![Image for ‘Babelians’ of 2011 (12 images)](https://media.cafebabel.com/resized-images/bc/7c/07e0139a032b7e23587546cc4c68b1fc5725.jpg)
‘Babelians’ of 2011 (12 images)
Published on
These were the activists, philosophers, artists and citizens whom we met each month of this year across our pan-European citizen media landscape, from Egypt to Russia - follow the links to re-read the articles. Happy holidays!
![January 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Society/2011/January 2011/julienbayou.jpeg)
Julien Bayou, 30, French activist: 'Europe’s youth: ‘Obvious to see why you’d be disenchanted' (Image © Sladjana Perkovic)
![February 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Brunch /2011/February '11/Yuriy_Gurzhy.jpeg)
Yuriy Gurzhy, Ukrainian-born DJ and producer in Berlin: ‘Achtung! The party is Russian-rock-free’ (Image © Dmitriy Shakhin/ myspace.com/yuriygurzhy)
![March 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Culture/culture 2011/MaRCH 2011/Untitled 3.jpeg)
Jewish director Susanne Bier joined the ranks of contemporaries Lars Von Trier to mark 2011 as a Danish year for award-winning films. Read 'Denmark 2011 Oscar for In A Better World - but not a very Danish movie' (Image (cc) In a Better World/ imdb)
![April 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Culture/culture 2011/April 2011/398451741_f5de098e71_b.jpeg)
Laszlo Tengelyi (not pictured): 'The problem of being a philosopher in Hungary' (Image (cc) Josh Pesavento (broma)/ flickr)
![May 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Society/2011/mai 2011/seksbus.jpeg)
Gökçe Koç (not pictured), politics student, 28: 'Istanbul ‘sex bus’: student beaten for defending couple speaks' (Image (cc) ∆ matt caplin ∆/ Matt Caplin/ flickr)
![June 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Brunch /2011/June 2011/mrgayslideshow.jpeg)
Giulio Spatola, 26, Mr Gay Europe 2011: ‘People like me don’t create a spectacle’ (Image © CarloSordoni.it courtesy of Giulio Spatola Mr Gay Italia 2010 facebook page)
![July 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Politics/2011/July 2011/aris.jpeg)
Aris Chatzistefanou, writer, journalist and Debtocracy director: ‘Greece should exit eurozone’ (Image: (cc) FREDDIE F./ blogspot)
![August 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Society/2011/August 2011/Jan Zappner.jpeg)
Sila Sahin, 25, Turkish-German actress: 'First ‘muslim playboy model’' (Image: © Jan Zappner)
![September 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Brunch /2011/sep 11/deebslideshow.jpeg)
Mohamed El Deeb: 'Revolution rapper, Tahrir square’s figurehead' (Image © Sherif Hany photography courtesy of deeb/ facebook)
![October 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Culture/culture 2011/December 2011/Voina_umved.jpeg)
We first meet Voina, Moscow-based self-styled ‘street art gang’ formed in 2005, in October (Image: (cc) Voina/ wikimedia)
![November 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Brunch /2011/nov 2011/Piratin Susanne Graf.jpeg)
Susanne Graf, youngest MP in German parliament, 19: ‘Those who remember the GDR know what it means to be observed constantly’ (Image © Tobias Sauer)
![December 2011](https://media.cafebabel.com/articles/cafebabel/public/Politics/2011/December 2011/VaclavHavel_main.jpeg)
RIP Vaclav Havel, Czech dissident, former president and playwright, 75 (Image: (cc) p.a.j.a./ flickr)