If you stop for a moment and look around, the signs of aging can be seen everywhere. From the burnt paint, the worn out wooden floor to the marks on your favorite sofa from the muzzle of a no less beloved dog … Everything flows, everything is constantly changing and is completely subject to time. You can call it dilapidation, wear and tear, or history, but the process cannot be reversed. And that's fine from the point of view of existential philosophy. The selection below contains some of the most intriguing examples of how the
Habitat 2023, March
The belief that a wedding day is the best day in life is still alive today. The best proof of this is the endless stories of how people want everything to be perfect and spoil everything with the same. There are couples who have spent their entire lives together. There are those who believe that they made a mistake in choosing a partner and survived a divorce. But what happens between the sacramental yes and the day it ends? Married life is full of all kinds of customs and strange things that are said to be "the way it should be." Dale
Many people think about visiting Japan at least once in their life. This is an amazing country! Sometimes it seems that her place is in fairy tales, and not on planet Earth. There is an indescribable sense of passion, modernity and love for its citizens, almost unparalleled in the world. Japan is not only about anime, manga, samurai and Sony. The culture of this beautiful and sometimes mysterious country is much deeper and more fascinating. Read the most interesting facts about Japan further in the review
When we decide to have a pet, we hardly expect that now our life will belong to him, and not vice versa. It doesn't matter who your pet, cat or dog is - fun is guaranteed. Often, owners will act out for their pets' mischief, allowing themselves to annoy them a little. In the process of creative search, pictures of the miraculous transformations of our beloved four-legged mischievous people into … the Pope appeared
Breeders worked tirelessly to ensure that there were a great many breeds of dogs of all sizes, shapes, fatness, fluffiness and "cuteness" in the world. There were times when all these dogs looked a little different. Some breeds have undergone minor changes, while others are simply unrecognizable! Let's see what the most popular dog breeds were a century ago
At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, an incident occurred that led many to believe in miracles. Australian speed skater Stephen Bradbury won the gold medal and became a national hero in his homeland, because before that, the Olympians from the hot continent had never become the first in winter sports. The circumstances of this race were so striking that the expression "doing a Bradbury" appeared in English. Literally it means “to achieve success without making an effort
Looking at these incredibly delicious and luxuriously served dishes, I want to try them right there. However, if you get closer and take a closer look, you immediately start laughing. This is admitted by many who have ever seen a "product" made by Kate Jenkins. The fact is that she is a craftswoman and all her seafood masterpieces, assorted vegetables, spectacular toasts and even rolls are knitted of wool
It's hard to believe, but celebrities often do noble deeds in order to get publicity in the media. People who can afford to buy an animal of any, the most expensive breed, take four-legged animals at the shelter or straight from the street. In this collection there are Hollywood (and not only) stars who did the right thing and gave love, care, comfort and warmth to homeless animals. Many personalities will surprise you
The capital of Great Britain is home to many wonderful places that attract tourists from different countries: London Bridge, Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral. However, true travel enthusiasts often venture outside of the city's iconic landmarks. They get to know the city from a completely different perspective, and today we invite our readers to get to know another London
In New Zealand, authorities are trying in vain to get rid of hedgehogs. Lovely animals were brought into the country many years ago by the British colonialists, they awakened in them nostalgic memories of their homeland. Since then, the population of these animals has grown to enormous proportions. There are no predators in the country that would regulate it in a natural way. Now hedgehogs are literally destroying local flora and fauna. The government is trying to fight the problem. They try to catch thorny hooligans. They are hunted and hunted. Folded
This world famous life-size wax museum features 100 biblical scenes and over 325 wax figures. Each scene is complemented by wall panels that are individual for each story. The heroes are dressed in authentic costumes. Also, atmospheric music sounds there, accompanied by original texts from the Bible. Everything looks more than perfect. Only if you take a closer look at the characters, you will notice that they are an exact copy of Hollywood stars. How is it so semi
Despite the fact that there are many amazing mosques and simply interesting buildings in the Middle East, it is believed that it is in Yemen that you can see the most valuable architectural masterpieces of the ancient Arab world. And by the way, some of these buildings have more than a thousand! There are many amazing houses in this eastern country - for example, bright vertical houses with flat roofs, similar to gingerbread, which are especially abundant in the capital of Yemen, Sana'a
