Soviet spy gadgets to go under hammer in Beverly Hills

Ex-UK PM Tony Blair has finished his work on the TAP, while Germany's Gerhard Schröder is helping on Nord Stream 2. What is it with 1990s Social Democrats that attracts them to authoritarian leaders and their pipelines?

Lithuania came to a standstill to remember those who died when Soviet troops tried to take over the national broadcaster as people marked Freedom Day.

Fake cyanide-filled teeth and cigarette packs concealing cameras are among the Soviet spy gadgets going under the hammer at a Beverly Hills auction this week. Many retro espionage devices in the sale by US-based Julien's Auctions -- known for Hollywood and pop culture memorabilia -- would not be out of place in a classic James Bond movie, including microphones hidden within pens, ashtrays and porcelain plates.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described the June 1941 invasion as a cause for "shame." In her weekly video podcast, she also criticized modern-day crackdowns in Russia and Belarus.

A growing cohort of farmers in Moldova are fuelling an ambitious resurgence of lavender oil, whose cultivation had collapsed along with the Soviet Union.

Dresses, purses, and heart-shaped glasses, among other objects belonging to the cherished British singer Amy Winehouse, are displayed at New York City’s Hard Rock Cafe, as seen on Monday, before going under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills. Over 800 personal effects of the Grammy-winning diva will be auctioned, including the dress she wore during her last performance in Belgrade before her death in 2011. That dress is a really iconic design by her friend Naomi Parry and is estimated to range between 15 to 20 thousand," said Executive Director of Julien's Auctions Martin J. Nolan.

Putin expressed the devastating effect the demise of the USSR had on him and millions of others, admitting he took up driving a cab during hard times, even though he said "it's unpleasant to talk about."

In November, shortly before the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian authorities moved to close down one of the country's oldest and most influential NGOs, Memorial, which was dedicated to preserving the memory of Stalin-era repressions. Despite everything, the group's historians are determined to continue the fight to open up the archives of the Soviet secret services. FRANCE 24's Elena Volochine and Gulliver Cragg report, with illustrations by Sofiya Voznaya.

This week, France 24 commemorates the 30 years of the dissolution of the USSR. We continue our journey through former Soviet republics in Georgia, where the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys considerable power and influence. After 70 years of communist oppression, it turned into a driving force to achieve independence and rebuild the country. Today, its position is threatened by the country’s pro-European liberal youth.

Since its independence, Ukraine has been concerned with performing a balancing act between East and West. That changed with 2014's pro-Western revolution, which ushered in a policy of "decommunisation": condemning Soviet leaders for their crimes and removing all monuments to them. These measures have been wildly popular with some but less so with others, especially in Eastern regions that suffered from the capitalist transition. Gulliver Cragg reports from the Donbass.

We bring you a special edition of the FRANCE 24 Debate marking the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Growing up, it seemed as if the zero-sum game of the Cold War would last forever. What did we see coming? And what did we miss as supplies ran low, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant broke down, the Red Army suffered setbacks in Afghanistan and the Communist Party's grip started to loosen, in the far reaches of an empire that stretched over 11 time zones?

This is our fourth episode on the fall of the Soviet Union. Today we go to Estonia... the former Soviet republic which has undergone the fastest and most radical modernisation. The country is now a digital powerhouse where almost everything can be done from a smartphone. France 24's Sylvain Rousseau and Achraf Abid report from Tallinn.