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communism
The Fall of Communism in Bulgaria
A new book by Kristen Ghodsee tells the stories of ordinary lives upended by Bulgaria’s move from communism to capitalism in the late 1980s and 90s.
Vaclav Havel’s Enduring Legacy
Former Czech President Vaclav Havel led the non-violent Velvet Revolution in 1989.
Why Some Russians Miss the Soviet Kommunalka
The Kommunalka was a Soviet experiment in communal living. Entire families were forced to live in a single room, nevertheless some have surprisingly fond memories of the experience.
Gorbachev, Yeltsin and the Demise of the USSR
There are many Russians who say a critical factor in the demise of the USSR was the power struggle that broke out between Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin.
How Rock and Roll Brought the Soviet Union Down
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Sergei Zhuk, an author and rock fan, says Rock and Roll helped bring down the Soviet Union. He writes how this forbidden music slipped into his hometown in Ukraine. His book is called “Rock and Roll in the Rocket City: The West, Identity, and Ideology in Soviet Dniepropetrovsk, l960-l985.” Brigid McCarthy spoke to Zhuk and brings us this report. Download MP3
Soviet Lines Way of Life in Grushin Novel
Award-winning writer, Olga Grushin, has written an entire novel about a defining feature of Russian Soviet life, standing in line. The lines disappeared as Communism dissolved, but their image, and the memory of them, remain. The book is just out in paperback, and reporter Brigid McCarthy tells us about it.
Working conditions in China
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The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports on changing labor conditions in China. Workers there are increasingly pressing their case for higher wages and better work conditions. That means Chinese businesses are having to rethink their profit models. Download MP3(flickr image: Remko Tanis)How Germans remember the past
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On a day when we’re remembering soldiers and wars, it’s also useful to think about how we remember. In Germany, memory of the past is often painful: two world wars, the Holocaust, the Berlin Wall. Now, Germans are again thinking about how they remember these events. Writer Alissa Quart visited a couple of museums in Berlin. Download MP3(Photo: Gerry Hadden)China’s quest for soft power
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China’s power has been growing in recent years – its economic clout, its military capacity, its political influence on the international stage. But there’s one kind of power China’s leaders still crave – soft power. This is the informal influence a country has – through the attractiveness of its culture and values. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Beijing. Download MP3 (flickr image: d’n'c) Growing US-China rift over trade and arms
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China has hit back at the US a day after President Barack Obama promised to take a tougher line with Beijing over currency and trade. Ties between the US and China have been strained over an arms deal with Taiwan. Tensions have also risen over a planned visit to the US by the Dalai Lama. The World’s Matthew Bell takes at look at how strained US-China relations really are. Download MP3
Polish sound postcards
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Even during the Communist days of the 1960s and 70s, Poles managed to get their hands on western pop music. A Donna Summer track, for example, would come in the form of a sound postcard (pictured), a small plastic rectangle covered in grooves, both literally and figuratively. We hear from Mat Schulz, a collector of Polish sound postcards. Download MP3 Moscow’s crumbling Soviet architecture
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Russia has seen a dramatic surge in new construction in recent years, especially in cities like Moscow. But Jessica Golloher reports that some Muscovites worry that historically significant buildings are being sacrificed in the name of progress. Download MP3(Photo: Jessica Golloher)
Big changes in Miami’s Little Havana
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Download MP3Correspondent Ruth Morris reports on the emergence of new, moderate voices in Miami’s Cuban-American community. They tend to be young and interested in dialogue with their peers living in Cuba.
Life in one of China’s last communes
As China prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist rule, the BBC takes a look at one of the country’s few remaining communes, the village of Nanjie. It’s hailed as a hallmark of the early Communist regime, and it’s still going strong. The BBC’s Michael Bristow provides a fascinating snapshot into communal life.
Easing restrictions on Cuba
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Washington formally eased restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting relatives and sending money to Cuba. As part of changes first announced in April, Washington has also relaxed rules for U.S. telecommunication companies doing business with Cuba. Marco Werman speaks to Miami Herald reporter Frances Robles about how Cuban-Americans are responding to the new rules. (photo: AP)Download MP3
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