The ethnic cleansing campaigns perpetuated by the Nazis, the Soviets, and the Ukrainian nationalist UPA (though in the latter case Poles were the primary target), to mention but the main actors (and not forgetting the Polish polonization policies, particularly in the interbellum, and the expulsion of i.e. Germans after the war), have left modern Poland a socio-political anomaly, a national state that is virtually made up of a single ethnic group. Indeed, the 2002 census found that 96.7% of Poland's inhabitants define themselves as Polish, while 97.8% speak Polish at home. In short, national and ethnic minorities in Poland are basically a statistical error. Or so one would think...
Over the past several years Poland has slowly embraced a less monolithic image. For one thing Jewish culture is slowly but steadily reviving, as seen in one of the better articles on the topic. I would argue that even there the author gives too much weight to "Poland's notorious antisemitism," which has been exaggerated, misunderstood, and purposefully misrepresented over the years, but this is too long and complex a topic for a blog post. In any case, the centuries of Jewish culture in Poland are coming back up to the surface, resulting a more colorful social landscape and, in fact, a return to normality.
But other minorities are not as well off. For one thing the two biggest "home-grown minorities," the Kashubians and the Silesians, both West Slavic ethnic groups closely tied to Poles (some even define them as Polish ethnic groups with languages that are but dialects), have been increasingly antagonized by the nationalist Law and Justice, who claim that they are "not real Poles" and "crypto-Germans." Both groups have suffered decades of abuse based on this line of argument, and have seen virtually all their petitions for some form of cultural or other autonomy rejected. They are beginning to grow understandably fed up with this situation. To add insult to injury, the national census has consistently been formulated in such a way so as to make them disappear: no possibility of double national identification (for those willing), the lack of relevant choices, and manipulations by census takers. And it seems they are not the only ones. Gazeta Wyborcza recently carried an article (PL) on how census takers were tricking or coercing Belarusians, primarily elderly village folk, into choosing the "Polish" nationality in the new census.
One could go on and on about how nationalist policy, even when it is just about closing an eyes to abuses downstairs never leads to anything good. That is all well and true, but it is so oft-cited that it is now little more than a cliche. Of course Poland should put an end to such practices, and most Poles support this option. But what really puzzles me is how this can be tolerated when Poland is engaged in very serious feuds involving its sizable national minorities in Belarus and Lithuania (though the whole affair is ridiculous, it seems to be a source of ongoing, high-level diplomatic disputes [PL]). This takes away all the strength from Poland's mostly reasonable arguments. Moreover, it highlights what is the weakness of every single country - whitewashing its own history.
Growing up in Poland, one is indoctrinated with the national myth of "Polska Chrystusem Narodów - Poland, the Jesus Christ of nations" (a complex and poorly translatable notion, your first hunch on what it means is probably right). True, Poland has suffered more than most nations, despite (or rather because of) usually being on the right side of history. But it is by no means a saint. Few Poles know, for example, that Poland had built an detention camp in Bereza Kartuska in the 1930s, for enemies of the Polish nation, mainly Ukrainians and Belarusians. While this was no concentration camp, it clashes with Poland's otherwise prim image.
The point here is not to make Poles feel bad or lose respect for the country's broadly courageous and unique history. But a cold shower once in a while is good for everybody. For one thing it could help tone down the nihilistic nationalism that is spreading through broad swathes of society (just as the bulk of it is reaching a historical high in terms of tolerance, wealth and openness), and threatening to create a rift within it. And perhaps it would help both census takers and the country at large embrace the cultural diversity that was once Poland's wealth...
