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NOVAYA ROSSIYA ISLAND (FROM THE HISTORY OF RUSSIAN POLITICS IN THE PACIFIC)

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 23:28:00 +0300

In the second half of the XIX century. Russia has gained a foothold on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. A project to establish a colony in the Pacific Ocean has emerged in Russian ruling circles, which could strengthen Russia's position in this region. This colony was supposed to be established in Melanesia. But St. Petersburg, despite some hesitation, decided not to participate in the colonial expansion in the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. In December 1869, the German geographical journal, edited by the famous geographer and cartographer August Petermann, published his long article " New Guinea. German appeals from the Antipodes." At the beginning of the article, Petermann cited the letters of two Germans who settled in Australia-a pastor and a merchant. They called on Germany - or rather, the North German Alliance led by Prussia-to annex the huge island of New Guinea, which is fabulously rich in natural resources, and the large Melanesian islands located nearby, establishing a colony on the south-eastern tip of New Guinea [Pet. Mit., 1869, pp. 401-405] .1 Indirectly supporting their arguments, the venerable geographer diplomatically refrained from directly calling for annexation: "Let others occupy themselves with the conquest and colonization of New Guinea, but we must confine ourselves to saying that the complete exploration of this part of the earth is one of the most pressing questions of geography." "When expedition after expedition is sent to the ice - covered polar regions," Petermann continued, " when millions are incessantly spent and many precious human lives are sacrificed for the exploration of Africa ... when large sacrifices are made in different directions in the unattractive and depressing interior of Australia, when expensive expeditions are sent out every year to extract the most precious resources of the world. from the greatest depths of the ocean, a handful of silt with infusoria <...> should not attention finally be drawn to this ... Read more

GHANA THROUGH THE EYES OF THE USSR AMBASSADOR (1989-1991). COUNTRY STUDY NOTES

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 12:18:00 +0300

Keywords: Ghana, Accra, Provisional National Defense Council, Jerry Rawlings, chiefs, asantehene, linguists Evgeny Dmitrievich Ostrovenko-Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Candidate of Historical Sciences. From 1963 to 2004-in the diplomatic service of the USSR and Russian Foreign Ministries. He worked in the Embassies of the USSR in Afghanistan and Iran, in the Department of Middle Eastern Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. He was the USSR Ambassador to Ghana, Head of the Middle East Department of the USSR and Russian Foreign Ministries, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Romania and Thailand, Deputy Director of the Second Asia Department of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, and Head of the Delegation on the delimitation of the state border between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Honored Worker of the Diplomatic Service of the Russian Federation, Honorary Worker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Member of the Presidium of the Council of the Association of Russian Diplomats (ARD). Ghana, to which I happened to become Ambassador of the USSR in mid-1989, is not a small country. There are, of course, larger states in Africa, but Ghana has always been and remains one of the most significant, in many respects, countries on the continent. The word "first" is often used in relation to Ghana. Ghana, then the Gold Coast, became the first African colony. The first African newspaper appeared in it in 1857. The first African scientist, professional philosopher Anton Wilhelm Amo, was also a native of Ghana. Ghana was the first country in Africa to break free (in 1957) from colonial rule and embark on a path of independent development. ON SOVIET-GHANAIAN RELATIONS Soviet-Ghanaian relations and cooperation began to develop during the leadership of N. S. Khrushchev in the USSR and K. Nkrumah* in Ghana. Diplomatic relations were established on January 14, 19 ... Read more

