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A letter from Yevgeny Yevtushenko to the writer Vladimir Sokolov:. “...I am sending you my old friend Shalva Amisulashvili, a fervent admirer of yours. His book is already quite ready; Mezhirov, Lukonin, Maksimov and Vinokurov have translated it. The book will come out in a month. The “Gomecari Pictures” must
Observations · Society · Humour
Yes, Donald Trump has added his own name to that of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. And, what is more, he has appended it at the front. The centre's board of trustees, of which Trump is chairman, has voted to rename
Art · London · Observations · Society
Remember how everyone was recently discussing the sale at Christie's of an imperial Fabergé egg for £22 million? It has emerged that the "Imperial Winter Egg" is a fake. Moreover, the maker himself has confirmed that he produced two such eggs on a private commission in
Faith · Observations · Society
If God Exists, He Does Not Know That People on Earth Have Split into Various Churches. This very strange, even paradoxical, statement was heard during a live Q&A. The Christian Church was founded neither by the apostles, nor by communities of believers, nor by historical circumstance, but by
Observations · Society
Nothing speaks of confidence in one's own legacy quite like a string of insults immortalised on a memorial plaque beneath a predecessor's name. American political culture never ceases to astonish, and the Trump years have brought a great deal that is new. Take, for instance, those
NB! · Cinema · Moscow · Society · Pop Culture
Books · Observations · Education · Society · Humour
The Russian Ministry of Labour Has Approved a Professional Standard for “Writer”, to Take Effect on 1 September 2026. One of its provisions states that a writer is a person with a higher education. No, Maxim Gorky did not have a higher education. He tried to enter Kazan University, but
London · Society · People
In 1777, a year after America declared its independence from Great Britain, the Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke wrote to his friend and ally, the prominent opponent of the king Charles James Fox, something along these lines:. People oppressed by the law have no hope but to rely on power.
Museums · Heritage · Society
More than six hundred items have been stolen from a museum in Bristol. Among the missing objects are military memorabilia, jewellery, and figurines of ivory, bronze and silver from the museum's collection devoted to the British Empire and the Commonwealth. The theft took place on the night of
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From Karamzin's spiritual ode «To Mercy», addressed to Catherine II. A good thought, and a sound one: so long as the contented citizen may sleep without fear, and children, free subjects, may order their lives by their own thoughts, so long as Thou grantest freedom to all and
Books · Observations · Society · People · Humour
It seems that Nicolas Sarkozy is a Zoomer. In his now much-discussed book, the former President of France writes some quite astonishing things. For instance, that to make a telephone call he had to "dial no fewer than ten digits, each of which is a code required to
Observations · Heritage · Mores · Society
My compliments