Books · People · Humour

Dovlatov has a recollection of the remarkable Soviet translator Rita Rait-Kovaleva, who was the first to translate into Russian many classics of American, German and other literatures

I was once Vera Panova's secretary. One day Vera Fyodorovna asked: "Whose Russian, in your opinion, is the best?" I suppose I ought to have answered: yours. But I said: "Rita Kovaleva's." "Which Kovaleva?" "Rait." "The Faulkner

Map of Europe with regions such as France, Saxony, Bavaria and Lombardy shaded in grey, orange and blue.

Geography · Maps · Monarchies · Humour

Charlemagne's empire 600 years later consists of many warring independent states

843: Charlemagne's empire must be divided among his three grandsons to avoid a succession crisis in the future. 600 years later: Charlemagne's empire is a patchwork quilt of countless independent states at war with one another

Archive · Art · Society · Humour

The New Years weep as they read their 1940 travel vouchers to the countries of Europe

The New Years weep as they read their 1940 travel vouchers to the countries of Europe. The only happy New Year is the one bound for the USSR. The author of this New Year cover of Krokodil for 1939/1940, Konstantin Rotov, was sent to the camps for 8 years

NB! · Faith · Observations · Rome · Humour

Francis reflects that in the tenth year of his papacy he has been left the only Pope in the whole Vatican

NB! · Mores · Ethnography · Humour

Livia Drusilla makes sure you burn your slip of wishes and eat the ashes before the new year begins

Monarchies · Observations · People · Humour

Marshal Berthier stayed awake for years with Napoleon and kept others from sleeping

Louis Alexandre Berthier, French Minister of War and Bonaparte's chief of staff, was obliged for many years to stay awake together with Napoleon, who slept three or four hours a night. In the end Berthier grew accustomed to this regime and even acquired the habit of not letting

NB! · Art · Observations · Humour

Whenever I think of Ancient Rus', I picture exclusively Hyperborea as painted by Vsevolod Ivanov⁠⁠

Whenever I think of Ancient Rus', I picture exclusively Hyperborea as painted by Vsevolod Ivanov⁠⁠. And the riding mammoths are my absolute favourites

Floor mosaic detail showing a crowned Alexander holding skewers in raised hands between two griffins, with an inscription beside him.

NB! · Architecture · Art · Observations · Humour

Norman mosaic of Alexander the Great and griffins in Otranto, Italy

Mood on this birthday: Alexander the Great holds skewers of meat above his head to make two griffins carry him up into the sky. Norman floor mosaic in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata, 11th century, Otranto, Italy

NB! · Mores · People · Humour

Fell because of a cat darting underfoot

NB! · Observations · Humour

My appearance before the New Year holidays and after the New Year holidays

Still from an HBO series: two women in a dark theatre audience, the subtitle asking whether the play is about them.

Books · Monarchies · Saint Petersburg · Humour

Leaving his box, the emperor said the play had hit everyone, and him most of all

Nicholas I, with the heir, at the premiere of The Government Inspector on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre on 19 April 1836, felt roughly like this. Leaving the box, the Emperor exclaimed: "What a play! Everyone got it, and I most of all!"

NB! · Art · Monarchies · Humour