Russia's War Against Ukraine
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Anna Nemtsova: Putin’s Crimea is a big anti-gay casino
As fighting resumes in eastern Ukraine, the Crimean example offers a bitter taste of Russia's makeshift plans for the future.
YALTA, Crimea - The town of Simeiz, once a favorite vacation spot for Ukrainian gays and "hippies," lost most of its free-spirited visitors this year. On a recent weekend, no kissing couples were to be seen on the shaded benches of Apollo Alley, known among locals as the Alley of Naked Men because of the white statues of nude Greek gods. Very few people sunbathed on Simeiz's famously picturesque beaches, where spectacular rocks rise out of gorgeous turquoise water; and at sunset, no new-age hipsters hung out around the graceful architectural monument called Dream Villa, which was an overcrowded hotspot only last year.
