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Recommended because this website provides a wealth of information on the recently expanded European Union. Start by reading the Overview of the recent expansion of the European Union. Be aware of the fact that this site has listings of numerous articles, interactive features, and videos on subjects relating to the European Union, with special emphasis given to coverage of the East European nations that recently joined the EU. Produced by CNN. |
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Recommended because this is a teachers' curriculum unit that helps students understand the challenges of establishing and maintaining a refugee camp, as well as what it is like to live there. Start by clicking on the Introduction to Teachers by Author section. Be aware of the fact that this is an extensive lesson plan with a great deal of information based on real experiences primarily in Africa, but including as well information about refugees from Albania, Kosovo, and Georgia (as well as Afghanistan and Thailand!). Part of the Doctors Without Borders website. |
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Recommended because This BBC news website from late 2001 is recommended because it describes the recent increase in AIDS cases in Russia and Eastern Europe. The page is part of the larger BBC report "Aids Around the World," which includes reports from other world regions as well as internet links. Be aware of the fact that there is a separate section entitled Russia's Crisis that you can click on to get more specific information about aids in Russia alone. |
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Recommended because Amnesty International tracks human rights violations throughout the world, including Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Start by searching for information on a country or a region by clicking on the Library section of the website to get detailed reports (for example, Uzbekistan alone had twenty-seven news articles and reports). Be aware of the fact that there is a an excellent listing of links to other human rights related websites. |
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Recommended because of its extensive coverage of the war in Chechnya and the troubles in the Caucasus region in general. Be aware of the fact that there is a forum section where you can listen to the interviews of Russian Spokesman on a subject Mikhail Margelov. |
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Recommended because it is an unmatched source of information on nuclear waste and radioactive pollution in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Start by reading the current news articles in the "Top Stories" section in the center of the screen. In addition to these recent developments, the news archive has over two thousand (!!)previous articles on environmental issues. Be aware of the fact that one large source of nuclear contamination, for example, are the rusting atomic submarines of the Russian navy at anchor in the Arctic Ocean. A very large website with a wealth of information on nuclear contamination. |
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Recommended because this is a good lesson plan for analyzing and predicting the effects of the Chernobyl accident on the people and geography of Ukraine. Be aware of the fact that this lesson plan was developed by Columbia University's teacher outreach program. It is low-tech without any bells or whistles, but it is well-organized. |
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Recommended because The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is a non-governmental organization that promotes women's human rights. It works internationally to combat sexual exploitation in all its forms. Start by checking the Factbook to get specific information on women from Eastern Europe (or any other area of interest for that matter). Be aware of the fact that since 1991 (when the Soviet Union collapsed) there has been a huge increase in the number of East European women, especially from Russia and Ukraine, who have become unwilling sex slaves in Europe and the Middle East. CATW publicizes this revival of human slavery in its worst form. |
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Recommended because this is an excellent website for up-to-date information on the wartorn region of Chechnya, a republic within the Russian federation that has sought indepedence from Moscow through a military rebellion against Russian authority. Start by going to the Early History section of the site. Here you will find great background information on why Chechens were dissatisfied with Russian rule even in the 19th century. Be aware of the fact that there are many valuable sections to this website, including wonderful maps, a timeline of Chechen history starting in 1991, detailed information on Chechen separatism, how the Russian government in Moscow views the Chechen problem, a forum on Chechnya, as well as archived reports on Chechnya going back to 1996. Produced by the PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer. |
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Recommended because of its up to date articles on environmental issues in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Russia. Fully archived going back two years. Produced by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute, using reporters based both in the West and in the Region. Be aware of Be aware that reporters are often native to the regions they cover and that the articles in this website are also available in Russian language versions. |
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Recommended because of its up-to-date articles on Human Rights issues in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Russia. Be aware of the fact that this website is fully archived going back several years. Produced by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute, using reporters based both in the West and in the Region. As an added advantage, reporters are often native to the regions they cover. |
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Recommended because this lesson focuses on the most spectacular nuclear accident in history--the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the USSR in 1986. Students should recognize that changes to the environment in one place can often affect other, distant places. To introduce and reinforce this concept, students will read and analyze several articles describing consequences of the 1986 explosion and fire at a nuclear power plant in Chornobyl, Ukraine, a country which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. Students will then create a map showing which countries were affected by this disaster and how they were affected. Be aware of the fact that this website was produced by the National Geographic Society and was designed for grades 6-8. |
