Architecture · Monarchies · Observations · Humour

Osborne Cottage, home of Princess Beatrice, goes on sale in England for £625,000

I know that among my readers there are corrupt officials of poor imagination who cannot think where to spend their pilfered money. I advise them to consider the following lot. In England, Osborne Cottage is up for sale, part of the estate built as a place of seclusion for Queen

Archive · Mores · Society

Penalties for Dishonour under the Sobornoye Ulozheniye of 1649, from Fines to the Knout

A word on Russian justice. Under the Law Code (Sobornoye Ulozheniye) of 1649, cases of dishonour were punished not only by fines but also by imprisonment or corporal punishment. The severity of the verdict depended on the standing of the injured party and of the accused, or, to be more

NB! · Faith · The East · Art · Museums

The Archangel Gabriel from the Antalya Archaeological Museum

The Archangel Gabriel from the Antalya Archaeological Museum. The relief bears not only Greek lettering but also Arabic, over the medallion in Gabriel's hands

NB! · Archive · Moscow · Society · People

A Little on How Gorbachev Secured the Central Committee's "Consent" to His Decisions

A little on how Gorbachev secured the Central Committee's "consent" to his decisions. From the memoirs of V. V. Grishin

NB! · Archive · Moscow · Society · People

How Mikhail Gorbachev Was Remembered by Viktor Grishin, the First Secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the CPSU Whom He Sent into Retirement

NB! · Monarchies · Museums · Humour

The Pointed Shoes of William III of Orange Are Indeed Worthy of an English King

NB! · Monarchies · Science · People

Vlad Dracula may have suffered from porphyria, a condition marked by both mental disorders and the appearance of blisters and sores on the skin after exposure to sunlight

Vlad Dracula may have suffered from porphyria, a condition marked by both mental disorders and the appearance of blisters and sores on the skin after exposure to sunlight. Porphyria also afflicted George III and Mary Stuart

A marble lion with an open mouth stands over a prone knight figure, with a column resting on its back.

NB! · Architecture · Faith · Art · Humour

Lion over a fallen knight at the base of a presbytery column in Modena Cathedral

The lion "vanquishes" the knight. Though, judging by the expression on its face, it has already won. The sculpted base of a presbytery column in Modena Cathedral (the Duomo). Incidentally, another dramatic lion has triumphed over a knight's horse

NB! · Architecture · Faith · Observations · Paris

An exhibition of models of the great churches of France and Europe is under way in the Parisian church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois

An exhibition of models of the great churches of France and Europe is under way in the Parisian church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois. For some reason I do not yet see the famous Solberet Cathedral 🧐

Faith · Art · Ethnography

The Lamb on the Cross in Church Embroidery and the Book with Seven Seals

Quite often in Western churches one comes across an image of a lamb lying on a cross amid golden rays: it symbolises the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ. In fact, until the fifth century Jesus himself was not depicted on the crucifix; now and then his presence was indicated

NB! · Architecture · Faith · Humour

Let's Help the GRU Men Find Salisbury Cathedral

Monarchies · Mores · People

Alice Perrers, mistress of Edward III, and how she enriched herself at the king's expense

Alice Perrers was 36 years younger than her lover, Edward III. She twisted the king around her finger, sowed discord at court and, after the queen's death, in effect took her place; this troubled society and Parliament so greatly that it was resolved to remove Alice from court.

Latest