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Soros: In revolutionary times the impossible becomes possible
From the mid-1980s, Hungarian-born investor and philanthropist George Soros pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into foundations in Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the idea of the "open society" and challenging the region's Soviet-backed regimes. Since then his Open Society Institute has evolved into a network of foundations and offices working in over 60 countries. Here, writing exclusively for CNN.com, he describes how the work of his foundations ultimately contributed to the collapse of communism.
20 years after wall fell, study finds less support for democracy
A specter is haunting Eastern Europe: the ghost of Communism past.
Commentary: Why Obama should be upbeat -- and worried
With all due respect, President Obama and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, to put it bluntly, should shut up.
Photographer: Inauguration like no moment I've ever witnessed
On Sunday morning, I boarded a bus in Brooklyn with a group of approximately 40 citizens from New York, all African-American, each of whom would not have missed for almost anything the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Oil rises as hurricane threatens Gulf
Oil prices pushed higher Tuesday as Hurricane Gustav threatened the oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico, but gains were tempered by a stronger U.S. dollar.
Nip/tuck in Budapest
Randy Simor's entrepreneurial savvy was severely tested when police and anti-government protesters in Budapest skirmished during celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Soviet Union. As the CEO of Meditours Hungary, a Budapest-based business offering Americans and Europeans access to Hungarian medical care, he had five clients in the city that day.
Eastern Europe: What's now
Forget lists of "What's Next" in travel. Eastern Europe is "What's Now." While it's catching up to the West -- becoming more modern, expensive and crowded -- Eastern Europe remains a great value. Here's what to expect this year.
Ask Business 2.0
Q. My website, which aggregates deals on travel and electronics, isn't getting much traffic from Google AdWords. How do I market my site and generate traffic on a small budget? - Kamlesh Patel, Director, Grab2travel.com
It's time to live up to family values
As technology companies search from India to Eastern Europe for talent, and employers of day laborers decry attempts to cut off the supply from Latin America, CEOs seem to have overlooked one way of at least partly remedying the worker-shortage problem: Make their companies more family-friendly.
Small-town Czech bars humble but fun
A strip of honey-colored flypaper spirals down from a thumbtack that anchors its now-empty canister. Speckled with lifeless flies, the canister swings each time the violin bow pokes it.
Profiting abroad, stock by stock
Overseas markets have been hot -- and Americans have noticed. Last year, for the first time ever, investors put more money into foreign-stock funds than into domestic ones, according to the Investm...
Buying property overseas
Ever dream about buying a little place in the rolling hills of Ireland? Perhaps you're drawn to living in Tuscany or wandering the snaggleways of London.
Geeks and mobsters
A crook has two advantages: The rise of fast credit and the easy availability of the information he needs to pretend to be you.
Eastern Europe, masculinity rule runway fashions
A mix of masculine and feminine, the elegance of a decade gone by and bright colors defined the wide array of looks in the first few days of New York Fashion Week.
Best investments 2005: Growth
Growth stocks haven't been this cheap in years. Risk: A weak economy might keep them cheap.
U.N.: Millions of children in poverty
A new UNICEF report finds that millions of children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia still live in poverty, despite economic progress being made in the region.
Germans fear EU economic drain
Twice a day, laundry is sent out for washing from a Berlin hotel -- but the sheets don't stay in Berlin. They go all the way to Poland, to be washed there and returned within 24 hours.
Eastern Europe set for travel surge
With 10 more countries about to swell the ranks of the EU come May 1, the one business sector likely to get a boost is the travel industry -- both for leisure and business.
Three held over casino 'scam'
It could have been a scene straight out of "Casino Royale."
Bush rolls out 5-year AIDS plan
The Bush administration has rolled out a five-year, $15 billion government-wide strategy for combating the AIDS/HIV pandemic.
Q&A: MyDoom virus threatens PCs
The MyDoom worm, which knocked out the Web site of a software company by bombarding it with a flood of data, has heightened concern about the threat of computer viruses.
Leading Indicators WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH, AND WHAT IT MEANS.
BROADBAND Electrifying the Net
Ready To Run What's it like to head a company that's poised to be a Wall Street darling? We look at five small
MICHAEL BAKER ArthroCare
As the Third World Turns If you think U.S. stocks got unfairly hit after Sept. 11, take a look at emerging markets.
When it comes to emerging markets, there's almost no end to the bad news. After a disastrous 2000, when they shed 30% of their value, stock markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia continued to tu...
The Small Growth Trap Risky? Very. Profitable? No--unless you follow my strategy.
Mutual funds that invest in small, fast-growing companies are nothing but trouble. Of all fund categories, small growth funds have plagued the greatest number of investors. Millions of people have ...
Is The Recent Web Scam Reason To Fear?
