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It’s nothing new to bring up the past when discussing how fond the Poles are (not) of their Russian neighbours in general. The paternity of vodka, however, is another story jealously disputed across borders

300 metres is the average length of the line stretching around and across St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. This would also be the average number of people waiting in that line at any given time to get into St. Peter’s Basilica. Queuing is integral to the tourist experience of Rome, even more than it is to other cities. You wait at to get into the Vatican Museum, you wait in front of the La Bocca della Verit, you have to fight during your wait in front of the Fontana di Trevi to famously throw in a coin in over your shoulder. Serbian photographer Sara Stojkovic shares the wait with us

Analysts are heading to Poland to research the social legacy of euro 2012, a major sporting event which took place on both Polish and Ukrainian soil between 8 June and 1 July. Prior to and throughout the event, the western European media were particularly moved by the alleged anti-semitism in Poland. From hooliganism to outdated stigmas, the Polish seem stuck in a cycle of prejudice towards the jewish community

Denmark is traumatised. The Danish have regretted their negative image since the publication of the Mohammed caricatures, which pushed the small Scandinavian country into the world spotlight in 2005. Since then they've been keeping quiet. Goodbye freedom of opinion? The planned enactment of an anti-islamist Norwegian terrorist's manifesto in Copenhagen reopens the question of the multicultural debate

By Aris Kokkinos

The restored army of legendary first emperor is in Brussels, from November 19 2012 to February 17 2013. Honor to who honor is due: for its first event exhibition, it is the Stock exchange palace that welcomes the terracotta soldiers.

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Writers in America after World War I were called as the lost generation, relating to their endless, general disillusionment, since the war ended the happy times of peace – and their illusions, too. The Russian director, Sergei Miroshnichenko made an original film series about the „last Soviet generation” born in 1983 and does not leave any doubt that every large historic event raises a new lost generation, no matter which country is spoken about. However, the Russian director thinks about those of his own not as the ones who are lost, but he sees in them the hope for change. We met Sergei Miroshnichenko on the IXth Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival held at the beginning of November in Budapest.  

Along the lines of the British Up film series, your film series, Born in the USSR is also shot in every 7 year following the life of children since 1990, when they were 7. Why did you choose this form of story-telling?

There is a Jesuit saying: give me a 7-year-old child and I will say what kind of man he will be. The personality of a man is already formed in this age, and it changes in every 7 year. For example, the age between 21 and 28 is very determinant in our lives, some philosophies say that this is the age of embodiment. It is important that these participants do not become actors, because they forget about the film during the 7 years. In each 7 year the shot lasts 4 days so they do not get used to the camera. In the film all of them get only 11 minutes in which we have to condense 7 years.

How did you select the participants?

The only common thing in their life is that all of them were born in a country that does not exist anymore: in the Soviet Union. And all of them were born in 1983. At the casting, 18 children were selected out of 2000 7-year-olds, and the main criterion was that they must be able to speak in front of the camera. They are already 28 years old and their lives have changed in very different ways, many of them live in faraway countries. In fact, this film series has become a kind of sociological research, and is not exactly about happiness. Out of the 18 people only 4 has a strong, cohesive family. Some of them are raising their children alone, some of them are divorced. One-third of the participants face with psychical crisis, alcohol- or drug problems. But still we are lucky that all of them are alive: according to the statistics one fourth should not be.

‘Yugonostalgia’? Only the older generation can glorify the Yugoslav past, assures a Bosnian colleague. Yet in Sarajevo there is no doubt that the 1990s generation misses the communist leader Josip Broz Tito. Behind this idolisation of a figure that has long disappeared from the political arena is hidden a collective uncertainty for the future

Italian equality activists call it is no country for women. Geography teacher Maria Pia Ercolini proposes the introduction of streets named after women, the writer Anais Ginori wrote a book on the objectification of the female body and Lorella Zanardo analysed the negative image of women in the media for a famous documentary. So what of these feasts eaten directly off naked female bodies in the Italian capital?

In 1991, war started in Croatia and many of its citizens moved to neighbouring Italy. Elderly and retired women became some of Italy's one million migrant domestic workers. What will Croatia's accession to the EU in 2013 do for the economic and social exodus of Croatian women who are still going to work in Italy every other month? A journalist from the Italian-speaking minority in Istria finds out

The decision to be a writer can be a daunting one and the process is strewn with frustration. Words of advice and encouragement from three established European poets and novelists

Matters in Berlin are starting to take a turn for the worse regarding its alternative cultural spaces. After the eviction of artists from the iconic Tacheles squat, now it is Yaam - the much-loved Berlin beach bar - which is struggling with the threat of closure

By Florent Verfaillie

Salman Rushdie was in Brussels on 13th November to present his autobiography “Joseph Anton: A Memoir”. This was the opportunity for an author knowing the difficulties and responsibilities it implies to reiterate his fight for free speech. Meeting with an entertaining speaker who doesn’t keep his mouth shut.

On 14 November, Israel assassinated Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari; now 3 Israelis and 20 Palestinians are dead. Of course, attacking the Gaza strip right before elections is a long-since beloved tradition of Israeli right wing governments. For the first time in 21 years, since the Gulf war, bombs are landing on Tel Aviv again, and a rocket has been fired on Jerusalem for the first time since 1970

By Marnix de Witte

Every music lover in Brussels knows Autumn Falls. This one-week festival across the center of Brussels gives (undiscovered) bands a chance to convince their crowd….The third edition starts today and lasts until the 2nd of December.