Europe: Divisions and Unifications
The European continent is diverse. Many of its countries, though smaller than many US states, can be further broken into regions that differ from each…
Read MoreCentral and Eastern Europe
Poland: An Emerging Central European Power?
Poland joined the European Union in 2004 as part of the EU’s “big bang” of Eastern expansion. This broke the Cold War’s East-West divide and…
Could the Baltic Crisis Lead to Wider Conflict?
Recent years have seen a hardening of relations between the United States/NATO and Russia. Russian actions in Ukraine—especially the…
University of Warsaw Library
Acquiring a library card for the University of Warsaw Library may be one of the best investments you can make while in Warsaw. For only…
Nuclear War: How the United States and the Soviet Union Fought Over Information in Chernobyl’s Aftermath
April 26, 1986 began like any other day for the Soviet citizens of Pripyat, a little-known city of 50,000 in the Ukrainian SSR. At the…
Kyrgyzstan Prepares to Join the Eurasian Economic Union, Amid Concerns and Questions about the Future
In the two decades since its independence from the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan has maintained close ties with Russia, on which it remains economically dependent, while…
35th Anniversary of the Club of Public Transportation Lovers in Warsaw
This past weekend were the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Club of Public Transportation Lovers in Warsaw (KMKM). I didn’t actually realize at first that…
De Jure and De Facto: An Examination of the “Friendship of the Peoples” Policy and the 1937 Koryo Saram[2] Deportation
Even though we have lived in harsh conditions we the community of Koryo Saram[3] have helped each other like brothers. We have provided each other…
Warsaw: Palimpsest of the Polish Nation
Palimpsest: (n) a manuscript or piece of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing. Warsaw, Poland’s centrally-located capital, is…
Krakow: Poland’s Cultural Capital
Krakow was the Polish capital from 1038 to 1596 or approximately from the Kingdom of Poland’s historical founding through its golden age. Even after the…
YouTube Conflicts: Youth Debate Ukraine
There have been a number of videos published by youth and student groups from all sides of the Ukrainian conflict. Many of these have been…
Crimea: Prosperity in Unity or Separatism?
“Prosperity in Unity” is the official motto of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a parliamentary republic that exists within Ukraine and occupies most of the…
Ukraine: Between Russia and Europe
Ukraine is no longer “The Ukraine.” For centuries, the definite article was considered appropriate, given the land’s history and the name’s meaning. However, given recent…
Transdnestria: A European Nowhere
Transdnestria, or The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (which is the full name its government uses) lies mostly within in a single narrow valley on the east…
Moldova
Moldova: Divided on the Edge of Europe The republic of Moldova may to some appear to be something of an afterthought – a small, landlocked…
Kiev: At the Center of a Divided Country
The ancient city of Kiev continues to thrive as the most populous city of Ukraine. Much like other post-Soviet capitals, Kiev’s future looks bright, despite…
Lviv: A Turbulent Time Capsule
With a population that is 88% ethnically Ukrainian, Lviv is one of the strongholds of what can be considered Ukrainian culture. Although it may have…
Odessa: A City Born Again and Again
As the third largest city in Ukraine, Odessa has a rich and eclectic history. Located on the Black Sea, about 450 km south of Kiev,…
Bloc of Petro Poroshenko: Party Platform
Bloc of Petro Poroshenko is united behind President Petro Poroshenko’s goals for Ukraine. The party’s primary objectives include Ukraine’s membership in the EU, a peaceful…
Prospects for Bloc of Petro Poroshenko and People’s Front
Ukraine’s New Ruling Political Parties Ukraine’s two most powerful political parties, Bloc of Petro Poroshenko and People’s Front, are both new political formations. Both were…