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Recommended because this is a wonderful site to become acquainted both with Russia's natural beauty, as well as to learn about Russia's most important environmental challenges, including the pollution at Lake Baikal, the world's largest body of freshwater, preserving Russia's vast but threatened forest, and nuclear contamination. Be aware of the fact that there is a great section on the six areas named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, as well as several others that are candidates for this designation. This is a Russian produced website and it is available in the Russian language in addition to English. Several other East European countries also have Greenpeace organizations (as do dozens of other countries throughout the world), and their websites can be found by clicking on the country selector at the top left-hand side of the page. |
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Recommended because during the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of Jews were confined in more than 400 ghettos in Eastern Europe. During the three-year life of the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, members of the Jewish population methodically created secret archives, diaries, drawings, and photographs to document German crimes against their community. Dug up after the war, the remnants of this extraordinary documentation reveal the history of the Kovno Ghetto. Materials included in this online exhibit include an integration of text, photographs, audio, and video to provide those studying the Holocaust with access to these primary sources. Be aware of the fact that this website was produced by the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. |
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Recommended because HRW is an independent, nongovernmental organization that investigates and publicizes alleged human rights violations throughout the world in the hope of holding human rights abusers accountable for their crimes. They are active in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, especially in investigating war crimes against civilians in Russia's war in Chechnya and in the former Yugoslavia. This website has up to date reports, including general reports from the region as well as pages for each country in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Start by going to the Country Pages section at the lower right hand side of the screen and clicking on the country that you are most interested in. Be aware of the fact that there are reports for other world regions, too, and there are also sections for global issues like women and refugees. This site also provides coverage of recent 2006 violence at the gay protest in Moscow. |
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Recommended because The HRW Women's Issues page usually contains several articles relating to Eastern European and the former Soviet Union. When checked in summer 2004, there were stories on the trafficking of women in Bosnia-Herzogovina, crackdowns agains Muslim dissident women in Uzbekistan, and job discrimination against women in Ukraine. Start by going to the Latest News section. Be aware of the fact that there is a "Thematic Issues" section on the right side of the webpage, and it contains many subjects, including: Women Workers, Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, HIV/AIDS, Women and Armed Conflict, Trafficking, Refugee and Internally Displaced Women, etc. |
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Recommended because this excellent and comprehensive website on the European Union contains a wealth of information on the East European nations that recently joined the EU. Start by clicking on the section, "Enlargement Map." Here you can see at a glance the map of Europe indicating the ten new EU members (most from Eastern Europe) as well as the several candidate countries being considered for membership in the future. By clicking on each of these countries, you will see a country profile of each nation. Be aware of the "Photojournals" section, which contains a story on a Latvian family's views of the EU, as well as how Hungarians are guarding the EU border. Produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. |
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Recommended because the IHF, which is based in Vienna, monitors human rights abuses in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It is a private, non-governmental organization with representatives from the countries under scrutiny. The website is a treasure trove of information on human rights violations throughout the region. Topics include ethnic intimidation, trafficking in women, violations of freedom of the press, and many other diverse subjects. An extremely useful website. |
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Recommended because this is a Russian-based website on the subject of sexual trafficking of Russian women in the Far East, the Middle East, and Europe. Be aware that there are separate sections on the history of the problem in Russia, economic factors affecting women, etc. Part of the Miramed Institute, Moscow, website. Miramed is a non-governmental organization that focuses on issues of women's health and empowerment in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Start by reading about the Angel Coalition, founded in 1999 by the Miramed Institute. |
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Recommended because this BBC website takes a comprehensive look at the 1999 war between NATO and Yugoslavia over Kosovo and the aftermath of the Yugoslav defeat. It makes clear that ethnic strife continues in the region. Topics and materials include historical background combined with late-breaking news articles, maps, timelines. |
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Recommended because of its basic information on how the world's largest lake is threatened by industrial pollution as evidenced by deaths of the Lake Baikal's unique freshwater seals. Not a large site, but well-done. Materials include maps, photographs, and useful internet links. Produced by the National Geographic Society. |
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Recommended because NATO now contains many recently joined member nations from Eastern Europe. NATO's relationship with Russia, which has traditionally been opposed to joining NATO, is also discussed in detail. Start by clicking on the "Issues" section at the top of the page. This area includes detailed information on NATO operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia, as well as NATO partnerships with Russia and Ukraine, and separate coverage of NATO enlargement, NATO's response to the threat of terrorism, and many other issues. |
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Recommended because this lesson plan helps students consider the meanings of freedom of expression and freedom of religion within democracies as these freedoms apply to art. They examine, through writing and discussion, how a group in Russia responded to a controversial art exhibit and write position papers examining the boundaries of these democratic ideals. Start by reading the September 2003 newspaper article entitled, Art vs. Religion: Whose Rights Will Come First? Be aware of the fact that this lesson plan was produced by the New York Times and it is designed for grades 6-8, and well as grades 9-12. |
