Top 5 Russia Blogs

Thanks for the inclusion, Andy! The one glaring omission from this list is SL itself! Keep up the good work….

I think it is pretty poor to include LR on this list, as bigotry and hatred simply shouldn’t be encouraged, is never virtuous, and should not be rewarded or recognized.

Rather like including a KKK website on a list of top African-American blogs.

I’ve never frequented that forum, refuse to link to it, and feel those that do so are essentially encouraging hate-mongering. I can’t think of a single factual point or well-reasoned discussion that “woman” has ever produced.

You can try to explain it in other terms, but a consistently hate-filled analysis is only bigotry. Also inaccurate to compare her as the opposite side of “Russophiles” – since when did hatred and anger become the opposite and moral equal of simply liking something?

One of the problems with the blogosphere is this idea, that spewing venom is somehow legitimate, rational, and deserves an audience. Reasoned discussion is often tossed out the window in favor of drawing attention to sensational (too often hateful) ideas. Too often it devolves into a form of yellow journalism.

I would have much preferred seeing your own blog on the list.

Sean deserves all the kudos he gets for slowly building his blog into an excellent resource for discussion of Russian politics and history.

Thank you for the information. I got a job in Moscow, and I’m trying to find as much as possible information on Russia. All good read is welcome!

Good to see some earnest discussion. Russia Blog has had some eye opening material that goes against the standard propaganda found elsewhere:

http://www.discovery.org/scripts/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=5&search=Michael+Averko

Saying that Russia Blog is “propaganda” isn’t more legitimate than saying that Sean’s Russia Blog caters to a left bias. This includes Sean Guillory encouraging a slanted advocacy which encourages troll like activity against some views that he doesn’t agree with. I suspect that he feels a need to impress certain individuals in a way that goes against his views away from such coercion. I stay away from that site on account of his overt bias. I’ve no problems taking legitimate criticism. Such a spirit doesn’t include a moderator siding with troll like antics and adding misrepresentations of his own.

Sean posted some crap about me saying that I dwell too much on bias against Russia. That’s like saying that he dwells too much on bigoted activity in Russia against non-Russians, youth politics and the Russian left. Besides commenting on the overt anti-Russian biases, I comment on a number of other FSU related matters.

My knock against Russia Blog is that a good number of posted comments submissions appear to get lost in the filter. The loosely affiliated to Russia Blog Discovery Institute can be considered part of the American political establishment. This piece was apparently too problematical for them:

http://byzantinesacredart.com/blog/2008/01/critical-review-averko.html

Siberian Light is to be commended for covering a diversity of topics in a qualitative manner that includes a respectful attitude towards other views. Wally’s site does likewise

There’re Russia related blogs that tend to deal with a specific issue. While not being as diverse in coverage, some of them are pretty good at what they cover. Mark MacKinnon is good at accepting different views from his own.

I agree with the comments made about an anonymous bigot’s site which involves more than one person. Anti-Russian bigotry should be considered more legitimate than any other kind of ethnic prejudices out there.

All of the above are on my Google Reader. I tend to view LR as hilariously bad, but occasionally interesting.

Some others I read or check on regularly…

Russian Forces Blog (http://russianforces.org/) concerning Russian military issues (primarily strategic forces).

Not really a blog so much as an aggregator: Global Voices Online (http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/eastern-central-europe/russia/)

Darkness at Noon (http://darknessatnoon.blogspot.com/)

Rule of Law (http://www.ruleoflaw.ru/)

Sig

Like Robert Amsterdam’s site, I think Russia Blog is useful and informative regardless of its particular agenda. I think they’ve done some valuable work debunking “media myths” about Russia, are quite professional and polite (choosing to inform or ignore rather than badger those who perhaps don’t agree with them), and sometimes they just have fun little cultural tidbits I’ve never heard about. Despite being weirdly affiliated with the Discovery Institute, they seem pretty harmless. Though I have no idea how influential they are.

