Wojnowice Castle Hotel - Restaurant - Function Halls - Concerts Just 7 kilometres outside Wroclaw www.zamekwojnowice.com.pl ADVERTISEMENT NEW EASTERN EUROPE IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN THREE POLISH PARTNERS The City of Gdańsk www.gdansk.pl A city with over a thousand years of history, Gdańsk has been a melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups. The air of tolerance and wealth built on trade has enabled culture, science, and the Arts to flourish in the city for centuries. Today, Gdańsk remains a key meeting place and major tourist attraction in Poland. While the city boasts historic sites of enchanting beauty, it also has a major historic and social importance. In addition to its 1000-year history, the city is the place where the Second World War broke out as well as the birthplace of Solidarność, the Solidarity movement, which led to the fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. The European Solidarity Centre www.ecs.gda.pl The European Solidarity Centre is a multifunctional institution combining scientific, cultural and educational activities with a modern museum and archive, which documents freedom movements in the modern history of Poland and Europe. The Centre was established in Gdańsk on November 8th 2007. Its new building was opened in 2014 on the anniversary of the August Accords signed in Gdańsk between the worker’s union “Solidarność” and communist authorities in 1980. The Centre is meant to be an agora, a space for people and ideas that build and develop a civic society, a meeting place for people who hold the world’s future dear. The mission of the Centre is to commemorate, maintain and popularise the heritage and message of the Solidarity movement and the anti-communist democratic op- position in Poland and throughout the world. Through its activities the Centre wants to inspire new cultural, civic, trade union, local government, national and European initiatives with a uni- versal dimension. The Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe www.kew.org.pl The College of Eastern Europe is a non-profit, non-governmental founda- tion founded on February 9th 2001 by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, a former head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe and a democratic activist. The foundation deals with cooperation between the nations of Central and Eastern Europe. The aims if its charters are to carry out educational, cultural and publish- ing activities, and to develop programmes which enhance the transformation in the countries of Eastern Europe. The organisation has its headquarters in Wrocław, Poland, a city in western Poland, perfectly situated in the centre of Europe and with a deep understanding of both West- ern and Eastern Europe. Dear Reader, With open conflict taking place in different parts of the world today it is indeed difficult to stay focused on one issue when others, equally critical, appear so un- expectedly. Yet, we also all know that just because a new problem arises it does not mean that previous ones go away. Considering the costs that are at stake we highlight the message put forward by Andrew Wilson who writes that when it comes to Ukraine “now is not the time to lessen attention or lose faith”. His words are re- inforced by Ukrainian MP and reformer, Hanna Hopko, who poignantly states that: “The process of state-building is not particularly attractive to the media.” We agree with these calls for the West’s attention to our region, convinced that countries like Ukraine and Moldova are at critical junctures in their European paths and at great risk of backsliding. A recent poll in Moldova found that 79 per cent of the population believes the country is heading in the wrong direction. While in Ukraine, as Balazs Jarabik notes, a majority of Ukrainians do not believe in the success of reforms. Russia also remains a critical country that deserves greater attention, and one that is not solely limited to Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and military manoeuvres. With many voices in the West advocating for an end to the sanctions and stronger co- operation in international affairs, we have asked our authors to help us construct a broad picture as to the deeper issues facing Russia in a year that marks the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Thus, Russian political scientist Igor Gretskiy addresses the age-old question of Russia’s European identity, while a report by a young journalist, Alexey Gorbachev, provides insight as to how the younger generation of Russians see themselves in the world today. Our reporter, Daniel Wańczyk, also takes you to Teriberka, above the Arctic Circle, to share his experiences of the journey and life in a place that was grimly presented in the award- wining film Leviathan. Given the political, economic and security changes that are taking place world- wide, it would be naïve to expect that the oncoming months will only bring good news. The challenging times as they are today require an even greater responsi- bility of world leaders and the general public. For this reason, we encourage you to remain involved in our coverage of the affairs in Eastern Europe; be it online via our web site or social media sites (Facebook and Twitter). Let us all stay focused at this critical time! The Editors Contents Opinion & Analysis 7 Has Europe forgotten about Ukraine? that country to be a separate civilisation Andrew Wilson are the ones that get the most support? Europe has become steadily more introspective since the financial crisis broke out in 2008. 