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Belarusian "stronghold" crumbles
A couple of days ago I came across an interesting account of the recent economic woes in Belarus (in English, and Russian). The country is facing a multitude of shortages, including of staples, as well as a currency crisis and a run on virtually everything that can be exchanged. Here is one of the more evocative quotes from a Bloomberg article about the economic collapse:
"The price of children’s diapers has “gone completely insane” in Minsk, said Natalia, a 24-year-old mother also queuing outside the refrigerator store. “I used to buy a pack for 69,000 rubles, now they cost 140,000,” or almost half the 343,260-ruble monthly child benefit paid by the government, she said."What's interesting about the first article I linked is the personal perspective of what its like to live in a country that has barely (if at all) moved past the Soviet times, and what one can do to survive amidst the economic chaos. Here's a teaser:
"A smart Belarusian buys a ticket for Irkutsk in Minsk, paying 1,430,000 rubles (worth 290 dollars at the new exchange rate). The trip lasts four days and ends in the middle of nowhere, so the somber Belarusian boards a commuter train to Smolensk where he turns in his train ticket and gets a refund in Russian rubles. Our crisis has made us extra-resourceful"As for where the whole is going. The safe money seems to be on Russia buying a large chunk of Belarus wholesale. But there may yet be many surprises along the way...
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Moscow tops billionaire city list
The new billionaires per city Forbes ranking is out with Moscow leading the list and relegating the long-time champion, New York, to a second place. The new podium is: Moscow - 79; New York - 59; London - 41.
This is part of the general trend which sees ever more millionaires and billionaires sprouting up in the emerging economies (at the forefront of this movement, the BRIC nations produced some 108 new billionaires this year). But the ranking itself does truly reflect the situation of the respective cities. For one thing the methodology is somewhat shady. Forbes counts the number of billionaires in the respective cities proper, which means that Beverly Hills residents are not part of LA.
Second, many if not most of those "international" magnates still have secondary (or even primary) residences in London and New York. Their kids go to school there. Their wives shop there. They have investments and bank accounts there. Without those pieds-a-terre in the West their lifestyles would suffer considerably. Indeed, the importance of London for Russian oligarchs is widely underestimated, which is precisely why travel bans can be so effective a foreign policy tool.
The big question, however, is how this will affect foreign policy. Though every Sovietologist or Russia expert has his or her own theory, the truth is that they often fail to foresee any of the big changes in this country's direction. I do not purport to have this secret knowledge - my point is that Russia's foreign policy (and indeed domestic policy, for that matter), is somewhat mercurial.
One of the most interesting pieces of insight on this topic was presented a while back Anne Applebaum, who remarked that the pace and tone of the country's internal dynamics are set to the rhythm of the price of oil. The theory holds pretty damn well, and not just for internal issues - Russia invaded Georgia when oil was at a high of 91$ a barrel.
To a certain extent this is natural: whenever any person or entity is in a position of strength they tend to be tougher in their relations with others. But this goes a bit further than that. Russia has been lagging when it comes to reform at least since the Tsarist times. Moreover, its messianic streak and need of protecting its vast borders through endless expansion have inflicted great calamities on its neighbors more than once.
Not that the connection is direct - the billionaires now living in Russia have little interest in re-invading Georgia or seizing Eastern Ukraine. But their sheer number is a sign of the current economic power that Russia wields, and that the world, particularly a bustling Asia, are hungry for the raw materials and semi-finished products it provides - oil, gas, steel, coal, fertilizer etc. The ensuing confidence may very well put an and to the half-hearted anti-corruption and modernization program that Pres. Medvedev has embarked upon (which is badly needed; the road from Moscow to Sochi, future Olympic city, costs so much that it may be as well made of a nine-inch layer of foie gras; other outrageous examples can be found in here (New Yorker Navalny interview) - my personal favorite are the fur coats for psychiatric patients). Moreover, it goes to show that the immense gap between the dearth that is much of Russia and a swaggering Moscow, is as big as ever.
This is part of the general trend which sees ever more millionaires and billionaires sprouting up in the emerging economies (at the forefront of this movement, the BRIC nations produced some 108 new billionaires this year). But the ranking itself does truly reflect the situation of the respective cities. For one thing the methodology is somewhat shady. Forbes counts the number of billionaires in the respective cities proper, which means that Beverly Hills residents are not part of LA.
Second, many if not most of those "international" magnates still have secondary (or even primary) residences in London and New York. Their kids go to school there. Their wives shop there. They have investments and bank accounts there. Without those pieds-a-terre in the West their lifestyles would suffer considerably. Indeed, the importance of London for Russian oligarchs is widely underestimated, which is precisely why travel bans can be so effective a foreign policy tool.
