Some of the world's largest amber deposits are located on Ukrainian territory. Extraction is in the hands of criminal organisations, and institutions are hesitant or connivant – meanwhile, the environment is devastated
Skopje 2014 was the trademark project of former PM Gruevski, aimed at transforming the capital and celebrating nationalism. With the change of government, the art of colourful protest has risen to power and tries to de-aestheticise the old regime
Sofia is enjoying a tourism boom, especially thanks to the ever-increasing number of low-cost flights. The economy benefits from it, but a long-term sustainable tourism strategy is still missing
Transmitter Station Number 5 was one of many secret, radio-jamming facilities throughout the USSR. Today, nearly 26 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its past employees, still living in their original residences, are trapped in a time warp
A "war for truth" is being fought today in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a clash based on ethnic competition, with words and stories about the past as the main weapons
Places suspended in time, far from the bustle of the capital and the high tech kitchens: these are the Belgrade kafana which tell the story of a special soul
In the new episode of the podcast The Southeast passage, Elif Becan discusses the integration of Muslim migrants from the Balkans into the Turkish Republic during the interwar period
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In the shadow of the ever present division of Cyprus, the Greek zone and the Turkish one hide hybrid realities which timidly try pass the division's rigid schemes
Scientific research in Soviet times had to face limitations imposed by the regime. The official ideology, in particular, could not tolerate the tenets of quantum physics
For over 20 years, Omer Karabeg has hosted a programme titled Most (Bridge). The show deals with thorny, uncomfortable topics, seeking to create a dialogue between people of different viewpoints
After evolving in parallel for centuries, thanks to UNESCO, the three Georgian alphabets became intangible cultural heritage of humanity. A living and charming heritage, but one to be protected
In Kosovo portals, websites, and blogs, that are supposedly there to inform society, have turned into a toxic arena for personal feuds, while it's difficult to find a minimum of critical analysis on any given topic
Vondelpark, a cult attraction for hippies from all over Europe. Azra went there too, along with Snježana, Cvele, Paja and Gorki who spent a summer there in the 70
A few miles from Požarevac, in the archaeological site of Viminacium, an archaeologist known as the “Serbian Indiana Jones” has made some surprising discovers
The Bazna pig was born and bred in the late 19th-century Transylvania. Today, after the Saxon community that had selected it emigrated, the pig is likely to disappear as well
As the electoral campaign unfolds in Bosnia Herzegovina, so does nationalist rhetoric, reviving the idea of conflict. But what is war? In a post on Facebook, Eldin Kurbašić explains it
Yugoslavia participated in many Summer Olympics, winning a record of 18 medals in 1984. Now its successor states all have hopes for medals, in spite of their young history of participating in the event as independent states
Things seem to be going well for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia at the 2016 Summer Olympics – scheduled to start on 5 August, in Rio de Janeiro. At least when it comes to the overall numbers of participating athletes
The healthcare sector in Ukraine is in crisis: low quality, stagnant reforms and dwindling budgets. Is it the result of a widespread habit to pay doctors under the table?
Despite the local ecclesiastical institutions' disapproval, in the Monastery of Saharna, a hundred kilometres from the Moldovan capital Chişinau, mass exorcism rites are taking place
After many years in Italy, the Prenga brothers have returned to Albania to put their new ideas for the restaurant business into practice. Fundamental to their practice are pride in their traditions, love for the land and the use of local produce
An initiative advocating the use of the Ustaša salute ‘Ready for the homeland’ in the Croatian army has caused shock in the local public, indicating the persistence of a fascist legacy in Croatia
Lake Prespa, on the border between Macedonia, Albania and Greece preserves unique biodiversity and culinary traditions. Like that of the dried fish "cironki", whose origins are lost in time
On July 9th, the owners of B92, Belgrade's historic radio and bastion of resistance to Milošević's power in the nineties, introduced drastic changes, ultimately turning off a myth of the Serbian media
A group of youth coming from the four corners of the world is representing Armenia at the Vienna Eurovision Song Contest. Meet Vahe Tilbian, Armenian of Ethiopia
