NB! · Observations · Society · Humour

I am trying to work out whether this is the same Ivan Bassov who in 1993 was battling "dogmatic teaching of Marxist-Leninist theory" at the Faculty of Radio Electronics and Informatics in Rybinsk, and who in 2025 is holding forth in Israel on why the Pale

I am trying to work out whether this is the same Ivan Bassov who in 1993 was battling "dogmatic teaching of Marxist-Leninist theory" at the Faculty of Radio Electronics and Informatics in Rybinsk, and who in 2025 is holding forth in Israel on why the Palestinians killed

Black-and-white photograph of a large crowd in old Russian costume standing on a staircase in a hall with columns and a large chandelier.

Aristocracy · Archive · Monarchies · Mores · Saint Petersburg

Nicholas II in his diary on the famous ball at the Winter Palace

Group photograph of the guests at the court masked ball held in the Hermitage on 13 February 1903 to mark the 290th anniversary of the House of Romanov, at which the whole nobility of the Russian Empire appeared in costumes of the pre-Petrine era. The hall, filled with ancient

Moscow · People · Pop Culture

Did you know that the scent of Chanel No. 5 was created by a perfumer from Russia?

Ernest Beaux, a descendant of French émigrés in Russia, became after the Revolution a Russian émigré in France. From the end of the nineteenth century Ernest Beaux worked at the venerable perfumery of Alphonse Rallet in Moscow, on Vyatskaya Street. In 1907 he became technical director of the Rallet factory,

NB! · Art · Museums · Ethnography

“Thumbelina and the Beetle”, a papier-mâché Christmas tree decoration, 1900s–1910s

Faith · Art · Museums · Heritage · People · Humour

A legend has died 😔

Cecilia Giménez Zueco has died at the age of 94. She became famous in 2012 for her amateur restoration of the fresco Ecce Homo, painted in 1930 by Elías García Martínez. When a fresco in the Sanctuary of Mercy in the small Spanish town of Borja, in the province of

Archive · Books · Monarchies

let not the ship of his great dominion founder in the waves of falsehood

The Book of Degrees of the Royal Genealogy (Stepennaya kniga), written around 1563. A passage on the reign of Vasily III. wherefore ever, his royal heart and mind keeping watch and pondering wisely, steering all with care in lawfulness, and with might driving off the torrents of lawlessness, let not

A political world map with a black outline around the continents and Australia circled separately.

Geography · Observations · Humour

Outline of a cat drawn on a political world map along the contours of the continents

If the world does resemble a cat playing with Australia, it is still fair to ask why one paw should have it worse than all the rest. And, of course, it is important not to forget to stroke the kitty on the head

NB! · Architecture · Faith · Art · Paris

The sculptures "Angel with a Censer" and "Angel with an Incense Boat", created in 1840 by Antonin Moine for the Church of the Madeleine in Paris

Archive · Monarchies · Moscow · Society

Notice of the Moscow Military Governor-General on the Administering of the Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich, of 18 December 1825

The administering of the oath will continue from the 20th day of December, to persons of the male sex of every rank and station, other than state peasants and the serf peasants and servants of landowners, for which purpose all churches will be open after the Liturgy From the collection

NB! · Archive · Monarchies · Observations · Mores

Prince Edward, the future Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra play with inflatable toys on the grass under the supervision of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, at their residence, Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, in October 1940

Prince Edward, the future Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra play with inflatable toys on the grass under the supervision of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, at their residence, Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, in October 1940. I have never before seen inflatable figures used for play away from the water

Listings · Moscow · Coming Up · Art · Museums

Five exhibitions closing between 11 January and 17 May

New selection of Moscow exhibitions you can visit this week:. 📌 Closing soon. The exhibition “Yakov Chernikhov. An Image of the Future. Architectural Fantasies of the Russian Avant-Garde” at the Jewish Museum, until 11 January 📌 The exhibition “From the Patriotic War to the Decembrists. Icons, Graphic Art and Decorative Objects”

NB! · Observations

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