Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The replica prison unit brings attention to the suffering of the Russian democracy activist
These days if you head to Prague’s Old Town Square, you’ll have the chance to experience some horror, apart from the historic charms surrounding the site – and this may prove revelatory and insightful. There a grey rectangular container (sized 3 by 2.5 metres) contains an exact replica of the isolation cell where Russian activist Alexey Navalny gets to spend most of the time while serving his sentence in a penal colony.
The spartan and oppressive atmosphere of the jail cell has been meticulously recreated in order to give visitors a brief chance to reflect on what it would be like to spend weeks or months on end trapped inside it. That is the reality of daily life for the Russian opposition leader who was arrested the moment he landed back in Moscow on 17 January 2021, after returning from a life-saving treatment in Germany. The attempt on Navalny’s life has been linked to Russia’s FSB service and was likely ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
The container has the word SHIZO (ШИЗО) painted on it. That refers to the Russian commonly abbreviated term for a punishment cell. Inside, the furnishings are bleak. Concrete floor and walls, a fold-up cot with a mattress that serves as a bed for the prisoner, a rusty sink and a toilet on the ground. A lattice vent serves as a window and there’s also a radiator as part of the heating system.
This is everything that Navalny sees when he regularly gets punished inside the penal colony for various made-up infractions. Activists are of the opinion that this is all designed to wear him down physically, mentally and spiritually, or even kill him.
"This is an important touch to the portrait of Putin's regime. And we also remind that there are hundreds of political prisoners in Russia who are in the same conditions," explained Leonid Volkov, one of Navalny's closest associates and an organizer of the initiative, as quoted by Current Time.
The installation is part of an international campaign to free the politician. Prague is the fifth city in which a replica of the cell has appeared, previously it has been seen by residents of The Hague, Düsseldorf, Paris and Berlin. After the Czech capital, there will be one in Madrid, Brussels, Vienna, Vilnius and other cities.
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The initial legislation didn’t include these public areas as restricted places for smoking pot
These allow car owners to ride for free when heavy winter conditions make driving unsafe
The initial legislation didn’t include these public areas as restricted places for smoking pot
The service will operate during peak hours in the morning and evening
The festivity is also known as the Day of Books and Roses
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team