We've long agreed with the prevailing wisdom that the threat of Internet credit-card fraud is minimal. Then came the January case in which an unidentified computer hacker, thought to be based in Ea...
Forget Scotch: It's Absinthe Time!
What's bright green, tastes funny, may cause weird sensations and seizures if you're daring enough to drink it, and is suddenly showing up in all the really cool places these days? If you answered ...
Defining the Categories
STYLE MATTERS. ON THESE PAGES, YOU'LL FIND A GUIDE TO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDS REPRESENTED IN THE MONEY 100--PLUS SUGGESTIONS ON HOW YOU CAN COMBINE YOUR FUNDS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE PORTFOLIO....
The Ascent of E-Man R.I.P.: THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT
I grew up in a planned economy. Bureaucrats didn't run everything: Small-business men were more or less free to buy and sell as they saw fit. But those who controlled the economy's "commanding heig...
Rebounding Emerging Markets Bond Funds Offer Lofty Yields--If You Can Handle The Risks
Not too long ago, only investors with an Evel Knievel-like tolerance for risk would have considered emerging markets bonds. After all, as last fall's Asian economic crisis reverberated through deve...
A NEW MANAGER, BUT CAN HE DO RUSSIA? INTERNATIONAL FUND UPDATE: EASTERN EUROPE
Owning one of the hottest--and thus, perhaps, one of the riskiest--mutual funds specializing in Eastern Europe may have just gotten a little riskier. The reason: The manager who got things off to a...
A RUSSIAN BULL'S EYE RENAISSANCE CAPITAL'S BORIS JORDAN BELIEVES RUSSIA IS DESTINED FOR ECONOMIC REBIRTH, AND
"When I first went looking for money to invest in Russia, people threw me out of their offices," Boris Jordan says. "They don't do that anymore."
EMERGING MARKETS STILL RULE.
Income investors who want equity-like returns can take a chance on sizzling emerging markets bond funds, which invest in debt issues in Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Far East. For the 16th ...
ALL'S WILD ON THE EASTERN FRONT
Ever since the Berlin Wall came down, people have been talking about the possibility of making big money in Eastern Europe. Now at least some investors are. A little-known mutual fund, Vontobel Eas...
BOND FUNDS
Risk rules the bond rankings. Almost all the top spots for the past one, three, five and 10 years (to Jan. 27) belong to funds that invest in the diciest securities: emerging market debt and high-y...
FUNDS RUSH TO CASH IN ON EASTERN EUROPE'S BOOM
Lured by spectacular gains in markets such as Russia (up 105% in the first eight months of this year), Hungary (86%), Poland (77%) and the Czech Republic (26%), several new mutual funds have sprung...
THREE RISING STARS IN CENTRAL EUROPE
After six years of false starts, hardship, and loud public skepticism, Central Europe's three main economies have emerged from the Russian bear's shadow and look sustainably bullish. The Czech stoc...
YOUNG AMERICANS GO ABROAD TO STRIKE IT RICH From Budapest to Beijing, record numbers of ambitious entrepreneurs and pioneering p
DANIEL ARBESS was a baby-faced associate at the venerable New York law firm White & Case when he first traveled to Prague on vacation. It was December 1989, and the Czech capital was just emerging ...
CZECHS SPURN WESTERN MATES
The prosperous Czech Republic faces an unusual problem: too much foreign capital. The central bank's reserves of Western currency rose from $3.8 billion to some $5.3 billion in this year's first ni...
YES, YOU CAN WIN IN EASTERN EUROPE It's not just a market for Western goods, says Percy Barnevik, CEO of Swiss-based ABB, but al
WESTERN INVESTORS have poured some $15 billion into Eastern Europe in the five years since the Berlin Wall came down, but not everyone is happy. General Electric had to put an additional $400 milli...
AMERICA'S EXPORT SURPRISE
Just months ago, the experts were writing off exports. Yes, U.S. manufacturers had become competitive on price and quality, but recession-ridden Europe and Japan simply didn't have much reason to b...
A FIRST-CLASS PAYOFF FROM THIRD WORLD DEBT
Wall Street old-timers used to chuckle about ''Peruvian bonds'': broker slang for worthless securities. Nowadays owners of the Andean country's debt are the ones who are smiling. Loans that sold fo...
WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES THE NEW GLOBAL CONSUMER IN CHARTS
While most of the industrialized world rouses from recent economic slumber, many developing nations are long awake and working overtime.
WORLD WIDE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE GLOBAL ACTION IS It may not be in the places you expect -- or the places you
GLOBALIZATION. Aren't we sick of it? Haven't we heard enough already about consumers from Alabama to Zambia wearing Levi's and Nikes and sweaters from Benetton, drinking Coke and Pepsi, eating Big ...
