Art · Heritage · Society · People

Giacomo Manzù stele for the Lenin centenary installed on Capri in 1970

Monument to Lenin on Capri. The five-metre marble stele by the Italian sculptor Giacomo Manzù was erected in 1970 in the Gardens of Augustus, to mark the centenary of Lenin's birth, at the commission of the Soviet embassy in Italy. The inscription on the stele reads: “A

Faith · Books · Society

The stranger who is among you shall mount above you higher and higher, and you shall go down lower and lower; he shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail

Deuteronomy 28:43-44

Architecture · The East · Heritage · New York · Society

Trump's order cutting foreign aid deprives World Monuments Fund of seven grants

Trump's order cutting foreign aid from the USA has struck heritage protection programmes. The US presidential administration plans to cut around $60 billion of foreign assistance, including the closure of almost half of overseas grants. One of the organisations affected is the New York-based World Monuments Fund:

NB! · Architecture · Moscow · Heritage · Society

Russian Ministry of Culture Signs State Contract for Restoration Work on Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square

The Russian Ministry of Culture has signed a state contract for restoration work on Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square. The value of the contract is 19.6 million roubles. The deadline for completing the work under the state contract is 27 August 2026.

Books · Moscow · Education · Society

Karion Istomin's illustrated Primer, published at the Print Yard in 1694

Presidential adviser Yelena Yampolskaya proposes abandoning the "Azbuka" and calling it the "Bukvar" Well then, I propose that we return to the ancient Primer of Karion Istomin, hieromonk of the Chudov Monastery in Moscow, writer and court poet, who produced the first illustrated Russian alphabet book.

Faith · Observations · Society

During yesterday's telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, Vladimir Putin once again congratulated the pontiff on his election and wished him success in the discharge of his lofty mission

Both sides noted the great personal contribution of Pope Francis to strengthening relations between Russia and the Holy See. It was agreed to continue efforts aimed at the further development of these ties in the interests of building a more just world order. Particular attention was given to the situation

Mores · Society · People

The family business of Christian Dior was remarkable, and economic historians of France write of it with considerable respect

The production of quality fertilisers lent serious support to the agricultural boom of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was precisely in these years that crop farming and animal husbandry were wholly transformed. The zenith of French agriculture is usually placed in the period from 185+ to 1880:

NB! · Society · People

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Europe may be "destroyed" unless the EU goes on allowing millions of "non-Europeans" to flood the continent

Observations · Education · Society

BBC website in Pidgin English compared with news services in simplified German

It seems the Anglo-Saxons have finally surrendered. At any rate, they have certainly surrendered their language. The BBC website has a version in English, or, to put it as gently as possible, in its Afro-ghetto variety. Try reading any news item in this dialect. It is as though

Old Russian icon of an angel with a halo and grey wings, in a red robe, holding a round object in one hand.

Mores · Society

Sofia and Mikhail lead the list of children's names in Russia since the start of the year

Mikhail and Sofia Become the Most Popular Names for Children in Russia in 2025. Since the beginning of this year, 7,177 children have been named Sofia. Second place in the popularity stakes goes to Eva, third to Anna. This year Russia has also acquired 8,830 new Mikhails. Among

Architecture · Museums · Society · Paris

Funding for the €1 billion Louvre renovation remains uncertain

Never Enough for Them! Funding for the Louvre renovation project remains in question, reports TANR. Since 2021 the director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, has been promoting the "Grand Louvre" project, which envisages a large-scale reconstruction of the museum, including the building of a new entrance

Moscow · Observations · Society · Saint Petersburg

Changing titles of the heads of Moscow and Saint Petersburg from the 18th century

Ever wondered why Moscow has a mayor, while Saint Petersburg has a governor? The titles of the highest officials in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are governed by regional legislation. Both Moscow and Saint Petersburg are constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and each decides for itself what