Russian girl in her bedroom with portraits of Pushkin and Werner Faymann
Austria’s xenophobia
Alarm bells are sure to be ringing in Austria’s corridors of power following pressure from the United Nations for the country to improve its stand on the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers.
The committee criticises the “frequently xenophobic” handling of refugees and immigrants by parties. Speeches of some politicians are “hateful”, declared the UN.
The association also stated that the discrimination of minorities in daily life such as discrimination in the job market and with rental accommodation “are worrying”.
Migration statistics Austria
International migration balance to and from Austria by citizenship 2000-2007
2000/Total 17 272 (Austrian citizens: -4 315; Foreign citizens:+21587)
2007/Total 32 714 (Austrian citizens: -5 509; Foreign citizens: +38 223);
38 223 foreign citizens migrated from abroad and settled in Austria in 2007,
and 20 464 Austrians left the country (it is minus 5 500 in total)
Statistics Austria. Compiled on 16 May 2008
Press conference with J. Haider and P. Westenthaler, 17.07.08
I made one snapshot of these smiling Austrian girls handing out Mars chocolates in Mariahilfer Strasse, and wanted instantly to proceed, but at that sinister moment my camera stopped clicking because card was over
Информация о жизни в Австрии, об обычаях, национальном характере австрийцев, свежие новости о политических и культурных событиях по стране, размышления, заметки, интервью - всё это на русском языке. Желающие посодействовать в создании русскоязычных медиа, фотографы и авторы-энтузиасты, буду вам рада.
Девушки, раздающие батончики “Марс”, на одной из центральных улиц Вены, фотография моя
Rudolf Hundstorfer, President of Austrian Federation of Trade Unions (OeGB)
In October 2003 Rudolf Hundstorfer became vice president of the OeGB (Austrian Federation of Trade Unions). After resignation of Fritz Verzetnisch as president of this organization in March 2006 because of the BAWAG scandal, Hundstorfer took the presidency provisionally.
On September, 8th 2005 as a representative of all BAWAG stockholders he signed an agreement, that the OeGB will adopt the BAWAGs debts of 1.53 billion Euros. Hundstorfer kept this fact in secret until June 2006. When he was asked by journalists for reason doing so, he told he didn�t know, what he had signed. Translated by G.TRead the rest of this entry »
In politics one holds no promises
“The head of Styrian government Voves can not be surpassed in incredibility”, told OeVP family speaker Ridi Steibl commenting SPOe-forcingup of prices in Steiermark. On the 1st of July the electricity prices will be raised by 15 percent.
OeVP-family speaker reminded to audience the fact of numerous election campaign pledges given by Voves. Before the elections Voves had promised , in particular, that electricity price would not be raised.
Steibl told: “You failed, Mr.Governor! With all your broken promises.”
“Voves is fully responsible for the antisocial SPOe politics and it is incomprehensible why he demands SPOe at the national level to be the other, when his own
local policy does not correspond to this fundamental principle.”
29.06.08 http://www.ots.at Read the rest of this entry »
Young female beggar in one of Vienna streets listening to arguments of older woman who suddenly stopped to express her opinion on beggary.
For the first time in my life, I was brought at the place against my will and kept there shut. I felt shaken and thought it must be mistake and soon they would let me go.
At the same time, I knew in my heart that the world where I lived before would never be the same again. On incomprehensible reasons, I became outcast, object of persecution; I broke certain rules and revealed my alien nature to others. I failed to act in reality that all others people except of me shared. So albino crow in flock of black birds is hit by beaks of others till it is dead. I had feeling that all others shared knowledge I had no access to.
Many years would pass until I realize that everybody creates his own truth, and common reality for all does not exist. I would realize that unanimity and group thinking point out to higher levels of compromise only and also ability to float at surface of interactions without digging deep inside Read the rest of this entry »
One flew over Cuckoo’s Nest ( Ich flog über’s Kuckucksnest )
When I was 19 years old, I failed entrance examination to the Kyrgyz university.
First exam was English and I passed it very well. Then it came turn of composition. We were to write a few pages on the theme �Communism and future of humankind�.
Instead of using cribs with Lenin quotes as many did it, I scribbled down my own precious opinion on the subject and perhaps missed a few commas during this euphoric process.
All was lost. Feeling myself complete failure, I eventually found the place of librarian with minimal salary in the school library. My work for now on was to give out books, to keep catalogs in order and to assist young communists� organization with their on-wall designs Read the rest of this entry »
Saturday. Woman in Muslim headscarf reading book in Thalia bookshop
The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 considered to be a secret weapon for low-light photography, justified my expectations. It is also ultra light, almost weightless, and sharp.
There were hordes of successful soviet ideologues, which made their career imitating fierce creative activity.
But it was not Zhanna case. She belonged to rare type of uncorrupted believers. She was person of sincerity and encyclopedia knowledge, but her eccentricity made her the scarecrow of the university. She expected from students who were fed up with Marx-Engels-Lenin staff and who studied dozens of other subjects, such as languages, world history, literary criticism, psychology and economics, she expected from them equal to hers devotion to material.
In spite of all I could not help respect her
It was sunny spring of 1982. The university alley of apple and peach trees was all pink lace of blossoms. The air was fresh and clear. But I was ascending marble staircase of main building with monument of Great Chief at the top feeling chill in my heart.
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