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Recommended because ethnic conflict in Macedonia had the potential to start a Third World War, but news coverage of this subject was surprisingly meager. Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students consider ways in which the current conflict in Macedonia parallels their lives and explore techniques for resolving such conflicts. Be aware of the fact that this lesson plan was produced by the New York Times Learning Network and is designed for grades 6-8, 9-12. |
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Recommended because it provides detailed new coverages of Roma people all over Europe, introduces their nomad culture and traditions Be aware of the fact that there are great links to other pages on other aspects of life of the Roma people. |
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Recommended because Srebrenica, Bosnia, the world's first United Nations Safe Area, was the site of the worst case of genocide in Europe since World War II. In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb army staged a brutal takeover of the small, intimate spa town and its surrounding region. Over a period of five days, the Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Muslim families and systematically murdered over 7,000 men and boys in fields, schools, and warehouses. This website is a companion to the NOVA documentary produced by PBS. Start by going to the About the Program section which provides an excellent introduction to this topic. Be aware of the fact that this website eyewitness accounts, an interactive timeline, a section devoted to the massacre's aftermath, and lesson plans are included. An excellent site. |
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Recommended because this website highlights one of the most dramatic environmental problems in the world today: the disappearance, due to diversion of water for irrigating cotton fields, of Central Asia's Aral Sea. The shrinking of the Aral Sea has led to a number of problems for people in the region of Central Asia. Topics and materials in this lesson include asking students to consider what happens when a sea shrinks and to compare pictures of the Aral Sea at different times. Students will conclude by pretending to be residents of the Aral Sea region, drawing "before" and "after" pictures of how changes to the sea have affected their lives. Be aware of the fact that this lesson is recommended for Grades 3-5, and that there is also a similar lesson designed for Grades 6-8. Produced by the National Geographic Society. |
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Recommended because the OSCE is the largest regional security and human rights organization in the world and it's fifty-five participating states include all of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Much of the OSCE's activities today focus on security, democratization, and human rights issues precisely in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Topics featured in this website include a wealth of information on the region with OSCE reports and news stories on subjects like reforming the media in Serbia, peacekeeping in Macedonia, and the promotion of interethnic dialogue in Tajikistan. |
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Recommended because this NGO website (based in Hungary) tracks environmental issues for all of Eastern Europe and the Baltic States (but not the rest of the former Soviet Union). Be aware of the fact that the website is searchable and all RECCEE publications are available online--this alone provides a tremendous amount of information. Also included are links to environmental websites for each of the countries included in the RECCEE's jurisdiction. Probably a bit advanced for many secondary students, but still a good resource. |
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Recommended because this website contains three fine online exhibits about the fate of East European Jews under Nazi control. The first, Visas for Life, tells the story of a Japanese Consul who saved thousands of Jews in Kovno, Lithuania, from death by granting them visas. Dignity and Defiance: The Confrontation of Life and Death in the Warsaw Ghetto deals with the 1943 uprising in the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland; And I Still See Their Faces: Images of Polish Jews, tells the story through photographs of the large Jewish population of Poland that was first persecuted then annihilated by the Nazis. All three are moving and highly effective exhibits. Be aware of the fact that these virtual exhibits are produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles, California. The Wiesenthal Center website contains a wealth of information on the Holocaust and related topics, including sections entitled, "Multimedia Learning Center" and "Teachers' Resources." |
Against the Current (1988)
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Recommended because this film gives a Russian perspective on environmental problems caused by Soviet industrialization. Protesters who live near a synthetic protein plant are labeled extremists, but they continue their fight because they are convinced the air pollution is killing their children (27 minutes). Produced in Russia during the Gorbachev era. Be aware of the fact that this film is in Russian with English subtitles. It is available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
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Recommended because although somewhat dated now, this video is still recommended as a high-quality documentary investigating the adverse health effects of history's worst nuclear power plant accident three years after it occurred on April 26, 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine, USSR. Also shown is footage of the disaster itself. Produced by NOVA and PBS (60 min). Be aware of the fact that this film may be borrowed from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), not clear if it is still available for purchase. |
Bought & Sold: An Investigative Documentary About the International Trade in Women (1998, 42 minutes)
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Recommended because this is an investigative documentary about the international trade in women, and includes new material from Global Survival Network's two-year undercover investigation into the traffic in women for prostitution out of Russia. This video includes undercover footage of meetings with the Russian mafia, interviews with women who were trafficked overseas and perspectives from experts from around the world about how to address the problem. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for loan from the Russian and East European Institute at Indiana University (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), not clear where it may be purchased. |
Calling the Ghosts (1996, 60 minutes)