The big question, however, is how this will affect foreign policy. Though every Sovietologist or Russia expert has his or her own theory, the truth is that they often fail to foresee any of the big changes in this country's direction. I do not purport to have this secret knowledge - my point is that Russia's foreign policy (and indeed domestic policy, for that matter), is somewhat mercurial.
One of the most interesting pieces of insight on this topic was presented a while back Anne Applebaum, who remarked that the pace and tone of the country's internal dynamics are set to the rhythm of the price of oil. The theory holds pretty damn well, and not just for internal issues - Russia invaded Georgia when oil was at a high of 91$ a barrel.
To a certain extent this is natural: whenever any person or entity is in a position of strength they tend to be tougher in their relations with others. But this goes a bit further than that. Russia has been lagging when it comes to reform at least since the Tsarist times. Moreover, its messianic streak and need of protecting its vast borders through endless expansion have inflicted great calamities on its neighbors more than once.
Not that the connection is direct - the billionaires now living in Russia have little interest in re-invading Georgia or seizing Eastern Ukraine. But their sheer number is a sign of the current economic power that Russia wields, and that the world, particularly a bustling Asia, are hungry for the raw materials and semi-finished products it provides - oil, gas, steel, coal, fertilizer etc. The ensuing confidence may very well put an and to the half-hearted anti-corruption and modernization program that Pres. Medvedev has embarked upon (which is badly needed; the road from Moscow to Sochi, future Olympic city, costs so much that it may be as well made of a nine-inch layer of foie gras; other outrageous examples can be found in here (New Yorker Navalny interview) - my personal favorite are the fur coats for psychiatric patients). Moreover, it goes to show that the immense gap between the dearth that is much of Russia and a swaggering Moscow, is as big as ever.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Gentrification in the Uzupio Republic
The recent May break presented me with the long-awaited opportunity to visit the famed city of Vilnius -- Jerusalem of the North, lost child of the Polish Second Republic, shopping mall for Belarusian oligarchs.
Vilnius Old Town, the prime tourist destination, is indeed beautiful, and truly deserves its UNESCO World Heritage status. But what attracted me was the self-proclaimed Uzupis Republic, a run-down bohemian district of artists, prostitutes and hobos -- a winning cultural combination if there ever was one.
Somewhat similar to Belgrad's Skadarlija, it nonetheless goes further than the typical bohemian quarter, having proclaimed its own mock-constitution, and celebrating its independence on various occasions, mostly April Fool's day.
Thus, I was curious to see how real it was. In my experience, areas that are advertised as bohemian on official websites tend to be hollowed out husks of their former selves, nicely stuffed and placed on a tourist-friendly counter, with a guide in 17 different languages. In the best of cases they "suffer" from intense gentrification. This process can easily be seen throughout Central Europe, from Berlin to Budapest. Not that its all bad -- the areas in question are usually nicely renovated in the process, and they don't necessarily lose all their local flavor.
In this sense Uzupio is no exception. The artistic side of the quarter is perhaps over-marketed, but the quarter still has a few years in it before it becomes completely artificial, though the process is well on its way (as evidenced by the constant stream of BMWs and Lexuses making its way through the district). Entering the area through the main bridge is perhaps misleading -- you have to see the back streets to see what is really going on.
Enjoy the photos!
Vilnius Old Town, the prime tourist destination, is indeed beautiful, and truly deserves its UNESCO World Heritage status. But what attracted me was the self-proclaimed Uzupis Republic, a run-down bohemian district of artists, prostitutes and hobos -- a winning cultural combination if there ever was one.
Somewhat similar to Belgrad's Skadarlija, it nonetheless goes further than the typical bohemian quarter, having proclaimed its own mock-constitution, and celebrating its independence on various occasions, mostly April Fool's day.
Thus, I was curious to see how real it was. In my experience, areas that are advertised as bohemian on official websites tend to be hollowed out husks of their former selves, nicely stuffed and placed on a tourist-friendly counter, with a guide in 17 different languages. In the best of cases they "suffer" from intense gentrification. This process can easily be seen throughout Central Europe, from Berlin to Budapest. Not that its all bad -- the areas in question are usually nicely renovated in the process, and they don't necessarily lose all their local flavor.
