In the Press · Interviews · London · Science · Society

Alexandr Lukashev, Director of the Institute of Parasitology, in a lengthy interview with Kommersant on the differences in laboratory practice involving animals between Russia and European countries, on what the life of a mouse is worth to a scientist, an

Alexandr Lukashev, Director of the Institute of Parasitology, in a lengthy interview with Kommersant, spoke about the differences in laboratory practice involving animals between Russia and European countries, about what the life of a mouse is worth to a scientist, and about the ethics of animal research in general. The

Architecture · Observations · Society · Paris · Humour

Open-air urinals installed on Place de la République in Paris and criticism of Anne Hidalgo

I would like to send a retching emoji, but I am genuinely impressed by the creative potential of Anne Hidalgo, tireless disfigurer of the French capital. Open-air urinals have been installed on the Place de la République, which prompts the thought that it might be renamed La Répu de

Observations · Society · People

Over forty years of watching ships from a dacha window and their changing names

Alla Demidova on Ships and Their Names:. For more than forty years now I have watched this picture from my dacha window, as the ships sail past. We had a game: who could make out a name first. Little by little I grasped a certain regularity: the two-deckers were

Art · Society · Reportage

A very cool art object on one of the squares of Nizhny Novgorod: the "Bitter Experience" kiosk, alluding to Gorky, the city's former name and one of Nizhny's most famous natives

The display boards of the kiosk, on which a sign reading "back in 5 minutes" has hung for four years, carry works by contemporary artists from Nizhny, among them Artem Filatov, Ivan Sery and Kurs Studio. Among them is, for example, an advertisement for SLON Travel promising an

Architecture · Monarchies · Heritage · Society

In Soviet times the coat of arms of the USSR was raised on the dome of the tower of the Nizhny Novgorod office of the State Bank, while all the imperial decor connected with the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, which richly adorned the whole bui

In Soviet times the coat of arms of the USSR was raised on the dome of the tower of the Nizhny Novgorod office of the State Bank, while all the imperial decor connected with the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, which richly adorned the whole building, including the

Faith · Monarchies · Society

Regent Maria Christina's decree of 1834 finally abolished the Spanish Inquisition

On 15 July 1834 the last remnants of the Spanish Inquisition ceased to exist. On that day a decree was issued by Maria Christina, Regent of Spain, finally abolishing the Inquisition throughout the empire. On the mainland the Inquisition had already been shut down under Napoleon's Joseph Bonaparte,

Observations · Society · Paris · Humour

The Mayor of Paris's self-description in a keynote speech and a list of criticisms of her

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, has hinted at her participation in the 2022 presidential election with a rather theatrical declaration:. "I am a woman, I am the daughter of an immigrant, I am French, I am a mother of three children, I have three grandchildren, I am a Parisian,

Faith · Observations · Society · Humour

The Church of England to apologise for the persecution of Jews in the thirteenth century, WHEN IT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST

What next: will Sergio Mattarella apologise for the Punic Wars? *Of course, the Church of England regards itself as the successor of the Catholic Middle Ages on English soil, and antisemitism in the island's religious tradition was hardly confined to the period 800 years ago, but sometimes a

Society

Applications for presidential cultural grants submitted from 82 Russian regions

It has emerged that applications for presidential cultural grants have already been submitted by representatives of 82 Russian regions. Projects from Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, the Irkutsk Region, the Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk Territories, as well as from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, are the most widely represented. Those who have not yet managed

Archive · London · Monarchies · Society · People

Yuri Gagarin's Visit to Great Britain in July 1961

Sixty years ago, from 11 to 15 July 1961, Yury Gagarin visited Great Britain. As part of his world tour, Major Gagarin arrived in Manchester at the invitation of the local foundrymen, and not at all as an official state guest. Nevertheless, soon after his arrival he received an invitation

NB! · Faith · Society · Pop Culture · Rome

Pope Francis I blesses the UEFA trophy held by the President of the Union of European Football Associations, Aleksander Čeferin, on 10 June 2021

Faith · Observations · Society · Rome · Humour

Argentina have won the Copa América, Italy the European Championship; all that remains is for the Argentine Bishop of Rome to emerge victorious from his bout with illness (yesterday, incidentally, he was already addressing the faithful from the balcony of

And yes, before the match it was worth bearing in mind that Roberto Mancini had symbolically admitted Pope Francis to the Italian squad the year before last