Miscellaneous 2024, May

What the ancestors of Homo sapiens looked like: Who could not pass natural selection, and with whom everything is not so simple

What the ancestors of Homo sapiens looked like: Who could not pass natural selection, and with whom everything is not so simple

The transformation of Australopithecus into a modern type of man did not come true, of course, overnight - the process took hundreds of thousands and even millions of years. Everything happened, as is now known, extremely slowly, and at the first stages of anthropogenesis much longer than at the subsequent ones. Here is what is interesting: in addition to the links in the chain of "transformations" into a Homo sapiens, there were other "relatives" of him - who did not pass the selection, but did not sink into oblivion either. These are kind of "uncles" of modern people, passing

Luxury and intimacy of court costumes of the XIX-XX centuries: What could be worn and what was forbidden in tsarist Russia

Luxury and intimacy of court costumes of the XIX-XX centuries: What could be worn and what was forbidden in tsarist Russia

The changeability of fashion is observed not only in our days, but also in the days of tsarist Russia. At the royal court at different times, there were certain requirements for decoration. There were instructions about what you can wear in high society, and what was considered bad form. By the way, the instructions were prescribed not only for dresses, but also for hats and jewelry. Many references and rave reviews of luxury, splendor, splendor, wealth and splendor have survived to this day

How paintings by famous artists became part of fashion, shaping a new style of the twentieth century

How paintings by famous artists became part of fashion, shaping a new style of the twentieth century

The links between art and fashion define specific moments in history. Both of these mediums reflect social, economic and political changes from the roaring twenties to the vibrant eighties. Here are four examples of artists and fashion designers who helped shape a new perspective on 20th century art and fashion through their work

10 modern Russian writers who are popular abroad: From Lukyanenko to Akunin

10 modern Russian writers who are popular abroad: From Lukyanenko to Akunin

It has long been known that the classics of Russian literature are read abroad. Many foreign celebrities often name Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mikhail Bulgakov, Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy among their favorite writers. However, modern writers are confidently winning over foreign readers, and books of various genres and directions are popular

10 fascinating books in the genre of alternative history that allow you to see the world from a different angle

10 fascinating books in the genre of alternative history that allow you to see the world from a different angle

Everyone knows that it is impossible to change the past, and history does not know the subjunctive mood. However, speculations about how events might develop if other decisions were made at important moments in history are invariably interesting. Artistic works in the genre of alternative history not only captivate, but also make you think, analyze and look at the world from a different angle

Top 10 Booker Prize Winning Books You Can Read in Russian

Top 10 Booker Prize Winning Books You Can Read in Russian

If there is a quality mark in the world of literature, it is undoubtedly the Booker Prize. Not every author has a chance to get it, but if a writer and his book were shortlisted or nominated for the prize itself, then that says a lot. That is why the prize itself, and not only its results, attracts increased attention from literature lovers. The laureates receive not only a cash prize, but also world recognition

How the mystical story "Viy" was created: What did the censorship strike out and what disagreements arose during the film adaptation in the USSR

How the mystical story "Viy" was created: What did the censorship strike out and what disagreements arose during the film adaptation in the USSR

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol is perhaps the most mysterious and mystical writer in Russian literature. During his forty-two years, he managed to write dozens of works that still live in the hearts of readers. This brilliant writer left a large number of mysteries about his creations and life, which they still cannot really understand. He presented evil as an internal phenomenon and condition, and not external, social or political. Nikolai Vasilievich described the problems of Russia not as a state

9 adventure books that were read in the USSR, and what children don't like about them today

9 adventure books that were read in the USSR, and what children don't like about them today

There are adventure books that a child who grew up in the USSR read almost without fail. And then he played her heroes in the yard, at the dacha, or - which was not very approved by the parents - on the pond. But they raise a lot of questions in modern children, and such that one inevitably ask yourself - why did the Soviet schoolchild not ask the same questions?

