Monarchies · Heritage · Society · Paris

The gold Grand Chain of the Legion of Honour of 1953 and President Macron's links

The Grand Collar of the Legion of Honour weighs 952 grams and is made of solid gold. It was first created in 1804 as a mark of distinction worn, among others, by Napoleon. It became the emblem of the President under the Third Republic. The example presented to Macron was

Mores · Society · Paris

Investiture ceremony of French presidents and the chain of the Legion of Honour

A compulsory part of the inauguration of French presidents is the Investiture ceremony, held since 1881. The president is solemnly presented with the symbol of supreme state power, the collar of the Grand Master of the Legion of Honour, to the words: “We recognise you as Grand Master of the

A man in a blue suit, seen from behind, shakes hands with a smiling man in a dark suit among guests gathered in a hall.

NB! · Observations · Society · Paris

At his inauguration ceremony, Macron personally greeted each of more than 400 guests

Macron is, after all, a very friendly and open man. During his inauguration ceremony he personally greets every single person in the hall, and more than 400 guests have gathered. He shakes hands, pats shoulders, embraces, says hello to adults and children alike, and even finds time for a few

NB! · Society · Paris · Humour

François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, the 24th and 23rd Presidents of France, at the inauguration of Emmanuel Macron, the 25th President of France

A man in a dark blue suit and black tie stands at microphones beside a French flag, with pink curtains behind him.

NB! · Society · Paris

Inauguration of re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron held at the Élysée Palace

The inauguration of Emmanuel Macron, re-elected for a second term as President of France, is now under way in the Salle des Fêtes of the Élysée Palace. Macron promises "to serve this country. To serve our fellow citizens. To serve our young people."

Coming Up · Cinema · Science · Society

Kinopoisk series “Nulevoy patsient” on the 1988 HIV outbreak in Elista begins on 19 May

In 1988 an ordinary doctor at a children's polyclinic in Elista detected HIV among his patients, despite the distrust of senior colleagues, a shortage of information and the conditions of a provincial hospital. The high-profile investigation drew the eyes of the whole country and brought about colossal

NB! · Moscow · Society · People

It has emerged that, as of today, the 70-year-old Rimas Tuminas has left the post of artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theatre, which he had headed since 2007

It has emerged that, as of today, the 70-year-old Rimas Tuminas has left the post of artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theatre, which he had headed since 2007. Tuminas was, without exaggeration, one of the finest directors in Moscow

NB! · Moscow · Society

A 38-year-old director from the Russian Academic Youth Theatre, Yegor Peregudov, has been appointed the new artistic director of the Moscow Academic Mayakovsky Theatre

A 38-year-old director from the Russian Academic Youth Theatre (RAMT), Yegor Peregudov, has been appointed the new artistic director of the Moscow Academic Mayakovsky Theatre. Peregudov takes the place of Mindaugas Karbauskis, a pupil of Pyotr Fomenko, who had run the theatre since 2011 and left his post

Architecture · Geography · London · Monarchies · Society

London to open a metro line named after Elizabeth II on 24 May for the Platinum Jubilee

On 24 May London will launch an underground line named after Queen Elizabeth II, with 40 stations. The transit section of the Crossrail city railway has been called the largest construction project in Europe; work on it has been under way since 2009, and the total cost came to almost

Two street urinals with canopies on cobblestones, a black one for men and a red one for women, with French inscriptions.

NB! · Observations · Society · Paris

Male and female street urinals in Paris and criticism of Mayor Anne Hidalgo

Municipal improvement of the kind Paris enjoys I would not wish upon any city in the world. And the local mayor, the inept Anne Hidalgo, was still opening her little beak for a presidential mandate

NB! · Society · Paris

On 2 May 1968 the French "Red May" began: a string of strikes, student demonstrations, far-left actions and protests that swelled into ten million-strong unrest and brought about colossal social and political shifts

Screenshot of question 10 of 24 from Life in the UK Test 3 asking what language Iron Age people spoke, with four answer options.

Observations · Education · Society · Humour

Question on the language of Iron Age Britons in the British citizenship test

I'd heard that getting British citizenship was hard, but THIS hard! The test that forms a compulsory part of the application for British citizenship asks which language was spoken by the inhabitants of Iron Age Britain. Do you still think that history will never come in useful in