Advertising favourite! ;-)

My all-time favourite on the streets of Minsk! ;-)

Neo-monumentalism...

A little bit apart from the town center and the monumentalism of the Soviet era stands this new national library, built by the current president. Reportedly, it holds very few books... Belarussians we spoke with thought of it as a spaceship or extraterrestial communications device, as it blinks with multicoloured lights at night...

More "Stalin-baroque"

Variations of monumentalism... and more to come!

Superman in Minsk

I am really not sure of the changing-room qualities of these minuscule phone booths...

"Det svider i hjärtat"

I would have liked to see this film, but hope to do it online later when I have more time for such things - I just realized I missed it on tv yesterday (but I was doing MUCH MORE IMPORTANT things - family celebrations!). I'm talking about Swedish documentary film-maker Oscar Hedin's film on two jihadist young men "Det svider i hjärtat". If you follow the link, I think you can see it from swedish Television's website and at least check when the rerun is broadcast.

Catholic Belarussian

It was in Easter week (in the gregorian style of calendar counting) and when we sneaked into this church at a central downtonwn square - opposite the university - some sort of service was still going on, with a procession of mainly women walking around the church up to different icons, singing. The women were also leading the procession and the singing - either in a catholic or orthodox tradition I would have thought that unusual. I would have guessed a catholic service to have been conducted in Polish but my husband claimed to my surprise they were singing in Belarussian. I learn something new everyday!

Branding Minsk

Despite the architectural look of the city, the brand names recalled which era we in fact are in.

Potemkin facades?

The residential backsides and yards behind the monumental facades and fabulous portals however tended to be less spectacular and wellkept... ;-)

Openings in the facade

The enormous magnificent facades have equally impressive portals...

Monumentalism

This is of course a different style of monumentalist architecture than what I have been seeing elsewehere lately. Stalin-baroque we call it in Swedish.

More art

Maybe this is a more traditionalist and expected style of public art? ;-)

Minsk street art

Maybe this is not quite art, it stood outside a shop - so maybe it's an ad? But for what I'm not sure...



This pretty little girl stood near the railway station.

Fika for peace!

I'm stealing the title of this post (sorry, best friend ;-) ) but can't resist telling you about the renewed hope on Cyprus since the Friday-morning coffee meeting at the Danish UN Mission Head in Cyprus between Cypriot leaders Christofias and Talat. After this coffee meeting (Swedish FIKA!!! - may the word spread across the world!) news of breakthrough possibilities and plans for opening divided Nicosia reached the media. Hear Swedish radio on it also.

Downtown Minsk

The first picture is October Square, where the opposition tent demonstrations two years ago took place. The second one is of the central Independence Avenue (I dare not try out the Russian or Belarussian names - signs are of the later while people seem to mainly use the former - very confusing...)

Minsk was almost completely destroyed in the second World War - apparently only 5 buildings still stood at the end of the war. What you see was built afterwards, but what I can understand mainly along the same street plan. So the Stalin-baroque architecture dominates completely.

For deeper some Belarus-perspective, listen to the following rather recent Swedish radio talk programs on the political situation: Konflikt from 8th March and from 20th March morning news.

Train from Minsk

I'll start backwards, with our return journey from Minsk, on the 4-hour train journey to Vilnius. Old Soviet-style train and trainstation, no doubt. I was immensely proud to figure out from the board (in Russian or Belarussian, I'm not sure which even) what platform our train was on... ;-) It left on time too. And the Belarus border guards had portable computers they carried around with readers for the machine-reading field at the bottom of the identity page in modern passports!

This is of course a distinct break with the previous Dubai highrises (but don't worry, they will come back again later).

Tracing my steps

In the last week I have been to both Vilnius (not for the first time) and Minsk (a definite first!). Pictures of both are to come here in the coming days, there is a lot to say and show from both places. But I am not moving there, just visiting! This titbits are from each place (Vilnius upper, Minsk lower).

Backlog of reading

I have been travelling for the last week and before that my computer and internet access were wobbly for a bit, so these reading links are all from late in February or early in March. I give a summary introduction, but the structure is quite random...

First an opinion piece from Expressen on angry muslims... Svenska dagbladet discusses publications of muslim images visavi the cartoon issue.

Here, Gulf News commented on the World Bank report on the Middle East knowledge economy that I previously shared with you. It is probably the single most important regional challenge.

Also from Gulf News, on Fairouz and the buzz of Syrian-Lebanese politics.

Dagens Nyheter reviews a book by Iranian-Swedish philosopher Mohammad Fazlhashemi on islam in today's world.

BBC on the jailed Saudi blogger Fouad al-Farhan.

Svenska Dagbladet interviewed Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on developments in the Middle East, late in february.

Al-Jazeera writes on the origins of the present Arab-Israeli conflict.

