✔︎ The Remains Of Stalin’s 'Dead Road'
(RFERL)
[Tracks and equipment are still rusting and sinking into the tundra.]
✔︎ Gulag Construction No. 501 and No. 503, Salekhard–Igarka Railway
(Gulag On-Line)
✔︎ Joseph Stalin's deadly railway to nowhere
(BBC - June 2012)
✔︎ Kolõma surmateel - üheksa päeva ja ligi 3000 km
(Blog)
✔︎ 1994 aastal oli dokumentaalfilm 'Surma tee’ näidatud Eesti Televisioonil. Kahjuks veel infot ei ole veel leidnud.
(Eesti Filmi Andmebaas)
✔︎ 26,000 kilomeetrit Venemaa avarustes: Surmatee
(Lõuna Leht)
✔︎ Technical Design | Memoirs | List of Prisoners
(World Digital Library)
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Friday
19. October
_____________
- Russian woman charged with US election interference
(Reuters | AP)
"The U.S. government on Friday charged a Russian national with playing a key financial role in a Kremlin-backed plan to conduct “information warfare” against the United States, including to influence next month’s congressional elections.”
--
The criminal complaint charging Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, with conspiracy to interfere with the U.S. political system was unsealed in Alexandria, Virginia.”
—
"The complaint said Khusyaynova was the chief accountant for Project Lakhta, which it said was funded by Russian oligarch Evgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin and two companies he controls, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, and Concord Catering."
—
- United States Department of Justice
(U.S. Attorney’s Office press release)
"Russian National Charged with Interfering in U.S. Political System."
- Actual DOJ Document
✔︎ The Arvo Pärt Center opened in Estonia
(ERR | Estonian World)
"Designed by Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano from the Spanish architecture firm, NietoSobejano Arquitectos, S.L.P, the Arvo Pärt Center was built in a picturesque area of Laulasmaa, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Estonian capital, Tallinn."
--
✔︎ Arvo Pärt Center website
✔︎ Muusika: Arvo Pärt - 'Spiegel im Spiegel'
(YouTube)
- The women of Kihnu
(National Geographic)
"On this matriarchal European island, ancient customs thrive. The women of Kihnu, Estonia have kept unique traditions alive for millennia.”
- Estonia plans new legal measures to combat money laundering
(Reuters)
"Estonia said on Friday it was planning to toughen anti-money laundering rules by forcing people suspected of benefiting from suspicious financial transactions to prove their wealth came from legitimate sources. Up to now, prosecutors have been forced to show that wealth was illegally obtained, but the proposal will put the burden of proof on the suspect.”
—
"“This would mean that there is a real danger of losing one’s assets when attempting to launder money through the Estonian financial system,” Finance Minister Toomas Toniste said in a statement."
- A credible transatlantic bond: Trident Juncture and NATO capabilities
(NATO)
"Around 50,000 participants from 31 Allies and partner countries are readying for NATO’s most important military exercise since the end of the Cold War, Trident Juncture 18, which kicks off on 25 October. Primarily based in Norway and its surrounding waters and airspace, with important advance elements taking place in Iceland and in Swedish and Finnish airspace, this collective defence (Article 5) exercise portrays a threat from a fictional near-peer adversary on the north-eastern flank of the Alliance."
- Air Force bolsters Russia deterrence mission in Estonia with $14 million in base construction
(Stars and Stripes)
"The projects were recently completed at Amari Air Base, west of Tallinn. They included a new aircraft maintenance hangar, a hazardous cargo pad, a squadron operations facility and a dormitory, at a cost of nearly $14 million. The new infrastructure will be shared by the Estonians and the U.S. and NATO forces that routinely rotate into Amari to conduct Baltic air policing missions."
- Bill Gates now an Estonian e-resident
(Estonian World)
“… after having received the digital ID-card as an early birthday present from the Estonian prime minister, Jüri Ratas."
- Kremlin networks to remain on air in Estonia
(Postimees)
"The basic television packages of four leading operators include the Perviy Baltisky Kanal (PBK), RTR Planeta and NTV Mir that are all controlled by the Kremlin and air more or less hidden propaganda in between entertainment. It is usually white propaganda where news and studio guests interpret actual events proceeding from Russia’s official position. Truth and lies meet in occasional gray propaganda."