BUSINESS TONGUES
Wilkommen to language school. Sorry about the crowd, but this industry is booming. Berlitz, which leads the field in teaching foreign tongues to executives, reports business enrollments shot up 49%...
TOP TEN REASONS LEAVING HARVARD LAMPOON TO LOOK FOR WORK SUCKS
(10) Painful farewells to complimentary Harvard manservant. (9) Nude break-dancing duels discouraged at most Wall Street firms. (8) Diplomas now made of paper, not animal skin parchment, which I co...
COMING SOON: A NEW BREED OF MUTUAL FUND
Interested in putting a few thousand dollars into hot growth companies in Eastern Europe? Or in one of those richly rewarding private placements of stock that Saudi Arabian princes seem so fond of?...
EASTERN EUROPE IS ONE HOT MARKET
-- From the Baltic to the Black Sea, Eastern Europeans are loading up on merchandise bearing U.S. brand names like Kodak, Kellogg's, Band-Aids, Rice-a- Roni, SlimFast, and Purina Cat Chow. Warsaw s...
EUROPE LOOKS AHEAD TO HARD CHOICES Unity or nationalism. Competitiveness or protectionism. The lines cou
THIS WAS supposed to be Europe's year, the magical, long-awaited 1992 that would release all the competitive power locked up by nationalism, tribalism, and protectionism. Instead, Europe got divisi...
PLOTTING YOUR PATH TO PROSPERITY The world's financial markets are in flux. But change brings new opport
AT TIMES our aspirations seem no more than wishful dreams. With a sluggish global economy, a tight job market, slumping housing values, and rising costs for such essentials as health care and tuiti...
KOREA'S TIGERS KEEP ROARING The government doesn't love them anymore, and wages have exploded. But Korean conglomerates are figh
SOUTH KOREA'S long quest to be the next Japan seems right on schedule. The country's giant conglomerates are moving into every market on earth. Goldstar has bought a 5% stake in Zenith Electronics ...
ASIA/COVER STORY KOREA'S TIGERS KEEP ROARING The government doesn't love them anymore, and wages have ex
SOUTH KOREA'S long quest to be the next Japan seems right on schedule. The country's giant conglomerates are moving into every market on earth. Goldstar has bought a 5% stake in Zenith Electronics ...
EUROPE'S STOCK MARKETS OFFER A PASSPORT TO PROFITS
Few events hold as much potential for gains as the coming economic unification of Europe. Though there are still plenty of stumbling blocks, analysts figure that a successful integration could add ...
GET AN AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN PORTFOLIO ON THE CHEAP
Of all the emerging Eastern bloc nations, none has a brighter future than Hungary. This peppery land of goulash and bauxite has taken to economic freedom with a vengeance. Within the last year or s...
NEW LIGHT IN EASTERN EUROPE? Amid the economic chaos that followed the crash of Communism come signs of emerging entrepreneurshi
A NERVOUS SOBRIETY has set in across Eastern Europe. Two years after the Iron Curtain came crashing down, the region's experiments with capitalism might, to some eyes, seem an excellent advertiseme...
WHO'S WHO IN THE EAST In Eastern Europe, the people to know are both colorful and energetic. ! Want to meet the Clark Gable of f
Business is always personal, but especially so in Eastern Europe, where daunting bureaucracy and changing ground rules can spook even veteran investors from abroad. In such a climate, knowing the r...
HONG KONG ON THE BALTIC?
Allied bombing in World War II couldn't destroy Konigsberg when it was part of Germany, and neither could 46 years of urban planning by the Soviets, who got hold of the city in 1945 and renamed it ...
THE SEARCH FOR CAPITAL
The triumph of capitalism does not come cheap. As country after country struggles to build its market economy, the world will need more money than it did in the Eighties. Latin America, Eastern Eur...
FORTUNE Magazine contents page JULY 29, 1991 VOL. 124, NO. 3
COMPETITION/COVER STORY 48 DRUGMAKERS UNDER ATTACK Marketing muscle, patents, and a unique relationship with customers have made them America's most profitable industry. That will change as insurer...
INVESTMENT ADVICE FROM THE POPE
Westerners eyeing business opportunities in Eastern Europe will find encouragement in Pope John Paul II's new 114-page encyclical. The Pope, once thought to have a slightly leftish political tilt, ...
A COMING SURGE IN CAPITAL SPENDING Manufacturers won big productivity gains in the Eighties by working smarter. Now they're goin
IF YOU THINK America is suffering an inexorable industrial decline, the 1990s will surprise you. Capital investment -- a key indicator of vitality -- will rebound robustly in the manufacturing and ...
