Investiture ceremony of French presidents and the chain of the Legion of Honour

A compulsory part of the inauguration of French presidents is the Investiture ceremony, held since 1881. The president is solemnly presented with the symbol of supreme state power, the collar of the Grand Master of the Legion of Honour, to the words: “We recognise you as Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.” As Grand Master of the Legion of Honour, the head of state decides all questions concerning the establishment of the Order, and confirms appointments and promotions. Until the investiture of Georges Pompidou, this necklace was placed round the president’s neck, but Valéry Giscard d’Estaing changed the tradition, and now the necklace is simply presented in a velvet case.

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

In the finale of the Strugatskys' Roadside Picnic, the Golden Ball is told: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to offend nobody, but the digest really does come free of charge. So, here is the main business of the

Frederic Leighton

Frederic Leighton. “Daedalus and Icarus”, 1869 Daedalus warns his son not to climb too high: the heat of the sun may melt the wax, but Icarus is already gazing into the distance, and the lamentations of a foolish old man interest him not in the least

Investiture ceremony of French presidents and the chain of the Legion of Honour

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

Frederic Leighton

Attempts to resolve the problems of many years of uncontrolled mass migration

Characters from Gogol's "Petersburg Tales" on the pedestal of the monument to Nikolai Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard, photograph of the 1960s