They are still arguing with... The strangest historical secrets. It is impossible to get pregnant during your period

From the meanings of cave paintings to the final moments of a mummified man's life, archeology provides a wealth of debate as inquisitive minds try to uncover the truth. I'll tell you about some of the most famous archaeological mysteries, which still cause active debate among scientists.

Skull number 5
It is one of five skulls discovered in the city of Dmanisi, Georgia. The unusual size of the skull is the subject of ongoing debate in archaeological communities. Scientists mainly argue about whether the Dmanisian hominoid was an early form of Homo erectus or not.

spanish hill


The mysterious Spanish Hill is located in Pennsylvania. Researchers cannot come to a consensus regarding the origin of the structure and mounds found on the hill. Some believe that they were created by the first farmers, others - that these are the remains of settlements of ancient Indians, and still others - that fierce battles took place at this place.

33-meter temple in the city of Tikal


The debate surrounding this Mayan temple was not about its origins or purpose, but about the fact that archaeologists decided to dismantle the structure in order to see what the initial stages of its construction looked like.

Grolier Codex


This pre-Columbian Mayan book first appeared in the private collection of a New York collector in the 20th century. However, since then its authenticity has been repeatedly challenged by archaeologists.

Piri Reis Map


The map was compiled by the Turkish admiral Piri Reis, and is supposedly a copy of one of the many maps of Christopher Columbus. For a long time in Turkey it was considered a source of national pride. However, experts have questioned its supposed accuracy, especially in relation to the New World and the coasts of Antarctica.

Baghdad battery


This is the name of a number of artifacts discovered in 1930 in Iraq. The vessels suffered from corrosion, and therefore archaeologists suggested that they were probably used to store vinegar or wine. However, it was later hypothesized that these vessels could have been used as galvanic cells to plate gold with silver. Although MythBusters proved that it was at least theoretically possible, controversy regarding its purpose continues to this day.

Ötzi


Ötzi's mummy was found high in the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy. The Ice Man Mummy, also known as the Tyrolean Ice Man, is the oldest naturally preserved mummy in Europe. There are many disputes and hypotheses regarding how Ötzi died. The most popular theories include everything from participation in a search party to ritual sacrifice.

Cyrus cylinder


An ancient cylinder containing Akkadian cuneiform was discovered in 1879 in what is now Iraq. This manuscript was written in the name of the Achaemenid king, Cyrus the Great. To this day, debates among scientists regarding its historical significance continue. Some experts see it as affirming the repatriation of Jews, while others see it as the oldest known human rights charter.

Calico Prehistoric Man Site


Thousands of stone artifacts resembling prehistoric tools have been unearthed during archaeological excavations in southern California at an area known as the Calico site. However, there is still ongoing debate among scientists regarding whether these “tools” are artifacts (made by people) or an archaeological site (formed by nature).

Monte Verde, Chile


The discovery of the archaeological site of Monte Verde in Chile has led numerous archaeologists to believe that people settled in America much earlier than previously thought (the age of the monument is determined to be 14.5 thousand years).

Sandia Cave


Perhaps one of the most controversial archaeological finds in history is a cave located in New Mexico that was excavated by Frank Hibben in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of his methods of work and the conclusions he reached are a source of great controversy in archaeological circles even today. Particularly controversial is the assumption that humans settled North America much earlier than previously thought (once again).

Piltdown Man


Piltdown Man may have been one of the most famous anthropological hoaxes ever perpetrated by humans. Indeed, in fact, after bone fragments discovered in England were presented as the remains of a previously unknown species of early humans, it took the scientific world more than 40 years to expose this deception. The identity of the forger remains unknown.

Runamo


Runamo is a fractured diabase dyke located in Sweden with a supposed runic inscription on one side. This theory has been the source of several recent debates in the scientific world about whether the cracks found here are a record of some kind or whether they represent the result of natural wear and tear on the structure.

Cave of the White Shaman


This 7-meter painting, discovered in Texas, has become the main topic of numerous debates and discussions regarding its purpose and design. The most common theories include a variety of ideas, ranging from rituals performed before battle to ancient religious ceremonies.

Terterian tablets


Three tablets found in Romania in 1961 have caused considerable controversy among archaeologists, especially regarding their age and significance. More specifically, experts disagree on whether they represent an early form of writing or not.

Jam Minaret


This is an amazingly well-preserved minaret in Afghanistan, the exact date of construction and true purpose of which has been the source of much debate among scholars. Even if we assume that the inscription on the side supposedly includes this information, it cannot be correctly interpreted.