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Recommended because it tells the story of two women interned in the Serbian concentration camp of Omarska during the Bosnian conflict. Like other Muslim and Croat women interned there, Jadranka Cigelj and Nusreta Sivac were systematically tortured and humiliated by their Serb captors. Once released, both women turned their personal struggles into a larger fight for justice, aiding other women who were similarly brutalized. Cigelj and Sivac, both lawyers, successfully lobbied to have rape included in the international lexicon of war crimes by the UN Tribunal at Hague. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but not clear where it could be purchased. |
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Communism: Legacy of Pollution (1997, 25 minutes)
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Recommended because of the insight it provides into environmental issues of Central Europe. In the wake of communism's decline in Eastern Europe, the environmental legacy of communism has been revealed. The Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany form a black triangle of aggressive air pollution with which these newly democratic states must now contend. This film outlines the work of the European Union to help these countries moderate their industrial pollution. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but not clear where it may be purchased. |
Expanding Europe: Round Five of the EU Buildout (7 tape series)
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Recommended because the fifth wave of eager entrants into the European Union is included Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Cyprus. Program one of this seven-part series takes a broad look at the economic hurdles that faced these six countries when they were still just candidates for EU membership, while the rest of the series examines the fiscal health of each country within its cultural context as it prepared for accession into the EU. Produced in 2000, each tape is 25 minutes long. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), may be purchased from Films for the Humanities for $570. |
Gypsies and the Freedom to Hate (2002, 22 minutes)
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Recommended because it sheds light on a widespread phenomenon of racism in Central Europe. Ironically, the Gypsies or Roma of Eastern Europe, a people historically persecuted, were protected under the communist system; the disintegration of that system has opened the floodgates of a repressed hatred. In this program, ABC News correspondent Chris Bury looks at an age-old prejudice that has resurfaced in such countries as Hungary and the Czech Republic. Inheriting a legacy of discrimination end even slavery, the Roma, as this profile shows, are an ethnic group with the lowest education levels and highest welfare rates in Europe. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for loan from the Russian and East European Institute at Indiana University (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), not clear where it may be purchased. |
Kosovo: Of Blood and History (1999, 40 minutes)
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Recommended because this film helps students better understand the late 1990s bloodshed in Kosovo. This film goes back 600 years and traces the causes of the underlying hatreds that permeate Serbia and the surrounding region. Using eyewitness accounts, maps, and footage both of historic events and of Serbian life, this program examines the ethnic nationalism and religious extremism that has resulted in the long-standing hatred between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians -- a hatred that continues to destabilize the Balkans. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309) and from Films for the Humanities for $150. |
Kovno Ghetto: A Buried History (1997, 100 minutes)
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Recommended because this a high quality documentary film of the Jewish Holocaust. Moreover, it is narrated by by the renowned historian Sir Martin Gilbert. This video pieces together the story of the Jews of Kovno from the first stirrings of war to the annihilation of the ghetto just days before the city's liberation. Eighteen survivors, including photographer Zvi Kaushin, tell their harrowing stories for the first time. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), or may be purchased at ihffilm.com for $26. |
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Lodz Ghetto (1992, 120 minutes)
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Recommended because this film chronicles the besieged and doomed city in Poland which held the second largest concentration of Jews in Nazi Europe. The lives and stories of the 200,000 Jews who were trapped in the Ghetto are told solely with authentic writings from secret journals, archival photographs and footage shot by German soldiers. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
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Recommended because this is a fine documentary on the environmental battle to save the largest and perhaps most important of the world's ancient forests--the vast coniferous forests of Siberia in eastern Russia (28 minutes). Be aware of the fact that this film may be borrowed free from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), or can be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $125. |
The Bratsk Sea (2001, 50 minutes)
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Recommended because this documentary looks at the social disaster that came along with the construction of a power plant in the city of Balagansk under the orders of the Soviet Union's Communist planners during the early '60s. Residents were sold on the project through propagandist news reporting, but the reality fell far short of the dream. The relocated residents found their new land had inferior soil, leading to farm production shortages, lack of water and other serious problems. In English. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
The Ethnic Cleansers and the Cleansed: The Unforgiving (1998, 78 minutes)
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Recommended because of the insight it provides into the civil war in Bosnia of the early 1990s. In Serb-held eastern Bosnia, a Serbian couple desperately try to learn how their 11-year-old son was murdered and where his remains might be. The only clue is a Muslim prisoner, a family acquaintance before the time of ethnic cleansing. Does he know what happened? Why should he help? Was he himself the murderer? With all the force of a Greek tragedy, this film follows the inexorable process of human self-destruction, but there is no catharsis here, for we are observing not myth, but contemporary history. As this harrowing documentary makes clear, unspeakable grief in time becomes commonplace and atrocities are not the preserve of one side or another. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309); apparently no longer available commercially. |
Last updated: 10 February 2007
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