Aristocracy · Architecture · Books · London · Monarchies · Mores
In a book on Whitehall, one of the loveliest palaces in Europe and, in its day, the largest in the world, I came upon a description of a whimsical toy belonging to the merry King Charles II. In the centre of the Privy Garden at Whitehall stood a unique sundial.
NB! · Aristocracy · Art · Observations · Mores
Note that the Count of Bellamont is wearing odd-coloured shoes, and with spurs to boot. Only the most daring dandies could permit themselves footwear of differing colours; it was considered the height of style
Books · Monarchies · Mores · People
Procopius of Caesarea gathered a great deal of gossip about the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora in his pamphlet the "Secret History", a disputed and scandalous work over which historians are still quarrelling. The book contains the following diverting description of the Empress Theodora, whose biography is
NB! · Art · Observations · Mores · Humour
Today is Bastille Day, when my neighbour from the 3rd entrance, Uncle Lyonya, used to get drunk and bellow "A young Cossack strolls along the Don". This is Victor Hugo's drawing of the Bastille, which he knew only from paintings, but it looks rather like it
NB! · Archaeology · Observations · Mores · Humour
Looking at this manicure set (originals on the right, reconstructed tools on the left), I would not wish life in the Middle Ages on anyone!!! anyone!!! Well, except Louis-Philippe and Yana Rudkovskaya
NB! · Archaeology · Mores
Archive · Observations · Mores · Humour
The term "veganism" appeared in 1944 to distinguish vegetarians who eat dairy products and eggs from those who do not. Why do I mention it? Because the Hebrew-language press at once began to produce amusing explanations of what it all meant, and they still seem timely today.
Monarchies · Mores · Paris · Nature
The forecasters' promise that there will be no summer recalled the run of rainy years in the fourteenth century that heralded, for the Russian lands, the onset of the Little Ice Age. Which would give way to a brief interglacial in the 1440s. The coldest phase of the Little
NB! · Faith · Art · Mores · Humour
Did the Bishop of Cologne overcome weakness, or is this immortalisation with autofellatio motifs, the revenge of the haters? The author's motivation is a mystery. But it is known that Conrad was indeed disliked for his beer bans
Aristocracy · The East · Mores · People
Not all the Bagration-Mukhranskys were overtaken by the avenging hand of the Bolsheviks. Why Maria Georgievna Bagration-Mukhranskaya did not go into emigration after her father and sister one can only guess. Georgy Bagration-Mukhransky, contrary to the logic of the repressive machine, was let out of the country
NB! · Aristocracy · Mores · People
The beauty Maria Gunning died at 27 of lead poisoning. Her favourite cosmetic was white lead for the face, which, alas, is no longer manufactured. Incidentally, her husband did not permit her to paint
NB! · Archive · Mores · Society · Saint Petersburg
The first months of the siege. A little girl keeps a diary. In the end they decided to salt the dog Silva, but then did not, and salted the cat instead. In December poor Silva was stolen and eaten