Andean candelabra


While the Nazca Lines may be more famous, the Andean Candelabrum is another nearby geoglyph that has puzzled archaeologists. While some of them claim that it had religious significance, others have pointed to the fact that since it is carved on the side of the hill that can be seen from up to 20 km away, being on the open sea, it may have been its a kind of guide for sailors.

Uffington White Horse


This prehistoric figure, found on a hill in England, consists of deep trenches filled with white chalk. However, for many years scientists have debated whether it is a horse or some other animal altogether. The date of its creation is an even more controversial issue than the previous one.

27.02.2015

HOW A BASHKIR STOP CHILDREN SHAKIRYAN MUKHAMEDIANOV BECAME A HERO ALEXANDER MATROSOV

On February 27, 1943, Alexander Matrosov accomplished his feat. For many years, official ideologists kept silent about the hero's real name and origin. Why they weren’t so happy with it, the “Top Secret” correspondent looked into it.

The ideology of any empire has always needed myths, for which the authenticity of surnames or the accuracy of dates is a minor matter. The name of one of these heroes is Alexander Matrosov, a machine gunner of the 2nd separate battalion of the 91st separate Siberian volunteer brigade named after I.V. Stalin. The canonical legend on this matter reads: February 23, 1943

The division where the fighter served was given the task of attacking an enemy stronghold in the area of ​​the village of Pleten, west of the village of Chernushki, Loknyansky district of the Pskov region.

His path was blocked by three enemy bunkers. The first was suppressed by an assault group of machine gunners. The second bunker was destroyed by armor-piercing troops. But the machine gun from the third continued to fire at the ravine, and the attack fizzled out. Attempts to silence him were unsuccessful. Then the Red Army soldier Sailors crawled towards the bunker. He approached the embrasure from the flank and threw two grenades. The shelling stopped. But as soon as the fighters went on the attack, the machine gun came to life again. Then Matrosov rushed to the embrasure, covering it with his body.

Well, then the real story began to acquire surprising and not entirely reliable details. Let's start with the fact that there was confusion with the date of the feat. Some official publications say that Matrosov (we will call him that for now. - Ed.) died on February 23. However, the local history museum clarifies: the real date of the feat is February 27. Where did the difference of four days come from?

It turns out that a correspondent from one of the divisional newspapers was assigned to the unit (the Kalinin Front newspaper “For the Motherland!” was the first to tell about A. Matrosov’s feat; the author of the publication was I. Shkadarevich. - Ed.). Having described what happened in detail, he confused (?) the date of the event. A new meaning of what had happened immediately became obvious: a feat, the cost of which was life, it turns out, was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the birth of the Red Army. This is such a sacrifice...

Further more. A rumor began to circulate that Sailors was an inveterate criminal before the army. When Stalin was informed about the action of the private, the great leader, puffing on his pipe, thoughtfully remarked: such a person could not help but be a Komsomol member. And moreover, allegedly the commander-in-chief wrote the following across the newspaper sheet where the story about the feat was published: “An example worthy of imitation!”

On the same day, the Komsomol Central Committee issued a Komsomol card retroactively in Matrosov’s name. Where this story came from is also unclear. Maybe because the Central Museum of the Soviet Army actually kept two Komsomol tickets, which indicated the same last name - Sailors. They differed in that in one it was written “lay down on the enemy’s combat point”, and in the second - “lay down on the enemy’s firing point”. Which of these documents can be considered authentic? Unfortunately, it is not possible to find out this in the museum - fearing for the safety of the exhibits, they invariably use copies.

Meanwhile, the popular misconception that Sailors was not a Komsomol member remains. In fact, Alexander joined the Communist Youth League while still a cadet at the Krasnokholmsky Infantry School (Orenburg Region), where he was sent when he was called up for military service - a criminal would not have been sent to study. We managed to find the memoirs of Arkady Grigoryants, assistant to the head of the political department of the educational institution, who assured that “it was from his hands that Alexander Matrosov received a Komsomol card, the pages of which will later go down in history with the words written on them - “lay down at the enemy’s firing point.” He also clarified that the legendary inscription was made by Lyudmila Viktorovna Popova, who during the war years served as an instructor in the political department of the brigade.

All these inconsistencies and outright misunderstandings served as the reason for a variety of versions about the origin and fate of the hero. Among them there are worker-peasant, romantic, patriotic, etc. Which one is the most plausible? More on this a little later, but the only thing that all compilers of official biographies seemed to agree on was that Matrosov was Russian. But is it?

WHAT KIND OF GUY WAS HE?

