tagged w/ Moscow
-
The Ill-Fated Pact
Bartosz T. Wieliński
2009-08-21
The German and Soviet invasion of Poland was a prelude to a destructive war and the communist enslavement of eastern Europe, 140 German intellectuals write in a declaration.
'We thus respond to those in Russia who are trying to defend Stalin. They don't seem to be living in the 21st century,' says CSU deputy Hartmut Koschyk, one of the declaration's signatories.
The declaration is an appeal to Europe to not forget, while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain, the circumstances in which the continent was originally divided seventy years ago.
'We are aware, and this is a painful awareness, that without the German-started World War II neither the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe nor the division of Europe and Germany would have happened,' write the German intellectuals. Rather than identifying 1 September 1939 - the day of the German invasion of Poland - as the beginning of the tragedy, they point at 23 August 1939, when the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was signed in Moscow. In it, the Third Reich and the Soviet Union divided Central Europe between themselves. 'It was an ill-fated pact,' reads the declaration.
The declaration was initiated by Marianne Birthler, head of the Stasi Records Authority and the Foundation for Research into the DDR Dictatorship, and former DDR dissident, Wolfgang Templin. It was signed by nearly 140 persons, including, among others, ex-president of the Bundestag, Prof Rita Süssmuth, the first head of the Stasi Records Authority, Joachim Gauck, historians Arnulf Baring, Dieter Bingen and Heirinch Winkler, journalists and politicians.
The declaration is unprecedented. To avoid being accused of historical revisionism - diminishing German responsibility for WWII - Germans seldom speak about Russia's responsibility for the war. Politicians usually steer well clear of the subject in order not to damage relations with Moscow. Yet the declaration leaves no doubt about what communism meant for eastern Europe.
'In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and part of Germany, all weakened by the war and Nazi rule, the Soviet Union introduced a new regime. That had disastrous consequences for society, the economy and culture, as well as for the masses of people who were persecuted or lost their lives because they stood in the communists' way,' reads the declaration.
Markus Meckel (SPD), one of the signatories, assures Gazeta that no one wants to whitewash Nazi Germany. 'But we need to remember that there was another totalitarianism which also committed crimes and left scars on central Europe's collective memory. People in the West have to finally acknowledge this,' says Mr Meckel.
Moreover, the German declaration comes at a time when a group of Russian historians, acting on the Kremlin's orders, is trying to defend the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. They are arguing that Stalin wanted to buy himself time to prepare for the war against Germany, that he was forced to sign the pact by the inflexible position of Poland which didn't want an alliance with Russia. Some have gone as far as to suggest that it is Poland that bears responsibility for the wear because it refused to meet Hitler's 'moderate' demands and surrender the 'Gdańsk corridor.'
Mr Meckel adds that the declaration is also an appeal to Russia to start an honest debate about the past. 'They should finally confront the vision of history of the Poles or the Balts,' says the SPD deputy. The signatories Gazeta has talked to hope that chancellor Angela Merkel speaks in a similar tone during the 1 September celebrations on Westerplatte, Gdańsk.
The German declaration is also a homage to the democratic opposition in Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary. 'We will never forget that it was especially the Poles who, fighting for our freedom and theirs, dealt the first blows to the communist regime,' reads the declaration.The Ill-Fated Pact
Bartosz T. Wieliński
2009-08-21
The German and Soviet... more
-
-
A suicide bomber drove a truck laden with explosives into a police station in southern Russia on Monday, killing 21 people and wounding more than 130 in the most costly rebel attack in Russia's troubled Caucasus region in five years.
The attack in the provincial republic of Ingushetia comes amid signs rebel attacks are growing more brazen and well organized, raising concerns that the Kremlin is unable to control the strategically important region.
While Moscow has mostly crushed resistance inside Chechnya, fighters have wormed their way into bordering Muslim republics, where they have stepped up an effective campaign of killing police and government officials.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sacked Ingushetia's top law-enforcement official in response to Monday's attack. His harsh comments noted attacks are reported almost daily in the province, blaming the police leadership for incompetence.
"This terrorist attack could have been prevented," Mr. Medvedev said in televised remarks. "Police have to defend people, and they have to be able to defend themselves."
The Kremlin has struggled to find effective leaders in the Caucasus, in part because rebels have eliminated a number of them.
Ingushetia's construction minister, responsible for Moscow's vast infrastructure projects in the republic, was shot to death in his office last week. The current president, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, a decorated war hero, was wounded in June when a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into his motorcade. Mr. Yevkurov, still recuperating in Moscow, denounced Monday's bombing through a spokesman, calling it "an attempt to destabilize the situation and sow panic."
Investigators said the attacker rammed his truck through the main gates of the police station in Nazran, Ingushetia's largest city, as officers were lining up for morning roll call and inspection. Police fired shots at the truck, but failed to stop it.A suicide bomber drove a truck laden with explosives into a police station in southern... more
-
-
Kepano
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
If you’re looking for the creme de la creme of vacation spots, a palace is right up your alley.If you’re looking for the creme de la creme of vacation spots, a palace is right... more
-
-
Late night hosts and cable news correspondents have some real zingers about Sarah Palin.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.Late night hosts and cable news correspondents have some real zingers about Sarah... more
-
-
The hottest twins in history, how tequila can make you rich, and Conor kisses a corpse - all in this week's magazine roundup.
