There is an opinion that modern men prefer blondes. It was only recently that scientists discovered that cavemen had exactly the same preferences. A report from researchers at the University of St Andrews says that blonde hair and blue eyes began to appear in women in Northern Europe at the end of the Ice Age, and for a very specific reason. The results of their research were published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior
Mexican archaeologists have found the remains of the residences of the Aztec ruler Aksayakatl and the leader of the Spanish conquistadors Hernan Cortez in Mexico City. The ruins are located under a historic building in the central square of the capital. After the capture of Tenochtitlan in 1521, Cortes ordered to build a house on the site of the destroyed palace. This structure was also the temporary headquarters of the first ruler of New Spain. What secrets are hidden by the dwelling of a person who is considered guilty of the fall of one of the most
For centuries, Russian soldiers have defended their borders and attacked the enemy with a battle cry "Hurray!" This mighty, frightening call was heard in the Alpine mountains, on the hills of Manchuria, near Moscow and in Stalingrad. Victorious "Hurray!" often put the enemy to flight in inexplicable panic. And despite the fact that this cry has analogues in many modern languages, one of the most recognizable in the world is precisely the Russian version
Most people forget that many peoples of the world have emerged quite recently. Examples include South Sudan and East Timor. Also, few people remember that many once outstanding nations have ceased to exist completely. Human history is a long account of the rise and fall of nations, empires, and peoples that inhabit them. However, while empires collapse, rebellions fail, and cultures are lost in time, tiny remnants of various ethnic groups sometimes survive
What can be in common between the frenzied dances of African tribes and the solemn march to the orchestra during the festive parade? And how are musical instruments related to getting rid of fear and pain, and at the same time from your own "I"? Much stronger than one might think - all this unites a curious phenomenon called "combat trance"
The word carver, according to the explanatory dictionary, is a person who is engaged in wood carving or simply cuts something. And in pre-revolutionary Russia, this word was used to describe people who had nothing to do with such activities. They tirelessly traveled across the vast country and bought hair from peasant women. And then luxurious braids found special use. Read where the purchased hair went later, what they did in stupid workshops and how wigs protected soldiers during the war
The word "prehistoric" is usually applied to the earliest period of human development, up to the beginning of any recorded events. But because people around the world have evolved in different ways, the backstory begins and ends in different regions at different times. Europe is by no means an exception to this rule. Naturally, this does not mean that humanity did not develop before the invention of writing, or that people lived only as hunter-gatherers during all this time
The film career of this actress began in the 1970s, and in the early 1980s. her name became widely known after she starred in the movie "Racing Vertical". After a successful start, Irina Brazgovka disappeared from the screens for a long time. In the new century, her film path continued, and in her mature years she played more roles than in her youth. Recently, however, her name is most often mentioned outside the context of creative activity. 17 years after the birth of her daughter, the actress admitted that
In the 10th century, an event occurred that surprised many - the marriage of the ruler of a pagan country with a Byzantine princess took place. Vasily II and Constantine VIII, who jointly ruled the richest and most developed state in Europe, found it possible to give their sister Anna Porphyrogenitus in marriage to the pagan prince of Kiev Vladimir. And the prince himself, having been baptized, changed beyond recognition and baptized his people. His wife became his faithful assistant and like-minded person. It is thanks to the efforts of these two people that Ru
A real genius of art, an unrecognized master of fine crafts at one time, Salvador Dali was known to the world not only for his amazing works, which caused a lot of questions and gossip, but also for unique jewelry. Not accepted in the past, during the life of their creator, today they find a response in the hearts of people around the world, causing delight with their forms, meaning and, of course, delicate work
After the October Socialist Revolution of 1917, the new state launched a campaign to eradicate religion and its prejudices in the country. However, a quarter of a century later, when the Great Patriotic War broke out, the policy towards the Church changed. To inspire the people to fight the Nazi-German invaders, the secular government united with the patriotic clergy. Rapprochement against the background of confrontation with a common enemy led Stalin to plans to oust the Vatican from the scene m
Eleven centuries of the existence of the Cyrillic alphabet have not revealed all the secrets of its origin. Currently, it is known that this alphabet was not created by Saint Cyril, Equal to the Apostles, that the new writing replaced the ancient Slavic rune signs, which have not yet been studied, and that it was not only and not so much a tool of enlightenment as a means of political struggle
A gifted artisan, inspired by Japanese art and symbolism, Rene Lalique made a splash and revolution in jewelry. He created his own unique and inimitable style, mixing arts and crafts, graphics, poetry, perfumery, fashion design and much more. His works are still a national treasure of France and are kept in many museums, as well as in private collections around the world
