Miscellaneous 2024, November

"The Master and Margarita" is Bulgakov's cult book, which gained immense popularity among schoolchildren of the nineties. In a way, by the amount of controversy surrounding her, she was the "Harry Potter" of that generation. But, after re-reading it to adults, you can find that many important details previously passed by

Recently, Sergei Zhigunov made an official statement about parting with his wife, actress Vera Novikova, showing the divorce certificate on social networks. Their marriage broke up for the second time - in 2007 they already parted after 20 years of marriage. After that, Vera Novikova found the strength to give her husband a second chance and married him again. And now she had to go through the same thing again, and the most painful thing was that she learned about the reason for their divorce from the media - just like 13 years ago

Hollywood (and not only) films have firmly fixed in the minds of the average person a certain collective image about Ancient Rome and the people living in that era. Half-naked gladiators with perfect torsos and a tan, an idle lifestyle and battles, a slave system and endless war - this is perhaps only a small part of what is rooted in the minds of contemporaries as historical data about Ancient Rome. Which of this is true and which is not?

For contemporaries who form their understanding of the war on the basis of films and stories of veterans, the soldier's life is left behind the scenes. Meanwhile, for soldiers, as well as for any other person, adequate living conditions are vital. When it came to mortal danger, everyday trifles faded into the background, and in military field conditions there could be no talk of convenience at all. How did the Soviet soldiers get out of the situation and how did their life differ from the German one?

Ekaterina Starshova has not acted in films for a long time, but her popularity, which came in her childhood, turned out to be so great that the 19-year-old girl is still reaping the fruits of her former glory. How she lives now, what she does and what does "father's daughter" Polina, nicknamed Pugovka, look like, then - in our publication

It seems that the creator of Cheburashka, Gena the crocodile and Matroskin the cat is a kind-hearted man. More than one generation of children has grown up on the works of Eduard Uspensky, and his name is associated with his favorite characters in books and cartoons. But the writer's daughter, even two years after his death, shrinks with fear, remembering the man who gave her life. Tatyana Uspenskaya also opposes that the prize for children's literature "Big Fairy Tale" bears the name of her father

Paraphrasing a well-known proverb, we can say that "Memes will not be made from a bad actor." Only a truly talented person will be able to transform into his hero so much that even a screen with a video will be perceived by viewers with a bang and replicated on the Internet. But the real skill of the actor is not only to completely immerse himself in his character, but also to create a new personality on the screen with his own gestures, colorful facial expressions and outlook on life. Photos of stars, oli

The arrival of the conquistadors in the New World is considered an outstanding event, however, it was not at all a noble mission. The appearance of the Spaniards in America really led to new research and discoveries, but their price was too high. The Spanish conquistadors were brutal colonizers who managed to make the king of Spain fabulously wealthy, but at the same time they robbed and killed most of the indigenous population

Today no family can do without potatoes. It is eaten as a daily dish, prepared for a holiday, and used for medicinal purposes. This is a familiar and beloved vegetable by many. But there were times when the potato was not only not recognized by the people, but also led to terrible unrest. How did it happen that the hated "damn apple" became mega-popular in Russia? Read about how the potato appeared in our country, what path it had to go, and what trick the government used to get

In the film "The Golden Calf", the neighbors in the communal apartment whipped Vasisualiy Lokhankin for not putting out the light on time. This story, perhaps, is exaggerated, but it has a fairly realistic basis. Of course, in Soviet communal apartments it did not come to the rod, but it was easy to run into the dissatisfaction of the "roommates" because of non-observance of generally accepted rules. By the way, the code of housing laws often ran counter to the official legislation. It was worse to argue with experienced tenants. And for beginners quickly

The abbreviation AK rarely needs additional decoding. There are more legends than facts about the creation of legendary weapons, as well as about the creator himself. Did Mikhail Timofeevich borrow German developments? Could a sergeant with a 7-grade education have realized such a successful project? Did third-party engineers help him? And why even the enemies of the Russians prefer the Kalashnikov assault rifle?

January 12, 1950 in the USSR by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the application of the death penalty to traitors to the Motherland, spies, demolition saboteurs" "at the request of the working people" reintroduced the death penalty for treason, espionage and sabotage. Today about the spies executed in the USSR

Historical films and TV series have always been popular with viewers. And this is not surprising, since even in the presence of artistic fiction, the atmosphere of the time is always present in them. Certain inaccuracies distinguish feature series from documentaries, making them more attractive, action-packed and dramatic. Our today's selection contains the best TV series that will help the viewer refresh knowledge about the history of Russia and, perhaps, even fill in some gaps

The Great Patriotic War ended, but nationalist formations remained and actively operated on the territory of the USSR. The largest of them fought against Soviet rule in western Ukraine. The leadership of these partisan detachments was carried out by Stepan Bandera, and the ideological reinforcement was taken by the writer and publicist, professor of state law at the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, editor of the newspaper "Samostiyna Ukraine" and a member of the OUN - Lev Rebet. Both of them after

In 1936-1937, the skating rink of Stalin's repressions mercilessly destroyed the best representatives of Soviet astronomy. It is hard to imagine that observing the heavenly bodies could somehow influence the state structure or ideology of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, in the case, which received the unofficial name "Pulkovskoe", scientists were shot, exiled to camps, deprived of property and rights. How did science hinder the leadership of the young Soviet state?