It was generally accepted that Alexander Matrosov was born in 1924 in Dnepropetrovsk. The father, a worker, was killed with his fists. As a result, the child was left without supervision, and then ended up in the Ivanovo orphanage (Ulyanovsk region). The next “stop” was the Ufa children's colony. Meanwhile, it was not possible to find a single document confirming this particular place of birth of the future hero. There is another interpretation: his father was a wealthy peasant, who, after dispossession, was sent to Kazakhstan, where he disappeared.

The son ran away and became a homeless child. During his wanderings he ended up in Ufa. In the colony, he quickly became an example for the rest of the students: an excellent production worker, athlete, political informant, amateur poet and even an expert in the classics. They say he listened to the music from the ballet “Swan Lake”, admired Herman’s aria from “The Queen of Spades”, etc.

But... let’s leave these stories aside, because the most convincing can most likely be considered the “national version”, which was expressed and then managed to be proven by the Bashkir journalist Rauf Nasyrov. During one of his business trips, he accidentally heard from Daut Khidiyatov, the chairman of the Kunakbaevsky village council, the story that Matrosov’s real name was Shakiryan, that he was a Bashkir by nationality, and came from the village of Kunakbaevo.

As Rauf Khaevich would later write in his book (today it is a rare publication, which turned out to be quite difficult to find. - Ed.), this story became the starting point for a long and painstaking journalistic investigation. Unfortunately, he was unable to find any serious documents concerning the origin of the hero. However, he more than made up for this deficiency with numerous recollections of Matrosov’s fellow countrymen.

During the meetings, it was possible, in particular, to establish that the guy was born in 1923, and his father was Yunus-agai - a man, as his contemporaries describe, with a great, if not sense of humor, then certainly imagination. In particular, one of his fellow villagers said with a smile that Yunus-agai was a master at inventing various fables. For example, a story about how he saved Lenin in the desert. As if for this the leader gave him wealth, which Yunus buried in the garden, but then forgot where. Another story of his concerned how he was flying with Lenin and Stalin on a plane, and the kerosene ran out. They landed, and then Yunus went hunting, stuffed the animal, arranged dinner, and in addition also brought a barrel of fuel.

“That’s how I saved the leaders!” - Agai boasted, and the children believed. Shakiryan took after his father: he was the same inventor and dreamer. Someone even recalled the words of his mother, who repeated that her son “will grow up either to be a fine fellow, or, on the contrary, to be a thief...”.

It was also possible to find out that Matrosov’s father was married several times. With his first wife (her name was Muslima), he even visited Siberia, where they were allegedly beaten with fists, which is why he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. According to another version, his injured leg is the result of a wound in the Civil War. In addition, over the years, Yunus began to see poorly. His wife was often ill and soon died. Her son Shakiryan inherited from her. After this, Yunus married two more times. The last time this happened was in 1929. In 1932, the boy went to school, and soon the stepmother decided to get rid of her stepson - the family was then truly starving. It was she who took the boy to the orphanage, where she simply left him in the hallway. It is now difficult to say which shelter we are talking about. They said, however, that the boy left home on his own.

Later, traces of him were found in the Ivanovsky (!) orphanage in the Ulyanovsk region - during the investigation, they even managed to find a photographer who remembered how once, having stopped there, he captured a boy with a dove. This photograph was later published in the regional newspaper, and many of the residents of Kunakbaevo recognized Shakiryan in it. There were witnesses who met Matrosov in the labor colony, which was located in Old Ufa. Here he was already an assistant teacher and a group commander.

It should be noted here that the colors used to describe Matrosov’s stay in the special institution turned out to be far from rosy. On the other hand, life in the colony was not easy and very far from what is depicted on the screens of ideologically consistent films of Soviet times. I had to defend not only my own dignity, but also my life. According to the former colonist Pyotr Khalturin, who was enrolled in Matrosov’s team, he also suffered from the future hero. And here is a typical dialogue that is given in the book:

“And Sasha fought?

Of course, where to go... The bandit was named Bely, who, they said, escaped from Birsk to punish Sashka, but failed..."

Along the way, the origin of Shakiryan’s surname became clear - “he always wore a vest.” According to another source, many of the colonists in those days registered under other people's surnames, not to mention their given names. Most likely, in the Russian-speaking environment the name Shakiryan was easily transformed into Shurka, and then Sashka or Alexander.

“URUS HAS BECOME COMPLETELY”

People remembered how he, already a colonist, came to the village. At the same time, the teenager already spoke Russian well - “he became completely Urus,” but did not forget his native language. However, he invariably asked to call him Matrosov. One of the villagers even gave the following detail: on the young man’s body there was a tattoo in the form of a vest. The last time Shakiryan visited his native village was on the eve of the war, in June 1941. He was dressed in a city style: in a vest, a shirt with rolled up sleeves over it, black trousers and boots.

