On May 12, 2011, the Munich court pronounced the verdict, which was the latest in a long string of years of litigation. A 90-year-old man was sitting in the dock. The accused did not fully admit his guilt in aiding the fascists, in atrocities and executions, in the fact that it was he who was nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible" in the Nazi camp of Treblinka for his sadism and torture of prisoners. The case of an old retired man from America resulted in a serious international scandal that lasted about 40 years. Consideration of an appeal on
Russian culture is rich in its own traditions, ceremonies and rituals. Most of them appeared from the time of ancient Russia, when paganism still reigned, and were passed down from generation to generation. Almost all rituals are associated with the unity of man and nature. Our ancestors believed in the powers of gods and spirits, so many rituals were of a mystical nature. The most important ceremonies were associated with the birth of a person, initiation into adulthood, and the creation of a family. Our ancestors believed that if the ritual is not performed
Cities are like books. They are full of secrets, intrigues and exciting stories with an unusual ending. For them merciless battles were fought, they were conquered and divided, destroyed and erected, worshiped and honored. But one way or another, each of them went down in history with its own beginning and end, leaving an indelible mark in the hearts of the majestic civilizations of different times, however, as well as in the souls of modern people who have been there at least once
For high growth - 187 centimeters - Lobanovsky-player was nicknamed "Gusak". He also had a lyrical nickname - "Red Sunflower". Later, for the habit of staggering at the coaching place, he was dubbed the "Pendulum". Wards for his excessive rigidity and exactingness behind the eyes called him "Hitler". But, be that as it may, the legendary football coach Valery Lobanovsky raised more than one generation of world-famous players, raising them to the highest level of the podiums
In the early spring of 1960, the crew of the American aircraft carrier Kearsarge discovered a small barge in the middle of the ocean. On board were four emaciated Soviet soldiers. They survived by feeding on leather belts, tarpaulin boots and industrial water. But even after 49 days of extreme drift, the soldiers told the American sailors who found them something like this: help us only with fuel and food, and we will get home ourselves
It seems that she herself did not fully understand why she succumbed to momentary feelings and agreed to go to Iran along with a person whom she had known for only a few hours. Surely, it seemed to Claudia Rybina that a magical oriental fairy tale was coming to life in her life. But the reality was not fabulous at all. And soon the girl had to flee from the harem, risking to pay with her own life for disobeying her master
What attracts tourists to the birthplace of Japanese geisha: the Gion area is a place worth visiting
Centuries ago, the Gion area, nestled east of the Kamo River, was a resting place for pilgrims on their way to Yasaka Shrine, the home of the ronin and the birthplace of the Japanese geisha. Today it is known for its unique, historical atmosphere, as well as for the Japanese traditions that have survived through the centuries. What interesting things can you see in the area and what to do here?
On September 22, 1943, partisans and underground fighters managed to liquidate the General Commissioner of Belarus Wilhelm Cuba. The operation to destroy one of the fascist leaders, who was guilty of the death of a huge number of civilians, was of great importance - the myth of the inaccessibility of leaders of this rank collapsed, confidence grew in the need to actively fight against the enemy by all possible means
When the influenza pandemic began in 1918, many people really wanted instant answers to their questions. They were interested not only in why it all happened and when it would finally end. For the most part, everyone was extremely curious, but what is there, beyond the threshold of being? What happens to us after we leave for another world and what kind of world is this actually? Is it possible to communicate with deceased loved ones?
