Fortunately, I am not too familiar with the nostalgia literature, but it would be interesting to read a rigorous comparative study of Communist nostalgia in eastern Europe, including that of nostalgia for Yugoslavia and Tito. Most of the work I do know is focused on specific and particularly notorious leaders/eras rather than more general dynamics.
Author Archives: Jason
Vostok 2010 and Russia’s Move East
This RES Russian Analytical Digest article by Simon Saradzhyan (pdf version) is interesting:
The East-2010 War Game: Who Are Russia’s Potential Foes?
In June 2010 the Russian armed forces will stage an op-
erational-strategic exercise dubbed Vostok-2010 (East-
2010) that will become “the main combat-training event”
of 2010, according to a recent Defense Ministry press
release. Thousands of soldiers from the Army (includ-
ing the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear
Protection Forces) Navy, Air Force, Airborne Troops and
other elements of the Russian armed forces will partic-
ipate in the joint exercise staged by the Far Eastern and
Siberian Military Districts. While these two eastern dis-
tricts and the fleet will play the lead role in the game,
Vostok-2010 will also involve forces and assets from other
military districts and all of Russia’s four fleets, including
submarines, according to senior commanders. Russia’s
long-range aviation and the Ministry of Interior Affairs’
interior Troops will also participate in the war game.The importance given to Vostok-2010 marks a significant
change from the recent past. More often than not, it is the
Zapad (West) exercise, which simulates a Russian war with
NATO, that concludes the Russian armed forces’ combat
training season. That was the case last year when tens of
thousands of troops participated in Zapad-2009, which
featured large-scale operations in western Russia and
Belarus, including beach landings and a simulated nuclear
strike.But this year Vostok will mark the apogee of
Russian military training, according to commander of
the Ground Forces Col. General Alexander Postnikov.
President Dmitry Medvedev has already promised to
attend the war-game, during which troops will test
the new chain of command (military district-opera-
tional command-brigade) and practice re-deployment
from one region to another, chief of the General Staff
Army General Nikolai Makarov told RIA Novosti on
January 15.
The one comment I offer is that the rest of the article fails to discuss–and there are a number of approaches to take–Russia’s move to a professional army. Doing so would start a number of interesting conversations.
Album Reviews
1—->3—->5
Terrible—->Fantastic
3
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
Astatke, Mulatu – Mulatu of Ethiopia
Beatles, The – Live at Shea Stadium
Beatles, The – Past Masters, Volume 01
Beatles, The – Rubber Soul
Blick – All Strictly Rhythm Mix
Cadence Weapon – Afterparty Babies
Celebration – Modern Tribe, The
Cymande – Message, The A Cymande Anthology
Cymande – Promised Heights
Cymande – Renegades of Funk
Dear, Matthew – Body Language, Volume 07
V/A – Deep House Mix
Dinosaur L – 2424 Music
V/A – Discofunk, Volume 08
DJ Skot Dub, Olav Basoski, DJ Sneak, and Bob Sinclar – French House Mix
Doors, The – Essential Rarities
Doors, The – Greatest Hits
Doors, The – Morrison Hotel
Doors, The – Strange Days
Doors, The – Waiting for the Sun
V/A – Dusty Fingers, Volume 02
V/A – Earth, The, EP
Field, The – Yesterday and Today
Fujiya & Miyagi – Lightbulbs
Kool Keith – Colabs Tape
Lady Sovereign – Jigsaw
Lovin’ Spoonful, The – Daydream
Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do
Marsalis, Wynton – A Fiddler’s Tale
Martyn – Great Lengths
Miller, Glenn and the Army Force Band – Glenn Miller and the Army Force Band
Misha – Teardrop Sweetheart
Morrison, Van – Van Morrison Poetic Champions Compose
Ogene – Nti Ike
V/A – Pulp Fiction OST
Raekwon – Only BUilt 4 Cuban Linx, Part 02
Reed, Lou – Magic and Loss
Reed, Lou – Transformer
Slug and El-P – Serum & Induce The Vapors Project
Terror Danjah – FACT Mix 47 [200905]
UGK – UGK 4 Life
2
Black Heart Procession, The – 1
Black Heart Procession, The – Amore del Tropico
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Dandelion Gum
Crenshaw, Mic – Thinking Out Loud
Cymande – Arrival
Diplo – Decent Work for Decent Pay, Collected Works, Volume 01
Eminem – Relapse
Gorilla Zoe – Don’t Feed da Animals
V/A – Got that Purp, Volume 02
Harris, Calvin – I Created Disco
V/A – High Fidelity OST
Iron & Wine – Norfolk
Kaskade – Grand, The
Kid Acne – Romance Ain’t Dead
Lean, Joe and the Jing Jang Jong – Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
Lidell, James – Jim
Nadler, Marissa – Songs III Bird on the Water
Reed, Lou – Berlin
Reed, Lou – Best of, The Walk on the Wild Side
Reed, Lou – Ecstasy
Reed, Lou – Live in Italy [1984]
Skaggs, Ricky & Kentucky Thunder – History of the Future
1
V/A – Beach House
Goldie Lookin’ Chain – Asbo 4 Life
Kool Keith, H Bomb, and Marc Live – Game
Rainer Maria – Catastrophe Keeps Us Togther
Rainer Maria – Look Now Look Again
Rainer Maria – Past Worn Searching
Reed, Lou – Raven, The [Limited Edition]
Yes – Ladder, The