Turkish Today's Zaman has a travel article on Antakya. As you may remember, we spent New Year's 2 years ago there, later crossing to Aleppo. This blogg held pictures from both places at the time.

Svenska Dagbladet on Dubai's spectacular architecture, another topic this blogg has recently touched upon!

Aftonbladet on Swedish children's detective Ture Sventon - very 50's very orientalist and very cool!

Svenska Dagbladet on Turkey's motives in Kurdish northern Iraq. Financial Times here on the same topic.

LA Times on isolating Iran. And a New York review of books op-ed on the same topic.

Vanity Fair writes on Gaza.

Spectacular architecture

Back by the creek, Dubai is really paradise for architects drawing eyecatching skyscrapers!

Happy Easter!

Have been offline and off blogging a lot lately and now recently again. But wait a little bit more and I will have pictures from Vilnius and Minsk to show. And a large backlog of links too.

Happy Easter! Happy Newruz!

Photography and equality

I wanted to give you these already yesterday, for International Women's Day (and my sister's birthday - congratulations!!!), but the net didn't really cooperate.

Anyway, here is a photo exhibition shown by Sida on the occasion of the women's day. Photographer Ulla Lemberg was not only one of Swedish news media's (Aftonbladet) women staff photographers, she is also a relentless campaigner for women's and children's rights.

Svenska Dagbladet also showed this graphic illustration on the situation of women today and some photos of different manifestations of the day.

Middle East knowledge economy

This subject is something I frequently highlight on this blog and also work on IRL to the extent I have the opportunity.

So now I would like to show you this report "The Road Not Traveled : Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa" from the World Bank. I haven't had time to read it yet, but am looking forward to it.

Other global fora that have highlighted the issue are World Economic Forum and the UNDP's Arab Human Development Report (link to wikipedia).

Jutting towards the sky

More Dubai highrises... ;-)

Photo of the year

Photo of the year-awards have been given in Sweden. Both Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet had their well-known staff photographers awarded.

Carpet school

Dagens Nyheter has a "carpet school" today, which may interest, including some buying recommendations. In Stockholm, I would never go to a carpet store (they have a far too fancy selection for my taste), the real finds have been made in auctions. My best recommendation is, never buy a carpet that you don't fall in love with, preferable at first sight.

As you know, I like rather folkloristic pieces with a real-life tribal and nomadic feeling and usage. I like when I can see traces of the artisan and her life and everyday usage of the piece. I'm not very fond of very fancy ballroom carpets. My favourite store in Turkey was, as you know, this one, in Göreme.

2007 there was a large carpets dealer's fair in Istanbul.

Dubai Finance Centre

For many reasons I have been waiting to be able to show you the skyscrapers by the creek that I began with earlier, but my computer and internetconnection have not been really cooperative lately. So now when I have the chance, I skip a bit (will get back later) and show you some later photos, taken from the Dubai Financial Centre, off Sheikh Zayed Road.

Parvin Ardalan

Iranian women's acitivist Parvin Ardalan, winner of the Olof Palme prize, was stopped from leaving Iran 2 days ago to receive the prize. Instead, her sister will receive it for her.

(links both to Svenska Dagbladet)

Evening update: Dagens Nyheter runs an interview with Parvin Ardalan here.

Carpet gallery

Usually when I show you photos (not book jackets and things but photos) I have taken them myself and no other attribution is needed - I point out the exceptions, not the rule. Exceptions tend to be more or less obvious also, if I am in the picture, for instance! Now, the above is an exception, because the photographer this time is my husband. I found the above, quite unusual, Afghan carpet in a photo on the website of our neighbouring Stockholm auction house and placed a bid, obtaining it for a very reasonable price. I still haven't seen it myself and cannot vouch for the quality, but my husband approved it on inspection!

Alan Johnston

During his kidnapping ordeal in Gaza last year, I followed the fate of Alan Johnston here on the blog. I found this book on it, by himself, today - and intend to read it has soon as I can.

Happy Valentine's!!!

Well, the theme of the posting will be much similar to the ordinary, but starting by noting the day at least makes the world seem a bit brighter! ;-) The past 2 weeks have been quite full of events and early on, the period was dominated by Internet problems across the Middle East (as reported by BBC).

Culture
I'd like to start today with a Dagens Nyheter-article on the richness of early art in Afghanistan.

On a completely different note, the Swedish children's detective novels on Ture Sventon (featuring a Stockholm in the 50's) are analysed in Svenska Dagbladet.

Turkey
In Turkey, the headscarf controversy has been imminent again. Here Svenska Dagbladet, before the vote in parliament, on popular protests.

Palestine
Dagens Nyheters Nathan Schachar here discusses how people could not see what was brewing in Gaza. This ties in with my own fascination with the region, but of course it is sad that insights and analyses do not empower policies...