In history, more than once they talked with children about military duty in order to then dress them up in uniforms or send them to fight the enemies of faith or the state. For children, it almost always ended sadly. But they do not stop using them in our time, despite all the historical lessons
Of all the spies who contributed to the defeat of the Nazis, Juan Pujol Garcia stands alone. His story boggles the imagination with its implausibility, it looks more like a spy novel, rather than reality. Just because Garcia was no spy, he was a Spanish farmer who dreamed of enlisting in British intelligence. He was also an adventurer and a liar. And so amazing that he managed to circle around his finger the entire German elite, led by Hitler
One of the main desires of Adolf Hitler, the founder of the Nazi regime, a bloody dictator who unleashed the most terrible war in the history of mankind, was to seize power over the world in order to rule the Aryans and spread a new, perfect race of supermen on the planet. To bring this idea to life, the Lebensborn project (translated from German - "source of life") was developed, the implementation of which relied on the Institute for Racial Research, which was part of the organization "Ahnenerbe"
November 1944. The Second World War is drawing to a close. The USSR and the USA are reliable allies who helped each other. And suddenly - an air battle. American pilots attacked Soviet forces by mistake. This battle almost led to a full-fledged war between the two powers
A lot of proverbs apply to Ursula Kuczynski. The Soviet super-spy lived disguised as a strict wife and mother from the Cotswolds in the middle of the English countryside. "Don't judge a book by its cover." And, of course, "First impressions are not always right." In Ursula's case, everyone's first impression was as wrong as possible. Locals in the Cotswolds knew her as "Mrs. Burton" who bakes delicious cookies
In the summer of 1941 in the Belarusian sanatorium "Krynki" children of primary school age were resting and undergoing treatment. The majority are diagnosed with infantile enuresis. There was a second shift and nothing foreshadowed trouble … War broke out, and in early July the Osipovichi district was occupied by fascist punitive units. The sanatorium for children turned into a ghetto: instead of good doctors and educators, the Nazis came here
The sniper Rosa Shanina was distinguished among her fellow-in-arms by the ability to conduct high-precision shooting at a moving target. On the account of the young woman, according to various sources, from 60 to 75 Wehrmacht soldiers, of which at least 12 are enemy snipers. The newspapers of the allied countries called Shanina the "invisible horror" of the Nazis of the East Prussian Front, and Soviet magazines published photos of a charming sniper girl on their covers. Rose did not live to see Victory for several months, remaining in history as the 1st woman sniper, n
Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was the first Soviet leader to dare to visit the United States of America. The trip lasted exactly thirteen days. The secretary general visited Hollywood, hung out with Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. He even visited an American farm and met with the chairman of IBM. What Khrushchev dreamed of accomplishing during his visit and why this was not destined to come true, further in the review
In the summer of 1944, the fate of the Eiffel Tower hung in the balance. This Parisian landmark, which had long ceased to belong only to the French, was saved only by the will of the general, who violated Hitler's direct order. What was it - heroism for the sake of the most valuable heritage of world culture or a completely cynical practical calculation?
This month marks 200 years since the founding of the Guardian print publication in Manchester. For the Guardian's international editor, Julian Borger, part of the magazine's history is deeply personal. In 1938, a wave of classified ads erupted there as parents, including his grandparents, tried to get their children out of Nazi Germany. What came of this and what happened to these families later?
Two ancient professions - military and ladies of easy virtue have always gone hand in hand. In order to control an army of young and strong men for a long time, it was necessary to take care of all their physiological needs. It is not surprising that at all times violence was accepted in the occupied territories, although there was an alternative - brothels, in the creation of which the Germans especially succeeded during the Second World War
On the lands of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, among the beautiful wooded hills, stands a theater right in the open air. It's called Thingst ä tte. From here you can enjoy a splendid view of the nearby city of Heidelberg. The amphitheater was built by the Nazis during their reign with propaganda purposes for performances and popular gatherings. Hitler thus tried to imitate ancient Greek theatrical culture. The powerful civilization of the past admired the ruling elite of the Third Reich. Ka
It is impossible to establish the exact time period for the appearance of snipers. The closest thing to the truth is the statement that the jaeger military units stood at the origins of the sniper craft. During the rule of linear tactics, these units were formed by the most well-aimed marksmen, who operated in loose combat. The first jaeger battalion in the army ranks appeared in Russia in 1764. And although the gamekeepers are considered the predecessors of modern snipers, there was a significant difference between them
The words of the commander Suvorov: "A bullet is a fool, and a bayonet is a fine fellow", did not lose their urgency during the Patriotic War of 1942. The powerful "superweapon" of the Russians called "hand-to-hand combat" more than once helped the Red Army to defeat enemies, despite the numerical superiority of the latter. The skill of using melee weapons, plus the moral strength of the soldiers, made them deadly opponents in close combat both at the end of the 18th century and in the middle of the 20th century
During the Soviet period of social equality, the elite party elite fared much better than most of the population. But if we really emphasize this fact, then we should not forget about something else. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the children of the first leaders ended up at the front. Stalin's sons, the offspring of Khrushchev, Beria and many others fought. "Golden youth", as they would say now, did not sit out in the headquarters. Many never returned home, demonstrating social justice by personal example