From the very beginning of the existence of Soviet power, its policy acquired a pronounced anti-religious orientation. The decree on the separation of church and state was the first serious step. Not satisfied with this, the Bolshevik government launched an extensive educational work with the aim of the so-called liberation of the working masses from religious prejudices. An effective means for this was to be a campaign to uncover the relics of the saints venerated by the Russian Orthodox Church
Several memorable events are celebrated every year on January 25 in Russia. The first holiday - Tatiana's Day - is the Orthodox holiday of the Holy Martyr Tatiana (Tatiana) of Rome, and the second is the Russian Day of Students. At first glance, these two holidays have nothing in common. But, if you understand their history, it becomes clear why they are celebrated on the same day
Perhaps, in no other country has the relationship between state and religion been so diametrically opposed as in Russia, and in a relatively short period of time. Why did the Bolsheviks decide to get rid of the church, and, for example, not win it over to their side, because its influence on the population was always tangible. However, to tell the society to immediately stop believing in what they believed in all their life is practically impossible, because this struggle between religion and statehood was waged
In 1945, two brothers in Nag Hammadi, an area on the lower Nile, discovered a set of Gnostic gospels about Jesus, which recounted his childhood and early life. Accordingly, this find still causes a lot of controversy and disagreement among scientists, historians and believers, who believe that most of the texts are abhorrent to religious dogmas. After all, few people are ready to take into account the fact that what is written there may be the real truth
The Kostomaros Spassky Monastery, located not far from Voronezh, in one of the oldest settlements in the Don region, was formed in chalk pillars-outliers. And it was founded by the first Christians who fled to these lands from Byzantium. Even after the revolution, they hid here in cell caves, not wanting to give up their faith. This place is mysteriously attractive and incredibly beautiful. It is also called Russian Palestine
Famous explorers and adventurers often set out on dangerous journeys. Such expeditions have always been carefully thought out and prepared. Nevertheless, all these experienced people often disappeared without any trace under very, very mysterious circumstances. Remains and traces of some groups were never found. These famous explorers traveled to the most remote corners of the earth never to be seen again
Alexey Glyzin turned 67 in January 2021, but he is still in excellent physical shape, full of optimism and creative plans. True, his current popularity cannot be compared with that that accompanied the singer at the beginning of his career, when the hits "Winter Garden", "You Are Not an Angel" and "Late Evening in Sorrento" sang the whole country with him. Then he bathed in the rays of glory and was surrounded by numerous fans. He divorced his first wife, and the second, with whom Alexey Glyzin lived together
The Ganges is a river formed by the confluence of the Bhagirati and Alaknanda rivers, which is why it is the longest river in India that also flows through Bangladesh. Since ancient times, it was the Ganges that played a huge role in Indian civilization for more than two millennia, supporting its population through the waters and fertile plains, among other things. Since time immemorial, the Ganges has been considered a sacred river in Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, and has been mentioned in all Indian literature since ancient times
As soon as Alexander Zhurbin appeared on the doorstep of Irina Ginzburg's father's house, she understood immediately: this is her future husband and the father of her son. They have been writing their melody of happiness for 40 years. There is no falseness and wrong notes in this music. They compose their music and share it generously around the world
They were incredibly popular, Alla Ioshpe and Stakhan Rakhimov. They were welcome guests at concerts of the highest level, their names were put on a par with the names of Muslim Magomayev, Joseph Kobzon, Maya Kristalinskaya and Edita Piekha. And then, in an instant, all their concerts were banned and for a whole decade they were actually put under house arrest. And they demanded to abandon each other, and their daughters offered to abandon their parents. But they withstood, withstood, lived together for 60 years and passed away with a difference
Not all celebrities like to be honest about their personal life. Some succeed in this so much that by the time the fact of official marriage is made public, it can take several weeks or several months from the moment of registration. However, even after the wedding, many celebrities prefer not to disclose the details of family life, rightly believing that happiness loves silence
"The best singer among actors and the best actor among singers," says the large army of fans of the work of the Russian artist and singer Yevgeny Dyatlov. And the public's favorite declares that with his rather successful creative biography he is obliged to live by the principles "that lead to a state of crazy curiosity, do not fit into generally accepted standards and do not fall under the influence of others." How the actor used these dogmas in his life - further, in the review
The place that was once a warm and luxurious home for Queen Victoria and her husband Albert is today a true masterpiece of architectural art. Having survived many historical events and vicissitudes, it is a kind of tribute to the memory of the Queen, her husband and family, which is visited not only by tourists, but even by the closest relatives of the British crown. What is it about him and what is Osborne House known for?
