Books · Observations · Humour

Mikhail Pogodin's 1846 Remark on the West and Muscovite Russia

In his "Historical and Critical Fragments", Mikhail Pogodin has an amusing phrase dating from 1846, setting the Renaissance West against Muscovite Rus': "... with them propaganda, with us preservation, with them movement, with us tranquillity...". It makes one smile that today these words would most likely

Architecture · Moscow · Museums · Heritage

Elizaveta Likhacheva, Director of the Museum of Architecture, has announced that the scientific restoration of the Melnikov House, built in 1927-1929 and functioning as a museum for the past 50 years, will begin this year and last four years: “We plan to

Elizaveta Likhacheva, Director of the Museum of Architecture, has announced that the scientific restoration of the Melnikov House, built in 1927-1929 and functioning as a museum for the past 50 years, will begin this year and last four years: “We plan to approve the restoration project by the end

Art · Monarchies · Paris · People

Napoleon at the sacking of the Tuileries on 10 August 1792 in Maurice Réalier-Dumas's painting

Napoleon during the sacking of the Tuileries on 10 August 1792. Painting by Maurice Réalier-Dumas. In time Napoleon would come to be ashamed of the horrors he witnessed and took part in. From the wall, Louis XVI gazes down at the then lieutenant Buonaparte, in a recent portrait of

NB! · Observations · Humour

Macron is, of course, a legendary character

Observations · Pop Culture · Humour

Max Gazzè performs at Sanremo as Leonardo da Vinci with a song about a pharmacist

Leonardo da Vinci has appeared on the stage of the annual Italian Sanremo Music Festival. The extravagant Max Gazzè turned up in a rather convincing Leonardo get-up, accompanied by a cardboard orchestra of eminent figures from world pop culture, from Elizabeth II at the drums to Paul McCartney on

Books · Observations · Society

Andrey Kozovoy's new book on Brezhnev draws on little known sources

On the history shelf at the Fnac in Nantes, next to "The Real Novel of Gorbachev", stands a book about Brezhnev, the new work of Andrei Kozovoi, a French historian of Soviet origin who specialises in the Cold War and its manifestations in culture. This history of Brezhnev

Moscow · Museums · Observations · Society

The Body Worlds exhibition at VDNKh and the ethics of displaying human bodies in museums

An exhibition of human corpses is about to open at VDNKh. In effect, the Body Worlds project is a travelling morgue which, under the name of Dr Hagens, wanders the globe displaying human bodies saturated, soon after death, with a special compound to prevent decay and lend the tissues elasticity.

NB! · Monarchies · Observations · Pop Culture

One might, of course, also recall Prince William on the cover of Attitude magazine five years ago, with a cover line against bullying

In the Press · Monarchies · Society · People

QX magazine names Crown Princess Victoria Hetero Person of the Year for Stockholm Pride speech

Crown Princess Victoria, 43, Duchess of Västergötland and heir to the Swedish throne, has been named Straight Person of the Year by the Swedish monthly LGBTQ magazine QX-magazine. The award was given to Princess Victoria for her inspiring speech at last year's Stockholm Pride. In the photograph,

Detail of a painting: a small white dog sits in a wicker pram with iron wheels against green foliage, with the edge of a lace parasol above.

NB! · Art · Observations · Humour

A small white dog in a wicker pram in a 1980 painting by Jamie Wyeth

What a sweet little dog! She looks just like her mistress! Jamie Wyeth, 1980

NB! · Faith · Interviews · People · Rome

Pope Francis Has Said How He Would Like to Die

Pope Francis has said how he would like to die. Speaking of his health, past and present, Francis I answered the question “How do you imagine your death?”: “As Pope, either in office or as emeritus. And in Rome. I will not go back to Argentina.”

Monarchies · Science · Humour

At last genetics is being put to serious use (not), for instance to establish whether Richard III was a good king or a scoundrel, and to shed light on the origin of the hump with which Thomas More and William Shakespeare endow him: was that barely noticea

At last genetics is being put to serious use (not), for instance to establish whether Richard III was a good king or a scoundrel, and to shed light on the origin of the hump with which Thomas More and William Shakespeare endow him: was that barely noticeable scoliosis hereditary? Besides

Latest