Interesting aside re: propaganda. I think it is a somewhat “Western” notion that “propaganda” is bad in itself. I can’t speak for contemporary Russian mindsets, but back in the day, propaganda was considered a good thing, the propagation, dissemination of ideas. There is an element of bias in ALL communication, nothing is truly objective, so no sense in trying to pretend it is. The goal wasn’t to be fair and balanced, but right, and effective. So I’m hesitant to write something off on the grounds that it is propaganda, especially when it is not trying to hide its agenda. We know Amsterdam is representing Khodorkovsky. We know Russia Blog is pro-investment in Russia and improving relations. We know LR hates Russia. It’s the propaganda masquerading as totally objective (like in the NYT, BBC, etc.) that frustrates me.

The propagation of ideas and information is fine with me; my issue starts when that turns into the propagation of hate and intolerance.

I used to read occasionally LR sentations for a while back. But knowing that she erases oppositional posts reversed me from doing so.
Good luck!

In my book, Sean’s Russia Blog blog is definitely the top blog about Russia in English. Not that I agree with all of Sean’s views, but his pieces are consistently thoughtful and interesting, which, in turn, often elicit interesting discussions. In addition, let me parrot Sean by saying that Robert Amsterdam’s blog was a good and obvious choice. I’m not bothered if a given blog has a particular slant I don’t share, as long as the material is informative and well reasoned and its rhetoric is neither abusive nor bigoted. And it’s because of its abusive bigotry that I objected to the inclusion of La Russophobe in Andy’s list. If with this Top Five list Andy did not mean to confer an honor but merely indicate which English language blogs about Russia are the most influential, then he was probably right to include La Russophobe. After all, Time selected plenty of unsavory characters as men of the year (Stalin, Khomeini, and so on.)

Excerpt:

“Having said that, she is – again, in my view – easily one of the five most influential English language blogs about Russia.”

*****

“She” constitutes a team of others, who might very well be professionally involved with the FSU coverage. “Influential” shouldn’t be confused with having a deserved/privileged status. Some non-Russian ethnic groups have been successful in influencing others in the limelight to de-emphasize ties to entities seen as bigoted.

Those saying that the discussed blog in question is bigoted shouldn’t just take aim at it. Rather point to those feeding it. In Andy’s case, he has a very earnest spirit in acknowledging pertinent views. However, there’re others who are more selective in a way that’s not so objective.

The bottom line is that there’re any number of qualitatively interesting material getting shelved in favor of that blog. This includes JRL posting material from that venue, while clearly discriminating against others (a fact that continues to be covered up in a most Soviet like manner) and JRL propping an eXile.ru article quoting the blog in question, as if the latter is a responsible source. Note that eXile.ru had once been muzzled at JRL.

You’ve others who belittle the anti-Russian bias, while being comparatively more quick to highlight biases against others.

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Excerpt:

“To go back the KKK analogy – we may hate what they stand for but, in a hideous way, they were a huge factor in shaping African American history, and the way that others viewed African Americans and their rights. Not because they were nice, but because they were polarising. While they attracted their share of nutjobs, they also provoked more rational people into committing to a sane viewpoint – that African Americans deserve the same rights as other Americans.”

****

Tell me about it! Since this is being raised again, let me remind you of the “human rights attorney”, who had the gall of falsely accusing me of having a “strong anti-Semitic flavor” while simultaneously and absurdly acknowledging not being familiar with my work. This was communicated here at SL. That individual clearly attempted to shut me up in the form of trying to defame me. It backfired, but not completely. There was clearly stated opposition to his attempted smear campaign. Nevertheless that individual still gets propped at some high profile venues, which continue to show a bias towards Russia unfriendly views over some perfectly valid Russia friendly ones.

As one learned observer privately noted to a select few:

“The Congress of Russian Americans (CRA) tried to unite
organizations and individuals to carry on Serbian Unity Congress-type work. CRA had a measure
of success, but, with official US policy like the “Captive Nations Resolution” (refer to: http://www.russiablog.org/2006/04/yuschenkos_wife_and_the_ugly_h.php ) which made ethnic
Russians responsible for communism and “enslavement” of others, Russian
Americans have been shutout from the kind of funding given to others.”

It’s kind of “weird” how some will chastise Russian mass media for not giving a journalist having views like Politkovskaya greater play, while saying that English language mass media isn’t obligated to carry any number of views sympathetic to Russia.

