Data on the number of Soviet prisoners of war who escaped from captivity and camps during the Second World War vary greatly. Data from 70 to 500 thousand appear in different sources. For most of the prisoners, escape was the only chance of salvation, in addition, after the capture of Soviet escaped prisoners, their destruction followed, the British and Americans were not shown such cruelty. Therefore, the Soviet prisoner of war who was about to flee risked his life for the sake of freedom. No wonder what exactly
It is not known how the French history would have developed, if the Russian Count Pavel Andreevich Shuvalov did not interfere in the events long past. Being on the instructions of the Emperor Alexander I, accompanied by the cortege of the exiled Napoleon, he protected the safety of the latter by all means, sometimes endangering his own life. The grateful Bonaparte appreciated the dedication of his escort and presented him with a valuable thing, which he himself did not part with for almost 15 years
When the whole country stood up to defend the Motherland, the most ardent maximalists - teenagers, could hardly have stayed on the sidelines. They had to grow up early - to take on back-breaking labor in the rear, but many of them were eager to go to the front, wanting to test themselves in the face of real danger. The guys, despite their young age, showed strength of mind, courage, and self-sacrifice. We tell about real stories of the exploits of adolescents in the war
Another confirmation that the amulets were worn in bundles was a find made in the area of the city of Torzhok, Tver region (Table, No. 1). On a bronze wire were suspended two animal fangs and two bronze amulets: a zoomorphic creature (lynx?), Whose body was decorated with a circular ornament, and a spoon. With a certain degree of certainty, it can be argued that this set of amulets belonged to the hunter, since three of them symbolized protection from the "fierce beast", and the spoon personified well-fed
The passage of Suvorov and the Russian army through the Alps still boggles the imagination and makes them proud of the fortitude and courage of Russian soldiers. The grateful Swiss honor their memory to this day. Even though Switzerland could not be liberated due to the betrayal of the allies, the noble impulse itself and the sacrifice that the Russian people made in an attempt to do this deserve to be remembered in all generations
For the history of the last century, the Berlin Wall is perhaps the most iconic border building. She became a symbol of the split of Europe, division into two worlds and political forces opposing each other. Despite the fact that the Berlin Wall today is a monument and an architectural object, its ghost haunts the world to this day. Why was it built so hastily and how did it affect the lives of ordinary citizens?
Lunnitsa is one of the most common amulets-amulets that have existed for many eras and were part of a woman's attire. With all the variety of forms and techniques of execution, their general resemblance to the Moon remains unchanged, embodying the lunar cult, fertility and the feminine principle
Russia still remains a country that is not always understandable and sometimes mysterious for the Americans. Many Russian traditions, which have become commonplace for us, cause surprise and misunderstanding among American guests. We have collected 15 Russian habits that surprised Americans during a trip to Russia
Clothing is a household item that has been used by humans since ancient times. It is believed that Homo sapiens began to dress 80,000 to 170,000 years ago. Interestingly, some of the wardrobe items we are used to have an incredibly ancient history. In some cases, the oldest specimens found by archaeologists do not differ much from modern ones
Needless to say, history is replete with an abundance of royal names, famous throughout the world for their deeds. You can endlessly go through the events of past times in your head for a long time, trying to remember which of them and for what won a victory or received an award. But it is much better to distract from this occupation and look at the rulers from the other side, delving into their interests and hobbies that are not related to state affairs
His show was popular in 140 countries, Michael Jackson considered Benny the best comedian in the world, and the genre of sketch (short TV anecdotes) is recognized as his personal invention. However, in the early 90s, the legendary show was closed and it turned out that the world-famous artist had no reason to live anymore. He did not have children, and when asked why he didn’t get married, he always answered cynically: “Why buy one book when you can use the whole library?”. The body of a popular comedian was found in his apartment a few days later
At first glance, Kiuchi Nobuo's drawings look simple and unpretentious - just watercolor pictures, more like comics. However, leafing through them, you gradually realize that in front of you is a real chronicle of a small era. The drawings cover the period from 1945 to 1948. Japanese prisoners of war lived sometimes hard, and sometimes even merrily; there are still more positive stories in the sketches. Surprising in them, perhaps, is the complete absence of resentment towards the victorious country and the overwhelming optimism that
Friday the thirteenth, thanks to Hollywood, is considered a terribly bad day. Before acquaintance with European culture, the inhabitants of Russia were indifferent both to the thirteenth and to Friday - except that on Friday women were supposed to rest from handicrafts, and the Orthodox in general - to fast. Bad omens of the peoples of the world do not have to coincide at all and sometimes can seriously surprise a representative of another culture
More than two centuries ago, the novel "Pride and Prejudice" was written by the English writer Jane Austen. Despite its considerable age, the work has not lost its popularity at all. Moreover, it remains just as relevant today. There is a very intricate and curious story connected with the one who inspired Jane to write this novel