Why Sigmund Freud admired Dostoevsky: 6 favorite books of the father of psychoanalysis to survive today

Why Sigmund Freud admired Dostoevsky: 6 favorite books of the father of psychoanalysis to survive today

The famous Austrian psychologist, who laid the foundation for psychoanalysis, which had a huge impact on various types of sciences, literature and art, was a great lover of reading. In addition, he considered the book to be the best gift and was invariably happy if books were brought to him as a gift. He himself loved to present a volume to people dear to him. In his notes and letters, you can find references to those books that he considered worthy of attention

8 fascinating books about cats, in which they became the main characters

8 fascinating books about cats, in which they became the main characters

These fluffy and not-so-cute creatures have long since gone from pets to internet and pop culture stars. And the writers could not stay away from the cats. Publishing houses publish books not only about the upbringing of mustachioed pets, but also works in which cats and cats are full-fledged characters and even the main characters

10 non-trivial books you can read in one evening

10 non-trivial books you can read in one evening

The insane rhythm of modern life does not always leave time for reading voluminous books. In the hustle and bustle, you often forget about what was read the day before, and in order to immerse yourself in the topic, you have to re-read at least a few pages. Our review today features great books that can be read in just a few hours

7 most fun and useful books on financial literacy

7 most fun and useful books on financial literacy

In order for money not to go away like sand through your fingers, you need to learn how to properly handle finances. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to get acquainted with highly specialized terms or forcing yourself to study boring textbooks on economics. Learning financial literacy can be fun, fun and not boring at all

10 best books of all time according to the American magazine Newsweek

10 best books of all time according to the American magazine Newsweek

It seems that numerous ratings and lists have already become a part of our life. Filmmakers use them to choose films for viewing, and readers - works to read. In fact, the rating compiled by Newsweek is of particular interest, because at the time of its creation, similar lists of different publications were collected and analyzed, and readers were attracted. It includes 100 works, but we propose to get acquainted with the top ten, especially since it included two

7 great Russian writers who suffered from gambling addiction: Pushkin, Mayakovsky and not only them

7 great Russian writers who suffered from gambling addiction: Pushkin, Mayakovsky and not only them

The World Health Organization recognized gambling addiction as a disease just a few years ago, but people have suffered from this addiction for quite some time. Today, doctors help patients fight addiction with medication and psychotherapy, but this does not always bring the desired results. What can we say about past centuries, when gambling addiction was considered rather a pampering that did not require outside interference

9 classics of literature who were known for their weird habits

9 classics of literature who were known for their weird habits

It seems that the constant companion of talent is not loneliness at all, as Faina Ranevskaya once argued, but a bright individuality that distinguishes geniuses from other people. Therefore, information about the presence of very wonderful habits among the recognized classics of literature is no longer surprising, but very interesting. For some writers, strangeness concerned exclusively the creative process, while others influenced their entire life

Cult scenes from popular Soviet films that appeared by accident: Is jellied fish disgusting, etc

Cult scenes from popular Soviet films that appeared by accident: Is jellied fish disgusting, etc

Soviet screenwriters wrote legendary scripts, with caustic dialogues and entertaining plot twists. Despite this, the actors sometimes got used to the role so much that they could give out one or another funny phrase on behalf of their character. Many Soviet directors encouraged improvisation on the set. Such takes were often approved in the final editing of the tape, since they were quite organic and gave the film a special charm. It was they who often became cult and ass

8 princes of our cinema: How was the fate of the actors who played fairy-tale characters in Soviet fairy tales

8 princes of our cinema: How was the fate of the actors who played fairy-tale characters in Soviet fairy tales

They were the idols of the girls of the Soviet Union. They dreamed of them, postcards with their photographs were carefully kept for years. On the screen, their characters were invariably happy, because in fairy tales, good always triumphs over evil. But outside the set, not all the princes of our childhood had a good fortune

Which of the actors were the first to play the roles of Soviet leaders and general secretaries in the cinema?

Which of the actors were the first to play the roles of Soviet leaders and general secretaries in the cinema?