When he came to the river where the children were swimming, he was greeted with joyful cries: “Oh, Shakiryan is back!”

To which he calmly said: “Guys, your agai is now not Shakiryan, but Sasha. So call me..."

“What wind blew you away?

Eh, guys, where have I been? And now I have arrived from Ukraine.

It’s like you lived in an orphanage?

From these words one could clearly understand: Shakiryan was familiar first-hand with the life of a street child. This fact was played up in the early 60s of the 20th century in their books by P. Zhurba (the story “Alexander Sailors”) and A. Bikchentaev (“The Eagle Dies on the Fly”), for which the vigilant public mercilessly flogged the writers on the pages of newspapers. According to this very “public”, a true hero must have an impeccable profile, “enjoying the aria from Swan Lake.”

And yet, despite the fact that Nasyrov began his search in the late 80s of the last century, his publications remained largely unknown to the Russian-speaking reader. The reason, I believe, lies in the fact that numerous articles and investigations were published in the newspaper in... the Bashkir language. Hence the main thing - distrust of the “national version” of the origin of Batyr Shakiryan. Moreover, according to people who knew Nasyrov and knew about his search, “senior comrades” more than once urged him to come to his senses and not stir up the past.

They say that there is a canonical image of a “blond-haired, blue-eyed Russian guy” from the homeland of the famous General Secretary, so there is no need to destroy, much less cast a nationalistic sheen on the hero’s biography. Nasyrov’s attempt to find understanding in Moscow also ended in failure. At the same time, authoritative experts (including senior researcher at the Institute of Military History of the USSR Ministry of Defense N. Borisov) unanimously agreed that “the entire biography of Matrosov is a fiction.”

As Borisov later wrote, “the date of the feat was deliberately timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Red Army for propaganda purposes. In fact, in political reports, in the list of irretrievable losses and other documents, the feat is dated February 27, 1943, and the award sheet says that A. Sailors arrived at the Kalinin Front on February 25 (!).” But where did the “blond-haired, blue-eyed, Russian guy” come from?

And there is an explanation for this: the fact is that with many photographs - at most four or five, found in various orphanages, only one carefully retouched photograph was reproduced, where the eyes and lips were lined up. It is clear that the “adjustment” does not in any way detract from the significance of the action of the soldier who covered the Fatherland with his heart. But in this case, we are not talking about a desire to belittle the feat, but about the desire to return the true name of the hero to the people, so that, in addition to the name of Salavat Yulaev, Bashkortostan would also remember their own Shakiryan.

In addition, it should be said that in September 1942, colonist Mukhamedyanov (by that time already A. Matrosov) was drafted into the army and sent to the Krasnokholmsky Infantry School. He served in the 5th rifle company of the second battalion. The course in military sciences was designed for six months, and already in March the young lieutenants were supposed to go to the troops, but this did not happen. In January 1943, it was officially announced that the school was closing, and half of its personnel as privates would be sent by train to the Kalinin Front. Sailors and his comrades ended up in the 91st Pacific (!) Komsomol volunteer brigade named after Stalin. At first, Alexander was sent to the commandant platoon, and then continued to serve in a combat unit. During the search, we even managed to find a witness to Matrosov’s last battle.

“We, scouts, were returning from a combat mission. When we approached the front line - we took the “tongue” in the village of Chernushki - we heard our soldiers shouting “Hurray!” - recalls Pyotr Aleksandrovich Ogurtsov (b. 1920, Balakovo, Saratov region). “The Germans continued to fire and did not allow us to move forward. I decided to find out what was going on, and our scouts prepared for battle.

Guys, is the German machine gun keeping you from raising your head?

Sashka says:

Cover me. I'll crawl closer and throw a grenade.

I speak:

Sashka, he’s going to mow down.

... We crawled closer. Another German machine gun hits, shells explode. And then I was wounded - about ten meters from Sashka. Sasha rushed to the embrasure. The machine gun fell silent. Well, the guys rose to their height - and forward. They pulled me away, bandaged me and in the morning sent me to a hospital in Moscow.” (Rauf Nasyrov, “Where are you from, Sailors?” (Ufa, 1994). - Ed.)

This is a true description of the battle, which is not (!) in any official book. And Nasyrov mentions another important detail: in the veteran’s memoirs there is a mention that “at the request of the Komsomol members and the command, a letter was written to Stalin about awarding Matrosov the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

After all that happened, the expression “Matrosov’s feat” became truly popular, although in fairness it should be noted that Shakiryan was not the first to silence an enemy machine gun at the cost of his life. According to archival documents, number one on this mournful list is the name of Alexander Pankratov, political instructor of the tank company of the 125th tank regiment of the 28th tank division. And over the entire history of the war, over 300 people accomplished a similar feat. There were generally unique cases when people remained alive, but few people were interested in this. For the ideological machine of that time, a dead hero was much more important than a living one.