We've Got You Covered is a recurring segment on Current TV's weekly television show, infoMania. In each episode of We've Got You Covered, Conor Knighton catches you up on everything you need to know about what's in this week's magazines. For more We've Got You Covered visit: http://current.com/topics/88829107_weve-got-you-covered/ and Current TV.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.The hottest twins in history, how tequila can make you rich, and Conor kisses a corpse... more
-
-
On this week's infoMania the ghost of Michael Jackson makes an appearance on Larry King, Ben gives his thoughts on why Sarah Palin is too big for Alaska, Bryan explains why Bruno is leading the new gay revolution, Conor makes some new friends (conservative and of the corpse variety) and Sergio gets all hot and sweaty to the All American Rejects.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.On this week's infoMania the ghost of Michael Jackson makes an appearance on... more
-
-
Each of the floors of the Dynamic Tower rotates independently, giving the building different shapes throughout the day. (Dynamic Architecture/ David Fisher)
Would you like to see a building twisting itself into different shapes night and day on the New York skyline? Would you like to live in an apartment with a view that rotates 360 degrees? It may be a little hard at the moment to arrange financing for such tower — or any other new skyscraper in Manhattan — but the architect David Fisher is looking for a place to build it here someday.
He’s already designed such an edifice in Dubai called the Dynamic Tower, billed as the “world’s first building in motion.” Dr. Fisher, an architect based in Florence, he told me that he hopes groundbreaking for the Dubai tower will occur “within a matter of weeks,” and said that the problems in the credit market haven’t affected the project.
The tower is supposed to generate enough electricity to supply the power needs for itself as well as buildings nearby. The electricity will come from horizontal wind turbines tucked away between each of its 80 floors, and from solar photovoltaic cells on the roof each story. As the individual floors move, about 20 percent of each roof is expected to be exposed to the sun at any time of the day.
Dr. Fisher, who’s working on another of these towers for Moscow, was in town this week to discuss plans for New York. Where might it go? “We are currently looking at a few sites,” he told me. “It should be a place from where the view is attractive and also where people can stand and watch the building changing its shape.”
Any suggestions for him? Any predictions on how well those turbines and photovoltaic cells will work? And would you pay a premium to live in a room with a moving view?
http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/Each of the floors of the Dynamic Tower rotates independently, giving the building... more
-
-
-
A follow-up to the story we featured earlier - here's video out of Moscow of cops breaking up the gay rights rally. From this video (and the similar one down below that's hosted) it doesn't look like it was a very big rally - unsurprising given concerns about how the police would handle such an event.
Anybody out there speak Russian and want to translate the chant for us?A follow-up to the story we featured earlier - here's video out of Moscow of cops... more
-
-
Ireland the Seven-times Eurovision winners have failed to qualify for today's final of the Eurovision song contest in Moscow.
Ireland's entry was not among the 10 successful nations in Thursday's semi-final, which included Denmark, Ukraine, Estonia and Greece.
Pre-favourites Norway, plus Albania, Lithuania, Moldova, Croatia and Azerbaijan also made the cut.
Ireland Sinead Mulvey and Black Daisy respresnt Ireland and failed to progress. Ireland failed to progress last year with their comic entry performed by glove puppet Dustin the Turkey.Ireland the Seven-times Eurovision winners have failed to qualify for today's... more
-
-
Here is something of a surprise in the Russian city of Moscow recently, thanks to a craze from social networking sites, as thousands of people were gathered to the city, to blow bubbles.
Picture courtesy: www.flickr.com/photos/82551922@N00/2396120208/Here is something of a surprise in the Russian city of Moscow recently, thanks to a... more
-
-
A message on the French official Web site of the Church stated, "The Patriarchate of Moscow is in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI's position on the means in the fight against AIDS, and on the fact that condoms cannot be considered as a remedy against this sickness."A message on the French official Web site of the Church stated, "The Patriarchate... more
-
-
jlaws
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Moscow will begin a comprehensive military rearmament from 2011. Mr Medvedev said the primary task would be to "increase the combat readiness of [Russia's] forces, first of all our strategic nuclear forces". Explaining the move, he cited concerns over Nato expansion near Russia's borders and regional conflicts. Mr Medvedev said the move was necessary in response to the current military situation in the world, says the BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Moscow will begin a comprehensive military... more
-
-
pibbio
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
"About 100 Russian film projects have been canceled or suspended since the fall, when the film industry experienced the impact of the economic crisis, according to the Russian film industry's trade journal, Byulleten kinoprokatchuika. Earlier this year, Mosfilm, the country's largest studio complex, said it had no films being shot in its studios.
"It is true that (Russian buyers) are renegotiating deals and even canceling them. It is very difficult indeed to get money out of that territory," a spokesperson for London-based sales and finance house Hanway Films said recently.