--
"Every once in a while, the viewer is treated to black propaganda. One of the most serious examples is from the spring of 2015 when PBK, RTR and Russia Today news programs used an ETV gallows humor sketch titled “Estonia searching for a neo-Nazi” to illustrate the spread of Nazism in Estonian schools.”
- Court in Finland finds pro-Kremlin trolls guilty of harassing journalist
(Deutsche Welle)
“[Yle] Reporter Jessikka Aro knew her work exposing Russian disinformation efforts was important by the viciousness of those trying to silence her. … She began publishing what she learned, including on a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, where she interviewed workers at a "troll factory" who were paid to create false online accounts and pump out fake stories. … The reaction from the pro-Russian side was instantaneous and fierce.”
—
"Ilja Janitskin, the founder of the right-wing, pro-Kremlin website MV-Lehti, was handed a 22-month prison sentence after being found guilty of 16 charges, including defamation.”
--
"Johan Backman, a longtime mouthpiece for Moscow in Finland, was also found guilty of defamation and harassing and received a one-year suspended sentence."
https://www.dw.com/en/court-in-finland-finds-pro-kremlin-trolls-guilty-of-harassing-journalist/a-45944893
- The only thing worse than Trump's attack on a journalist is its timing
(The Guardian)
"Trump has called the press the “enemy of the people” and viciously attacked just about any report critical of his administration. He has successfully guaranteed a significant portion of the country, his base, will disregard any watchdog journalism produced about his administration. The only legitimate news comes from his mouth or a sycophantic outlet—he can effectively manufacture reality at will for a large share of Republican voters in this country.”
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Thursday
18. October
_____________
✔︎ End of Scandinavian Non-Alignment
by Carl Bildt
(Project-Syndicate Org.)
"Scandinavia is finally breaking fully with the Cold-War era doctrine of neutrality, and embracing a more prudent and proactive defense policy.”
—
"Sweden already acknowledges that its territory would fall well within the theater of NATO operations should a conflict arise in Northern Europe, and this realization has increasingly factored into its own security policy and defense preparations. The Swedish foreign-policy establishment understands that any threat to the sovereignty of the Baltic countries or Norway would also be a threat to Sweden’s security. Hence, Sweden is not just participating in Trident Juncture, but also developing a security partnership with Poland to see to the defense of the Baltic Sea area.”
—
"Still, full NATO membership remains a controversial issue in Sweden."
- Toetus Euroopa Liitu kuulumisele on kõrgem kui eales varem
(ERR)
"Septembris läbi viidud Eurobaromeetri uuringu tulemused näitavad, et toetus Euroopa Liitu kuulumisele on kõrgem kui eales varem. Eestis toetab EL-i liikmesust 74, Euroopa Liidus keskmiselt 62 protsenti kodanikest, mis on viimase 25 aasta rekord.”
--
[Support for European Union membership, is higher than ever.]
- Arvamus: Kas sõda on kaitseväelaste ja kaitseliitlaste kinnisidee
(Postimees)
"Meil on õnn, ilma irooniata, elada maailma kõige ilusamas ja armsamas paigas, nimega Eesti. Õnnetuseks aga asume lääne ja ida murrangujoonel. Siin põrkuvad vägagi erinevad vaatenurgad elule. Ãœhelt poolt austatakse indiviidi ühiskonnas ja tema vabadusi ning õigusi. Teiselt poolt jällegi tunnistatakse jõu ja võimu ülimuslikkust.”
- Eeestirocksampler: Welcome To New Weird Estonia
(The Quietus)
"There is something currently going on in Estonian alternative music. In many ways that should not be a surprise; this small country nestling on the Baltic has a proud history of producing inspiring “modern” sounds. Already boasting an ancient folk tradition, Estonia was known in the Soviet era for producing adventurous modern classical composers like Arvo Pärt and Kuldar Sink and great cheeky pop acts like Apelsin and Kukerpillid."
- All 47 howitzers bought from Austria are now in Latvia
(Latvian Broadcasting)
- Latvian Forces receive first 18 Polaris tactical vehicles from the US
(LETA)
“… and are to receive another 44 Polaris tactical vehicles by the end of 2018. In total, Latvia will receive up to 130 Polaris tactical vehicles in four different modifications - Sportsman Big Boss, MRZR- 2, MRZR-4 and MV850."