We know Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov as a great, invincible commander who owns a large number of victories of the Russian army. When his name was mentioned, people said with admiration: "This is a great warrior." But fate decreed that this respected person constantly lost fights in love. Why did this happen? Read in the material about how his father married Suvorov, how his family life developed and how this strange marriage ended
In July 1918, in Yekaterinburg, the last Russian emperor Nicholas II and his family were killed in the "Ipatiev house". Thousands of documentary, historical and artistic studies have been written about that distant tragedy. The point in numerous investigations has not been set even today. The names of only a part of the perpetrators of the murder are reliably known. Of the members of the firing squad, a few survived to old age, achieved all sorts of honors, entertained with memories of vacationers in sanatoriums, pioneers and regulars
Pavel Tabakov never remains out of sight of the public and the media. The actor played several significant roles in films and TV shows, but still it is not easy for him, as both viewers and colleagues invariably compare him with the famous father, Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov. Pavel honestly says that he will not reach his father's heights, but he is still not going to give up his ambitions
The heroes of our today's review have long been known and loved by viewers all over the world. Many of them have siblings as popular as themselves. Sometimes celebrity fans do not even realize that their idols have no less talented relatives who appear in the frame together or instead of the favorites of millions, and on-screen mother and daughter or father and son are actually such in life
Valentin Gaft, who passed away in December 2020, was an amazing actor. His roles in theater and cinema speak for themselves, as well as epigrams, biting and precise. In the last years of his life, Valentin Iosifovich was happy with his wife, actress Olga Ostroumova, with whom he lived for almost a quarter of a century. Before meeting her, he had two marriages and many novels, one of which, short but passionate, led to the birth of his son Vadim. True, the actor did not immediately find out about its existence
She is certainly very talented, otherwise there would not have been so many roles in the actress's filmography, and Maria Golubkina herself would hardly be of interest to the viewer. She grew up in an artistic environment, her upbringing was, for the most part, Andrei Mironov. And now she is constantly being compared with his other daughter, Maria Mironova, and blamed for some kind of “discrepancy” with the famous surname. But why does it cause such active rejection from some viewers and even to
The youngest daughter of Nikita Mikhalkov has always had a hypertrophied sense of responsibility. She was acutely worried about even the thought of a possible failure or inconsistency with the expectations of others, and her own. Everyone called her marriage unequal, and later Nadezhda Mikhalkova had to deal with severe depression. However, she has her own recipe for happiness alone, which she gladly shares with everyone
Losing loved ones is incredibly difficult at any age. After they leave, everything around them changes, and time in this case does not always heal. When famous people leave, their widows in a sense have even more difficult, because their lives still remain in the zone of close attention of fans. And they also have to learn to live not only with loneliness, but also with the problems that fall on them after the departure of a loved one
"Aladdin's Magic Lamp" is one of the many incarnations of the famous fairy tale. It was filmed in the USSR in 1966. Of course, the scriptwriters have seriously changed the plot and characters of the characters, including for ideological reasons. And yet the film is loved and reviewed. And, having reviewed by adults, they notice details that were not striking in childhood
We remember Vera Altayskaya very well for the colorful and memorable images that this characteristic actress has brought to life. True, in most of her main roles, a bright and beautiful woman for some reason is not a princess at all: a witch, a stepmother, Baba Yaga … In her youth, Vera was distinguished by amazing beauty, which her acquaintances called in one word - "witchcraft." Perhaps that is why she managed to get the “main prince” of our country, Alexei Konsovsky, as her husband. However, to maintain this relationship for a long time ar
Fashionable hobbies at all times could lead to disaster. Even today, you can find items of clothing, jewelry or trends that are not good for health, and in the old days this happened much more often, because the ladies were ready to try on any novelties of science and technology, sometimes not knowing about the consequences or simply not thinking about them
Almost two hundred years ago, the famous ballerina Maria Taglioni first appeared on stage in Paris in a fluffy multi-layer skirt, which later became known as a tutu. By modern standards, it was a very modest suit - it covered the legs to mid-calf. The dress, which was revolutionary for its time, caused a lot of indignation, because before that the dancers performed only in long, completely closed dresses
History knows many cases when a woman was proclaimed a witch, although there was no particular reason for this. At the same time, completely innocent young ladies could easily get into the number of women using magic, whose intelligence and beauty someone simply envied. However, if some actually became just a victim of slander, others managed to become famous for their cruel acts. And some were called witches even after the days of hunting them long gone
It turns out that a very rich and long history is hidden behind such a familiar and not the most elegant piece of clothing like a robe. It is not surprising - now it is chosen for its convenience, but the same quality was inherent in the dressing gown thousands of years ago. Curious details can be found about the predecessors of modern home clothes