The glory of Leonid Kharitonov in the 1950s was simply incredible. As soon as the film "School of Courage" was released, he literally woke up famous. And after the premiere of the film "Soldier Ivan Brovkin", the actor's popularity became simply phenomenal. Yesterday's graduate of the Moscow Art Theater School bathed in adoration of fans and female fans. He himself was an addicted person: Leonid Kharitonov had three beautiful wives and one, as it turned out, unrequited love
Who knows how Benito Mussolini's life would have turned out if his fate had not been linked with the socialist from Russia Angelica Balabanova. Thanks to her, the future Duce, who had slipped to the bottom of poverty by the time of the meeting, got a job and access to oratory to the stands. Unfortunately for the teacher, the student did not live up to expectations: instead of an ardent supporter of socialist ideas, he turned into a fascist dictator who believed that "the Italian nation is above all!"
The sinking of the Titanic was one of the largest maritime disasters in the history of mankind. In terms of the scale of the disaster, it is second only to the wreck of the Philippine ferry "Dona Paz". On board the liner were more than 2000 people, of whom only 712 survived from the sinking ship. It is known for certain that among the passengers of the Titanic there were also people from the Russian Empire - peasants, merchants and representatives of the nobility. According to archival data, some of them managed to survive
Rejecting the excessive emphasis on emotionality that is so inherent in romanticism, and the enthusiastic glorification of the past, the realists, led by Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet, began to draw not only ordinary people, but also various moments with incredibly reliable accuracy. And despite the fact that most of the now known realistic paintings have often been criticized, causing controversy due to the fact that they allegedly showed situations that many artists tried to avoid in their works
Despite the fact that the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is undoubtedly the merit of the entire Soviet people, according to Stalin's order, not all peoples of a multinational country were equally called to the front. What was the leader afraid of? Collaboration or degeneration of small nations? Why were there special conditions for some nationalities in a country where everything worked according to the principle of "all are equal"?
The very beginning of the first war with Russia revealed the backwardness of Iran's military organization, not only in weapons, but also in battle tactics. At the same time, Russian soldiers rushed to Persia since the time of Peter the Great. The Persians received them with great pleasure, and they were "ordered to drill the Persian troops recruited and equipped in the Russian manner." So why did those who became a traitor for Russia turned out to be an example of discipline and dexterity for her enemies?
For some, the name Alexander Matrosov is associated with an unforgettable feat, for others with inexplicable sacrifice. In Russian history, there are fewer and fewer heroes who would not have gone through the reassessment of values, and this fate has not escaped the boy who sacrificed his life for the sake of a common cause. His military fate was short and, despite the heroism and memory of his descendants, it was rather bitter. Yes, and the previous, pre-war life did not spoil the boy. Who was Matrosov before the war and who raised the hero and why in his
The first recorded mentions of tea ceremonies date back to the Chinese era. Since then, tea culture has spread throughout the world with varying success, acquiring characteristic features in every nation. In Russia, Siberians were the first to get acquainted with tea, which even gave rise to the proverb: tea is for a Siberian, like potatoes for an Irish. From there comes "tea with a towel", confirming the tea addictions of the inhabitants of Siberia
At the end of the Civil War, a massive exodus of the Russian population abroad took place. The emigrants from Russia, who were comprehensively trained in the military sense, were in demand by the foreign leadership for personal purposes. The combat-ready white army was noted in various parts of the world. Hundreds of thousands of White Army men emigrated to China. White emigres were massively used in the military and intelligence purposes by Japan. In Europe, anti-Sovietists were noted in 1923 in the suppression of the Bulgarian communist uprising. In spain
From time immemorial, epidemics hitting humanity have claimed thousands, and in some cases millions of lives. The first information about the general spread of fatal diseases in Russia dates back to the 11th century. Infections entered our state, as a rule, together with overseas merchants and foreign goods. The low sanitary condition of residential areas was also a big problem. The level of development of medicine did not allow to resist aggressive ailments, so people were isolated and waited. When
One of the specific phenomena of the Civil War of 1918-1922 was the chieftaincy. Various military leaders appeared on almost all fronts, but they raged especially strongly in the East of Russia. A new type of field commanders appeared - the so-called Cossack chieftains. The spectrum of their political aspirations was wide - from the creation of separate states and the establishment of their own orders in the controlled territory to the revival of the huge empire of Genghis Khan and the sole power in it. Siberian Atam
Art is one of the defining traits of humanity, and the creation of art uses a whole set of skills that are unique to Homo Sapiens: pattern recognition, visual and motor coordination, opposed thumbs, and the ability to plan. Art, including paintings, stories and music, was used by prehistoric people long before writing was invented, and since then, each culture has developed its own versions of art. But in each type of IP
When the Great Patriotic War began, the fragile girl was eighteen years old. She studied at GITIS and dreamed of becoming an actress, but voluntarily went to the front. Ziba brilliantly coped with the duties of a radio operator and a scout. And she accomplished the feat as a sniper. She has 129 German soldiers on her account. But in a peaceful life, Ziba Ganieva found her place and the opportunity to be useful to society