In Soviet cinema, it was possible to earn VIP status by playing not only the main role in the film. The main thing is for the film to be successful at the box office. And, given the strict censorship and not too many premieres per year, even the actors of short cameo roles had a chance to become popular and recognizable. And if for many theater and film artists the most important role in life was the Shakespearean King Lear or Hamlet, then for some the most important roles (well, or at least the most memorable

How an orphan from an orphanage starred in "French Lessons" and became a movie star: Mikhail Egorov

How an orphan from an orphanage starred in "French Lessons" and became a movie star: Mikhail Egorov

By no means always the fate of small artists who started acting quite early is not always successful. Their children's psyche often does not withstand heavy loads and trials of fame, even in the presence of a prosperous family. Mikhail Egorov, who played the main role in the film "French Lessons", grew up in an orphanage, and it is simply impossible to predict how his fate could have developed if it had not been for a meeting with director Bulat Mansurov

The Most Dizzying Career in History, or How the Sage Imhotep Became a God in Ancient Egypt

The Most Dizzying Career in History, or How the Sage Imhotep Became a God in Ancient Egypt

What if you feel a serious potential in yourself and are ready for great achievements in several professional fields at once, but one nuance interferes: the fact of birth in Ancient Egypt, two and a half millennia before the onset of a new era? The answer is simple - you need not just build a career, but become one of the most revered gods, making your own reputation work even after death. Few have succeeded - and Imhotep is among them

What secrets was discovered by an ancient Roman amphora with gold, recently found in Italy

What secrets was discovered by an ancient Roman amphora with gold, recently found in Italy

An exciting archaeological and cultural event has recently taken place in Italy. In the basement of the theater, workers were carrying out major repairs. Suddenly, an incredible sight appeared before their eyes: a golden shower of coins fell from a broken, dirty jug. After studying the find by scientists, it turned out that the vessel is an ancient Roman amphora, and all the coins are made of pure gold, worth millions of dollars

How Julius Caesar built a unique bridge over the Rhine and why he destroyed it just 2 weeks later

How Julius Caesar built a unique bridge over the Rhine and why he destroyed it just 2 weeks later

Summer 55 BC turned out to be hot for Caesar. For three years, the great Roman commander tried to crush the proud Gauls. At that time, the Rhine River served as a natural border and obstacle in the way of Julius. The Germanic tribes on the east bank launched a retaliatory invasion to the west, protected by this natural border. The ingenious strategist Caesar found a solution that was as accurate as it was unexpected. What came of this, read on

Why was the bell executed in Russia, or the Ringing, which proclaimed the beginning of the Time of Troubles

Why was the bell executed in Russia, or the Ringing, which proclaimed the beginning of the Time of Troubles

At the end of the 16th century, a very, very strange event took place in the Russian city of Uglich. A huge alarm bell was pulled out to the city square. A specially summoned blacksmith, in front of all honest people, cut off the “tongue” (inner tongue) of the bell and cut off its “ears” (the devices for which it is hung). After that he was scourged and exiled to Siberia along with a part of the Uglich people. Why was the bell executed?

The strangest parenting tips for Victorian parents

The strangest parenting tips for Victorian parents

It would seem that today there is very little in common with the 19th century. There is only one thing that has definitely not changed over time. And it will not change, probably never - this is a huge amount of completely stupid advice given to parents on how to raise children. At all times, there were enough such advisers. Here are some of the weirdest and sometimes wildest parenting tips from the Victorian era

How 5 Most Ancient Civilizations Met the New Year: Little-Known Facts Revealed by Historians

How 5 Most Ancient Civilizations Met the New Year: Little-Known Facts Revealed by Historians

New Year is the main holiday of the year, the most beloved one for children and, to be honest, for most adults. He is so familiar to us, it seems that he has always been. But is it really so? In part, yes. The habit of celebrating the beginning of a new year is one of the most ancient customs. Almost five thousand years ago, this holiday was celebrated in ancient Mesopotamia. The origins of this wonderful tradition and colorful features on the examples of the most advanced civilizations of the Ancient World, further in the review

