Archive · Observations · Society
Strange as it may seem, the face of our own day is reflected not only in the writings of Lenin, but in those of Stalin too. Take, for example, the following report: the Political Report of the Central Committee to the 16th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
Archive · Observations · Society · Saint Petersburg
Revolutionary intelligentsia and class-conscious proletarians, who would most probably have armed themselves, could not but shun the Zubatov movement, could not but keep away from it. The government thus had an especially free hand and was playing a game it could not lose: THE MOST PEACEFUL, THE LEAST ORGANISED,
NB! · Observations · Science · Society · People
A reminder: Talia Khabrieva is Director of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation. Also a Doctor of Law, a professor and a Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Does anyone have questions about science in Russia?
Archive · Society · Saint Petersburg
So, to return to the symbolic discs and coins. There was one curious episode: in 1925 Soviet Russia began to strike gold 10- and 5-rouble coins of Tsarist Russia. For a long time this information was regarded as no more than unconfirmed rumour, until some ten years ago official
Mores · Society · People
On 24 February 1655 Cromwell banned horse racing for six months. This is generally put down to the Puritan course of the Lord Protector's government as a whole, though he himself feared that royalist agents were using race meetings as cover for their assemblies. But the ban remained
NB! · Books · Society · Society Pages
Heritage · Society · Nature
A petition has appeared online concerning restrictions on the construction of wind farms in France. The principal complaint is voiced by the Society for the Protection of French Landscapes and Aesthetics. Many country dwellers are convinced that the landscape of their native parts has been degraded by the wind turbines
Books · Observations · Society
Reading journalism on Pushkin's death, I am even frightened by what Benckendorff regards as a real threat, and by how he keeps reaching for liberals as the final accusation. That is to say, Russia really has been stuck in this paradigm of fear of liberalism for centuries 🤦🏽♂️
Observations · Science · Education · Society
New rules for postgraduate study have passed their first reading. Postgraduate study is to become once more the third level of higher education: postgraduates will enjoy the right to deferment from military service, will be able to claim a place in a hall of residence, and will receive a stipend
Monarchies · Observations · Society · Humour
The Battle of Caransebeș will go down in history as one of the most absurd engagements ever fought: the Austrian army managed to defeat itself. My thanks to Twitter's algorithmic feed for this staggering story. One is deeply sorry for the men who perished in this tragedy, yet
Museums · Observations · Society
It seems to me only fair that access to cultural sites should cost the same for everyone. Apart from special concessionary categories, naturally
Museums · Observations · Society · Saint Petersburg
From today the Hermitage raises the price of its combined ticket, for the time being only for foreigners: it will now cost 800 roubles. I do not know how you feel about it, but I, having held a foreign passport for many years, am somewhat vexed. To put it mildly,