Ambuluwawa in Sri Lanka is perhaps the most terrifying of all the towers. Climbing it is not just creepy, but very creepy, because the closer you get to the top, the narrower the spiral staircase becomes. And you look down - and you see an abyss. And the low railings with a fairly large distance between the posts only add to the fear. However, the gorgeous views from this tower and the opportunity to take selfies in super-extreme conditions force even those who are afraid of heights to climb to the very top
When the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, museums, galleries and other cultural institutions closed their doors tightly to visitors. New life - new rules. Today's reality is the so-called social distancing. But don't worry. Some virus is not able to deprive humanity of culture. Many of these establishments have moved online. This selection contains a list of the most interesting museum exhibits so that you can join the achievements of world culture without waiting for the moment
Some places on our planet are able to amaze the imagination with their mere appearance. Sometimes nature itself creates pictures that resemble magical desserts, but it also happens that architects, inspired by the types of air meringues or cream cakes, create real masterpieces. The purpose of some buildings does not seem to match their appearance at all, but they look really appetizing
The outgoing year, to be sure, turned out to be difficult, but for some it became especially fatal. For example, for the Briton Ian Jones, he certainly cannot be called happy. While at work in India, the man managed to catch malaria, dengue fever, twice get sick with coronavirus, and in addition to all this, he was bitten in a foreign land by a poisonous king cobra. He can be called a truly unlucky person. However, depending on the angle at which you look at it. Perhaps, on the contrary, he is lucky? After all
Diwali is the most important holiday in India, symbolizing the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. This five-day festival of lights is celebrated by over a billion people of different religions. It is a family holiday with prayers, amazing fireworks and, for some, the beginning of a new year. Fascinating and mystical history of the famous Indian holiday, further in the review
Gold threads, precious and semi-precious stones, beads, silk, velvet and men's hands - this is the "recipe" for Persian embroidery, which is considered a real miracle. Some of these masterpieces take decades and cost a fortune. Ancient sewing Zardozi is still remembered today in many countries: in Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but Indian masters are considered the most skillful
The expansion of the Volga water area and the allocation of vast territories for reservoirs is a question that is still considered controversial. On the one hand - cheap electricity, which, by the way, we still use, on the other - the flooding of agricultural lands, forests and ancient monuments. The skeletons of ancient churches, towering above the water surface, have been attracting tourists and simply not indifferent people for many years. Some of the shrines today are trying to save
In small Russian towns and even villages, you can sometimes find such unique architectural gems, for which it is worth to overcome many kilometers. The Church of Elijah the Prophet in the town of Teikovo, Ivanovo region, is one such example. It is believed that this architectural masterpiece, made in the style of Russian ornamentation, with a ringing, crowned with a tent, has no analogues. It is surprising that in the Petrine era, along with the temples of the Naryshkin style that were fashionable at that time, such
The most famous temples in the world, as a rule, amaze with their architecture, and their photos can be viewed endlessly. However, even the most perfect things, someone will undertake to improve. For example, there was a daredevil photographer who invited the society to look at the masterpieces of architecture from a different angle. Richard Silver is a photographer with a unique style of capturing famous buildings: he shoots temples from the inside in such a way that something incredible looks like kaleidoscope patterns
This famous cathedral in Kronstadt is often called the "Naval Cathedral". Magnificent from an architectural point of view and majestic, it was built by analogy with the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, but in the end it turned out to be absolutely original and unique. This is the largest naval cathedral in our country and, in general, the last cathedral to be built in the Russian Empire. In fact, it is both an architectural monument, a temple - the "patron saint" of sailors, and a maritime museum
The monastery in which this interesting cathedral is located was named Spaso-Bethany in honor of one of the most important evangelical events - the resurrection of righteous Lazarus by Christ, which took place in the city of Bethany. It is described that by the will of Jesus Lazarus was resurrected on the fourth day after death, after which he lived for another thirty years. The monastery, based on the land near Moscow, four kilometers from Sergiev Posad, reminds of this event. This place is often called for short: Bethany
The world famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will once again become a mosque. A place of such religious importance for both Christians and Muslims has been in existence for fifteen centuries. Since 1934, Hagia Sophia has become a museum and has attracted millions of tourists every year. Now Turkey has unconditionally announced that the cathedral will become a mosque and has already passed the first prayer. Why is it so important that even atheists should know about it?