How to "cut the tongue", what is the secret of "grandma's porridge" and other Russian rituals associated with children

How to "cut the tongue", what is the secret of "grandma's porridge" and other Russian rituals associated with children

In Russia, there were many rituals and traditions associated with adult life: wedding, building a house, burial, and so on. But there were also a large number of ceremonies related to children, their birth, as well as upbringing. By the way, some of the traditions and stable expressions have survived to this day, albeit in a modified form

What do Celtic burial mounds and other curious historical facts about ancient barbarian warriors hide?

What do Celtic burial mounds and other curious historical facts about ancient barbarian warriors hide?

For the modern ear, the word "Celtic" is strongly associated with traditional art, literature and music in Ireland and Scotland. But the ancient Celts were a widespread group of tribes originating from Central Europe. Their incredibly rich and developed culture has become the property of world history thanks to the research of their burials, artifacts found by archaeologists and the study of their language. Some facts about the rich and complex Celtic civilization are generally known, others have become known to scientists

How at 76 years old actress Raisa Ryazanova found a brother and sisters

How at 76 years old actress Raisa Ryazanova found a brother and sisters

The popularly beloved theater and film actress Raisa Ivanovna Ryazanova has been in the cinema for more than fifty years. During this time, the People's Artist of the Russian Federation has played over two hundred roles. More than one generation has grown up on films with her participation. Despite a rather successful career, life did not indulge Raisa Ivanovna. At different periods of her life, she went through difficult trials: the post-war period, lack of money, unemployment, loss of loved ones, lack of work in the cinema. But all this only tempered her character

How the star of the sitcom "Daddy's Daughters" survived depression and why she divorced her husband: Revelations of Daria Melnikova

How the star of the sitcom "Daddy's Daughters" survived depression and why she divorced her husband: Revelations of Daria Melnikova

The novel, and even more so the wedding, of these wonderful actors came as a big surprise to fans of Daria Melnikova - the stars of the sitcom "Daddy's Daughters" and Artur Smolyaninov, who became famous for his work in the film "Ninth Company". The family seemed perfect and happy. But the other day, the public was shocked by the news that the star couple are no longer together, and they even managed to divorce. Daria announced this in her first big and frank interview with the popular instagram blogger Laura Dzhugeli

True versions of your favorite fairy tales: Non-childhood stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and other famous heroes

True versions of your favorite fairy tales: Non-childhood stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and other famous heroes

Our modern fairy tales have taught that in the end, having passed all the difficult trials and difficulties, the main characters find happiness, and the evil characters always receive punishment as they deserve. But almost all of our fairy tales have been rewritten in a kinder and lighter version. But the original versions of these works are more suitable for adults, since there is a lot of cruelty, and no one guarantees that everything will end with a happy ending. It's still good that these tales were remade, because even scary under

15 foreign films that Russian viewers liked more than foreign ones

15 foreign films that Russian viewers liked more than foreign ones

Sometimes it happens that foreign films receive a much warmer welcome in Russia than in their homeland. This, of course, does not mean that they are not watched there at all, but they are rated much worse. It is not uncommon for our film to be considered a cult film, but in native places the score is below average. In Russia, the rating is mainly determined using an assessment on "Kinopoisk", and abroad they are guided by "IMDb". It is believed that a good grade starts at seven points, and anything lower is already a "C". So n

8 movies with a sad ending where you shouldn't expect a happy ending

8 movies with a sad ending where you shouldn't expect a happy ending

Many films have taught viewers that in the end, goodness and love will definitely win, despite all the difficulties, and the movie characters are doing well. Basically, viewers like it, because they really want to believe in the best, at least in cinema, even if the happy ending looks more like a miracle than reality. But there are also films in which one should not count on a happy ending of the plot. There are fewer such pictures, but they are better remembered due to the non-triviality of the ending. Perhaps someone's sad ending is disappointing

