Art · Books
And lo, towards us in a boat there comes An Old Man, covered in ancient hoariness, Crying: "Woe to you, accursed race! Forget the heavens, now that you have met me! In my boat prepare to cross To eternal darkness, and to cold, and to heat." Literal translation
Books · Education · Society
On 10 March 1933, a show burning of books of "un-German spirit" took place in the 21 largest cities of Germany. From March onwards, theses calling for the "purification" of culture and language and the exaltation of German nationalism were circulated among the universities. Students
Faith · Books · Monarchies · People · Humour
In the prologue to Jean de Joinville's book of 1309 on the life of the French king Louis the Saint, four occasions are listed on which he showed knightly valour, risking his life for others. One of the four perils that met the king on his path through
Cinema · Books · Observations · Humour
Judging by this still from the novella "Obsession", Shurik, standing in for the old watchwoman in "Operation Y", really could have told the burglars which library they might stroll into at 3 a.m. Such are the recurring details in the plot of Leonid Gaidai'
NB! · Archive · Books · Mores · People
This is what a sixteen-year age gap looks like. Lev Nikolayevich and Sofya Andreyevna Tolstoy
Aristocracy · Books · Monarchies · Humour
What connects Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev and Boris Johnson, apart from perpetually dishevelled hair? To a certain extent, they may be called relations, by way of Tyutchev's second wife, the former Baroness Ernestine von Pfeffel. Ernestine's own brother, the Bavarian Baron Karl Maximilian von Pfeffel, who was
NB! · Cinema · Books · Pop Culture · Humour
NB! · Architecture · Books
The Royal Portuguese Reading Room, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The building was constructed in 1887 in the Neo-Manueline style, inspired by the Portuguese architecture of the fifteenth century
Books · Observations · Education
The French are good at talking about the past, and it occurs to no one that children should not be told about the First and Second World Wars. Here, for example, are two volumes from the series "Mes petits documents" ["My Little Documents"], devoted to the
Books · Science · Pop Culture
One can say with confidence that the American writer and screenwriter David Gerrold's prediction about the development of technology has come true. As early as 1999, Gerrold wrote a column on the ubiquity, within a few years, of gadgets combining the functions of a telephone, a pocket organiser,
Faith · Books
O death, where is thy sting?! O hell, where is thy victory?! Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life triumphs! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the
NB! · Books · Observations · Humour