Service dogs made their contribution to the victory of our troops over the Nazis, about whose exploits many memoirs have been written. However, other animals also “fought” at the front, and this fact, unfortunately, is not so widely known. Alas, the participation of combat camels, donkeys, deer and even elk in the Great Patriotic War remained almost unnoticed. Meanwhile, these ungulates were indispensable helpers to our fighters
It is difficult to judge the benefits of the "People's Commissar" one hundred grams now, but this topic is still being discussed. Some historians believe that alcohol helped to endure the hardships of trench life, others that it contributed to unnecessary sacrifices due to dulling the sense of danger. Still others are of the opinion that the practice of consuming alcohol in military conditions did not have a significant meaning and did not have any noticeable effect on the soldier's life
“Andryusha, you love me as I love you. You know what kind of wealth love is. True, some believe that my love is somehow different and from her, they say, one harm. Or maybe, in fact, my love prevented you from being an exemplary schoolboy? After all, I never whipped you in all nine school years
In the winter of 1942, an unusual recruit arrived at the Volkhov front. Academician Nikolai Alexandrovich Morozov decided to defend the Motherland. A world-renowned scientist shot perfectly, so after checking he became a sniper and inflicted significant damage on the enemy. To see the famous thinker, officers and soldiers from other units specially came to the battalion, because at that time the miracle fighter was already 87 years old. His vitality and physical stamina were amazing, even if you forget about the knee
During the reign of Joseph Stalin, and for minor sins, heads from high-ranking military officials could fly, not to mention being in German captivity. Captivity was often automatically considered a betrayal, for which they were punished as a serious crime, sent to be shot or for many years in prison. The Soviet military leader, Lieutenant General Mikhail Lukin spent almost four years in captivity, but on Stalin's personal order, no investigation was conducted against him - the case limited
A small humorous sketch from our life. In the Moscow metro, at the exit from the Arbatskaya station escalator, a stray foreigner approaches a Russian guy for help. Further, the story on behalf of the protagonist
Fans of pop music called Charles Aznavour the French Frank Sinatra, and in 1998 Time magazine awarded him the title of the best pop artist of the 20th century. And he was also a man with a wide soul with a huge heart, which seemed to be enough for everyone. On October 1, 2018, the great chansonnier passed away. In memory of him - the most vivid statements of Charles Aznavour, which, perhaps, will help someone to look at life from an unexpected angle
A unique collection of anthropological portraits of the inhabitants of the Pechersk Territory appeared in 1868 thanks to the researcher K. Tchaikovsky. Thanks to these photographs, you can get an idea of what the people of the Perm Territory looked like about 150-200 years ago
Our own electronic library of Soviet textbooks is a valuable acquisition both for parents who want to help their children in their studies, and for schoolchildren and students who want to improve their knowledge in various subjects. We offer a good selection of textbooks from the times of the USSR, which will be a good help for those who are disappointed with modern school books
Historical monuments and monuments, like lighthouses, illuminate important milestones in the history of the state, reminding people of significant dates and events. Sometimes, when creating sculptures, the authors make mistakes associated with a deliberate free interpretation or ordinary incompetence. Today we will consider several famous Russian monuments containing historical errors in the field of stavrography
Along with the awards of international film festivals and laudatory reviews of experts, the film "Leviathan" and its director Andrei Zvyagintsev received a flurry of criticism from various figures of Russian culture and politics. To better understand what the famous director wanted to say in his work, we decided to figure out what role the sea monster Leviathan played in history, philosophy and theology, whose image is based on the film
In 1980 T.V. Dianova, the Facial Manuscript of the 17th century was published in facsimile. "Legends of the Mamayev Massacre" (State Historical Museum, collection of Uvarov, No. 999a) [19]. A quarter of a century has passed since then, but the book turned out to be completely not included in the scientific circulation {1}, although it contains many completely unique messages
Despite the abundance of ancient crosses held both in the hands of archaeologists and in various collections, the layer of historical science associated with them has practically not been studied. In the overview essay, we will briefly talk about the types and types of Old Russian body crosses of the 11th-13th centuries
Recently, an unusual competition was held in Germany - the Ugly Dance World Championship. During the competition, dressed in horrific costumes, dance groups from different countries tried to demonstrate the most disgusting dance steps from their arsenal in order to win the title of the most disgusting dancers of this year. The organizers say that in this way, they try to reveal new forms and types of strange and ugly, but attractive choreography
Humanity still remembers the times when the flight to the moon was considered something from the realm of fantasy. Such dreamers were considered, at best, city madmen. At worst, they were burned at the stake. Today, spaceships not only actively "plow the expanses of our Universe", but also deliver cargo, astronauts and space tourists to Earth's orbit. Few people know that even 400 years before the first man flew into space, a multistage rocket had already been invented. Scientists have discovered the mysteries
At first glance, everything is decorous in Tolstoy's family. Only wife, marriage for love. But she knew better than others about the demons who tormented her husband. Why did the bride walk down the aisle in tears and whom did she dream of killing? The answers to these questions can be found in the diaries of the spouses. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is a writer read by the whole world. Many of his works are autobiographical and, of course, each of them reflects the author's worldview. And Tolstoy's biography is no less interesting than his novels