- Putin Says Trump Listens to Him and Wants to Repair U.S.-Russia Ties
(The Moscow Times)
“… despite the complicated domestic political situation in the United States."
- Putin Hails Sunset of U.S. Global Domination Due To Mounting 'Mistakes'
(Huffington Post)
"Russian President Vladimir Putin gloated Thursday about what he sees as the end of the United States’ world dominance due to growing “mistakes.” Putin also claimed America holds “some responsibility” for the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi because the Saudi journalist was living in the U.S., he said his in annual foreign policy speech, according to the Financial Times. He did not elaborate."
- Putin shares his thoughts about ‘aggressors’ and ‘martyrs’
(Meduza)
"On October 18, Vladimir Putin took part in the annual Valdai Discussion Club. At one point during his remarks, the Russian president tried to explain why Moscow’s military doctrine on nuclear weapons doesn’t support preventive strikes. Putin’s comments provoked laughter in the audience.”
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Wednesday
17. October
_____________
✔︎ New satellite images show military buildup in Kaliningrad
(CNN)
"Earlier this year, aerial images came to light that suggested the Russians had significantly modernized a nuclear weapons storage bunker in Kaliningrad. Now, satellite imagery and analysis from ImageSat International, a commercial satellite firm, appear to confirm that a major modernization is underway in at least four locations throughout the region."
 |
| CNN |
- Võrulased ei nõustu Taara sõjaväelinnaku laiendamisega
(ERR)
"Võrus jätkub vastasseis kaitseministeeriumi ja kohalike elanike vahel seoses Taara sõjaväelinnaku plaanitava laiendamisega. Ministeerium peab ruumipuudusel laiendust vajalikuks, kuid võrulased ei taha laiendust sõna otseses mõttes oma tagahoovi. Võimaliku lahenduse leidmiseks pakkus Võru linn koostöös elanikega kompromisslahenduse, mille kaitseministeerium lükkas tagasi …"
- Is Going It Alone the Best Way Forward for Europe?
(Foreign Affairs)
"Since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, Europeans have struggled to come to terms with his confrontational style and policies. … In recent months, however, the tone coming from European capitals has changed. …”
- Värskasse plaanitakse püstitada Vabadussõja monument
(Lõuna Leht)
"Petserimaa Vabadussõja ausammas ei ole ühe väikse huvirühma eraasi. See on riikliku ja rahvaliku auvõla tasumine. Petserimaa lahingutes langes Vabadussõjas esilgse uurimise põhjal kuni 300 võitlejat,” ütles Seto Kongressi Vanemate Kogu peavanem ja Setomaa ülembsootska Aare Hõrn."
- Inflation rates of all three Baltic countries exceeded the EU average in September
(ERR)
"Annual inflation stood at 2.4% in Lithuania, while Latvia and Estonia posted annual inflation rates of 3.3% and 3.5%, respectively."
- EU: British Hoarders Stock Up on Supplies, Preparing for Brexit
(New York Times)
"This being Britain, people are not retreating to underground bunkers, as America’s “Doomsday preppers” do, and Britons are more likely to hoard toilet paper than weaponry. But with time running out and negotiations at a delicate point, some Britons are preparing for a crisis that could upend their way of life."
--
“People are talking about World War II and rationing,” said Ms. Mann, a former midwife. “People have also been talking about the blackouts in the 1970s, and how power was rationed. This has the potential of being a combination of the two".
_____________
Tuesday
16. October
_____________
- The rise of Estonia’s radical right: to engage or not to engage?
by Kristi Raik
(ECFR)
"According to the latest polls, around 20 percent of the electorate will vote for the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE). This would make EKRE the country’s third-largest party, after the Centre Party – which leads the governing coalition – and its main opponent, the liberal right-wing Reform Party."