ON THE RISE
PATRICIA A. ZLOTIN, 44 MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. Five years ago Zlotin helped launch this Boston mutual fund company in the business of managing government securities. Today she runs fiv...
HOW LATIN AMERICA IS OPENING UP Opportunities abound for U.S. business as governments cut tariffs, welcome foreign companies, an
IF YOU DOUBT that there's a new climate for foreign businesses in Latin America, consider this tale. Michael Jordan, chairman of PepsiCo's international snack and beverage businesses, called on Mex...
VOLKSWAGEN PUTS U.S. IN BACK SEAT
The German automaker's $5.3 billion investment in Czechoslovakia's carmaker Skoda opens up the new and potentially huge Eastern European market, but it also may cost the company its planned comebac...
THE MOST FASCINATING IDEAS FOR 1991
If a new world is indeed to be born in the aftermath of the Cold War, the midwives will be business leaders. So, at least, argues Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future, a research outfit in Me...
A WINNING STRATEGY FOR THE 1990S The new decade won't be as kind as the 1980s, but by adapting to new trends, you
WHAT INVESTOR isn't nostalgic for the Eighties? It seemed all you had to do was plunk down your money and watch it grow like a line at a Madonna concert. Investors in stocks enjoyed the second-best...
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS FORTYSOMETHING THIS COUPLE EARNING $100,000 A YEAR HAS A NEST EGG OF $150,000. THEIR
WITH THREE children nearing college age, this family will soon hear the wolf at the door, howling for tuition. Fossel suggests a portfolio with equal weight in stocks and bonds to wring out income ...
CONSERVATION PAYS OFF Western Europe and Japan are in far better shape than is the U.S. to weather the latest oil sh
TWICE BURNED in the 1970s, Western Europe and Japan have spent the past decade getting ready for another oil shock. High taxes on heating oil and gasoline, among other measures, have reduced oil's ...
. . . AND VICE VERSA
Not only is the U.S. starting to invest in Eastern Europe -- Eastern Europe is starting to invest here as well. Earlier this year Planeta, a printing press manufacturer near Dresden, East Germany, ...
SEED MONEY FOR EASTERN EUROPE
If it worked for Silicon Valley, it can work for Eastern Europe -- or so the theory goes. The U.S. government is investing taxpayer dollars in venture capital funds -- the same financial vehicles t...
SOLID GOLD
Archer Daniels Midland. The giant grain processor (NYSE, $25.50) has a firm foot in such growth fields as Eastern Europe and clean fuel. Its price could jump 20% in a year. Page 60
EUROPE'S CEOs ON A UNITED GERMANY, RED ARMY SURPLUS SALES, A HOT TIP, AND MORE
-- The British economy as a whole may not be doing too well, but British corporations took 28 of the top 50 places in a recent survey that ranked 250 European companies by profitability. (See table...
EURO-STRATEGY Communism's collapse could make the Old World the site of the most enticing -- and treacherous -- stock market pla
The Berlin Wall's fall last November raised more than hopes for finally reconciling Europe's post-Hitler halves. It upped the ante of perestroika, Mikhail Gorbachev's bold reforms of the Soviet blo...
SMART MOVES
-- Lock in long-term bond yields now and get ready for a capital-gains kicker later on. With, say, a 30-year Treasury paying a handsome 8.9%, you could wind up with an annualized return of nearly 1...
PORTFOLIO TALK GROWTH PLAYS IN THE BIG NEW EUROPE
The gods have smiled on G.T. Europe Growth Fund. It was launched in 1985 with John Legat in charge when he was only 22. It soon got a lift when members of the European Community agreed to abolish t...
NEW CHALLENGES TO CAPITALISM Its triumph over Communism leaves it burdened with the world's aspirations for progress. Here's how
COMMUNISM HAS IMPLODED. In country after country, it is proclaiming its own failure, desperately searching for ''reform'' and new beginnings. Yesterday's heresies are today's official promises; yes...
A WEAKER DOLLAR WILL HELP KEEP THE TRADE DEFICIT SHRINKING
Does the dollar's recent surge against the yen awaken bad memories? Put your fears to rest. It is nowhere near its 1985 peak and is likely to fall in the months ahead. The merchandise trade deficit...
CREATING YOUR OWN PERESTROIKA PORTFOLIO
History is unfolding so rapidly in Eastern Europe that it is tempting to just sit back and watch the show. But those who do risk missing what may be the biggest capital investment boom since the re...
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW MANAGING PERCY BARNEVIK ^ TO COMPETE GLOBALLY, LOOK AT THE WORLD MAP
There is a tendency in the Western world to talk about only one region at a time. Ten years ago, people talked about Latin America as a great opportunity. Now everyone talks about Eastern Europe. I...