There are many amazing places in this ancient majestic city. He always pleases with an abundance of colors and aromas, every time he looks in a new way and gives faith in a miracle. On the outskirts of the city there is a modest Telli Baba mausoleum, where many people come every day, and wedding corteges gather. The former are waiting for personal happiness to appear in their lives, and the latter want to thank for the fulfillment of their dreams
Boris Yegorov was not only a famous cosmonaut and the first doctor in orbit, who made many scientific discoveries, but also a very prominent man. The cosmonaut with the appearance of a movie star was called not only the conqueror of space, but also the conqueror of women's hearts. He was always surrounded by the most beautiful women of the USSR. Officially, he was married 4 times, and the whole country spoke about his marriages with actresses Natalya Fateeva and Natalya Kustinskaya, who because of him turned from girlfriends into sworn enemies
The life of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is riveted on the attention of many people. When, during the quarantine, Kate Middleton posted photos taken in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where the family is in self-isolation, many fans drew attention to the books from the Duchess's desktop. Literature lovers recognized the series from Penguin, and many immediately began recommending books for reading
The Gurkhas, or as they are also called, the Himalayan highlanders, have long been considered the elite unit of the British colonial troops in the most violent front sectors. For several centuries of service to the British, they proved themselves to be unusually hardy, extremely disciplined and never retreating warriors. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Gurkhas suppressed uprisings in India and China, opposed the Germans in the First and Second World War, and were noticed in Afghanistan. Recorded war chronicles and a vivid episode of the battle
During the uprising led by Stepan Razin, one of the detachments was led by nun Alena Arzamasskaya. A dashing companion of the rebellious peasants left the walls of the monastery, devoting herself to the struggle. She managed to unite decisive men under her own leadership, whom she urged to stand for Razin's ideas. By the way, she never met with Stepan himself. After the capture of the Mordovian city, Alena ruled it for several months, until the approaching tsarist army utterly defeated the rebels. Prev
Separated from Europe by the waters of the Atlantic, Ireland has long been considered something of a "fly in amber" - sometimes it seems that this island is literally frozen in time. Not only can one find a lot of knowledge about the pre-Roman past of Europe in Ireland, this island has witnessed a wave of immigration from all over the ancient world, and few people know about the cultural ties of the Irish with many civilizations, even as remote as the Indian
Gentlemen, no matter what they say, not an endangered species at all. On the contrary, it is surprisingly resilient, because gentlemen existed both in the Middle Ages and in the New Time, and in the 21st century they have a place. Another question is that at different times this word had its own meaning, which means that the right to be called a gentleman had to be earned in different ways
For several centuries, Christianity suffered under the rule of the Roman Empire. Christians were arrested, subjected to terrible torture, tortured and mutilated, burned at the stake. Houses of prayer and dwellings of ordinary Christians were plundered and destroyed, and their holy books were burned. Emperor Constantine put an end to religious persecution when he ascended the throne. Why and how did the pagan emperor become the patron saint of Christians, and later was even canonized by the Orthodox Church?
Each time had its own books that excited the minds of readers and became real bestsellers. However, as time went on, new writers, new plots and new heroes appeared. Already other works people around the world read voraciously, shared opinions about them, considered the best. But among all the variety of books that became bestsellers back in the 19th century, there are those that have not lost their relevance today
History knows many great women who influenced its course. Life is not enough to list all of them. Among them there are very bright personalities who have left their mark on world history, acting as … the mistresses of influential men. They were their advisers and confidants. The affairs and destinies of states were decided in the bedroom. Meet incredibly influential ladies who delight and mesmerize, amaze and turn the mind - four women who changed the world
There is no particular practical benefit from learning Esperanto - at least not yet. But in the spiritual sphere, the future Esperantist wins a lot: this community unites educated, cultured and progressive people. The very essence of Esperanto contributes to this - this language arose in order to give an opportunity to agree to representatives of various peoples, often not particularly friendly to each other
100 years is a whole era. Not everyone can live a century. It is believed that people of creative professions, living role after role of the life of their heroes, very quickly live their own lives. In our today's review - living theater and film actors from different countries who managed to celebrate their centenary, but continue to enjoy life every day, finding new reasons to stay longer in this world
Any layman knows that "who owns information, he rules the world," and therefore it is carefully protected from outside encroachments. However, the measures taken are not always effective, because the world now and then announce scandals about information leakage, and the images of spies - information hunters, are romanticized by the cinema of all countries. What was so terrible about the loudest data leaks, whose fault did they happen and what did they eventually lead to?