The coronation day of the last emperor went down in the history of the Russian State not only with the accession to the throne of the new tsar, but also as the day of one of the most terrible events, when more than a thousand people died in a stampede at a festivities in a few hours. And after that, the coronation celebrations were not even canceled, and the indifference of Nicholas II seemed truly cynical. What made him continue celebrating?

The work on the selection of films that can qualify for the most prestigious American film award "Oscar" has been going on for a whole year. They are subject to special requirements, according to which the premiere of the film, its distribution and filling in special forms are regulated. And sometimes it happens that a film is removed from the nomination for one reason or another. What films and for what were they deprived of the right to receive the prestigious award?

Until the end of the 18th century, the Korela fortress in Kexholm, located on the territory of present-day Priozersk, had an exclusively border value. Then they began to use it as a prison for political prisoners. At one time, the family of Emelyan Pugachev, Ioann Antonovich, the Semenovites, the Decembrists, the "Kyshtym Beast" Zotov, members of the circle of the Cretan brothers, millionaire Kharitonov and Petrashevets Chernosvitov were kept here. During the reign of Catherine II, a man was brought to the Kexholm fortress

Representatives of creative professions usually work with full dedication, sometimes forgetting that in addition to work, there is also family, friends, relatives. Undoubtedly, they need the support of loved ones, but very often it is their personal life and family happiness that sacrifice their careers and professional ambitions. In our roundup of celebrity families destroyed by careers today

This is the gripping life story of a Dutch aristocrat raised by parents with controversial political affiliations. She selflessly helped her country to resist the Nazis, she survived all the horrors of war and famine. Despite all this, Audrey Hepburn became a megastar, a foreigner who conquered the impregnable Hollywood. Few people know that Audrey led a double life. Her secret was that she was an activist in the Dutch Resistance during World War II. With the help of your extraordinary

Yemelyan Pugachev managed to remain in history one of the most famous state criminals for centuries. The rebellion raised by him covered vast lands, and the success of the business seriously threatened the imperial power. Most historians agree that there were serious forces behind the false Peter III, who was posing as a fugitive Cossack. After all, there were many impostors in Russia at that time, but only he succeeded

More than a hundred years have passed since those bloody events, but the controversy continues to this day. Who gave the order, did Lenin know about the destruction of the royal family, what happened to the executors of the sentence? These questions have not yet been answered unequivocally. The investigation of the ashes of the inmates of the Ipatiev House has not yet been completed. They are numbered among the Saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. Have those who committed this terrible crime paid the price and what kind of life they have lived?

Very often, the measure of a person's success is the funds that he managed to save during his active work, providing not only a comfortable life for himself, but also creating a significant financial cushion for children, and even grandchildren. But in recent years, more and more celebrities have announced their intention to leave children without an inheritance. What makes famous people make wills not at all in favor of the most dear people?

To find a wife, the Russian tsars of the 16th-17th centuries. arranged bridal shows, to which only the most beautiful and healthy virgins were allowed. Boyar families competed among themselves for the opportunity to marry their fiancee. The fate of eminent families and even the course of the history of the Moscow kingdom depended on the results of this medieval casting

There are frequent cases when writers, after listening to brilliant music, sat down to write their masterpieces. Famous musicians also draw inspiration from literature and create under its influence absolutely stunning symphonies and operas, musicals, ballets and songs. And Russian literature gives the desire to create today. Echoes of famous works can be heard not only in the works of Shostakovich or Tchaikovsky, but also in the songs of Zemfira, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and others

The most famous editors of glossy publications, such as Vogue, GQ, Tatler, Glamor and others, seem almost celestial to ordinary people. Their life is like an endless holiday, in which champagne flows like a river, and every day is filled with bright meetings, fashion shows and social events. Is this really so you can find out by getting acquainted with the memories of the most famous editors

This dazzling dancer, the daughter of a Spanish émigré, was called "the diamond of Hollywood." Men all over the world went crazy for her. The expression "sex bomb" and the name of the swimsuit "bikini" are associated with her name. The cocktail "Margarita" was named in her honor. She won the heart of filmmaker Orson Welles' impregnable bachelor, and then became the princess of Pakistan. But, having sacrificed everything, she returned to the set