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW MEDIA & MARKETING RUPERT MURDOCH TECHNOLOGY WILL SERVE INDIVIDUALS MORE
We've seen in the 1980s what's going to come in the 1990s. There's going to be a lot more of the same: fragmentation. We're moving into a period of greater freedom, a time for the individual. Netwo...
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW SOCIETY JOHN MCCLAUGHRY A GLOBAL LOATHING OF CENTRALIZED CONTROL
The idea of bringing power back home where people can watch those who exercise it up close and can have something to say about how their lives are governed will enjoy a renaissance in the Nineties....
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW MANAGING WALTER WRISTON THE REFRIGERATOR'S REVOLUTIONARY ROLE
Intellectual capital -- the knowledge necessary to make a product, which produces wealth -- has always existed, but in the future, the ratio of intellectual capital to materiel is going to continue...
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW MANAGING ANTHONY J.F. O'REILLY THE THIRD WORLD: APPROACH WITH CAUTION
The growing appetites for products will come from the Third World, and its ambitions and demands will mimic in most ways everything that has gone before in Western society. Once television is there...
TODAY'S LEADERS LOOK TO TOMORROW FINANCE JOHN M. HENNESSY EUROPE NEEDS TO REORGANIZE ITSELF
The prod for restructuring Europe by 1992 was not fear of America but fear of the Japanese. Europe, like the U.S., needs to reorganize itself, to work and compete on a much broader scale than on pu...
WHAT EASTERN EUROPE OFFERS Though troubled, East Germany and Czechoslovakia have the strongest economies. There's opportunity in
AS THE TANNED, athletic-looking man with the thick mop of white hair stepped off a plane in Prague, the cheers of 10,000 Czechs rang in his ears. Was this ) a beloved former politico coming home fr...
Market Update SMALL INVESTORS GO FOR INCOME AS RATES TURN UP
The sharp jump in interest rates in January and early February sent small investors scrambling into high-yield stock funds, municipal bond funds and money funds. For the month, the MONEY Small Inve...
MONEY Magazine contents page March 1990 Volume 19 Number 3
COVER STORY: GET SUCCESS AND SECURITY 74 How to change your life and achieve financial security by Andrea Rock A growing number of Americans are discovering they can earn what they want by doing wh...
GLASNOST'S HARVEST: JEANS THAT NEED A SCREWDRIVER, AN ANGEL FOR BORIS, AND MORE
-- The red star and the Cyrillic writing on the back pockets and an accessory in the form of a free screwdriver mark a hot new seller: cotton jeans ($60 and up) from the Soviet Union. The screwdriv...
A CONSERVATIVE'S CALL TO SPEND MORE The time has come for Americans to increase investment in America, and that requires more ta
We should properly relish the failure of Communism and the corresponding triumph of capitalism, but we should try to be realistic about what we are celebrating. Our society has won because, through...
WARY HOPE ON EASTERN EUROPE America's top corporate chiefs think the outbreak of freedom will make the region a promising market
AMERICAN chief executives, like most of their compatriots, have elatedly watched the spirit of freedom steamroll through Eastern Europe, toppling hard- line Communist regimes as if they were made o...
SOUTH AMERICA: DEMOCRACY TRIUMPHS, BUT TIME IS RUNNING OUT
-- The economic chaos engulfing Argentina underscores changes sweeping through South America that in some ways are as profound as those of Eastern Europe. On the plus side, South America is moving ...
ARE WE AT THE END OF HISTORY? Yes, contends the author of a much discussed essay. The ideological wars are over, and liberal dem
''Bold and brilliant,'' trumpeted Chicago philosopher Allan Bloom when his former student Francis Fukuyama published ''The End of History?'' in the neoconservative journal The National Interest las...
INVESTING IN COMMUNISM'S COLLAPSE
Despite the astonishing events in Prague and East Berlin, most pros advise against making big bets now on Communism's collapse. Says Kurt Schiltknecht, chairman of Switzerland's Bank Leu: ''Let's w...
THE DOWNSIDE OF AN UPBEAT FUTURE
It's terrific that the 20th century is ending as it began, with democratic capitalism ascendant. Prospects for a less bloody, more prosperous world have rarely been brighter. But it's also worth re...
HOW TO MANAGE IN THE NEW ERA Seizing global opportunities requires exploring more options -- and acting faster -- than ever. Her
Are you up to the challenge? Beware. Leading the vanguard of global investors doesn't necessarily make for restful nights. When Swedish ball-bearing maker SKF plunged into Russia, its dream of prof...
THE ERA OF POSSIBILITIES
Let the flags wave and the bells ring the New Year in! For the great crowds filling Wenceslas Square in Prague (left) are celebrating more than just the end of Communist rule. They herald the dawn ...