The newspapers called her the last courtesan in history, men looked at her with admiration, and women envied, feared and even hated her. Lady Pamela Churchill-Harriman could not boast of special beauty, but her secrets of seduction were carefully studied by reporters and fashion commentators. Her husbands were Winston Churchill's son Randolph, Broadway producer Leland Hayward, and influential politician Averell Harriman. But the number of all men conquered by Lady Pam is rather difficult to count
Alas, it's not a secret for anyone that almost every literary work has its own time, which rushes headlong into eternity. Only a few creations, having become classics, can count on the understanding and recognition of both current and future generations. Since the release of Henryk Sienkiewicz's legendary novel "With Fire and Sword", there have been heated debates in readers' circles and among critics about whether he will suffer the fate of one-day novels, or whether it will become a classic. But, only time
There are many unusual churches on Earth, including Orthodox ones, but few know that at the beginning of the last century there was the only steamship temple in the Russian Empire. He walked along the Caspian Sea and the Volga, and after the revolution, alas, he stopped acting. The floating church was built in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is considered to be the patron saint of sailors. It was a full-fledged temple in which priests served and liturgies and sacraments were held
Respect the child, train his memory, do not forget about physical activity, do not apply punishment, entrust education and training to someone who can provide all this: what is now presented as a modern progressive view of raising children was formulated much earlier - five hundred years ago back - thanks to a single person. By the way, he not only laid the foundations of pedagogy as a science, but also made himself an excellent object of study and an example for those who
The outgoing year turned out to be quite interesting in terms of archeology. A number of finds have been made that have revealed the veil of secrecy over how people lived thousands of years ago. Also, scientists were able to find amazing evidence of the veracity of some of the events taking place in the Bible
More than five hundred years remained before the establishment of the first university in Russia, and the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge had already begun. The lucky ones who happened to name one of these two universities as their alma mater discover amazing secrets, some of which, however, are also known to those who are far from the English education system
The "Tablet of Nazareth" is a marble tombstone with an inscription in Greek which states that "death to anyone who loots or otherwise violates the tomb." According to research by scientists, this tablet dates from the beginning of the first century AD. For a long time, this artifact was considered the tombstone of the tomb of Jesus Christ. Recently, historians have stated that the famous "tablet from Nazareth" has absolutely nothing to do with the Messiah
Perhaps there is no other such book in the world in which they find so many contradictions as in the Bible. There are stormy disputes between atheists, archaeologists and religious scholars, and the main one is whether the Book of Books can be regarded as a reliable historical source
Everyone, probably, a person feels this: that outside of his body - or, conversely, somewhere deep inside - there is some kind of limitless, special "I" that existed before birth and will not go anywhere after death. These vague ideas, sensations, which are complemented by dreams, find expression in various signs, customs, superstitions, which modern man is not going to completely get rid of. And even if science does not recognize the existence of the soul, but the study of this
The Tasmanian tiger is an animal that until now could only be seen in a picture or photograph. These striped marsupial predators of Australia became extinct at the beginning of the last century. However, some unique footage of the last known Tasmanian tiger was recently discovered. And now everyone can see him "alive". Archived video - Benjamin, a resident of the Hobart Zoo
Among the rituals accompanying the election of a new pope and his acceptance of the throne, there is one associated with a special ring. This ring is put on the finger of the pontiff Cardinal Camelengo, and after the death of the pope, it must be destroyed. The ring, which traces its history from time immemorial and symbolizes the continuity of church power, is also worn by the current ruler of the Vatican - who, however, made some changes to the centuries-old tradition
Fifteen years ago, John Paul II passed away, not only the Pope and Catholic saint, but also a playwright, poet and actor, who enriched world art with cycles of poems, plays and plots for feature films. By the way, in the film versions of the works of Karol Wojtyla - and this is the name the pontiff had before his election as Pope - it was considered an honor to appear world-famous stars such as Bert Lancaster, Olivia Hussey, Christoph Waltz and not only
About a hundred kilometers northwest of Vienna, in northern Austria, is the small village of Döllersheim. Eighty years ago, this tiny Austrian village was wiped out by a German dictator with a comically short mustache. The dictator tried to hide, completely destroy everything that could help shed light on the history of his family. Everything that confirmed his very dubious Aryan origin