Our weekly digest of articles on emerging Europe published elsewhere this week, all of which grabbed our attention and are all worth your time. Listing them here, however, does not necessarily mean that we agree with every word, nor that they necessarily reflect Emerging europe editorial policy.

Kaliningrad: the curious case of Vladimir Putin’s piece of European territory

The Russian region, disconnected from the motherland and deeply rooted in EU territory, is both an asset and a vulnerability for the Kremlin.

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Saakashvili drama turns into courtroom

The former Georgian president will soon be on trial on various charges related to his tenure. But there is widespread concern that proceedings will focus more on politics than justice.

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From secret base in Tajikistan, China’s war on terror adapts to new reality

In an isolated expanse of land near the Wakhan Corridor, not far from Tajikistan’s mountainous border with northeastern Afghanistan, China’s regional ambitions are adjusting to a new reality on the ground.

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Poland is a problem for the EU precisely because it will not leave

Just as there are many ways to leave the EU, there are many ways to stay. There is the clean version, in which countries quietly accept EU restrictions. Then there’s the messy version, where governments foul up the club.

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Why Nord Stream 2 will not solve the gas or climate crisis

Getting more gas from Russia is not the long-term answer to the UK’s or EU’s energy problems.

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The lost pop of Yugoslavia of the 80s

Before the Civil War, Yugoslav musicians defied the limits of technology to create superb electro-pop in an apparent socialist utopia.

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Belarusian regime “used football as propaganda”

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s regime has systematically interfered with the functioning of the country’s football federation and used sport as an instrument of “pro-government propaganda,” according to a report.

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Why Hungary is infected with ultras that are almost impossible to control

There was an air of inevitability when fighting erupted away in Hungary’s 1-1 draw with England at Wembley on Tuesday night.

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Kyrgyzstan: women’s wrestling team overcomes and inspires

Aisuluu Tynybekova overcame poverty, prejudice and depression to gain the respect of a nation.

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How the discovery of an amateur 8mm film from 1941 uncovered the history of the Warsaw ghetto

From March to November 1941, Alfons Ziołkowski, a 30-year-old Polish trader and motorcycle champion turned amateur filmmaker, documented the grim realities of the Warsaw ghetto.

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