In this sense Uzupio is no exception. The artistic side of the quarter is perhaps over-marketed, but the quarter still has a few years in it before it becomes completely artificial, though the process is well on its way (as evidenced by the constant stream of BMWs and Lexuses making its way through the district). Entering the area through the main bridge is perhaps misleading -- you have to see the back streets to see what is really going on.
Enjoy the photos!
 |
| One of the less-used bridges over the Vilnia River, separating Uzupio from the Old Town |
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| Side entrance to Uzupio |
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| The main streets maintain the "run-down charm" from the front... |
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| ...but are modern from behind |
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| Further up the street |
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| Classic Uzupio |
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| Main entrance bridge |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Shakhtar Donetsk turns 75
You have to admit, they sure know how to put on a show. That, and the fact that Shakhtar Donetsk is not in want for funds.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
New Rap News
The new Rap News, No. 7, came out a couple of days ago (video below). Its not quite my favorite number (I liked 2 and 5 the most; for the whole series best check out the Youtube Channel), but the theme is as always relevant, with many pertinent remarks and a catchy musical bit. In a way Rap News is the paragon of what is best in the so-called new media. It combines an interesting analysis of events, with a significant coverage of wikileaks and other internet related phenomena, in an entertaining and unconventional package, spread via Youtube, and all for what seems a modest budget. Throw in a bunch of tongue-in-cheek references, and boom, Rap News. Interestingly, no connections to mainstream media appear, or are needed for that matter.
To the substance of it, the videos do highlight one of the biggest problems of the 21st century: the degradation of the American Republic (playing it fast and loose with the term). True, one can point to other major players and say that they are no better. But, without going too deep into the matter, they never purported to be "the shining city upon a hill." America many not be perfect, but having it turn into a corporatist plutocracy will benefit no one in the long term.
To the substance of it, the videos do highlight one of the biggest problems of the 21st century: the degradation of the American Republic (playing it fast and loose with the term). True, one can point to other major players and say that they are no better. But, without going too deep into the matter, they never purported to be "the shining city upon a hill." America many not be perfect, but having it turn into a corporatist plutocracy will benefit no one in the long term.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Another one bites the dust...
When Yanukovych came to power I thought the opposition had over-hyped the plagues he had in store for Ukraine. Their main problem was an inclination for hysteria. Among other things, Yanukovych was accused of plotting with Putin to hand Ukraine over to the Russians (a curious idea, since I have yet to see a politician work hard to hand over the fruits of his labor to another one for free, or even ideology). The other problem was a lack of measure. If you're at a 10, screaming injustice and bloody murder, when the president doesn't make the right speech in front of the right monument on a given holiday, people just won't take you seriously when, a few months later, you scream injustice and bloody murder because he put half the opposition in jail. Its all a question of proper adjective management...
Indeed, across the board the picture is becoming harrowingly clear.
The past weeks brought several fresh developments.
1. After literally a decade, the number one suspect (former President Leonid Kuchma) in the Georgiy Gongadze murder case is finally to be tried. Don't get your hopes up yet, though, because it is unlikely to lead anywhere, and some speculate that it may simply be a PR move made to ultimately acquit the president.
2. Radio Melodiya, an Radio Free Europe affiliate, is facing closure. Indeed, it already is closed, its frequencies having been assigned to a mysterious Novy Orbiy. In an open letter to SBU chief Valerii Khoroshkovsky (yes, the same one), they asked that he investigate possible corruption, particularly ties to National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine members.
3. Gazeta po-Kievski appears to be six feet under. Workers came to picket the Presidential Administration building (see photos below), demanding that there newspaper be reopened and their salaries paid (for the last month). On March 11 the paper was forbidden to print further articles, a demand rejected by the staff who continued to print samizdat versions and post articles on the website (RUS) until their phone lines were cut.
The paper alleges (RUS) that its investor, Igor Kolomoisky (one of Ukraine's top oligarchs) pulled the plug because of publications that were critical of the authorities, notably in what concerns the recent Yanukovych-live conference, in which the head of the state was asked softball questions that the paper (reasonably) denounced as pre-selected. Though Kolomoisky's reps claim the closure is economically motivated, the fact that the editor in chief of po-Kievski allegedly received proposals to resign from his position seems to confirm the "political" theory.