BANKS -- AND SECOND WORLD DEBT
U.S. banks see opportunities in Eastern Europe -- but don't expect a replay of their disastrous lending spree in the Third World. Says George Salem, a senior banking analyst at Prudential-Bache: ''...
AH, NEXT SPRING IN BUDAPEST
Now that the Cold War is over, the hot season for travel to Eastern Europe is about to begin. Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton, and some other chains farsightedly opened hotels in different capitals. Besi...
WHO GAINS FROM THE NEW EUROPE Almost everybody does -- and there's opportunity aplenty for deals. The combined GNP of East Germa
WITH THE FALL of the Wall and the lifting of the Curtain, Western managers and investors must rethink their strategies for doing business in Europe in the 1990s. Suddenly the Old World has gained a...
Eastern Europe: News & Videos about Eastern Europe - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about Eastern Europe from CNN.com.
Wary View of Democracy in Eastern Bloc
A poll shows Ukrainians becoming more pro-Russian.
Czech Republic: Last EU Nation Standing
The Czech president, who refuses to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, will not be able to stop the EU machine from rolling forward.
World Leaders Believed German Reunification Would Lead to World War III
Documents released leading up to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall contain a powerful warning for us today.
The Biggest Heist of All Time
Germany is conquering Europe without firing a shot.
Russia Woos Ukraine's People
The Kremlin’s gentle takeover
Russia Reaffirms Commitment to Deploy Missiles
Russia isn’t backing away from its opposition to the U.S.-planned missile shield in Eastern Europe.
Putin Confirms: Ukraine Is Russia's
Two More EU Governments Collapse
The financial crisis causes chaos and confusion in Europe
Latvia's Government Collapses
Another one bites the dust.
Eastern Europe on the Brink
Will the collapse of Eastern European economies be an opportunity for Germany?
Russia Shuts Off the Gas Again
Moscow reaches for its gas weapon once more.
Russia's Welcome to Obama
As Obama becomes the U.S. president-elect, Russia clearly signals it does not fear the next administration.
Russia Checks Europe's Expansion
The EU-Ukraine summit shows that Europe is not yet ready to confront Russia’s westward expansion.
Russian Navy Coming to Caribbean for War Games With Venezuela
Nuclear Proliferation Has Passed the Point of No Return
Non-proliferation efforts are dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the task at hand.
Russia's Attack Signals Dangerous New Era
America the Inert
Russia invaded. Georgia capitulated. America waffled. Don’t think America’s other allies haven’t taken notice.
EU Leaders "Get Tough With Russia"
The European Union has decided that it needs to take a strong position in its relations with the Kremlin.
Germany Records First Budget Surplus Since 1990
Eighteen years after Germany united, the nation finally appears to have its economic house in order.
Russian Nuclear Bombers Resume Cold War-Style Missions
Vladimir Putin and the Russian Air Force are making Washington, London and the European Union jittery.
Russia to Increase Military Might
Vladimir Putin says the world will soon see a mightier Russian military and more-capable spies.
Russia Takes Aim at Missile Shield
Vladimir Putin has threatened to aim nukes at Europe if the U.S. installs a missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
German-Russian Energy--a Dangerous Partnership
The ensuing completion of the Nord Stream pipeline heralds a developing relationship in which Germany and Russia are slicing up their respective spheres of influence within Europe.
theTrumpet.com: Eastern Europe
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.
Skiers Heading for Eastern Europe: 154% Rise in Interest for the East Says Skyscanner
Skiers Heading for Eastern Europe: 154% Rise in Interest for the East Says Skyscanner
West revolutionizes insurance in Eastern Europe
West revolutionizes insurance in Eastern Europe
Rick Steves' Europe: the former Eastern Europe
Rick Steves' Europe: the former Eastern Europe
A new battle to reclaim history in Eastern Europe
A new battle to reclaim history in Eastern Europe
Report on the outlook for pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe to 2013
Report on the outlook for pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe to 2013
Research and Markets: The Outlook for Pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe to 2013
Research and Markets: The Outlook for Pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe to 2013
Maternal Mortality In Eastern Europe
Maternal Mortality In Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe on alert as suspected swine flu cases rise in Ukraine
Eastern Europe on alert as suspected swine flu cases rise in Ukraine
Obama Bails Out of Eastern Europe
Obama Bails Out of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europeβs Recession Eased in Third Quarter, Surveys Show
Eastern Europeβs Recession Eased in Third Quarter, Surveys Show
Handbook of organizations of CIS, Central and Eastern Europe presented in Armenia.
Handbook of organizations of CIS, Central and Eastern Europe presented in Armenia.
