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Art · Monarchies · Museums · Observations
Two dresses of Catherine II, one with the Russian arms, one a Preobrazhensky Regiment uniform
Incidentally, both of the Empress's dresses are rather instructive as facts in the history of fashion. The first is of silver brocade with silver and gold embroidery. Over it Catherine wore a gold brocade mantle with black eagles. It was the first dress in history whose principal decorative
NB! · Monarchies · Museums · People · Humour
Catherine the Great’s coronation gown and a uniform dress from different years of her reign
Catherine II's coronation gown and a uniform dress from the later years of her reign. Let me remind you that she ascended the throne at 33 and ruled for 34 years. And put on a little weight
NB! · Monarchies · Museums · Humour
Another Item from the Collection of Catherine II
Another item from the collection of Catherine II. There she is, the madcap Empress
Mores · Humour
The myth of the Thracian king Tereus, Procne, Philomela and the killing of Itys
Tereus, King of Thrace, married to Procne, daughter of the King of Athens, seduced his sister-in-law Philomela and cut out her tongue so that she could not reveal his violence. Philomela nevertheless managed to weave a few words into a robe to inform her sister of her husband&
Archaeology · Science · People
__________________________
The Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has announced the death, in his 83rd year, of the distinguished scholar Lev Vladimirovich Koltsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences and leading researcher in the Department of the Stone Age. I offer my condolences to his family and friends. __________________________
NB! · Archive · Art · Nature · Humour
A cow covered all over with horns of up to 20 cm
A cow covered all over with horns of up to 20 cm. The three-year-old animal was found in the county of Leicestershire and bought up for the amusement of the public. A sketch from the collection of George III
NB! · Art · Nature · Humour
No GMOs!
No GMOs! These very large, almost rectangular cows from English paintings of the nineteenth century probably belong to the Limousin beef breed, which was then new
NB! · Archive · Faith · Monarchies · Saint Petersburg
Portraits of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in Russian-style costume at the ball marking the tercentenary of the House of Romanov, captioned “the royal martyr” and “the royal martyress”
NB! · Museums · Science · Mores
The Gymnasticon: An Eighteenth-Century Upright Exercise Bicycle
Archive · Art · Moscow · Museums
Ostroukhov's study of a horse, taken for a Velázquez, proved to be by Van Dyck
Ilya Ostroukhov, former director of the Tretyakov Gallery, acquired in the 1920s an unusual study of a bored horse for his collection, having swapped it for a study of Menippus. Ostroukhov was immensely proud of his purchase, believing he had secured so original a Velázquez for his private collection, until
Books · Observations · Mores · Reportage
Visit to a warehouse sale of old things, furniture and books with a 1000 rouble entry fee
Went to a junk sale today. There is an organisation that collects unwanted things and furniture, free of charge or for a small sum for the items or the removal. This cast-off stuff ends up in a warehouse, for entry to which they charged 1000 roubles today, and after