Inside News on Odessa and Ukraine
The current budget for road maintenance in Ukraine sits at $16.9 billion – which sounds, and indeed is, a lot of money – and yet the state of Ukrainian roads resembles something like those of Berlin circa 1945 after the 363 air raids to which it was subjected by bomber command. As such, Vice Prime [...]
Taking a break from current issues, and returning to some haunting issues of the past, today is the official Holocaust Memorial Day in Odessa, with wreath laying and accompanying ceremony taking place at 11am at the Holocaust Memorial situated in Prokhorovskiy Square. For those who may find it interesting, the monument is situated in a [...]
As yesterday was yet another celebration in Ukraine – Old New Year – today there is nothing of note written by me – naturally! I will draw your attention to an Odessa based NGO that has got my attention though – for the right reasons. ”Вера, Надежда, Любовь” – Let’s see what I can do [...]
Simply nothing compos mentis is at all possible today – sorry – far too much Christmas spirit was imbibed!
Ho humm! Shenanigans, nefarious acts and lack of public consultation have resulted in tear gas and water cannon being used at Odessa City Hall over, of all things, the renaming of some Odessa City Streets. When City Hall is daily siphoning off the city budget through opaque tenders, outright theft, deliberate mis-accounting and misappropriation of [...]
Tempted as I am to speculate on the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers in the forthcoming new parliament, the current Cabinet resigning en masse yesterday as required by law, thus allowing for a new Cabinet and reshuffle – I won’t – yet. Instead I will ease my way back into writing here with [...]
After a very wet and soggy time over in the UK, I am very happy to say I have made it back to Ukraine. I have absolutely no idea what has been happening in my absence and equally I have no idea what has been happening in the UK as I have deliberately been e-communication-less [...]
Right. Tomorrow I leave the dysfunctional state of Ukraine and head for (the less than) United Kingdom for 10 days or so. I am tagging on some days holiday prior to, and post, a symposium I am expected to attend in the ever beautiful city of Bath. Therefore I very much doubt I will be [...]
Well, well, well! No – not three holes in the ground filled with water, but rather a sarcastic acknowledgement that Odessa City Hall has finally got around to creating a new website – Invest in Odessa. I deliberately use the word “finally”, as way back in autumn 2007 when I first met Mikhail Freidlin, he was [...]
As almost everybody knows by now, the Ukrainian parliamentary elections are split between 225 proportional representation seats (the party list vote), and 225 constituency seats which are run head to head by candidates in a first past the post vote. As has been quite obvious from the start of this election campaign, the current ruling [...]