In short, all the official glory went to Matrosov. By the way, a year later, a private Tatar Gazinur Gafiatulin performed the same feat on the territory of the Velikoluksky district - his photograph can still be seen today in the city local history museum. And one more name - this time Ilya Korovin, who also repeated Matrosov’s feat. This happened on March 8, 1944, during the breakthrough of the Panther defensive line. For his feat, the sergeant was awarded (posthumously) the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and his remains now rest in a mass grave in the village of Zhidilov Bor, which is almost on the very shore of Lake Peipus.

However, this is history and, alas, our short historical memory. It was during a trip to Velikiye Luki that the author of these lines was surprised to learn that Matvey Kuzmich Kuzmin, the oldest Hero of the Soviet Union, was also buried in this city’s memorial military cemetery. At the time of his feat, he was 84 (!) years old. As a short biographical information says, Matvey Kuzmich was born on August 3, 1858 in the village of Kurakino, now Velikoluksky district, Pskov region, in the family of a serf.

Surprisingly, he remained an individual peasant; before the war, he lived by hunting and fishing, and became famous for the fact that on February 14, 1942, he repeated the feat of Ivan Susanin, leading a detachment of Nazis under machine-gun fire from our troops. The essay about what happened was written by the famous writer Boris Polevoy, author of “The Tale of a Real Man.” True, evil (very evil!) tongues claim that everything was wrong, but the museum itself resolutely rejects such speculation and adheres to the canonical version.

Nevertheless, the Museum of Komsomol Combat Glory named after A. Matrosov, which was on the balance sheet of the Komsomol Central Committee, was dedicated specifically to Matrosov. Built next to the ancient fortress, in the very center of Velikiye Luki, this concrete cube, somewhat reminiscent of a mausoleum, fully coped with the tasks of the time: to inspire and guide. Here they were accepted into pioneers, Komsomol members, and construction brigades were encouraged to further labor feats. But different times came, and since 1992, the main Museum of Komsomol Combat Glory ceased to exist, happily... joining the municipal structure.

Now this city cultural institution has more than 30 thousand items of artifacts in its storage funds. As before, veterans come here, which is understandable: they were young during the war. How can you not remember her? According to its status, the museum is also a center for the patriotic education of youth, so on the eve of Matrosov’s birthday, those who are not yet 18 come here. In any case, they will now know for certain why in the center of the city, above Lovat itself, there is a monument to a private named Sailors, whose name in his native Bashkiria was simply Shakiryan.

OPINION

Yuri Alekseev, director of the Trustworthy History Foundation:

“Unfortunately, there are many such secrets in our history. Not many, for example, know the true names of those who hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. Among them was, in particular, a native of the Pskov region. Specialists from the Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation have documented that the first to erect the Victory Banner over the Reichstag were the soldiers of Captain Makov’s group.

This happened on April 30, 1945. It included our fellow countryman, Mikhail Minin. For this feat and other military merits, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The award sheet was dated May 7, 1945, but the command was limited to the Order of the Red Banner of Battle (05/18/1945). A native of the Palkinsky district, he went to the front in July 1941. Traveled from Leningrad to Berlin.

There is still a record of this historical event on the walls of the Reichstag:

“Assault group of Captain V. N. Makov, April 30, 1945.” There were five names on the list of fighters: Makov, Zagitov, Lisimenko, Bobrov and Minin. In 2005, by decision of the Pskov City Duma, he was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of Pskov.” However, for the majority, two names of the “ideologically correct” standard-bearers remain in memory: Egorov and Kantaria. I don’t want to somehow belittle or belittle their merits, but in this case we are talking about historical justice, which very often becomes a victim of dubious political games.”

He was an inconvenient person. Too big, too bulky, with too wide a swing. And even after death it remains inconvenient: both for the current government - it is difficult to disown the person who personally handed this power to you - and for the notorious 86%, for whom he, together with Gorbachev, is responsible for the collapse of the best country on earth - the mythical USSR. It’s been almost nine years since Boris Yeltsin has not been with us, and his figure still worries, irritates, breaks out of the frame - like an illustration to the words of Mitya Karamazov: “A broad man, even too wide, I would narrow it!”