Point Nemo is the most remote place on Earth from land. As you might guess, it was named after the well-known captain from the novel by Jules Verne. The perfect place to hide a spaceship. It was here, under the waters of the Pacific Ocean, that the ships found their last resting place, plowing the vast expanses of our Universe. Surprising facts about the lifeless pole of inaccessibility, where the cemetery of the dead ships was arranged, further in the review
This Indian temple is definitely worth a visit. Firstly, it is very ancient and is even considered by some to be the oldest temple in India. Secondly, you can see incredibly intricate and original stone carvings here. Thirdly, the figures of this temple evoke curiosity, admiration, and bewilderment among tourists at the same time - they are very indecent
The possible existence of the Loch Ness Monster is a world famous mystery in Scotland. The chance to see Nessie attracts thousands of sensation-hungry tourists to the region every year. Over the past year, the mythical monster has been spotted only a couple of times. Apparently, Nessie kept social isolation well. In late November, Aberdeen resident Karen Scott was enjoying the serene landscape at Arkart Castle. Suddenly, at a cursory glance at the surface of the water, an extraordinary sight opened up to her
Orthodox churches are not as conservative buildings as they might seem at first glance. Most of them, of course, are built in the traditional style, but among the temples there are so extraordinary and striking in their originality that all that remains is to throw up your hands and marvel at the creativity of those who erected them. We present to you a kind of rating of the most unusual Orthodox churches from different parts of the world
There is an infinitely huge number of things in the world that not only surprise, but amaze the imagination. A certain Today I Learned subreddit was even created. This is the place where people go to get their daily dose “Oh, I didn't know that! How amazing!". Users are constantly there sharing random but interesting facts that they just discovered. There you can find the most curious information about everything in the world. In the selection of the most popular and interesting communities
Pasha Abramov from the Russian city of Arzamas is known in many parts of the world. One day he took a brush and paints in his hands and began to draw cats and dogs. The child decided to help stray animals. But how? Very simple. With the money he received from the portraits, he began to buy food and other things necessary for cats and dogs. And then, together with his mother, Pavel launched a whole charitable project - "Art Pate"
Great architects of the 20th century are people with extraordinary thinking. Of course, not all of them lived or live in houses built according to their own designs, but still some were lucky enough to try out their most daring ideas on themselves. These people made incredibly original houses and lived in them for their pleasure. We offer you to familiarize yourself with several such projects
In a traditional Japanese house there are no windows familiar to a European, there are no doors either, furniture is not easy to find, and you have to walk barefoot. And yet, this style of interior decoration remains surprisingly popular and attractive, even for those who do not delve into the philosophy of Japanese Buddhism and simply appreciate the brevity and simplicity of the interior
Architecture is designed to satisfy both practical and artistic requirements. Therefore, her goals are appropriate - utilitarian, on the one hand, and aesthetic, on the other. When a person views any building, the first thing he notes is its visual beauty. Of course, it also happens that one property is implemented at the expense of another. In addition, silent structures can tell a lot. Architectural works know everything about the history, traditions and artistic tastes of the environment
Overweight women want and can look stylish and fashionable. There are many companies that produce plus-size clothing for ladies. Different brands understand beauty and fashion in their own way. Sometimes their collections look strange, to put it mildly. Hannah recently came across a clothing line on TikToker that she found so ridiculous that she released some funny videos on the topic. The woman criticized the ugly and inappropriate outfits for the fat ones to smithereens. This funny series attracted
"Fu, kitsch!" - we throw disdainfully when we see some lurid, strange, tasteless thing. Alessandro Mendini, a key figure in Italian design, called his creations kitsch with undisguised pride, and called himself Harlequin, designed to delight people
In fact, no matter how skeptical people are about all kinds of TV shows, where ugly girls are made stylish fashionable beauties, perhaps every woman would dream of such a transformation. Stylist from Kazakhstan Madi Bekdair gives them this opportunity, and not only young or middle-aged women, but even simple grandmothers. He launched a project called "Cardinal Transformation". And it doesn't matter at all who you are - an office employee who was unexpectedly promoted to boss, or a simple
Paola Navone is one of the few famous women in the industrial design world. Her creative manner denies existing styles and trends in design. While her colleagues create furniture, Paola creates whole worlds where the past is intertwined with the future, tradition with technology, the East with the West
Beauty standards are constantly changing. Fashion forced women to exhaust themselves with diets for the sake of a slim figure, go for risky plastic surgeries and other unhealthy steps in order to meet a certain standard. As a counterbalance, a whole social movement "Bodypositive" emerged. Respected fashion magazines began to publish photos of plus-size models on their covers. Such publications cause a lot of ridicule and an extremely negative reaction from many people. Broken on both sides of the barricades
One of the most little-known landmarks in Rome, the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola (Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola) is just a block from the Pantheon. This incredible 17th century Baroque church has a high façade overlooking the square and an ornate interior that is considered one of the finest in all of Rome. But the most important thing is hidden under the dome of this unique medieval building
How many uninhabited islands remain on Earth at the beginning of the third millennium? Units, tens? In fact, there are much more - there are many hundreds of these deserted pieces of land surrounded by water, both very small and larger. Many retain their "uninhabited" status for objective reasons - excessively harsh climate, lack of vegetation and minerals, difficult living conditions. Others have been turned into reserves. The third is perfectly able to play the role of mysterious islands, ready