New Gulf fund to target farmlands in Africa and eastern Europe
New Gulf fund to target farmlands in Africa and eastern Europe
Greater opportunities for pigmeat exporters in Eastern Europe
Greater opportunities for pigmeat exporters in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe Well Represented By Bruins, NHL
Eastern Europe Well Represented By Bruins, NHL
Report on Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia - issue # 1/2009
Report on Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia - issue # 1/2009
Eastern Europe News
News and Articles from around the world focusing on Eastern Europe [NewsLib]
A Puzzle for Our Time
Critics of the EU’s mild policy on Uzbekistan say it’s the Karimov regime that’s running the show, not the West.
‘We Are Not Like Them’
A 22-year-old biology student helps lead his country into a new age. A TOL special report.
Brotherhood Was Not Enough
The regimes in Eastern Europe are not the only ones that crumbled under the weight of dissent and their own inadequacy.
The Rushed Revolution
Jaroslav Kucera’s camera captured the sudden, seismic shifts of November 1989. A TOL special report.
Mixed-Up Generation
Journalists in the former communist countries lack good role models.
'I Didn't Believe It Would Last'
A renowned writer on the fleeting joy of November 1989. A TOL special report.
Dancing Days
A budding ballerina takes her first steps into adulthood amid the swarm of Prague’s protests. A TOL special report.
The Killings Continue
The murder of a moderate Ingush opposition figure casts yet more doubt on the future of the troubled Russian republic.
Реформаторы поневоле
Реорганизация в школах Армении предполагала более оживленные классы и модернизированный учебный план, однако некоторые привычки сложно искоренить.
Cash from the Shadows
A media giant is buying up much of the Bulgarian media, but where’s the money coming from?
Transitions Online Magazine
Internet magazine covering the post-communist world.
Czechs Mark Velvet Revolution Anniversary
A significant event in modern history, the Velvet Revolution of 1989 was marked with 20th anniversary celebrations today in Prague. Responsible for the overthrow of the Communist government in the country that was then known as Czechoslovakia, it opened a new chapter for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Today, visitors to Prague don't have to go far seek out reminders of recent history. While anniversary celebrations come rarely, those interested in the events of the last century need simply explore Prague for a more complete view this period in time. For example, Prague's Cafe Slavia was a famous haunt of Vaclav Havel, who became president following the Velvet Revolution. The Monument to Jan Palach and Jan Zajic commemorates two students who set themselves on fire in protest of the Soviet occupation of Prague in the 1960s. And Prague's Communism Museum educates its visitors about events that occurred from 1948-1989. Photo Caption: Candles are lit in commemoration of an attack on student demonstrators prior to the Velvet Revolution. Photo Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Czechs Mark Velvet Revolution Anniversary originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 21:29:31.
End in Sight for Warsaw's Palace of Science and Culture?
The Polish Foreign Minister is calling for the Palace of Science and Culture, located in Warsaw, to be demolished, citing its energy inefficiency (Call for Demolition of Polish Palace). The Palace is one of Warsaw's major landmarks and a familiar site along Warsaw's main thoroughfare. It is also one of the buildings associated with Stalin's Seven Sisters in Moscow. However, its historical associations are not necessarily good, considering the building was a gift from Stalin and a symbol of Soviet influence. End in Sight for Warsaw's Palace of Science and Culture? originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 20:42:21.
Russian Culture Monday: Snegurochka
Ded Moroz, the Russian Santa, doesn't have elves to help him deliver gifts to children for the holidays. Instead, he enlists his granddaughter, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, to help him during his busy season. In Russian culture, Snegurochka is both the granddaughter of Ded Moroz and a character out of a Russian fairy tale. She, and other females associated with winter legend, often appear on holiday cards as well as on Russian handcrafted boxes and dolls. It's also possible to see women dressed as Snegurochka, just as men dress as Ded Moroz, when New Year's Eve approaches. Read more about Snegurochka from Russian fairy tales and other characters out of Russian tales of winter: Russian fairy tales about Snegurochka and Father Frost elsewhere on the web: Ded Moroz with Snegurochka photo credit: iStockphoto/wildcat78 Russian Culture Monday: Snegurochka originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 08:15:03.
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Restructuring of Russian Time Zones?
Those who have travelled across Russia know how easy it is to cross time zones. Moscow and St. Petersburg follow Moscow time, but travel from the western region of Russia to its eastern destinations requires adjustments to watches and sleep schedules. For example, if you fly from Moscow to Novosibirsk or Tomsk, you'll be three hours ahead upon arrival; arrival in Krasnoyarsk will add an additional hour. Russia has more time zones (11) than any other country in the world. President Dmitri Medvedev has proposed reducing the number of time zones in Russia to facilitate both governance and business, but a change in time zones will also affect travel. The number of time zones Russia can boast represents its size and territorial diversity. Russia has always prided itself on its geographical expansiveness, and Medvedev's proposal to reduce the number of time zones seems like a departure from the grandstanding Russia has often been known for. However, Russia could compromise on the issue, increasing its national efficiency while still maintaining a greater number of time zones than the U.S., which has only 6. This would serve to remind everyone that, while the two countries have historically competed on various world arenas for recognition and stature, Russia is still undisputedly bigger. BBC article about the proposed restructuring of time zones in Russia: Changing Times in Russia. Restructuring of Russian Time Zones? originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 18:46:07.