Yeltsin always knew how to surprise - both when he criticized Gorbachev at the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee in October 1987, and when he climbed onto a tank near the White House in August 1991, and when he danced with a sick heart on stage at a rock concert before the 1996 elections . He had a Russian breadth of nature, a scale of personality and, to match, the scope of a gesture, the energy of a battering ram, the sincerity of error and the equally sincere and equally Russian ability to forgive and ask for forgiveness, as he did in his last address to the nation on December 31, 1999.

We will probably never agree on Yeltsin, just as the reasonable Chinese officially decided on Mao: 70% good and 30% bad.

We do not know how to peacefully place emphasis and achieve consensus for the sake of public peace and universal harmony.

We do not know proportions and halftones, as Yuri Lotman wrote about in his late work “Culture and Explosion”: Russia is a country with binary “either-or” thinking. In our social and political system, this binary inevitably leads to polarization and clash, to revolution, explosion, and destruction “to the ground.” Therefore, today we live as if in a transformer booth, in a humming electric field, where all ideas and historical figures that come into the focus of public discussion lead to instant polarization. We cannot agree on Crimea, or Ukraine, or Lenin, or Stalin, or gays, or migrants; our disputes instantly split society, divide it into two irreconcilable camps, and draw a line among family members, friends, and colleagues. The “Yeltsin test” is also a marker of intransigence, a symptom of social schism.

A good symbol of this eternal Russian binary is the monument to Nikita Khrushchev at the Novodevichy cemetery by Ernst Neizvestny, in which black and white plates collided. We perceive Yeltsin in exactly the same way - in black and white, without halftones. For some, he is Judas and an agent of American imperialism, for others, he is the gravedigger of a rotten power that has become a worldwide laughingstock. For some, the collapse of the USSR was “the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century,” for others it was a breakthrough to freedom. There is no third. We live according to Lotman.

Nobody likes gravediggers, but their arrival is inevitable.

In the late 1980s, an explosion was brewing in the Soviet Union; the atmosphere was sultry and fraught with thunder; who forgot about this, reconsider Balabanov’s “Cargo-200”. Thunder struck, the stormy stream of the 1990s cleared the Soviet stables and threw us onto the shore of the 2000s. Yeltsin was that explosive man who broke the limits of the possible. It is no coincidence that one of the nicknames that stuck with him while he was the first secretary in Sverdlovsk was Bulldozer. However, he resembles even more a bear - not the poster bear of “United Russia”, but a real taiga animal, smart, formidable, but ultimately an invariably kind hero of Russian fairy tales. There is an almost apocryphal story about how 15-year-old Yeltsin, who got lost in the taiga in the summer with a couple of junior schoolchildren, wandered with them for a month, eating berries and roots, and eventually brought them to people. He was a powerful beast with an innate instinct for survival, a real “political animal” according to Aristotle, a mythical totem of forest Rus'.

...For several years now, a demotivator has been circulating on the Internet: a collage of photographs of Yeltsin on a tank near the White House, crowds on the streets of Moscow and a toppled statue of Dzerzhinsky with the caption “Thank you grandfather for the Victory!” By the way, one of Yeltsin’s nicknames was indeed Grandfather. And even though the victory he won in 1991 turned out to be temporary, it gave us breath for a good two decades, which we lived with the air of freedom in our lungs. Today's atmosphere in Russia is again stuffy and fraught with thunder, as in Balabanov's 1980s, but on the horizon there is no new Yeltsin capable of acting as a battering ram to break the rotten system, nor crowds of hundreds of thousands on the streets of Moscow, nor unrest on the outskirts of the Empire. But even if we don’t have Yeltsin’s energy for change now, we can always remember two of his traits, for which a lot can be forgiven: the ability to ask for forgiveness and the ability to leave on time.

Today Boris Nikolaevich would have turned 85. Happy Birthday, Grandfather!

The director of the Karelian museum “Owl Mountain” said in an interview with Yle that the information about the Soviet “fighting moose” in the museum’s exhibition was based on sources from the Internet, and promised to conduct additional verification. In turn, Professor Dmitry Frolov from the National Archives of Finland believes that the information from the museum relates to other experiments with moose that the USSR conducted in the 1930s. In his opinion, these animals were not trained for fighting, but solely for transporting goods, the article notes.

Researchers refute previously published archival information about "fighting moose", who were allegedly specially trained in the USSR army to participate in combat operations, reports Yle. According to an expert from the National Archives of Finland, the Soviet army did use moose, but they were only trained to transport goods.

Earlier, Yle News Service published an article about the Owl Mountain Museum (Huuhanmäki), which is located in Karelia near the border with Finland. This material also mentioned "fighting moose" which, according to the museum, were trained by the Soviet army for combat use in the 1930s, leading to media debate about the authenticity of this information.

