Plunge Into Icy Waters To Mark Orthodox Epiphany

States Of Sadness: Ukraine, North Macedonia Feeling Frustrated

Migrants Bathe In Bosnian Thermal Spring To Escape Harsh Conditions

'Take It Off!': Ukrainians Drop Masks And Break Lockdown Rules

Kosovars Gather Near 'Biden Road' To Show Support For Incoming President