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Faith · Books · Observations · People
Russian translations of Robert Southwell's poems and his Christmas poem “The Burning Babe”
I have a naive but perfectly achievable wish: that good, true translations of the English poet and saint Robert Southwell might at last be published in Russian. It is hard to find an author who describes the Christian universe so eloquently and uplifts the spirit so, or who conveys metaphysical
Art · Observations · Heritage · Society
The Madonna of Luca della Robbia, to be offered at Sotheby's in early 2021: how she looks now and how she looked before restoration
The pre-sale estimate for the maiolica is impressive, with figures of up to a million dollars being mentioned. That is a good deal for polychrome glazed terracotta of the Quattrocento, but it should be remembered that the work belongs to the master who all but created the style, and
NB! · Observations · Mores · Pop Culture
Ideas for New Year hairstyles: my gift to you
Faith · Society · Rome
Pope Francis Recited the Angelus Alone on St Stephen's Day Under Italy's Lockdown
Pope Francis today, for the first time as far as I can remember, recited the Angelus on the Feast of Saint Stephen alone, in support of Italy's lockdown measures. Traditionally, after Christmas, Catholics honour Stephen, the martyr stoned to death in the very first persecutions of the Christians.
Books · Observations
The spatium in typography and the rule on spacing between initials
Spacing (the Russian shpatsiya, from the German Spatium) is a typographical term for a thin plate used to make gaps narrower than the body of a type. As for the rule concerning the gap between initials, I find it very hard to observe, simply because the standard interval in that
NB! · Faith · Art · Museums · New York
Madonna and Child, Andrea della Robbia, 1470–1475
Madonna and Child, Andrea della Robbia, 1470–1475. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Della Robbia made a good many different sculptures of the Virgin, but this one draws the eye because above Mary and Jesus the Lord Himself keeps a solicitous watch, surrounded by angels
NB! · Observations
The word "modernity" drives me up the wall, and so do ill-judged generalisations
Books · Observations · Humour
The Aeneid retold by Ivan Kotlyarevsky and Nikolay Osipov
Эней был парубок бедовый И хлопец хоть куда казак, На шашни прыткий, непутевый, Затмил он записных гуляк. Когда же Трою в битве грозной Сровняли с кучею навозной, Котомку сгреб и тягу дал; С собою прихватил троянцев, Бритоголовых голодранцев, И грекам пятки показал. Literal translation I have discovered an incredible pleasure,
NB! · Observations
The State of Play
NB! · Society · People
The ballet master Natalia Kasatkina, awarded the Order of Friendship, responded to the honour most poetically: "I value very much the words that are usually spoken or written along with this order
The ballet master Natalia Kasatkina, awarded the Order of Friendship, responded to the honour most poetically: "I value very much the words that are usually spoken or written along with this order. But my own reply is always the same: I serve Labour Ballet!"
Cinema · Observations · People
The author agrees with Vladimir Ivanovich in his assessment of the gift
Film director Vladimir Khotinenko on receiving the Order of Honour: “It is such a wonderful New Year’s present; to my mind, not a bad present at all”. Well, what can one say? I agree with you entirely, Vladimir Ivanovich: an excellent present