By October 1944, the Soviet army controlled most of Latvia (with the exception of Courland). In the Baltic forests began to leave the inhabitants who were on the side of the fascist occupation authorities in the person of officials, policemen, soldiers and officers of the Latvian SS. In turn, German military intelligence from the Wehrmacht military personnel that had departed to Courland, Pomerania, East Prussia began training agents. These cadres were intended for conducting a sabotage-partisan war against the Soviet regime
Google gives almost 70 million responses to the request "Vladimir Putin", and slightly more than 5 million responses to the request "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin". Even in Russia, address by patronymic is becoming less and less popular and in demand. In print media, they have long been writing without a patronymic, even top officials. It is simply impossible to imagine something like this in Soviet periodicals. But in colloquial speech, business communication presupposes the obligatory presence of a middle name. Why is patronymic used in Russia, and in many countries they are never su
Alexander Menshikov himself was the closest associate of Peter I. "The semi-sovereign ruler", as Alexander Pushkin called him, managed to achieve unprecedented heights - from a street vendor of pies, soaring to Generalissimo and "Most Serene Prince". During the time that Menshikov spent at the imperial court, he accumulated untold wealth. In addition to estates, jewelry and other property, he owned numerous deposits in the banks of Amsterdam, London, Venice and Genoa
It is difficult to imagine a more masculine business than war. However, there are always women who can break the prohibition created by nature itself and stand up to defend the Motherland on an equal basis with men. Lydia Litvyak is officially considered the most productive female pilot of the Second World War. For just one bright year, she was a hero glorified by the Soviet press, and then for many decades her name was erased from history. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Gold Star medal were
Families with many children are still admired today. Some with one or two children cope with work, and if the kids are three, five or even more than ten? In the Soviet Union, such families enjoyed certain privileges, and mothers received honorary titles and state awards. But such families were not always happy. Some mothers went down in history by raising worthy children, while others left their mark by committing a terrorist act
In cinema, many actors, after successful roles, disappear from the screens, as quickly as they appeared. This often happens with child actors. Not everyone can continue to compete with other stars, or, having matured a little, they do not want to associate their life with cinema. So what was the fate of these famous and beloved children?
The history of one of the most famous criminal organizations of the Russian Empire began in 1867 in the underground gambling house of the merchant Innokenty Simonov. The regulars of this institution were young aristocrats, landowners, merchants, children of military commanders, state councilors and other representatives of the "golden Moscow youth". It was they who made up the backbone of the “Jacks of Hearts Club”. The group existed with impunity for almost 10 years, and during its heyday its number exceeded a thousand people
In Russia, fake tsars periodically appeared. Forty "Petrov III", "Tsarevich Alexei" in large numbers, False Dmitry, False Vashki … Who are these people and how did they decide on this? Why were there so many impostors who were attracted by the royal throne, and who did not hesitate to do anything to get their way? Read, who were called "peasant princes", who are the Lzheivashki and what are they known for, and how the official Ankudinov paid with his life for wanting to become the son of the tsar
56 cars of leading foreign and domestic firms - this was the size of the garage of the last Russian autocrat by 1917. The huge car fleet at that time was the pride of Nicholas II and the envy of all European monarchs. Maintenance of elite vehicles was carried out by the most experienced specialists and cost the state treasury a lot of money
The names of the Ossetian commanders have become firmly established in the history of Soviet intelligence. Virtuoso saboteurs, acting out of reasons of honor and conscience, performed a difficult duty both at home and in foreign missions. With their direct participation, Soviet military intelligence turned into one of the most effective special services. And if episodes of underground wartime activities are spelled out in literary volumes and played by the best film actors, then some personal affairs of the peaceful Soviet period are still
Today, bodyguards accompanying an important person surprise no one. But they have existed in Russia for a long time. And, by the way, they were not always compatriots of the protected nobles. For example, in the 16th and 18th centuries, tsars often hired foreigners, appointing them as personal bodyguards. This was due to the monarchs' fear of conspiracies. Most often, professional military personnel from Western Europe were considered as foreign bodyguards. Read how Ivan the Terrible and Alexey Tisha defended their lives
According to publicly available information, in the history of the USSR there have been more than a hundred hijackings of aircraft, some of which have a happy ending. But there are also known particularly daring, desperate, cruel crimes that ended in the deaths of innocents and the sacrifice of the crews. Although some motives can be called noble in one way or another, disasters often occurred during their performance
Over the years of heroic opposition to fascism, an incredible number of unique feats have gathered on the account of the Soviet people. Examples include capturing tanks without weapons, capturing enemy units with only an ax, defeating superior forces in hand-to-hand combat, and successful attacks by wounded soldiers. Sometimes the cases are so incredible that they are seen as scripts of modern cinema about superheroes. But those who made history were completely ordinary people, led an ordinary life until the war forced them