All this explains why there’s talk of putting together an effective English language media/public relations presence in the US and abroad. Hopefully such an effort will not get screwed up. I want to thank Russia Blog for posting material on this issue (pardon misspell in the below link):

http://www.russiablog.org/2008/01/the_institute_for_democracy_an.php#comments

It’s very clear who is and isn’t sympathetically aware of the permeating biases out there. Hopefully, their advocacy will be given the same play as that of the bigots. Constructive criticism of Russia shouldn’t be confused with highly promoted hypocritical attacks against it.

Instead, the post is aimed at outlining which blogs I think people ought to be reading if they want to keep up with the state of the English language Russia blogs today.

Right.

And as I said, just as I wouldn’t refer someone to a KKK forum to keep up on the state of African-American blogs, I would never refer anyone to LR’s searingly hate-filled blog.

If you think anyone … any rational person seeking to be informed on the topic of Russia (history, politics, culture, current events) … should be reading LR, then I really have misjudged you.

“There’s plenty of quality debate, but mostly the discussions descend into slanging matches eventually.”

****

To reiterate with some examples:

As per the above quoted: in some instances, with the host having encouraged it by taking the side of those displaying troll like manner, followed by the host’s partisan comments siding with the trolls, which reveals his own shortcomings. My “fault” on this is to take as earnest an approach as possible, unlike the behind the scene manipulative coercion that was acknowledged by someone other than myself who is familiar with the JRL crowd. This acknowledgement was stated in one of my mail lists.

There’re numerous examples of interesting, spirited discussion falling well short of troll like antics:

http://www.siberianlight.net/2007/07/05/sochi-to-host-the-2014-winter-olympics/

http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/09/23/ukraine-the-language-issue/

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@219.OxwEah9XnLA@.77480649/8706

Replying to troll like manner shouldn’t be confused with initiating it. In any event, others besides myself keep a distance away from such venues. Note those among the elitny who feeds the imperfections out there, while muting some comparatively more acceptable input.

There’s a difference between a politically biased venue which isn’t so sympathetic to anti-Russian biases and placating itself to flawed influentially flawed others, versus an entity which is out and out bigoted; on top of not being so historically and politically knowledgeable about the FSU.

Kudos to Andy for propping a venue like:

http://minaev.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-11-in-russian-history.html

“Regrettably” some questionable sources are determining what is and isn’t of interest to be put on a center stage. This doesn’t include, Andy whose approach is even handed, despite my sometimes disagreeing with him.

Doesn’t have to be that way. Fault lies with those feeding it, while overlooking some better options.

“Lyndon’s blog is far, far more worthy of note than theirs, and I could name many others (indeed, any Russia blog you can name would qualify).”

****

Much like the author of the above quoted, the former is of a more personal attack mode when compared to the latter. Overall and offhand, I believe that RB seems to cover a wider range of Russian topics than the blog it has been compared to.

For that matter, “many others” qualify as a “far” more “worthy” write up than LR.

RM’s blog doesn’t call people “scum bag” and doesn’t make comments that can be reasonably considered as bigoted.

Once again, anyone (whether they’re characterized as scholars or otherwise)who utilize the earlier mentioned (in this thread) crank like methods shouldn’t be carrying the ball.

“RM’s blog doesn’t call people ‘scum bag’ and doesn’t make comments that can be reasonably considered as bigoted.”

****

RM’s should be RA’s for Robert Amsterdam’s

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“Please folks, don’t be stupid enough to take her bait.”

****

A point that could be addressed to Mark Ames and David Johnson for propping that entity unlike some deserved others out there.

Like I said in Andy’s instance, it’s in the spirit of being more completely open to what’s available.

I think I should get an award for making the most pro-Russian (Averko) and the most anti-Russian (LR) commentators here to bash me. I think that alone should speak to my credentials. It certainly tells me that I’m doing something right.

Sorry Kolya, I couldn’t resist.:)

Sucking up to the ineptitude out there serves as a reason for why the coverage isn’t doing as well as it can.

My “bash” is fact based, whereas the Guillory reply attempts to diffuse it.

Sean, clearly you are the most controversial blogger in town.

It’s surely only be a matter of time before a line drawing of you in big frilly knickers appears in the eXile…

PS – before anyone takes umbrage at the tongue-in-cheek use of “Wack Job” in my previous comment, let me be clear that I’m using it in this context as shorthand for “someone who is so extreme or illogical in the expression of their views that they discredit those very views.”