The director of the Mount Owl Museum, Vadim Gavrilenko, later admitted in an interview with Yle that the information posted in his exhibition was based on data from Internet sources, and the staff did not consult with historians on this issue. However, he believes that data on Soviet "fighting moose" quite true: “Information about this is in the archives. There is also a lot of information on the Internet.” However, Yle correspondents have not yet been able to obtain links to the sources used by the museum. Gavrilenko explained that since there has been increased interest in this topic, museum staff intend to study it more thoroughly so that all doubts can be dispelled.

At the same time, Professor Dmitry Frolov from the National Archives of Finland believes that the museum's data may be based on other experiments with moose that the USSR conducted in the 1930s: “It is true that the Red Army trained moose. However, they were designed to transport goods, just like dogs, camels, horses or deer. In addition, there were few moose,”- he said. “There are several famous Soviet photographs, one of which shows a girl sitting on a moose, and another of which shows Red Army soldiers standing next to the moose. But in these photos, the elk is not a fighting animal, but a draft animal. As a researcher I can say that fighting moose—it is a myth",- the professor emphasized in an interview with Yle.

• 17:30

  In the Voronezh region, ammunition began to explode at a training ground after dry grass caught fire. RIA Novosti reports this with reference to a representative of the region's emergency services.

• 17:29

  Autographs of the Aivazovsky brothers and Archbishop Gury of Tauride, the author of the translation of the Bible into Chinese, were shown in the State Archive of Crimea in Simferopol.

• 17:21

  The Balaklava District Court of Sevastopol sentenced the captain of the Ukrainian vessel YaMK-0041, Viktor Novitsky, accused of illegal fishing off the coast of Crimea, to a fine of 550 thousand rubles.

• 17:19

  AC Milan has appointed former team and Italy defender Paolo Maldini as technical director.

• 17:13

  The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman on June 13.

• 17:12

  State Duma deputy Pavel Shperov, in a conversation with FAN, commented on the arrival of the first residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic to Russia to obtain citizenship.

• 17:11

  In the Kurgan region, a 46-year-old woman will appear in court, accused of beating and torturing a child under her care. This is reported by URA.RU with reference to the regional Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

• 17:10

  Independent economic expert Anton Shabanov, in a conversation with FBA Economy Today, assessed the reduction of the key rate by the Central Bank.

• 17:10

  The video released by the US Armed Forces does not allow us to conclude that Iran was involved in the attack on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

• 17:10

  The Vasileostrovsky market in St. Petersburg has resumed operation in test mode after reconstruction, Inforeactor reports.

• 17:09

  AvtoVAZ spoke about the production of the millionth car from the B0 line assembly line. It turned out to be the Lada XRay Cross crossover.

• 17:07

  Military expert Alexey Leonkov assessed the latest Russian missile defense system PRS-1M, PolitExpert reports.

• 17:06

  Kopeisk deputies elected a mayor at an extraordinary session, URA.RU reports.

• 17:04

  Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, demanded that Washington provide evidence of Russia's alleged conduct of nuclear tests.

• 17:02

  The defense team for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is extremely concerned about his health. This was stated by lawyer Jennifer Robinson, as reported by TASS.

• 17:01

  Former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson told how his ex-wife Robin Givens cheated on him with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

• 16:56

  In Naro-Fominsk, near Moscow, a pensioner was hit and killed by an electric train.

• 16:54

  The investigation charged the three Khachaturian sisters with murdering their father by prior conspiracy.

• 16:50

  In the Chelyabinsk region, a sentence was passed against a 26-year-old man who attacked the head of the village of Etkul. URA.RU reports this with reference to the regional prosecutor's office.

• 16:49

  In Krasnodar, law enforcement officers stopped the activities of a clandestine weapons workshop, the Yuga.ru portal reports, citing the press service of the regional FSB Directorate of Russia.

• 16:49

  The head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that the European Union’s plans to extend sanctions against the Russian peninsula are a “comedy of the absurd,” RIA Novosti reports.

• 16:47

  In the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory, searchers of the Kuban Bridgehead found an Il-2 plane with the remains of the pilot, shot down during the Great Patriotic War. This was reported by the Yuga.ru portal.

• 16:46

  Deputy Director of the National Energy Security Fund Alexey Grivach, in a conversation with RT, commented on the proposal of Ukrtransgaz to supply gas to Moldova from the European Union through Ukraine.

• 16:45

  The Russian men's team beat Poland in the match of the third stage of the Volleyball Nations League.

• 16:43

  In the Caucasus Nature Reserve, they talked about a fire that started due to lightning, reports the Yuga.ru portal.