What secret details and unsightly facts were revealed in the interview of Princess Diana to the BBC journalist

What secret details and unsightly facts were revealed in the interview of Princess Diana to the BBC journalist

On November 20, 1995, a real "bomb" blew up the world information space. The BBC published a frank and lengthy interview with Princess Diana of Wales. 25 years later, her son and heir to the throne, Prince William, launched an entire campaign against this corporation in this regard. The interview was, without a doubt, landmark. It became the most important event in the career of the journalist who took it. But six months ago, some very unsightly facts surfaced. Martin Bashir deliberately and

12 of the most memorable monuments to legendary rock musicians around the world

12 of the most memorable monuments to legendary rock musicians around the world

Rock music has given the world many names throughout the history of its existence. Not all of them, of course, have become legends, but there are those that remain in the hearts of people even after decades. They still listen to their songs, record covers on them, set them as an example. We can say that this music is eternal and rock is really alive. To pay tribute to the memory of these musicians, to perpetuate, to express nationwide love and recognition, monuments to these outstanding people in the world of music are erected around the world

Why is it prescribed in some religions to let go and wear a beard, while in others it is forbidden

Why is it prescribed in some religions to let go and wear a beard, while in others it is forbidden

Why do Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians wear a beard, but Catholics and Buddhists do not? Facial and scalp hair is very important in almost all religions. For the presence or absence of a beard, violators may or may still face expulsion from the community or other severe punishment. And from the point of view of some denominations, a man's lack of a beard can be equated with the absence of any other part of his face

Holy fools in Russia and in other cultures: holy marginalized or madmen

Holy fools in Russia and in other cultures: holy marginalized or madmen

In the old saying that “in Russia, the holy fools are loved”, the holy madmen were gradually replaced by “fools”. However, this is fundamentally wrong. The phenomenon of foolishness, widespread in ancient times in our country, carried an important social and spiritual function. Interestingly, apart from Russia and Byzantium, there are few examples of this kind in history, however, in different cultures there were sometimes shocking marginals who tried to draw attention to social or religious norms, publicly violating them

6 reasons why the Middle Ages weren't as dark a time as is commonly believed

6 reasons why the Middle Ages weren't as dark a time as is commonly believed

The centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 and its conquest by the barbarians are often referred to as the "dark ages." Many chroniclers of that time described the Middle Ages as a dark period of ignorance, the fall of education and science. Immediately in the brain there are pictures of religious fanatics burning books, and along with scientists, everywhere there is dirt and, of course, the plague. But was the Middle Ages really as "dark" as everyone used to think?

How Christians changed the rules of the sign of the cross and why it caused so many problems

How Christians changed the rules of the sign of the cross and why it caused so many problems

When entering and leaving the temple, after prayer, during the service, Christians make the sign of the cross - with a movement of their hand they reproduce the cross. Usually, in this case, three fingers are connected - the thumb, forefinger and middle, this is the method of finger-making, accepted by Orthodox Christians. But he is not the only one - and for many centuries there has been debate about how to be baptized correctly. At first glance, the problem seems far-fetched, but in reality, behind two-fingered, three-fingered and other ways

15 most absurd and unforgivable things the Catholic Church has ever done

15 most absurd and unforgivable things the Catholic Church has ever done

Surely many remember stories from the school curriculum, where it was about the very Inquisition, the burning of Joan of Arc and the trial of Galileo. As regrettable as it may sound, but most of such disgusting deeds came from the Pontiffs. Some of them were approved by the church, and some were even common church practice. And it is not at all surprising that the dark church history contains scandal after scandal, replete with all the vices and taboos one can imagine

What is the "fourth wall" in art, how and why is it broken

What is the "fourth wall" in art, how and why is it broken

Usually a film does not depend in any way on who is watching it in the cinema hall; the play can also be performed in front of empty seats. The book will keep its plot, even if no one skims through its pages. The world of art is fenced off from the real by an invisible and intangible, but solid wall. What happens if you try to remove this wall?