Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Ottawa to hold Immortal Regiment march on Victory Day for first time
Apart from the rally, the Russian-speaking community in Ottawa will hold several events in the run-up to the Victory Day Ottawa residents will gather on Victory Day for the Immortal Regiment march to honor World War II veterans, which will be held in the Canadian capital on Victory Day for the first time this year,…
-
1.5 mln people hit the streets in Moscow to mark May Day
There have been neither emergencies nor offences About 1.5 million people hit the streets in Moscow to celebrate the International Workers’ Day of May Day but public order has not been violated, Moscow City police told TASS on Monday. “On May Day, about 1.5 million people participated in public events and gatherings. Police officers alongside…
-
Russian embassy in Poland welcomes international participation in Russian-led VE Day rally
The international motorcycle rally “Roads of Victory-to Berlin” kicked off in Moscow on April 2 The Russian Embassy in Poland welcomes international participation in the motorcycle rally “Roads of Victory-to Berlin,” organized by Russia’s Night Wolves bikers, said Vladislav Vybornov, a councellor of the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Poland. “We welcome and…
-
Russian traveler reaches South Africa by motorbike
46-year-old Oleg Kharitonov set off from Moscow on 20 August 2014 A Russian biker has covered 110,000 kilometers solo on his motorbike reaching Africa’s south cape halfway around the world. On Sunday, Oleg Kharitonov arrived at the Russian Orthodox Church near Johannesburg, South Africa. The 46-year-old set off from Moscow on 20 August 2014. He…
-
A Culinary Renaissance in the Israeli Countryside
Beyond Tel Aviv, towns are adopting enticing new approaches to cuisine that celebrate the history of the region and and the diversity of its people
-
Just Between Us, the Russian Way
In my file drawer of doctoral dissertations I will never write is one entitled: “Choice and Frequency of Parasitical Word Use Among Non-Native Speakers of Russian.” My personal parasite phrase is честно говоря (to be honest).
-
Giant Harriet Tubman “Yarn Bomb” Portrait Debuts in Upstate New York
Artist Olek’s creation is one in a series of 50 planned installations across America celebrating important women throughout U.S. history
-
Is Champagne Still Champagne Without Bubbles?
In a storied part of France, a group of artisan producers is making this beloved wine the old fashioned way—sans fizz
-
Moscow Housing Demolitions: From Rubble to Riot (Op-Ed)
In the “state capitalism” prevailing in modern Russia, the concept of property rights is blurred. But the “apartment—car—dacha” mantra remains as compelling as ever.
-
Russia’s Night Wolves bikers arrive in Poland
The bikers will visit Warsaw, Wroclaw and Oswiecim, and later Germany’s Berlin, where the rally will be over on May 9 Russia’s Night Wolves bikers, who are on their motorcycle rally “Roads of Victory-to Berlin,” have arrived in Poland to honor memory of soldiers who died when liberating the country from fascists. The participants of…
-
Russia’s Night Wolves start motorcycle rally in Slovakia
On May 4, the Night Wolves will travel to the Czech Republic Russia’s Night Wolves bikers began their motorcycle rally “Roads of Victory-2017” in Slovakia on Sunday with laying wreaths at the scenes of major battles of the Red Army against fascists, a spokesman for Russia’s embassy in the country told TASS. “The Night Wolves…
-
New film about Putin to open up new viewpoint for Americans, Oliver Stone says
The film will cover Vladimir Putin’s view of events since he first became Russia’s president in 2000 US Hollywood film director Oliver Stone, who is making a new film about Russian President Vladimir Putin that will be out soon, believes that it will open the eyes of Americans to a different viewpoint. “It opens up…
-
Pope Francis I is seeking way to unify Easter for all Christians
A unified Easter for Western and Eastern Christians is one of the provisions of the Cairo Declaration that Francis I and Tawadros II signed upon the completion of their talks Pope Francis I and the heads of Eastern Orthodox Churches are trying to find a way to unify the dates of Easter for all Christians.…
-
Pope Francis welcomes Russia’s efforts to defend Christians
He made his position known on Saturday as he answered a question by TASS on the way to Rome from Cairo after a two-day visit to Egypt Pope Francis I welcomes Russia’s efforts to defend Christian minorities worldwide and especially in the Middle East. He made his position known on Saturday as he answered a…
-
Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Sues Oligarch’s Rival Conglomerate
Russian state oil giant Rosneft has filed suit against oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov’s Sistema conglomerate, sending Sistema’s stock prices into free fall.
-
Why Russia Won’t Cave to Western Demands (Op-ed)
Russia won’t agree to the West’s conditions for reconciliation — at least not in an election year.
-
The Kremlin’s Coercion Calculus (Op-ed)
Russia’s rulers have to decide how to respond to an uptick in protest sentiment. So far, they are leaning towards further repression.
-
Five Reasons Russia Is Not Looking Forward to Meeting Trump (Op-ed)
Russia is not a priority for Donald Trump. And there is nothing the Kremlin hates more than indifference.