• 16:43

  The movement of ferries on the Salekhard-Labytnangi crossing was suspended due to bad weather, URA.RU reports.

• 16:42

  The area of ​​agricultural land in Crimea affected by hail has doubled, Kryminform reports.

• 16:41

  Acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov spoke about the emergence of three new first-aid posts for summer residents, PolitExpert reports. Currently, there are 34 of them working in horticultural non-profit partnerships in the Leningrad region.

• 16:38

  The National Museum of Damascus is engaged in the restoration of artifacts from Palmyra and other monuments in Syria, FAN reports.

• 16:36

  The French Foreign Ministry has called for an urgent investigation into attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

• 16:35
• 16:35

  The Armed Forces of Ukraine adopted the modernized Spectator-M1 unmanned aerial system, developed by JSC Meridian named after. Korolev and National Technical University "KPI named after. Sikorsky".

• 16:33

  The Moscow football club Dynamo announced the departure of striker Evgeniy Lutsenko from the team.

• 16:32

  Employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in Sevastopol, with the participation of specialists from the Black Sea Fleet, destroyed 11 aerial bombs from the Great Patriotic War.

• 16:30

  Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov positively assesses the reduction of the key rate by the Central Bank. He told reporters about this.

• 16:28

  In formations and military units stationed in Buryatia, Transbaikal, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Kamchatka territories, as well as in the Amur, Sakhalin, and Jewish Autonomous Regions, training on countering terrorism took place, TranssibInfo.com reports.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, after months of fighting and shelling. Western countries mostly supported the Kosovars. Russia called the republic's secession a "dangerous precedent", although it later used it as an example, supporting separatism in different regions of Georgia and Ukraine. Disputes about the status of Kosovo are still going on, most heatedly, of course, in the Balkan media.

Kosovo takes part in the Olympics, elects a parliament and changes the government; there are now protests on the streets here against court decisions and environmental pollution. In general, as in many other countries, nothing special. That’s why Kosovo is rarely mentioned in foreign news these days.

Things were completely different 10 years ago. Then the small state was trumpeted all over the world.

• “In the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, the parliament approved a declaration of independence. As a result of clashes between demonstrators and police, many were injured” ( CNN, USA).​
• "Protests have begun in Belgrade" ( RTS1, Serbia).
• "A unilateral declaration of independence could set a dangerous precedent for other disputed regions" ( Russia Today, Russia).

Attention to Kosovo's independence was focused not only because of the exclusivity of the event ("A new country has appeared in Europe"), but also because the fate of this region had been on the front pages for the previous 10 years. The Russian audience was worried about the integrity of Serbia, while in the West they talked about the misadventures of the Kosovo Albanians.

Complicated story

The conflict between the two peoples lasted for decades: Kosovo was part of Orthodox Serbia, but predominantly Muslim Albanians lived there. Outside of Yugoslavia, the confrontation was not heard of until the early 90s.

By 1998, isolated skirmishes had escalated into war. On the one hand - the troops of Serbia and Montenegro (all that remained by that time from Yugoslavia), on the other - the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army.

Thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands of refugees. The negotiations did not bring results and the North Atlantic Alliance intervened in the conflict. The “War in the Balkans” is back in the world media.

• "Kosovo. Victory at any cost" (Focus, Germany).
• “The murder of Kosovo civilians at the hands of the Serbian military” (La Nacion, Argentina).
• "NATO bombs fell on several Yugoslav cities" (CNN, USA).
• “NATO bombing sparked ethnic cleansing” (The Guardian, UK).
• “Russian troops, who unexpectedly arrived in Kosovo, thwarted the plans of the Alliance” (El Pais, Spain).

In the summer of 1999, the Serbian army withdrew from Kosovo. An international contingent was brought there. Kosovo Albanians celebrated – just as they would the declaration of independence nine years later.

Gradually, the interest of the world media in the region faded. Kosovo is remembered abroad only on the occasion of the next anniversary: ​​in countries that have recognized the statehood of the Kosovars, they sympathize with their struggle, and in those that have not, for example, in Russia, they still support Serbia.

War of words

The same thing is happening in the Balkans. On the eve of the anniversary, Kosovo media are filled with patriotism, while Serbian media are ablaze with anger and disdain.

• "The so-called state of Kosovo" ( RTS1, Serbia).
• “For me, Kosovo as a state was born not in 2008, but much earlier” ( Kohavision, Kosovo).
• “Kosovo is ruled by criminals and drug dealers, traffickers in human organs. Kosovo has shown complete economic failure” ( RTS1, Serbia).
• "We see the suffering of Albanians. The exhibition contains photographs and headlines from newspapers from different countries that wrote about the war in Kosovo" (