Egypt
A New York Times report on what to do in 36 hours in Cairo.

Iraq
A friend recommended this Dagens Nyheter article, on women police officers in Iraqi Kurdistan.

ICG's latest Iraq report here - on the "Sadrist surge".

Saudiarabia
Reform in Saudi-arabia walks in small steps (here from the BBC). Someone said the driving ban for women may be loosened very quietly, does anyone know more?

Valentine's is too much to stomach though, apaprently, here in a Dagens Nyheter report.

Syria
Sey Hersh here from the New Yorker on Israel's attack last year on an alleged nuclear facility in Syria.

Hizbullah leader Mughniyeh died a day ago in a carbomb in Damascus, here reported by BBC.

Iran
Yesterday I could tell you about Parvin Ardalan's receiving the Palme prize. Here Eurasianet asks whether Iran's government fears educated women? Ironically in that case, since (perhaps surprisingly) women's literacy and education has risen quite steeply in Iran in the year's of the present regime. Longterm subversiveness?

Middle East knowledge development
This theme is very poignant here in the Gulf and I have followed it before. BBC here reports on a new World Bank report on Arab education and it's challenges.

Not on education, but on information and freedom of expression is this piece, BBC reporting on Arab broadcasting being curbed...

Other
Light has been shed on how a leading family in Nazi Germany, the Himmlers, dealt with reality through a daughter talking of her experience (here from Svenska Dagbladet).

BBC's Beirut-correspondent thinks about leaving Beirut and what that means for her as a journalist.

Aftonbladet reviews Åsne Seierstads new book (soon to be published in Sweden and Norway, if it hasn't just recently been) on Chechnya, where her journalism-career once started.

Svenska Dagbladet here writes on information warfare.

BBC reports on a Russian film, clandestinely depicting president Putin's love life!

Svenska Dagbladet has some travel tips on Vilnius, where I will make a third visit next month.

This issue is quite a challenging one - a man here writes an op-ed on the need to legislate against enforced marriage. Oh yes, of course! Each one should freely chose one's spouse. But what I have yet to figure out is how such a law be written and enforced so it has a real meaning, outside being either racist or pointless. Advise me, please.

Added on Friday - Dagens Nyheter has photos from the Hariri memorial activities in Beirut yesterday. Svenska Dagbladet reports on the development too, and Hizbullah's reaction to the death of Mughniyeh (featured abve also).

Palme award to Parvin Ardalan

This year's Palme prize has been awarded Iranian women's activist Parvin Ardalan.

Dagens Nyheter reports here on it. Svenska Dagbladet wisely notes that the international attention this prize gives Ardalan and her movement hopefully means greater protection for the activists.

Bastard of Istanbul - recommending Elif Shafak

I have read Elif Shafak's earlier novels and bought "The Bastard of Istanbul" as soon as I could get hold of a copy, but then it's been lying around waiting for a good occasion to read. That occasion came this weekend, and I really enjoyed it! It is by far the best of Shafak's novels (even if "The Saint of the Incipient Insanities" was also terrific), warmly portraying Istanbul Turkish history (even in difficult times) and a Turkish family.

Elif Shafak became very controversial in Turkey with it's publication but the book is really worth it just for the read, without the attention directed to it by the controversy. Daring to brave the subject also deserves an applause, of course!

Exhibition Afghanistan

An exhibition of precious historical objects from Afghanistan is being shown in the Netherlands right now, and apparently later on in the States. Time shows some objects from it in a photo gallery here.

Tuesday update: Aftonbladet started a new special feature on Afghanistan here - with interviews, chats and meetings with ordinary Afghans.

Human Rights Watch - new annual report

The new annual report came out late last week and can be found here.

There as supposed to be special sections on several Middle East countries also (Iraq here), including in Arabic, and special features like podcasts and additional material.

Monday update: Also the Committee to Protect Journalists has a new annual report with a reportedly extensive Middle East-section.

Egypt photography

Hardly surprising to my readers, I am fascinated by early photography. The Museum of Near Eastern Art in Stockholm just now has a photo exhibition with photos from Egypt and Palestine (I believe) by a current young photographer following in the footsteps of his photographer great-grandfather...

The photo above is from the museum webpage on the exhibition. I am so sorry I won't be able to see it, but encourage anyone who has the chance to do so.

Svenska Dagbladet reviewed the book gathering the pictures also, and I suspect I will finger it longingly if I ever encounter a copy! ;-)

Highrises on the creek

The Creek area also has it's fair share of the typical Dubai skyscrapers.

Islamic arts exhibition

At Emirates Palace, the luxurious Abu Dhabi hotel, now has an exhibition all spring (until april I believe) on Islamic arts - it looks superinteresting!