-
Russia ready to provide Hitler’s skull to scrutinize its authenticity
A slew of conspiracy theories circulating suggest that Hitler did not commit suicide in 1945, but rather fled to South America or elsewhere and that the skull is not authentic Share The Russian State Archive is ready to furnish the skull of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler for any examination to prove its authenticity, its director…
-
St Petersburg’s landmark cathedral to get patriarchal status
Several other churches in Russia, including Moscow’s Cathedral of the Savior, have this status The status of the Patriarchal Cathedral that St Petersburg’s landmark Cathedral of St Isaac may get after its transfer to the administrative control of the Russian Orthodox Church will impart special spiritual significance to it, Alexander Volkov, the press secretary of…
-
Does Creativity Breed Inequality in Cities?
Richard Florida thinks so. In his new book, the urban theorist says sometimes the most innovative cities also have the worst social and economic disparity
-
Russian Diplomacy Is Equal Parts Blame and Aggression (Op-ed)
Russia is becoming increasingly isolated — not only politically and economically, but culturally and morally too.
-
The World’s Punniest Humans Are Heading to Texas
The 40th Annual O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships comes to Austin in May
-
Cheat Sheet for Говорить
The other day I tried to trot out an expression using the words говорить (to speak), так (so) and не (not), and got completely balled up. Now to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes, here’s my говорить cheat sheet.
-
Russia’s Imaginary Stalin
In Russia, political struggle is waged using historical names as flags. For lack of real political representation we sometimes feel “represented” by people who have long been dead.
-
Russian Social Network Vkontakte Announces Revenue Rise of 46%
Russian social network Vkontakte netted more than half $500,000 every day during the first quarter of 2017, new data has revealed.
-
Polls shows number of happy Russians at record-breaking historic high
32% of the respondents feel happy due to family and another 19% due to children in their life The number of Russians who consider themselves happy has set a historical record high, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion said in a statement on Wednesday. “The level of Russians’ happiness, according to subjective…
-
Coffin with presumed remains of 19th century Russian general dug up in Turkey
A skeleton of a man with a thick beard and moustache dressed in a late 19th century military uniform with epaulettes was found in the coffin Construction workers in Turkey’s northeast province of Ardahan discovered a coffin with remains which could belong to a Russian general who lived there 140 years ago, the Dogan News…
-
Russia’s upper house passes law banning bizarre baby names
The law will ban figures, abbreviations, numerals, obscene words and titles or positions as baby names Russia’s Federation Council upper house of parliament passed on Wednesday the bill, which bans parents from officially giving their babies names that are foul words, numbers, titles or abbreviations. The law will ban figures, abbreviations, numerals, symbols and characters,…
-
Six Artists Record the Vestiges of War in the Faces of Combatants
A look at a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, “The Face of Battle: Americans at War, 9/11 to Now”
-
A New Poem is Commissioned to Honor the Soldiers Who Fight America’s Wars
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa writes “After the Burn Pits” for the National Portrait Gallery
-
Teen bitten by pet lion strolling in Russia’s Volga region
Police said the pet lion, who bit the boy, was often spotted by local residents walking with his owner, a young girl, who can be legally accountable for the incident A 15-year old boy was hospitalized after a lion attack in the town of Engels in the Volga region of Saratov, a local health official…
-
Elephant, giraffe and wildcats found among Muscovites’ house pets
The responsible pet ownership bill was submitted to the State Duma in the autumn of 2010 Moscow residents have been keeping strange animals in their apartments lately with an elephant, a giraffe and 300 wild cats being recorded as pets, Chairperson of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Committee on Environmental Protection Olga…
-
Re-enactment of WWII Battle of Berlin staged in Moscow
The audience got to see tank fights, aviation duels, as well as infantry clashes More than a hundred stuntmen, trophy German armored vehicles and restored WWII-era Soviet tanks took part in the re-enactment of the Red Army’s storming of the Reichstag along with the Battle of Berlin in Patriot Park near Moscow. According to the…
-
This Moscow Subway Car Brings an Art Museum to Commuters
Experience some of Russia’s most notable pieces of art while traveling by train
-
Keeping Afloat: Russia Worries Over Appreciating Ruble
Vladimir Putin says the government is watching the creeping appreciation of the ruble closely, but has ruled out the possibility of returning to a fixed exchange rate.
-
Poll shows two-thirds of Russians want Lenin to be buried
The poll indicated that 39% of the respondents consider the Lenin Mausoleum a tourist attraction and are indifferent to the issue Most Russians (63%) have agreed with the idea that Lenin’s body should be buried, last year this figure was 60%, a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed on Friday. “The…
-
Monument to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin unveiled in Egypt
The initiative for putting up the bust of the legendary Russian poet in Cairo came from the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian Universities and the Russian Center for Science and Culture A monument to the landmark Russian classical poet and writer Alexander Pushkin was unveiled in downtown Cairo on Thursday. A gala ceremony took…
-
In the Early 20th Century, the Department of Tropical Research Was Full of Glamorous Adventure
A new exhibition features 60 works by artists the New York Zoological Society department hired to help communicate field biology
-
After Nearly a Century in Storage, These World War I Artworks Still Deliver the Vivid Shock of War
Pulled from the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Claggett Wilson’s watercolors are in a traveling show
-
Russian Internet Giant Mail.Ru Launches New Gaming Division
One of Russia’s top internet companies has announced the multi-million-dollar launch of a new gaming division.
