Almaty · Books · Observations · Society
It is with gladness of heart that I learn the bookshops came through the twilight of Almaty's vandalism untouched. At any rate, the shop in the photograph and Akademkniga on Furmanov Street suffered no harm in the course of the outrages committed by looters and loathsome rioters. Perhaps
Observations · Mores · Humour
Velvet caps like these, with embroidery and rich decoration, were a common item of the male wardrobe in the nineteenth century. To the modern eye, admittedly, they look somewhat odd. But the headgear served no merely decorative purpose: this is the so-called smoking cap, worn in smoking rooms or
Faith · People · Pop Culture · Rome · Humour
Yesterday evening the Pope slipped out of the Vatican and was caught leaving the StereoSound music shop near the Pantheon. Francis likes not only mischievous escapades but also classical music, Beethoven, Mozart and Bach above all, so why not combine the two passions, he thought? All the more so as
Architecture · Observations · Society
The throne wobbles. Steps in the residence of the President of Kazakhstan. Photo by Bagdat Asylbek. The residence was originally built as a Lenin museum, but by the time it was completed, the figure of Lenin had lost its relevance in the political life of the country.
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Art · Monarchies · Museums · Paris
Louis XIII is nine years old in this painting and exactly half the height of his parents, but how elegantly the boy is dressed! The painting by Peter Paul Rubens is entitled "The Preparation of the King for the War in Germany, or the Transfer of the Regency to
NB! · Faith · Rome
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Almaty · Art · Museums · Heritage · Society
In Almaty, an attack has been carried out on the Kasteyev Art Museum, the largest in Kazakhstan and one of the biggest in the Asian region. The priceless collection, which includes works by Dürer, Savrasov, Repin, Konchalovsky, Saryan, Sidorkin and Khludov, remains intact. In the photograph: the halls of the
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Archive · Architecture · People
Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis, 1930. The author is the German cameraman, director, artist and pioneer of German photography Walter Hege. The pictures, taken with an impressive focal length of 1200 mm, capture one of the chief temples of ancient Athens: the Erechtheion of the 400s BC, dedicated to Athena,
NB! · Geography · Nature