Coming Up · London · Museums · Observations · New York · People

Jeremy Bentham's mummified body to leave London for New York for the first time in 186 years

Speaking of remains, do you remember my writing about my favourite philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, whose mummified body and head are on display at University College London? Well, for the first time in 186 years the philosopher's body will leave London and travel to the USA, where it will

Archaeology · Museums · Observations · Heritage

I was told some interesting details of this story

I was told some interesting details of this story. The burial was discovered by chance. As my interlocutor put it, “they barbarously melted the ice lens with boiling water, damaging it considerably, and then hauled the unmelted remainder off to Novosibirsk on a hastily summoned helicopter. After the reconstruction, paid

In the Press · Books · Observations · Education · People

Sarah Bond, historian, lecturer at the University of Iowa and contributor to the American Forbes, has written a short piece on the Black classicist of the eighteenth century Francis Williams

Sarah Bond, historian, lecturer at the University of Iowa and contributor to the American Forbes, has written a short piece on the Black classicist of the eighteenth century Francis Williams. According to her, this scholar, a native of Jamaica, was known for his knowledge of mathematics and his mastery of

NB! · Monarchies · Observations

and "former queen" sounds offensive

NB! · Observations · Humour

The moment when one regrets that turbans went out of fashion

Books · Moscow · Observations · Society

Grishin’s memoirs “From Khrushchev to Gorbachev” compared with possible memoirs by Sobyanin

And you know, I simply cannot imagine Sobyanin ever writing anything like Grishin's memoirs, "From Khrushchev to Gorbachev". They are simply men of a different stamp

Aristocracy · The East · Observations · Ethnography

The author has launched a new Telegram channel on the history and society of medieval Asia

Well, don't laugh, but I have started another channel. This time it is about the history of medieval Asia. I shall be writing about what, regrettably, was missing from my textbooks: the aristocracy of the East, the origins of the customs of rank and estate, the reverse side

NB! · Art · Observations · Humour

Though, you know, looking at this Ganymede, for instance, only one thought comes to mind: he did go and find himself some adventures to sit on

Marble relief on a red wall: a large eagle bends toward a seated, half-naked youth who feeds it from a bowl.

NB! · Art · Museums · Observations · Saint Petersburg · Humour

Relief in the Hermitage showing Ganymede feeding the eagle, the form Zeus took

Zeus stole the beautiful Ganymede by turning himself into an eagle. I do not know whether the youth is feeding the bird on this bas-relief from the Hermitage before the abduction or after it, but I think you will have understood what a vile, lecherous beast this Zeus was

Faith · Observations · Society

Lines from the Psalms of King David on injustice and lawlessness, applied to the state

The collected psalms of the Judaean king David say: "...he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood". This is about our state