Valeriya Safronova

Valeriya Safronova

Valeriya Safronova is a Vienna-based reporter covering the arts, gender and news

'Green Border': A politically charged film about Poland’s migrant crisis
14 Feb Culture
"Green Border": A politically charged film about Poland’s migrant crisis
Agnieszka Holland’s latest work has sparked a political backlash in Poland, but this thought-provoking film highlights the harrowing realities of life along the Polish-Belarusian border.
Group Therapy: Processing the trauma of the pandemic through fiction
08 Feb Books
Group Therapy: Processing the trauma of the pandemic through fiction
A star-studded cast of writers has collaborated on an entertaining novel set on a New York rooftop during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Kitchen diplomacy: how governments use food as a soft power
24 Jan Feature
Kitchen diplomacy: how governments use food as a soft power
When it comes to promoting their image to the world, many nations have found the best way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach
Engelbert Dollfuss: how curators dismantle a controversial museum in Austria
04 Jan Culture
Engelbert Dollfuss: how curators dismantle a controversial museum in Austria
Engelbert Dollfuss ruled Austria in the 1930s, modelling his regime on Mussolini's principles. Valeriya Safronova discovers how a controversial museum in his honour is entering its next phase
Good heavens: How light pollution is threatening our sky
03 Oct Feature
Good heavens: How light pollution is threatening our sky
The swarms of satellites in low-Earth orbit are causing light and noise pollution, which is in turn creating ecological chaos
Paradise lost: How overtourism is changing Europe's holiday destinations
29 Jun Feature
Paradise lost: How overtourism is changing Europe's holiday destinations
Europe’s beauty spots are buckling under mass tourism – so some popular destinations are fighting back. Venice has blocked cruise ships and Amsterdam has launched ‘stay away’ ads aimed at badly behaved Brits. But the trade-off between quality of life and much-needed revenue is a tricky one
The rise of gender mainstreaming in urban design
03 May Feature
The rise of gender mainstreaming in urban design
With the growing understanding that a person’s gender, age, ethnicity and other factors can shape their experience of a city, planners are applying new techniques to make urban spaces suitable for all 
Clytemnestra finally gets her own voice
11 Apr Books
Clytemnestra finally gets her own voice
Greek mythology dismisses Clytemnestra as an evil husband-killer. But this reimagining allows Helen of Troy’s sister to step into the spotlight and tell her story of tragedy and revenge
Royal drama: a new novel revels in the eccentricities of cousins Sisi and Ludwig
20 Mar Books
Royal drama: a new novel revels in the eccentricities of cousins Sisi and Ludwig
In Empty Theatre, Jac Jemc blends fact and fiction to create a witty and imaginative rendition of the lives of royal cousins Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Elisabeth of Austria