Books · Observations · Society
On the history shelf at the Fnac in Nantes, next to "The Real Novel of Gorbachev", stands a book about Brezhnev, the new work of Andrei Kozovoi, a French historian of Soviet origin who specialises in the Cold War and its manifestations in culture. This history of Brezhnev
Moscow · Museums · Observations · Society
An exhibition of human corpses is about to open at VDNKh. In effect, the Body Worlds project is a travelling morgue which, under the name of Dr Hagens, wanders the globe displaying human bodies saturated, soon after death, with a special compound to prevent decay and lend the tissues elasticity.
In the Press · Monarchies · Society · People
Crown Princess Victoria, 43, Duchess of Västergötland and heir to the Swedish throne, has been named Straight Person of the Year by the Swedish monthly LGBTQ magazine QX-magazine. The award was given to Princess Victoria for her inspiring speech at last year's Stockholm Pride. In the photograph,
NB! · Society · People
An excellent opening for a biography: nobody liked him. But then, Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, the Convention's commissioner in the days of the Haitian Revolution, lived a short but interesting life. He freed the slaves of Saint-Domingue, for one thing
Aristocracy · Monarchies · Mores · Society
During the Belgian royal family's visit to the royal crypt, alongside King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Philippe's parents, the 87-year-old Albert II of Belgium and 83-year-old Queen Paola, Princess Delphine was also spotted: Philippe's half-sister, the very woman
Monarchies · Observations · Society · People · Pop Culture
Meghan Markle has announced that she is expecting a second child. Only last year she turned to the courts for protection of her private life from journalists. Yesterday's news, in all likelihood, illustrates not merely a wish to publish personal stories and news on her own terms, but,
Archive · The East · Society · Humour
In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Golda Meir criticised Henry Kissinger for not supporting Israel enough, despite the fact that he practises Judaism. Kissinger wrote to her: “I wish to inform you that, firstly, I am a citizen of the United States, secondly, Secretary of State, and only thirdly
NB! · Observations · Society · People
Archive · Books · Observations · Society
The Small Soviet Encyclopaedia of 1930, in its article "Punishment", offers, besides the definition, a rather colourful gloss:. "bourgeois 'justice' still makes use of the doctrine that punishment, being retribution for guilt, 'atones' for it, although the class task of the capitalist criminal
Observations · Society
How sweet! Thanks to the support of the charitable foundation "Starost v Radost" ["Old Age Is a Joy"] and the daily work of its team, the elderly residents of care homes have cultural organisers who devise such diverting pastimes with them that the heart never has
Society · People
Democracy is like an orange. A man who has never seen an orange will not ask for one. Andrei Sakharov
Books · Moscow · Society
The Russian State Library is to receive the functions of the Book Chamber. Until now, the Russian Book Chamber has been a branch of ITAR-TASS. The document has been signed by Mishustin.