Andy: The English language Russia blogosphere (for want of a better term) reflects in microcosm what is good, as well as what is bad about human nature. As well as well thought out arguments and quality analysis, ill tempered unpleasantries abound.

Although assessments of blogs and deep thoughts about human nature seem like they should not appear in the same sentence, those words ring true.

Check out Technorati and compare the LR profile with SL, or Sean’s blog, or Russia Blog – LR has the most backlinks.

Andy, surely you realize that many of her 177 “backlinks” cited to her blog are links to herself!? It only takes a moment to figure that out. She has managed to get some articles with Publius Pundit, Pajamas Media, and and runs two other lower profiles blogs. All are mechanisms to provide backlinks to herself, to jack up Technorati Authority, etc.

Based on backlinks alone, I think Accidental Russophile might just squeek into the top 5 (last time I checked, my “Authority” was 98). However, much of that is due to one of my articles getting picked up and linked by about 20 different individuals. As you are aware, the Technorati numbers are flawed and can be manipulated. Sean’s Russia Blog, which I greatly respect, only gets an “Authority” of 79, despite his superior content and roughly 30% higher daily traffic than my blog.

I do understand your point about the possibility of something good resulting in negative attention. In general, I disagree with it, as I think bigotry begets continued bigotry. So I think your point is a complete rationalization. Sort of like Archie Bunker saying he did lots of good for them there “spics,” “spades,” “wops,” “dagos,” “gooks,” “spooks,” and “hebes” getting organized.

Anyway, I appreciate that my objections and points were taken well. It appears a significant number of people chimed in as well. At best we can hope for a positive reaction to overcome a site that, in my opinion, dispenses venom.

“Being bashed by both extremes often indicates you’re doing something right.”

***

Agree, as it substantiates my point.

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“Don’t worry Lyndon. The good thing about narcissists is that when they talk about others, they are only really talking about themselves.”

Also from the above quoted:

“I think I should get an award for making the most pro-Russian (Averko) and the most anti-Russian (LR) commentators here to bash me. I think that alone should speak to my credentials. It certainly tells me that I’m doing something right.”

***

I’m not an anonymous bigot or someone encouraging troll like antics which include misrepresenting someone else’s views. Pointing this out isn’t “narcissist”. Someone who credits others for ideas picked up elsewhere isn’t displaying narcissist manner.

Checking back at this thread, I made an appropriate reply to comments made about one blog reflecting “propaganda” while another one was lauded.

So much for private emails purporting a desire to not continue such discussion. 😉

BTW, there’s nothing “extreme” about my overall views when compared to some of the ones I reply to. Regarding extremes, there’s a saying about how political extremes often end up together. I’m not the one appearing at a venue uncritically propping Stephen Schwartz’s extreme anti-Slavic Orthodox views.

Try dealing with the actual issues instead of diverting attentiion away from them, with questionable observations away from such matter.

It’s also off base to confuse a reply to negatively misrepresentative comments as being “narcissist”.

“But I still really admire people like Robert Amsterdam and Eduard Limonov just as much if not more than, say, Yuri Mamchur or Peter Lavelle.

****

Far from being the only go to sources out there offering quality commentary.

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“BTW, whatever happened to intelligent.ru? I always feel like I’m this close to falling into the crater where that site used to be…”

****

As I understand it, that site’s funding dried up. In some instance, sites get taken down when their on line fees aren’t kept up. I’m not exactly sure how that specifically works. That’s the gist of the answer.

Looking forward to the well deserved chocolate.

Hey Guys)

the first thing I’d like to say is that well done to Sean and also compliments to Andy on two fine blogs. I’m sorry I havent been able to read either of them much lately as I’ve been working at home, small village in the west of Ireland, and only got the internet in yesterday. I especially liked Andy’s Real Siberia series. Sean that football article is on the way now that I’m back on-line.

I know I’ve certainly contributed to the referred to ‘slanging matches’, but the fact is there are certain commenters out there whose views are, to put it mildy, not only widly inaccurate but also disingenous and frankly revolting. One of the worst was that Chechen War One was justifed. My apologies, but this nonsense, RUBBISH, simply cries out for criticism from people like me who are heavily involved with Russia, care deeply about the place and fully appreciate the sheer evil and stupidity of such opinions. Apologism for dictatorship, murder(which is what Chechen War One was- a genocide) and defending the likes of Slobodan Milosevic, not to mention the continuous promotion of websites of ‘dubious’ content is always going to provoke reaction. Then there’s the contiuous background drumbeat of criticism, much of totally personal and baseless, of media figures. My apologies again Andy for my own contribution to some of the grief, but nonsense brings the worst out in me.
As for LR, LR is what she is – a woman wronged by Russia and wont let go. Take no notice.