News is even worse on the local production front. As the global financial downturn has worsened, Russian distributors increasingly have turned their focus toward Hollywood blockbusters, leaving homegrown films and even foreign independent features on the outside looking in.""About 100 Russian film projects have been canceled or suspended since the fall,... more
-
-
"Achinoam Nini, a singer and peace activist, has long stirred controversy. Known abroad by her stage name, Noa, she has recorded with Arab artists, refused to perform in the occupied West Bank, condemned Israeli settlements there and had concerts canceled because of bomb threats from the extreme right.
But lately it is the left that has been angry with Ms. Nini. Chosen by Israel to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest — this year being held in Moscow in May with an expected television audience of 100 million — Ms. Nini asked if she could bring along her current artistic collaborator, an Israeli Arab singer, Mira Awad.
The selection committee liked the idea of having both Arab and Jewish citizens in the contest for the first time. But coinciding as it did with Israel’s Gaza war and the rise of Avigdor Lieberman, the ultranationalist politician who threatens Israeli Arabs with a loyalty oath, the committee’s choice was labeled by many on the left and in the Arab community as an effort to prettify an ugly situation.
A petition went around demanding that the duo withdraw, saying they were giving the false impression of coexistence in Israel and trying to shield the nation from the criticism it deserved. It added, “Every brick in the wall of this phony image allows the Israeli Army to throw 10 more tons of explosives and more phosphorus bombs.”
Neither Ms. Nini, 39, nor Ms. Awad, 33, has been deterred. But since they consider themselves peace advocates, they are a bit surprised. The antiwar movement, they say, seems to have turned into a Hamas apology force. That, together with the political turn rightward in Israel, means that while the two are being sent to represent this mixed and complex society, they also feel a bit orphaned by it.""Achinoam Nini, a singer and peace activist, has long stirred controversy. Known... more
-
-
A high profile lawyer, Stanislav Markelov, was shot dead in broad daylight on Monday in the streets of central Moscow.
Witnesses says that the killer was wearing a ski mask. The freelance journalist, Anastasia Baburova, who was with the lawyer at the time, was injured in the head, but died later on. The deputy editor of the newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, said the journalist could've been killed intentionally. The lawyer received death threats before his death.A high profile lawyer, Stanislav Markelov, was shot dead in broad daylight on Monday... more
-
-
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A masked man shot and killed on Monday a Russian human rights lawyer known for his work on abuses by the Russian military in the breakaway region of Chechnya, Russian media reported.
The gunman also shot Anastasia Baburova, a journalist from Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper, when she tried to intervene. Baburova died later in a hospital.
Attorney Stanislav Markelov held a press conference earlier in the day opposing the early release of Col. Yury Budanov, who had been convicted of strangling a Chechen teenage girl. Budanov was released after serving only half his jail term.
----
He was Anna Politkovskaya's lawyer.MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A masked man shot and killed on Monday a Russian human rights... more
-
-
Russian and Ukrainian authorities say they will meet Saturday in an attempt to find a solution to the stalemate that has cut gas supplies to much of Europe.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed in a telephone conversation Thursday to hold the talks in Moscow. Ukraine had initially rejected the venue, saying Wednesday the meeting should be held in EU territory.
The European Union says it will send EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Czech Energy Minister Martin Riman to the talks.Russian and Ukrainian authorities say they will meet Saturday in an attempt to find a... more
-
-
By Guy Faulconbridge and James Kilner
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine accused Russia on Sunday of deliberately reducing gas flows to customers in Europe as they face freezing winter temperatures.
Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have reported drops in supplies after Russian state-controlled gas export monopoly Gazprom cut off Ukraine on New Year's Day in a dispute over prices.
Russia has accused Kiev of causing the disruptions by stealing volumes flowing across its territory, but Ukraine hit back by alleging Moscow was cutting flows by more than half through a key export pipeline.
"Naftogaz considers the actions of Gazprom as threatening the energy security of Ukraine and Europe, which could bring unpredictable consequences for the entire gas transit system of Europe," Ukraine's state energy company said in a statement.
"Naftogaz demands that Gazprom immediately renews the balanced supplies of gas to all transit pipelines supplying Russian gas to European consumers."By Guy Faulconbridge and James Kilner
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine accused... more
-
-
A group of racist skinheads who carried out 20 brutal murders in Russia's capital Moscow have been sentenced to jail terms of between six and 20 years.
The gang of seven targeted non-Slavic migrants in the city between August 2006 and October 2007.
Many of the attackers were minors at the time. Besides killing 20 people, they also tried to murder another 12, the court heard.
The group posted video of some of their crimes on the internet.
The heaviest jail term was handed to Roman Kuzin, who received 20 years in jail.
The two alleged ringleaders of the group, Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, were given 10-year sentences in a penal colony.
Their sentences were the longest they could have received, as they were minors at the time.
Four other members of the group received jail sentences of between six and 12 years.A group of racist skinheads who carried out 20 brutal murders in Russia's capital... more
-