After the main role in the film "Three Nuts for Cinderella" Libusha Shafrankova was imitated by millions of girls in different countries, and the boys fell in love with her and wrote passionate confessions. A real Prince also appeared in her life, and the actress herself tried to protect herself and her family from too close public attention. In recent years, she had a difficult time, she bravely endured pain and fought despair. But on June 9, 2021, Libushe Shafrankova's fairy tale ended

Ivan Pereverzev was not only a brilliant actor, but also an incorrigible womanizer and heartthrob. Women wrote him sensual letters and even threatened to commit suicide in the absence of an answer from him. Only at the age of 53 did he meet the one with whom he was able to build a real family. But fate released Ivan Pereverzev and Olga Solovyova only 11 years of happiness

These were two stars of the mid-twentieth century. The brilliant Rita Hayworth gained fame as the first sex symbol and was the ultimate dream of men of all ages and social classes. Orson Welles has been hailed as both the finest filmmaker and the greatest bluff of the century. They wanted to build the perfect Hollywood family. Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth truly and passionately loved each other, but their union was doomed

They started talking about this course right away. All the students were bright and talented, they were promised a great future. They entered VGIK in 1950, passed a competition of 200 people for a place, and after graduation, many became movie stars of the first magnitude. However, after a while, talented actors began to disappear from the screens and theatrical stage. The lives of the five most talented and brightest graduates ended in tragedy

Sensual and ephemeral, seductive and inaccessible, this is how the ladies of the fair sex appear before the viewer in the works of the genius Alphonse Mucha. His women are charming goddesses with luxurious hair, exuding languor and bliss. Their fleeting glances, careless movements, easy postures, graceful gestures - all this and much more was depicted by the artist with incredible accuracy, and all because he had his own special little secret - a passion for photography, which helped

Thanks to the film "Admiral" and the talent of Elizaveta Boyarskaya, the name of the common-law wife of Admiral Kolchak is known today even to schoolchildren. The moment of her voluntary surrender and the desire to share the fate of her beloved is a historical fact, but Anna Timireva's life did not end in 1920. She lived to a very advanced age and paid in full for her bright, but short-lived happiness. Few people know that in the 60s, an elderly woman worked part-time at Mosfilm, and we can even see her in a cameo role with Bon

The attitude of the Soviet government towards the Cossacks was extremely wary. And when the active phase of the civil war began, it was completely hostile. Despite the fact that some Cossacks voluntarily sided with the Reds, repressions were carried out against those who did not. Historians call a different number of victims of decossackization, but we can say for sure - the process was massive. And with the victims

Colonel-General Mikhail Gromov dedicated his life to aviation, making record-breaking non-stop flights. Being a natural explorer, the virtuoso and competent pilot did not see himself in the military industry, preferring risky test flights. He considered it necessary to go to the front only at the direction of the commander-in-chief. And few people then knew that behind the shoulders of Stalin's own confidant was the school of painting, the championship in weightlifting and serious achievements in the region

Despite the fact that the communists deny the existence of God and higher powers, the question arises, what's the difference in what to believe: in God and heaven or communism and a bright future? If both, in one way or another, fall under ideology, imply behavioral norms and even the cult of individual individuals? However, there are still a lot of similarities between religion and communism, which only explains the reason why the communists fought on such a large scale against religion in all its manifestations, rather trying to replace one

The Meredith stone, as it is also called, absolutely rightly bears the title of the mysterious. This unique egg-shaped artifact has baffled all the world's experts since its discovery in the late 19th century. Even today, no one really knows what it really is. What versions do modern scientists have on this score?

Curiosity cabinets, or modern cabinet of curiosities, were incredibly popular long before modern times. At their core, these are peculiar museums of postmodernism, which contained the most interesting, rare and often unique specimens from all over the world. How did the first Kunstkamera appear, what was in them and why over time their popularity faded away?

The love for porcelain was inherited by the Soviet inhabitants "by inheritance" from the old-regime fashion. The young Soviet state quickly enough transferred this hobby onto the rails of communist propaganda and started the production of porcelain figurines on new topics. Now, a hundred years later, Soviet collective farmers, athletes, heroes of Russian fairy tales and dancers in the outfits of the Union republics are becoming a rarity, so individual copies can be very expensive

For Vikings, reputation was the most important thing in life. In their opinion, human actions were the only thing that worried people for many years after their death. Therefore, the Vikings loved to celebrate the achievements of their ancestors and friends, and also tried to become famous for themselves, through exploration, conquest, raids or patronage of people who wrote songs: skalds. So, today we will talk about the ten rulers of the Vikings and the epic deeds that glorified them