During Alexander I's visit to London in 1814, the looks and attire of the Russian aristocrats, and indeed the Tsar himself, made a great impression on English society

During Alexander I's visit to London in 1814, the looks and attire of the Russian aristocrats, and indeed the Tsar himself, made a great impression on English society. Russian dress came into fashion once more, and Englishwomen arrayed themselves in sarafans. The sarafan became one of Princess Charlotte's favourite outfits, and she is captured in it in many portraits. This one, of French azure silk with gold braid and lace, was made in Britain. She wore the sarafan during her pregnancy: the long skirt, falling from a high waist just under the bust, covers the belly and leaves the silhouette graceful. Once a popular item of the wardrobe with Russian roots, two centuries on it is, alas, so rarely seen in fashion, although even today it looks splendid. Originally, in Rus', the sarafan was men's clothing and looked more like a dressing gown or a kaftan; gradually shedding various elements, it turned into a woman's unfastened dress with bare arms, while the buttons and the fastening down the middle are a purely decorative element, a tribute to the historical meaning of this garment.

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At the close of the Strugatskys' "Roadside Picnic" the Golden Sphere is asked for this: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to leave no one aggrieved, but the digest really does come free

At the close of the Strugatskys' "Roadside Picnic" the Golden Sphere is asked for this: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to leave no one aggrieved, but the digest really does come free. So, here is the

Frederic Leighton

Frederic Leighton. “Daedalus and Icarus”, 1869 Daedalus warns his son not to climb too high: the heat of the sun may melt the wax, but Icarus is already gazing into the distance, and the lamentations of a foolish old man interest him not in the least

During Alexander I's visit to London in 1814, the looks and attire of the Russian aristocrats, and indeed the Tsar himself, made a great impression on English society

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At the close of the Strugatskys' "Roadside Picnic" the Golden Sphere is asked for this: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to leave no one aggrieved, but the digest really does come free

Frederic Leighton

Attempts to resolve the problems of many years of uncontrolled mass migration

Characters from Gogol's "Petersburg Tales" on the pedestal of the monument to Nikolai Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard, photograph of the 1960s