NB! · The East · Geography · Maps
Russian map of Asia of 1745 showing Great Tartary, Free Tartary and Chinese Tartary
A map of Asia from 1745. It shows Great Tartary, which comprises Independent Tartary and Chinese Tartary
Alexandr Radayev
Archive · The East · Geography · Books
The Russian Empire is bounded on the north by the Northern Ocean; on the east it is parted from America by the Eastern, Pacific or Kamchatka Sea; on the south it borders upon Chinese and Free Tartary, upon Persia, Georgia and Little Tartary; and on the we
From the Methodical Geographical Description of the Russian Empire, with a Proper Introduction to a Thorough Knowledge of the Terrestrial Globe and of Europe in General, 1776. By Chinese Tartary, in all likelihood, are meant the lands of present-day Mongolia and China; by Free Tartary, the lands of Turkestan
Art · Observations · Humour
Girolamo Induno’s “Sad Presentiment” of 1862 and the Bust of Garibaldi
A girl pines for her beloved and scrolls through their photos together on an iPhone. Girolamo Induno, 1862. On the wall, as a tribute to romantic memories, hangs a reproduction of Francesco Hayez's "The Kiss". So that is how it goes: they wander about kissing, and
Archive · Art · Monarchies · Moscow · Mores · Society
Apollinary Vasnetsov and the menus of the coronation dinners in Moscow in May 1896
Menu of the dinner for the volost elders, 18 May 1896, at the Petrovsky Palace on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II, printed in colour lithography at the Levenson quick-printing house from sketches by Apollinary Vasnetsov, younger brother of t. Apollinary Vasnetsov, like his brother, took part
NB! · Archaeology · Geography · Maps
Places Around the World Where Roman Coins Have Been Found
NB!
Fragment of an old fresco of figures at a table, with a painted gallery behind
Architecture · Faith · Heritage
The Church Shown on the 1,000-Rouble Banknote Stands in Yaroslavl
The Church of St John the Baptist in Tolchkovo is one of the most beautiful in the country and is recognised as one of the chief masterpieces of the Yaroslavl school of architecture. Richly adorned with glazed tiles and moulded brick, the Church of St John the Baptist was built
NB! · Art · Monarchies
Meissen porcelain figure of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on horseback with a servant, after a model by Kändler
Meissen porcelain figurine of the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on a rearing white horse, attended by a black servant, after a model by J. J. Kändler
Art · Education · People · Saint Petersburg · Ethnography
Fedot Sychkov's path from village icon painter to the Academy of Arts and back to the village
Paintings by Fedot Sychkov (1870-1958), Honoured Art Worker of the RSFSR and People's Artist of the Mordovian ASSR. Sychkov was born into a poor peasant family and finished the three-class zemstvo school in his village. He began to draw in an icon-painting workshop. As so
Art · Museums
Henri Matisse, Blue Nude (Memory of Biskra), 1907
František Kupka, The Yellow Scale, 1907.
NB! · Monarchies · Pop Culture · Humour
Louis-Philippe was such a mediocre ruler that he had to be reborn as a gel polish before anyone would say a good word about him
Art · Books · Observations
There are faces like sumptuous portals, Where greatness seems to dwell in every trifle
There are faces like sumptuous portals, Where greatness seems to dwell in every trifle. There are faces, the likenesses of wretched hovels, Where liver is boiled and tripe lies steeping. Others, cold and dead faces, Are shut behind bars, like a dungeon. Others are like towers in which for long