Latin America is a land of hot women. Usually this phrase is pronounced, remembering actresses, dancers, or dreaming of an affair with some Brazilian woman. In fact, the real hot women of the New World are conquistadors, warriors and revolutionaries, who have always been enough here. The names of some of them have long gone into legends
The Crimean War became one of the most controversial confrontations in the history of the 19th century. The events unfolding near Sevastopol were followed in the literal sense of the word by the whole world. To receive operational information about what is happening, the Americans sent their observers to the Crimea, including the famous commander George McClellan
Canadian troops spent eight months in Russia, arriving in Vladivostok, when American, French, British and Japanese units were already stationed there. In fact, the interventionists from Canada were more like idle tourists: they never took part in the battles of the Civil War, being engaged in a foreign country only patrolling the streets and looking for entertainment. According to the memoirs of foreign soldiers, the period of stay in Vladivostok was remembered by the majority as a bright and easy time
At the end of 1981, the first collective seizure, classified as a terrorist attack, was carried out in the USSR. Two armed deserters took hostage a school class right within the walls of school no. 12 in Sarapul, Udmurt. Then no one suspected that there was more than one such criminal action ahead. The incident was strictly classified and perceived as a one-time accident. And the captured schoolchildren, in whose memory such crimes did not occur, behaved boldly and fearlessly, turning sa
Each era has its own monuments. Being the embodiment of the spirit of the times, its main ideas and aesthetic priorities, they can tell a lot about descendants. However, history knows many examples when the coming generations tried to completely erase from the face of the earth the material symbols of the previous power, and along with them - the memory of their predecessors. This is exactly what the Bolsheviks did after the 1917 revolution - the Soviet government recognized the monuments to tsarism as "ugly idols"
The October Revolution of 1917 was a turning point in the history of Russia. The new workers 'and peasants' government began to decisively rebuild many areas of the political, economic and social foundations of the state. Not all legislative acts of the Soviet regime were perceived with the same understanding. Some became the subject of controversy, criticism, bewilderment and even general outrage. Among the latter is the so-called "Decree on the Abolition of the Private Ownership of Women"
The gray cardinal and the person who directly created the mechanism of action of Soviet power and ensured its successful functioning in the turning point in 1917-1920, Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich is practically unknown to his contemporaries. However, without him, the Bolshevik party was not created, the Great Socialist Revolution did not happen, and Lenin's career as a leader would have been much less successful if he had time to have a hand in the victory of the Bolsheviks in the Civil War. So why is educated and authored
Today it is customary to talk about "alcoholization of the population in the dashing 90s." But, as statistics show, it was the USSR of the 1970s - 80s that was the country of “household alcoholics”. The fact is that it was during these years that the statistics on alcohol consumption reached their maximum indicators. So, how much and why they drank during the era of stagnation, and what changed during the years of perestroika
Albrecht Dürer is a renowned German Renaissance painter, mathematician and art theorist. The legacy that he left is striking in scale and beauty. The creator created altar paintings, self-portraits, portraits, prints, treatises, bookplates, as well as works on the theoretical part of painting
It's so easy to get lost at the book counter today. Publishers constantly delight their readers with interesting books. Romance novels and political studies, collections of poetry and philosophical treatises. But the detectives, who are able to keep the reader's attention from the very first page, remain constant favorites among readers. In our review - new foreign detective stories published in Russian
The Red Terror has become a bloody page in our history. A photograph of the family of the merchant Popenov, kept in the museum of the city of Rybinsk, could serve as an illustration of a traditional Russian family, if not for one tragic circumstance: almost all the people depicted on it were shot in the fall of 1918
The name of the brave partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, who took a painful death from the Nazis, is known to almost every inhabitant of the post-Soviet space. Before the execution, the girl not only did not ask for pardon, but also managed to shout words with an appeal to fight further. And she was heard: millions of soldiers, inspired by the feat of Zoe, went into battle with her name on their lips. But there was a man among them for whom revenge for the deceased became a matter of honor. It turned out to be Alexander - the younger brother of Kosmodemyanskaya
Probably, it is difficult to find a more controversial participant in the Great Patriotic War than Boris Lunin. The partisan detachment under his command distinguished itself more than once in battles with the Germans and destroyed many enemies. However, already in peacetime, a terrible truth was revealed: as it turned out, the hero not only dealt mercilessly with enemies, but also with civilians. So who was Boris Lunin: a defender of the Motherland and a hero or a ruthless killer?
The Germans, who went over to the side of the Red Army for ideological reasons, were especially valuable personnel for the Soviet special services during the Great Patriotic War. Unlike recruited prisoners of war, who often surrendered to the fascist authorities immediately, the German communists had a real desire to resist the brown plague. One of them, Heinz Müller, is a flight mechanic who hijacked a plane to get into Soviet territory and help the Red Army fight Nazism