The last set of misrepresentative comments come from a trolling imbecile, who didn’t substantiate any of his points.

He reflects a very negative factor in cyber.

My thanks to the Serbian Unity Congress and Serbianna news wire for picking up that Byzantine Sacred Art Blog article.

The Byzantine Sacred Art Blog is one of the best English language blogs covering Serb issues. Its owner said that the article in question was very well received in the number and diversity of views.

So much for the idiot who didn’t substantiate any of his crank views.

The most excellent Byzantine Sacred Art Blog:

http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/blog/

I’m reposting it, since it wasn’t linked in some recent comments involving it.

Neil Clark has a pretty good blog as well. Among some other good sites, Clark’s blog is linked at the Byzantine Sacred Art Blog.

The troll factor has been brought here.

The arrogantly ignorant one is apparently unaware of the overall evidence and non-evidence about that instance.

In point of fact, I go into it.

The details have been provided.

Let’s see some earnest follow-up, as opposed to troll like antics that skirt away from the involved particulars.

BTW, for several reasons, this is a lie if it’s being directed at me (which it no doubt is):

“One can also reference a non-Russian based non-media person who denies that several thousand people, mainly muslim males, were systematically executed by the Serbs at Srebrenica. I wonder how many ‘most Russians’ believe were killed.”

****

In point of fact, I’m on record for calling it a crime, while noting the earlier crime in Srebrenica which involved Muslim on Serb murder.

Overall, there’s no conclusive proof of 7000-8000 Muslim males being summarily executed at Srebrenica. Based on what’s known, it’s reasonable to put that figure in a 2000-4000 range. The earlier Muslim atrocity against Serbs might’ve likely involved up to 3500 fatalities. Among otrhers, Diane Johnstone, Ed Herman and David Peterson have researched this matter.

Vis-a-vis TM: those more learned individuals out there should keep in mind the earlier off the wall mass rape and 200,000 plus casualty figures whicgh have been shown to be bogus.

This cartoon very much applies to some:

http://byzantinesacredart.com/blog/2007/11/nyt-agitprop-again.html

”The last set of misrepresentative comments come from a trolling imbecile, who didn’t substantiate any of his points.”

Funny that, because here

http://seansrussiablog.org/2007/05/22/crying-sun-the-impact-of-war-in-the-mountains-of-chechnya/

its quite clear that Mike didnt even know when the war started, let alone the factors at play. Makes me wonder how one can confidently say that the war was justified. Seems like Great Russian Nationalist jingoism to me.
As for the incident with Michele A Berdy, well, obviously she wouldnt know anything about Russia – she’s only worked there, in media, for 30 years, and is fluent in Russian. Clearly speaking no Russian and living on Long Island is more conducive to better understanding of Russia than living there and speaking the language. And Slobodan Milosevic? He was just misunderstood.

Newman:

You carry on like an idiot. At this thread, I linked my reply on Srebrenica which answers that in full.

Ever here of forensic evidence, which typically includes identifying the corpses, how they were killed and when?

The Bosnian Civil War lasted for a good period before the one incident you concern yourself with.

You’ve provided nothing to refute my fact based points on the subject.

In addition, you say nothing of the earlier led Nasir Oric massacre of Serbs.

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Trolls have a habit of selectively nit picking certain particulars to soothe their warped egos and misguided views. I can go back to what became a sewer and show the dim witted replies by at least 3 (if not more) people posting at this thread. I prefer getting picked up by Reuters and the BBC, in addition to being involved with a relatively successful email list; which has me in touch with a good number of academics and media people.

Among others, Charles William Maynes (former Carter administration foreign policy official and one time editor of Foreign Policy) shares my view of why there was a need to militarily address the lawlessness problem which led to the first Chechen war.

I’m also on record for saying that the Russian armed forces weren’t properly prepared and utilized in that war. This resulted in the kind of carn