--
"EKRE’s policies fit a pattern now familiar from elsewhere on the continent. The party defends conservative family values against liberals who allegedly “promote a homosexual agenda in society and schools”; stokes fear of migration, which it portrays as a threat to national identity and culture; and attacks the European Union as the embodiment of liberal values. The party’s leader, Mart Helme, has criticised Europe’s liberal elite for suppressing radical politicians such as France’s Marine Le Pen, even drawing parallels between their fate and that of dissidents in the Soviet Union. In short, EKRE is nationalist, xenophobic, anti-liberal, and Eurosceptic.”
—
“(But) There is a high degree of political pluralism making it unlikely that Estonia will travel the same path as Hungary."
https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_rise_of_estonias_radical_right_to_engage_or_not_to_engage
- U.S.: When fascism starts to feel normal, we’re all in trouble
by Yale Professor Jason Stanley
(New York Times)
“If you’re not scared about fascism in the U.S., you should be."
- Sexual abuse and violence against women widespread in Europe's parliaments
(Deutsche Welle)
"Almost half of female politicians and parliamentary staff in Europe say they have been violently threatened, according to a new study. A majority of parliaments don't have a mechanism for women to speak out or seek help."
- Nearly one-in-ten Finnish MPs report being bullied on the job
(Yle)
- EU states push for sanctions for cyber-attackers
(Reuters | ERR)
"Eight EU member states, including the UK and the Baltic countries, are pushing the bloc to impose sanctions on cyber-attackers as Europe seeks to strengthen its electronic defences. The states are calling for the urgent creation of a legal framework to hit hackers, warning that a lack of tough action leaves the impression that cyber-attacks would go unpunished."
—
--
"NATO cyber command to be fully operational in 2023”
- Brussels preparing for talks with Russia on Baltic power systems
(Delfi-Lithuania)
- It's Time to Change How the West Approaches the Kremlin
Edward Lucas
(CEPA)
"One mistake here is the misguided assumption that Russia (or for that matter China) is a monolith. We should not condemn all the Russian people for the actions of their regime. So our policy towards Russia should be differentiated. The Western approach over the past 25 years could be summarized as being nasty to nice Russians and nice to nasty ones. If you turn up in London in a private jet with a few billion in ill-gotten gains, we roll out the red carpet. Bankers, lawyers, and accountants offer a concierge service for kleptocrats. You can buy a football club, endow a university, sponsor an art gallery—and, hey presto—you become an honorary member of the British establishment."
--
"Don’t expect that treatment if you are an ordinary Russian wanting to come to Britain, the United States or the Schengen zone to study or enjoy yourself, let alone to work."
_____________
Monday
15. October
_____________
- ÃœRO kliimaraport
(ERR | Postimees)
"Täielikult puutumata ei jää isegi Põhja-Euroopa."
--
--
- Report: Global Warming of 1.5 C
(IPCC)
- EU leaders at this week's summit are more preoccupied with Brexit and migration than with climate change
(EU Observer)
- The Hope at the Heart of the Apocalyptic Climate Change Report
(Foreign Policy)
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/18/the-hope-at-the-heart-of-the-apocalyptic-climate-change-report/
- Toome 300 laeva taas Eesti lipu alla
(Pealinn)
"Riik on seadnud endale eesmärgiks tuua seitsme aasta jooksul Eesti registrisse ja Eesti lipu alla 300 suuremat kauba- ja reisilaeva.”
- Belarus, Not Baltics, Most Likely to Be Putin’s Next Target
(Window on Eurasia)
"Many in the West believe that Vladimir Putin will act in the future the same way he has in the past and seek to occupy part of one of the Baltic countries as he occupied part of Ukraine, Vladislav Inozemtsev says. But in fact, the Kremlin leader is constantly changing his approach and is more likely to seek to absorb Belarus than attack Narva.”
—
“It seems to me,” Inozemtsev says, “that [Putin] in order to stir up patriotic passions inside Russia could do so by occupying an entire country, preferably part of ‘the Russian world’ but still not included in Western alliances. And now there is only one candidate for that – Belarus.”
- Crying Wolf On Belarus
Brian Whitmore
(CEPA)
_____________
Russia
“Trust No One"
_____________
- Russian woman charged with US election interference
(Reuters | AP)
"The U.S. government on Friday charged a Russian national with playing a key financial role in a Kremlin-backed plan to conduct “information warfare” against the United States, including to influence next month’s congressional elections.”