-
When Artists Became Soldiers and Soldiers Became Artists
A rare opportunity to see works by the American Expeditionary Force’s World War I illustration corps, and newly found underground soldier carvings
-
Moscow’s Failed French Election Gambit (Op-Ed)
Russia’s media attacks on French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron are a political fumble. It didn’t have to be this way.
-
U.S. Oil Firm Exxon Mobil Denied Russia Sanctions Waiver
U.S. oil firm Exxon Mobil has been denied special permission from the U.S. government to resume its business operations in Russia.
-
Russian MPs pressing for Lenin to be laid to rest
The legislators also cited the position of the Russian Orthodox Church that Lenin should have been buried some 25 years ago A group of Russian lawmakers has submitted a bill to the lower house of parliament demanding to remove the remains of Bolshevik revolution leader Vladimir Lenin from Moscow’s Red Square, the press service of…
-
Putin approves Russia’s environmental safety plan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on the country’s environmental safety strategy for the period up to 2025, according to a respective document posted on the online portal of legal information on Thursday. The government has to approve a plan of measures to implement the strategy within three months, the decree says. More:…
-
Spring blossoms under the snow: winter blows back into Europe
Parts of central Europe have experienced “winter comeback” over the past few days Сold weather brought snow to parts of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland and the Balkans. Record low temperatures also hit Central Russia and Ukraine. Take a look at the bizarre weather aftermath in European cities. More: //tass.com/society/942342
-
Orthodox Church okays mobile tariff plan with SMS containing Russian patriarch’s quotes
All churches throughout Moscow and the neighboring regions of Vladimir, Tver and Kaluga can sign up for the mobile service The Russian Orthodox Church is aware of special mobile phone call rates for sending SMS with Patriarch Kirill’s quotes to subscribers and supports this idea, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy told TASS on Thursday.…
-
Facebook unblocks account of Russian embassy in Slovakia
Facebook unblocked the embassy’s account after sorting the situation out and ensuring that the account actually belonged to the Russian embassy Facebook has unblocked the official account of the Russian embassy in Slovakia, the embassy’s spokesperson Nikolai Levshunov told TASS. “The page is available again,” he said. “Unlike the fake account, this page contains truthful…
-
How Jazz, Flappers, European Émigrés, Booze and Cigarettes Transformed Design
A new Cooper-Hewitt exhibition explores the Jazz Age as a catalyst in popular style
-
Reliving the Ebony Fashion Fair Off the Runway, One Couture Dress at a Time
An exhibition on the traveling fashion show memorializes the cultural phenomenon that shook up an industry
-
The Reasons Boston Marathon Runners Finish
The Boston Marathon is grueling for every runner. For some, it’s not about speed, it’s about the accomplishment.
-
MLB Teams Are Trying to Be More Green
Major League Baseball teams are finding ways to save energy and reuse materials. See what your team is doing to help the environment.
-
NFL Players React to Death of Aaron Hernandez
Current and former NFL players were shocked by the death of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez on Wednesday morning. Photo Credit: WBTS
-
Patriots’ Gronkowski Crashes White House Press Briefing
Rob Gronkowski crashed a White House press briefing on Wednesday, drawing laughs from the press corps. Photo Credit: NECN
-
Derek Jeter a Marlin? The Captain Looks to Buy Team: Report
Yankees great Derek Jeter and former presidential candidate Jeb Bush have teamed up to bid for the Miami Marlins baseball team, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. Photo Credit: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
-
Astronaut Brings the Solar System to Earth in ‘Miniverse’
Former Commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield speaks with NBC on the importance of space exploration, what being an astronaut taught him about perspective on Earth and why Pluto was kept in… Photo Credit: CuriosityStream
-
April the Giraffe YouTube Channel Almost Sets Record
The long-awaited arrival of April the giraffe’s baby has made Animal Adventure Park the second most live-viewed channel in YouTube’s history.April’s livestream had more than 232 million live views and… Photo Credit: Animal Adventure Park via AP This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story inRead…
-
Zuckerberg: Facebook Has More Work To Do on Safety
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his first public comments since the Cleveland murder case, saying that the social media giant has more work to do when it comes to policing disturbing content online and making…
-
Here’s How Some Fortune 500 Companies Are Going Green
Through research and application, clean and renewable energy sources are something some of the nation’s most valuable companies are focusing on. Software giant Microsoft has a data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming… Photo Credit: David McNew/Getty Images, File
Got any book recommendations?