38 How should the West respond What is more, with the refugee crisis and the to Russian repressions? Paris attacks grabbing European and global Alexey Kozlov media attention, and Russia suddenly becoming an ally in the fight against ISIS, it seems 44 Russian youth: that Ukraine has become a topic of the past. In the middle of nowhere But now is not the time for the West to lose faith Alexey Gorbachev and focus elsewhere. If that were to happen, Ukraine’s chances of success will be very slim. 50 In search of its place in the world 13 Reform and resistance: Maciej Raś Ukraine’s selective state Balazs Jarabik 58 The roots of Russia’s neo-Eurasianism Maksym Beznosiuk 19 The role of a superpower in the post-Cold War world 65 Polish-Russian relations. Nika Sikharulidze Can they get any worse? Justyna Prus 25 I come from Belarus Polish-Russian relations are at their lowest Stsiapan Stureika point since 1989; both experts and all major political powers in Poland seem unanimous The reality in Belarus is that two parallel about this fact. Politicians from the new Law worlds, that of the state and that which lies and Justice government see the need to beyond it, have formed and now co-exist. “amend foreign policy”, yet any substantial Unfortunately, these two worlds never meet change in bilateral relations with Russia and Belarus remains divided. People have seems very unlikely. There is no doubt that found a way to have a fulfilling life outside Moscow will do everything possible to the state sector. Some settled in business, weaken Poland’s position in the West. some went abroad. While others created an alternative, independent and European cultural scene in Belarus, almost from scratch. 77 The Suwałki Corridor Mariusz Maszkiewicz 32 Russia’s troubled European identity Igor Gretskiy 84 Moldova’s great disillusionment Overall, Vladimir Putin’s first two presidential Mihai Popșoi terms were about pursuing rapprochement Moldova is currently in a state of political with the European Union. The Russian and economic crisis. After a huge banking leadership emphasised that Russia shares scandal which saw the disappearance of one European norms and values and that the billion dollars, thousands have organised to policy of integration with Europe had been protest against the corrupt, pro-European elite. defined as one of Russia’s foreign policy As Moldovans grow increasingly disillusioned, priorities. So, how could it happen that in a real danger now exists that the country Russia today, the voices of those who consider will slide into greater authoritarianism. 91 A playground between Reports the East and West Interview with Oazu Nantoi 150 With a view over the abyss Daniel Wańczyk 96 Booming Romania in a hurdle race Paweł Śliwiński History & Memory 105 Imperfect literature An interview with Radosława Janowska-Lascar 160 Babyn Yar: A site of massacres, (dis)remembrance and 109 Gazprom gambles on Germany instrumentalisation Sijbren de Jong Yuri Radchenko The combination of major energy deals, appearing to play nice over Ukraine and upping 172 Turning away from the horrible past the ante in Syria begs the question of what Kinga Anna Gajda Russia is trying to achieve on the international scene. It seems that Vladimir Putin is trying to throw up a smokescreen that will help cement People, Ideas, Inspiration Gazprom’s position in Europe. To pull this off, the Russian President is hoping that the European Commission is asleep at the wheel. 179 A writer of the common people However, this may prove to be a naïve thought. Elżbieta Żak Svetlana Alexievich, the winner of the 2015 116 A Balkan game of poker Nobel Prize in Literature, addresses in her Ida Orzechowska prose the sensitive issues of war and the complex relationship between the people and the state. She focuses on the tragic fate of an 123 Ukrainians in Poland: individual who is a victim of troubled history. In pursuit of a better life? Joanna Fomina Eastern Café 131 The complicated story of Belarusian opposition 189 On the mentality of Soviet diplomats: Bartosz Rutkowski, Marcin Rychły The case of Ivan Maisky and Maciej Zaniewicz Łukasz Jasina Interviews 194 The perversion of soft power Adam Reichardt 138 We have to start from scratch 199 The inception of fanaticism A conversation with Hanna Hopko Dominik Wilczewski 145 Everything is normal, but at the same time, completely mad A conversation with Peter Pomerantsev Content with the notation (CC) is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.