--
The criminal complaint charging Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, with conspiracy to interfere with the U.S. political system was unsealed in Alexandria, Virginia.”
—
"The complaint said Khusyaynova was the chief accountant for Project Lakhta, which it said was funded by Russian oligarch Evgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin and two companies he controls, Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering."
—
- Ukraine and Russia step up a confrontation: US is not a bystander
(CNN | Meduza)
"A hot war is continuing in the eastern Donbas region, and the conflict between Moscow and Kiev appears set to escalate. The latest flashpoint? Ukraine's bid for greater spiritual independence from Russia.”
--
"On Monday, the Russian Orthodox Church broke ties with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the titular head of Orthodox Christianity, after Ukraine secured approval last week to establish an independent Orthodox church. That move drew immediate condemnation from Russia, which said the decision set the stage for a potential split within the global Orthodox community."
"The Russian Orthodox Church has suspended Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The decision was made at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 15 in Minsk."
- Russia’s top diplomat warns Ukraine won’t be able to hold NATO drills in Azov Sea
(TASS - Pro-Kremlin)
- Sea of Azov: Ukraine is not giving up
(Warsaw Institute)
- Black Sea gas deposits: Reason for Russia’s occupation of Crimea
(Euromaidan Press)
 |
| Source- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbian University |
- Putin: paljud endistes liiduvabariikides kahetsevad NL-i lagunemist
(ERR)
"Inimesed neis vabariikides "tõlgendavad seda omal moel, kuid sellest hoolimata usuvad nad, et elu endises Nõukogude Liidus oli turvalisem ja rahulikum, nad tundsid end enesekindlamalt", väitis ta Sotšis peetud foorumil."
--
"Ühes suures, ühtses, võimsas riigis oli rohkem võimalusi," lausus president. Putin on ka varem korduvalt kõnelnud oma kahetsusest Nõukogude Liidu lagunemise pärast, olles seda nimetanud 20. sajandi suurimaks geopoliitiliseks katastroofiks."
- Three ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ Stories in Putin’s Russia
(Window on Eurasia)
1 - “…construction by China and Russia of the first railroad bridge at Nizhneleninskoye. China has finished its portion; but Russia hasn’t made any significant progress."
--
2 - "Kerch bridge to occupied Crimea. Not only has a portion of the railroad span fallen into the sea but there aren’t enough roads to service it on the Russian side and experts say it is located on a weak foundation and may collapse.”
—
3 - “… possible construction of a bridge to Sakhalin."
- Putin’s Favorite Biker Gang “Infiltrated" NATO
(Foreign Policy)
"In July 2018, the Slovak press reported that the Night Wolves, a nationalist Russian biker gang, had created an official European base of operations in the village of Dolna Krupa on a site owned by Jozef Hambalek, an entrepreneur with ties to right-wing Slovak militias.”
—
[The] "base, disguised as a biker gang headquarters, a little over an hour from Bratislava, Slovakia, is well within the borders of NATO itself.”
- Kertši polütehnikumi tulistamises ja plahvatuses hukkus 19 inimest
(ERR)
- 19 people were killed and dozens injured after a blast ripped through a polytechnic college in the Crimean city of Kerch
(Newsweek)
- Failed Space Launch Illuminates Russia’s Multiplying Misfortunes
(Jamestown Org.)
"The structural crisis in the Russian space industry is aggravated by appallingly poor leadership, which is now entrusted to Dmitry Rogozin, known more for his bombastic statements than managerial skills. He supervised the construction of the new Vostochny cosmodrome in the Far East, which has become a symbol of runaway corruption. When a dangerous leak was discovered at the International Space Station last month, Rogozin was quick to blame US astronauts, hinting at sabotage …"
- Massive Twitter data release sheds light on Russia’s Trump strategy
(Politico-Europe)
"Twitter on Wednesday released a trove of 10 million tweets it says represents the full scope of foreign influence operations on the platform dating back nearly a decade — including Russia’s consistent efforts to disparage Hillary Clinton and an initially erratic approach to Donald Trump that eventually settled on a concerted pro-Trump message during the 2016 campaign."
"The huge data cache consists of tweets from some 3,400 accounts tied to the Kremlin troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency and 770 others linked to Iran. It also includes some two million gifs, videos and other visual content."
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