Appearing on the world stage in 1918, Lithuania suffered numerous invasions, border changes and large scale population displacements.The successive occupations of Stalin in 1940 and Hitler in 1941, mass deportations to the Gulag and the elimination of the Jewish community in the Holocaust gave the horrors of World War II a special ferocity. Moreover, the fighting continued after 1945 with the anti-Soviet insurrection, crushed through mass deportations and forced collectivization in 1948-1951. At no point, however, did the process of national consolidation take a pause, making Lithuania an...
Appearing on the world stage in 1918, Lithuania suffered numerous invasions, border changes and large scale population displacements.The successive...
This book presents a comprehensive re-examination of the cinemas of the Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe during the communist era. It argues that, since the end of communism in these countries, film scholars are able to view these cinemas in a different way, no longer bound by an outlook relying on binary Cold War terms. With the opening of archives in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, much more is known about these states and societies; at the same time, the field has been reinvigorated by its opening up to more contemporary concepts, themes and approaches in film...
This book presents a comprehensive re-examination of the cinemas of the Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe during the communist era. It argue...
This book examines Dostoevsky's interest in, and engagement with, "Slavophilism" - a Russian mid-nineteenth century movement of conservative nationalist thought. It explores Dostoevsky's views, as expressed in both his non-fiction and fiction, on the religious, spiritual and moral ideas which he considered to be innately Russian. It concludes that Dostoevsky is an important successor to the Slavophiles, in that he developed their ideas in a more coherent fashion, broadening their moral and spiritual concerns into a more universal message about the true worth of Russia and her people.
This book examines Dostoevsky's interest in, and engagement with, "Slavophilism" - a Russian mid-nineteenth century movement of conservative nationali...
This book explores the nature of the regime of Alexander Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, and who is often characterised as "the last dictator in Europe." It discusses how Lukashenka came to power, providing a survey of politics in Belarus in Soviet and early post-Soviet times, how power became personalised under his regime, how he coerced opponents, but also had good popular support, and how his authoritarianism was adapted in order to maximise popular support. The book also discusses current opposition strategies, and assesses how Lukashenka's regime is likely to develop in...
This book explores the nature of the regime of Alexander Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, and who is often characterised as "the last ...
While the collapse of communism in Russia was relatively peaceful, ethnic relations have been deteriorating since then. This deterioration poses a threat to the functioning of the Russian state and is a major obstacle to its future development. Analysing ethnic relations in the North Caucasus, this book demonstrates how a myriad of processes that characterised post-Soviet transition, including demographic change, economic upheaval, geopolitical instability, and political re-structuring, have affected daily life for citizens. It raises important questions about ethnicity, identity,...
While the collapse of communism in Russia was relatively peaceful, ethnic relations have been deteriorating since then. This deterioration poses a thr...
This book examines the international development policies of five East Central European new EU member states, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. These countries turned from being aid recipients to donors after the turn of the millennium in the run-up to EU accession in 2004. The book explains the evolution subsequent to EU accession and current state of foreign aid policies in the region and the reasons why these deviate from many of the internationally agreed best practices in development cooperation. It argues that after the turn of the millennium, a 'Global...
This book examines the international development policies of five East Central European new EU member states, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, ...
This book presents a concise and comprehensive overview of the mainstream flows of ideas, politics and itineraries towards modernity in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans over two centuries from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the Gorbachev administration. Unlike other books on the subject which view modernity based on the idea of Western European supremacy, this book outlines the various different pathways of development, and of growing industrialisation, urbanisation and secularisation which took place across the region. It provides rich insights on the...
This book presents a concise and comprehensive overview of the mainstream flows of ideas, politics and itineraries towards modernity in Central and...
Russia, one of the most ethno-culturally diverse countries in the world, provides a rich case study on how globalisation and associated international trends are disrupting, and causing the radical rethinking of approaches to, inter-ethnic cohesion. The book highlights the importance of television broadcasting in shaping national discourse and the place of ethno-cultural diversity within it. It argues that television's role here has been reinforced, rather than diminished, by the rise of new media technologies. Through an analysis of a wide range of news and other television programmes, the...
Russia, one of the most ethno-culturally diverse countries in the world, provides a rich case study on how globalisation and associated internation...
The book explores developments in Russia-China relations in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, arguing that the crisis transformed their bilateral affairs, regional liaisons and, crucially, altered the roles both states play on the international arena. Discussing how Russo-Chinese cooperation has accelerated in energy trade, arms sales and in the Russian Far East, the focus is on how the still mutually advantageous relationship has become more asymmetric than ever, reflecting China's meteoric rise and Russia's decline. These dynamics are explored through three perspectives:...
The book explores developments in Russia-China relations in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, arguing that the crisis transformed their ...