The meeting in front of the Presidential Administration building was well-organized and fairly upbeat, all things considered. Handmade editions of the last Gazeta po-Kievski were made, then sent of into the skies attached to helium filled balloons (they made it around 2,5 meters, until they hit a nearby tree and refused to be budged). A girl writing at a mock typewriter was "producing" articles during the protest.
If only such creativity had the time and opportunity to find a more deserving outlet...
That being said, if there is a time to scream injustice and bloody murder, its pretty much now. With each passing day new stories arrive about consecutive violations of freedom of the press, possibly the only thing that the Orange Revolution got right. The situation must be pretty bad indeed if the Reporters without Borders trashed Ukraine's ratings for last year, bringing it down 42 places to 131st, behind Iraq, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, and other "stable democracies."
Most cases of infringement upon press freedom can at least be passably explained away - when taken alone. Yes, there were some procedural violations in the attribution of frequencies to two privately-owned independent broadcasters (though it does not explain why they ultimately lost them, and why Inter Media Group, owned by Ukraine's spymaster Valerii Khoroshkovsky, ultimately benefitted from it; or why he used his agents to put competitors under surveillance). Yes, there is a problem with nationalist groups in Ukraine, though the destruction of the freshly-built Stalin monument is not the main one. But that is not a reason to harass and violate the rights of journalists and bloggers. And, well, one would think that there is just no way to spin the disappearance and probable murder of Vasyl Klimentiev, who set off to investigate local corruption (specifically to photograph a villa belonging chief local tax inspector Stanislav Denisyuk, that day) but never came back. Amazingly, the theory that the probable death was linked to the 67-year-old's proclivity for acts of hooliganism was then floated.
Indeed, across the board the picture is becoming harrowingly clear.
The past weeks brought several fresh developments.
1. After literally a decade, the number one suspect (former President Leonid Kuchma) in the Georgiy Gongadze murder case is finally to be tried. Don't get your hopes up yet, though, because it is unlikely to lead anywhere, and some speculate that it may simply be a PR move made to ultimately acquit the president.
2. Radio Melodiya, an Radio Free Europe affiliate, is facing closure. Indeed, it already is closed, its frequencies having been assigned to a mysterious Novy Orbiy. In an open letter to SBU chief Valerii Khoroshkovsky (yes, the same one), they asked that he investigate possible corruption, particularly ties to National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine members.
3. Gazeta po-Kievski appears to be six feet under. Workers came to picket the Presidential Administration building (see photos below), demanding that there newspaper be reopened and their salaries paid (for the last month). On March 11 the paper was forbidden to print further articles, a demand rejected by the staff who continued to print samizdat versions and post articles on the website (RUS) until their phone lines were cut.
The paper alleges (RUS) that its investor, Igor Kolomoisky (one of Ukraine's top oligarchs) pulled the plug because of publications that were critical of the authorities, notably in what concerns the recent Yanukovych-live conference, in which the head of the state was asked softball questions that the paper (reasonably) denounced as pre-selected. Though Kolomoisky's reps claim the closure is economically motivated, the fact that the editor in chief of po-Kievski allegedly received proposals to resign from his position seems to confirm the "political" theory.
The meeting in front of the Presidential Administration building was well-organized and fairly upbeat, all things considered. Handmade editions of the last Gazeta po-Kievski were made, then sent of into the skies attached to helium filled balloons (they made it around 2,5 meters, until they hit a nearby tree and refused to be budged). A girl writing at a mock typewriter was "producing" articles during the protest.
If only such creativity had the time and opportunity to find a more deserving outlet...
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| Outside the Presidential Palace on Bankova Street |
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| Gazeta po-Kievski workers demand their pay |
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| While the militia man diligently jots away |
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| "Give the city back its paper" |
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| "Go and hunger yourselves" |
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| "Give my dad his job back" |
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| Making Gazeta po-Kievski's last edition the old-fashioned way |
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| Final product |
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| "Freeing" the last edition |
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| Until it hit a nearby tree |
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