Poland's Holidays
Many of Poland's holidays offer travelers special opportunities to observe or participate in Polish annual traditions. Whether you're waiting in the cold for New Year's fireworks in Krakow's Market Square or you're watching a Corpus Christi procession, your experience with seasonal celebrations in Poland will offer you plenty of photo opportunities, unique memories, and a greater understanding of Polish culture and history. For example, today, November 11, is Poland's Independence Day, which celebrates the attainment of statehood by Poland in 1918. Poland's Holidays originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 17:58:03.
Gingerbread in Eastern Europe
Sweet and spicy, easy to store, and perfect for cutting into decorative shapes, gingerbread has enjoyed a long history in Eastern Europe, and it is still a popular wintertime treat. In fact, some cities in Eastern Europe, like Torun, Poland, are renowned for their gingerbread. Gingerbread in Poland often takes the form of cookies, or pierniczki, but gingerbread houses are also popular. However, Poland isn't the only country in East or East Central Europe that enjoys gingerbread - you'll find recipes for gingerbread in cookbooks from most countries of the region. Sample gingerbread at Eastern Europe's Christmas Markets or make some yourself for decoration or to share with loved ones during the holidays. Barbara Rolek, About.com's Guide to East European Food, offers recipes and information about gingerbread: Polish Gingerbread Fish Ornament photo credit: iStockphoto/roomauction Gingerbread in Eastern Europe originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 09:00:08.
Russian Culture Monday: Ded Moroz
Russians call their version of Santa Claus Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost. While Ded Moroz shares some traits with the Western Santa, his outstanding qualities are all Russian. He wears a long, fur-lined coat decorated with embroidery and tall valenki, his chosen mode of transportation is a troika, and his companion is a lovely young girl called Snegurochka. Ded Moroz makes his appearance on New Year's Eve rather than Christmas Eve, visiting the houses of good children all over Russia, who may have written to him at his address in Veliky Ustyug, his official hometown. Ded Moroz and Snegurochka photo credit: iStockphoto/oleg66 Russian Culture Monday: Ded Moroz originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 09:00:43.
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Christmas in Prague
You don't have to be in Prague on December 25th to celebrate Christmas in the Czech capital city. Enjoy holiday-related exhibitions and events if you travel before or after Christmas Day. Old Town Square, besides being the site for the Prague Christmas Market, also enjoys a visit from St. Nicholas on December 5th and is a major location for New Year's celebrations. Nativity scenes - both art masterpieces and live scenes - can be seen, and one near the Prague Loreto is the culmination point of the Three Kings Procession on January 5th. More about Christmas in Prague: Nativity Scene in Prague photo credit: iStockphoto/petrzurek Christmas in Prague originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 09:00:50.
Christmas Markets Around the World
Going to be in the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, France, New York, Italy, or Eastern Europe in the weeks leading up to Christmas? If so, you'll want to take advantage of a seasonal treat for travelers: Christmas markets! Whether you're looking for a special decoration for your Christmas tree back home, are seeking a gift for a friend or relative, or love sampling traditional winter-weather foods, Christmas markets are the place to do it. Many Christmas markets are also visited by the local version of Santa or act as venues for Christmas-themed performances. Fern Arfin, About.com's Guide to United Kingdom Travel, has more: Christmas Markets Around the World originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 09:00:35.
Russian Culture Monday: Valenki
Russian traditional felt boots are called valenki (singular: valenok). Though they may seem like a knockoff of the popular sheepskin boots from Australia, valenki are, in fact, as much a part of Russian culture as samovars, vodka, and nesting dolls. They have been used for centuries to protect feet from the freezing temperatures and deep snow typical of Russian winters, and they have yet to disappear from Russian wardrobes as an element of cold weather wear. Utilitarian, and now stylish, valenki can be purchased at souvenirs shops, at designer boutiques, and online. Because valenki are made of wool felt, they can shrink if they get wet. Galoshes that fit over valenki protect the boots from melting snow or rain. Besides being used for trekking about in the snow, valenki also make great shoes to wear around the house, especially after they're broken in. Read more about valenki, valenki history, and shopping for valenki: Valenki photo credit: iStockphoto/zoom-zoom Russian Culture Monday: Valenki originally appeared on About.com Eastern Europe Travel on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 09:00:03.
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