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Stories and ideas

Hollowed out: the slow collapse of Georgia’s city of black gold

The Georgian city of Chiatura was once one of the world’s most important centres of manganese production. Today, many miners are unemployed and struggling to survive, after a sudden shutdown that has plunged the western Georgian city into economic and social freefall. Set against a background of national political turmoil, their struggle exposes how a town built around a single resource, and a single company, is slowly being emptied out.

February 22, 2026 - Poppy Askham

Women of the quiet frontline: Four pastors in atheist Brandenburg

Thirty-five years after Germany's reunification, Brandenburg – the rural state surrounding Berlin – shows both promise and peril. Economic modernization has not prevented social fragmentation. Political freedoms coexist with mistrust. In this vacuum, populism thrives. Yet in the quiet, unhurried work of four women pastors, another possibility flickers: that civic trust can be rebuilt from the bottom up, sometimes with beer and a Bible.

February 22, 2026 - Ulrike Butmaloiu

On African university students in Poland. A response

Africans are increasingly becoming a part of the student body present in Poland. While many are attracted by comparatively low tuition fees, there are other aspects making them interested in the country. Such an attraction may ultimately lead to a more permanent link between Poland and the continent.

February 22, 2026 - Christopher Garbowski

Relabelling paintings, reclaiming history

Throughout much of history, Ukrainian artists or those with some connection to the country have frequently been labelled as “Russian”, when in reality their identities were far more complex. Spurred on by Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian art historians and cultural NGOs are attempting to change these narratives. But setting the record straight is not as simple as it seems.

February 22, 2026 - Cristina Coellen

Double exclusion. How is it to be a queer migrant from Eastern Europe in Poland today?

LGBTQ+ rights in Belarus and Ukraine have remained static for years. The fear of coming out persists, both in one's home country and now within the diaspora abroad. Many queer migrants hide their sexuality, citing political or economic reasons for moving. Although Poland still has a long way to go, its relative openness, access to EU anti-discrimination frameworks and integration into European institutional life create better conditions for social progress and visibility.

February 22, 2026 - Sviataslaŭ Kruk

A stop off at the gambling hall on the way to school

In rural Romania, gambling rooms stand just steps away from schools, drawing in students long before lessons start. Despite legislation banning betting halls near educational institutions, lax enforcement and local habits mean minors still find easy access – a reflection of how gambling regulation often fails to reach beyond the country’s big cities.

December 7, 2025 - Raluca Cristea

The fight to preserve Kyiv’s past and Ukraine’s future

Beneath one of Kyiv’s most iconic squares lies an archaeological site that reveals the story of Ukraine’s past and its deep Orthodox Christian roots. Despite its importance to Ukrainian identity, activists are fighting daily to protect it from corrupt developers. Their struggle takes on even greater meaning amidst the ongoing war, as Ukrainians continue to defend not only their land but also their heritage.

December 7, 2025 - Theodore Griffin

How Poland stole UK universities’ lunch in Africa

In recent years, Poland has quietly emerged as an unlikely magnet for African students, drawing thousands away from traditional destinations like the United Kingdom. Attracted by low tuition fees, accessible visas, and good educational standards, young Africans are finding in Central and Eastern Europe what Britain can no longer easily offer: affordability and opportunity.

December 7, 2025 - Ray Mwareya

Hospitality in practice: how does Estonia support Ukrainian refugees?

Estonia has been supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians significantly over the last three years since the full-scale invasion. Even though it was a challenge to receive a significant number of Ukrainian refugees at such a quick pace, the small country of Estonia managed to establish a specific approach to integration.

September 26, 2025 - Nino Chanadiri

Russian mall shutdown sparks uproar and confusion

Yekaterinburg’s largest shopping mall was suddenly closed on June 27th. Greenwich, which stands proud in the city centre, is Yekaterinburg’s answer to Moscow’s Okhotny Ryad or Afi Mall. Opened in 2004, Greenwich has routinely been listed as one of Russia’s best shopping malls and entertainment facilities. Why, then, was it shut down so suddenly without so much as a whisper from commentators crying wolf?

September 26, 2025 - James C. Pearce

Belarusian folklore as a language of expression during repressions

Throughout history, Belarusians have turned to their rich folklore traditions in times of repression. What may appear as a period of cultural stagnation is, in fact, often a moment of resilience and creative revival. The current wave of repression is no exception – once again, Belarusian culture is finding ways to endure.

September 26, 2025 - Alina Kovalev

There is no smell of peace here

After nearly a month of pretending to pursue peace and diplomacy, Russia has launched a new wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities. For more than three weeks, the capital had been spared from massive strikes, but this lull ended on the night of August 28th when the Kremlin fired drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, killing 23 people and injuring more than a hundred.

September 15, 2025 - Stanislav Storozhenko

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