Ghost nets in the Baltic Sea
With the advent of synthetic materials, nets now can continue to trap marine life in the water for hundreds of years.
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Features
Post-Soviet Dilemma: Increased number of stray dogs
Many postcommunist countries have large numbers of stray dogs. In several localitites in Russia poisoned meat has been put out to keep the number of strays down. Before major events, such as the Winter olympics in Sochi, mass culling has been announced. Dog rights activists rather suggest sterilization programs and animal shelters.
Stettin (Szczecin) A node in a geopolitical network
The author shows how one small region, Stettin/Szczecin, because of its strategic place became involved in important events throughout history.
Tbilisi destroys its past. The Old Town is transformed
A growing number of architects, artists and academics have been protesting against the rapid transformation of the Old Town in Tbilisi, claiming that World Heritage is demolished. But there is a dilemma: many of the Old Town inhabitants welcome the changes.
Children left behind A growing problem in EU
Many who migrate are forced to leave their children in their home country. Children being left behind in this way has become a problem in the EU, as Påhl Ruin relates in a report from Lithuania. The children don’t thrive, and there is a risk that they will become social outsiders.
The geoaesthetics of (east) european tristesse. Ulrich Seidl’s Import/Export
Literary scholar David Williams analyzes Ulrich Seidl’s film Import/Export and criticizes Seidl for using and humiliating amateur actors with the aim of telling a story that ultimately only underscores a stereotypical image of the East: as precisely an object of pleasure for the West.
Design institute VNIITE closes its doors
VNIITE, once the world’s largest institute of design research, ceased to exist on June 14, 2013. It was once conceived as a marriage of engineering and aesthetics. Intellectual abilities and sensitivity were to be respected rather than viewed as problems.
the wreck of the Mars (1564) Maritime archaeological investigations of a sunken battlefield
After many years of searching, divers from Ocean Discovery in Västervik found the wreck of Erik XIV’s legendary flagship Mars, in 2011. In 2013 archeologists joined together to reconstruct a cross-section of the battle space. To this end, a selection of ship timbers were salvaged for detailed documentation on the surface.
Wastewater treatment plant in St. Petersburg: Progress, but not enough
A new treatment plant in St. Petersburg could eventually be built, despite initial resistance. It is the outcome of a successful joint project, funded by the Nordic Council and the EU. St. Petersburg's water consumption has also decreased significantly. A challenge remains for St. Petersburg; getting neighboring cities to clean their drains. Not many mil away waste flows directly into the Baltic Sea.
Criminal corrections in the Baltic countries: The Soviet legacy persists
The Baltic countries have a larger percentage of people in prison than any other EU member state. The reason? A persistentSoviet legacy that decress criminals should be locked up.
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Baltic Worlds covers; the Baltic Sea Region, Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and the Balkan area.
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