GHANA THROUGH THE EYES OF THE USSR AMBASSADOR (1989-1991). COUNTRY STUDY NOTES

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 12:09:00 +0300

Keywords: Ghana, Accra, Interim National Defense Council, Jerry Rawlings, chiefs, asantehene Tribal leaders have always been and continue to be influential figures, especially in the local government system of Ghana. Under the Provisional Council of National Defense (VSNO), local leaders were united into their own bodies that had existed since ancient times, which elected members of the regional chambers of chiefs, and those, in turn, - members of the National Chamber of Chiefs. It was an advisory body that dealt only with chiefs ' affairs and customary law matters. He did not have any administrative powers, but without the prior approval of this chamber, however, no bill could be introduced if it affected the rights and privileges of the chiefs. CHIEFTAINS - TRADITIONAL AFRICAN POWER Among the Akan peoples, in particular the Ashanti, the leaders are, according to established tradition, the undisputed authority in the field. And not religious, but across the broadest spectrum of people's daily lives. Without a leader, the central government can do nothing, even communicate to the people its decision or intention to implement anything. If a government initiative is not agreed upon with the relevant tribal chief, and he does not strike a gong in agreement, the intentions of the central government will remain on paper. The power of chieftains is not inherited, although there are noble families in the country, from which many of them come. The leader is chosen by a special procedure by his own people, and they can also remove him if it is considered that he did not live up to their trust in something. The right hand of the leader is the so-called linguist, who is often called the "mouth of the leader". This is a responsible and significant position. Its origin is primarily due to the fact that leaders, by their status, cannot say anything wrong or incorrect, they are infallible. They are spoken for by special assistants, who are responsible for what is voiced on behalf ... Read more

THE PEARL OF VIETNAMESE TOURISM

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:38:00 +0300

Vietnam is experiencing a tourism boom. In 2005 alone, the country was visited by 3.5 million tourists from abroad, and in the first eight months of 2006, their number exceeded 2.5 million. It is obvious that everyone who comes to Vietnam has their own goal: someone wants to relax under the palm trees on the warm sandy beaches of the South China Sea, someone wants to get acquainted with architectural monuments and natural beauty, and there are those who are attracted to the images of literature and cinema, who want to see places where they lived, loved, the characters of Graham Greene's novel "The Quiet American" or Regie Varnier's film "Indochina"suffered. I have met such people among the French. And among the tourists from America, there are many who want to visit the places of former battles of the Indochina war, in which they themselves or their relatives participated. There is a lot to see in Vietnam. This is also evidenced by this fact. UNESCO has ranked five sites on the territory of Vietnam among the treasures of world civilization. These are Halong Bay, Phongnya Caves, the former imperial capital Hue, Michon Towers and the ancient town of Hoi An. The latter, which is still little known in our country, deserves a separate detailed discussion. Hoi An is located 30 km south of Da Nang, the largest city in Central Vietnam. Once you reach Hoi an by bus or car, you will not immediately appreciate the uniqueness of this city. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary seaside town. After getting off the bus and trusting "your two friends", you will be able to get to the old quarter, which is the highlight of Hoi An. All traffic is prohibited there. Vietnam has many cities older than Hoi An. But the country's tumultuous political history, full of wars and internal conflicts, has so changed their appearance, and many buildings and entire neighborhoods have been rebuilt so often,that sometimes what appears to be an old one turns out to be a new one. For example, the ... Read more

Traditions, customs, and customs. India. THE ELEPHANT-HEADED GOD OF FORTUNE

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:49:00 +0300

Among the host of characters in the Hindu pantheon, Ganesha is a very popular, mysterious and at the same time one of the most revered gods. It has an original appearance: the human body is crowned with an elephant's head with a trunk. Such an" anatomical feature " of his images cannot but cause amazement among non-Indians. "Wow, God is wearing a gas mask!" exclaimed a foreign tourist who first saw the sculptural image of Ganesha in the temple. Hindus look at his grotesque figure with awe, because they firmly believe that success in life depends on Ganesha. Without mentioning his name, none of the temple rituals begin, and without offering gifts to his sculptural or picturesque image, they do not begin to implement their plans, even the most trivial ones. There is hardly a village in India that does not have a shrine dedicated to Ganesha, and it is revered by ordinary Hindus and sophisticated, illiterate and highly educated, and not only by Hindus, but also by representatives of other native Indian religions - Buddhism and Jainism. EVOLUTION OF THE IMAGE OF GANESHA - FROM DISLIKE TO ADORATION Paintings and sculptures of Ganesha are found not only in temples. In India, you can see them everywhere: in almost every shop owned by a Hindu, in every house, and even at road intersections. But above all, Ganesha lives in the heart of the Hindu, regardless of which branch of Hinduism he belongs to. In one form or another, the cult of Ganesha has gone far beyond the borders of India. It is widely practiced in the Kingdom of Nepal (90% of the population professes Hinduism), traces of it have remained in Burma, China, Indochina, Sri Lanka and Indonesia (Java). Why is a deity who is not part of the triad of supreme Hindu gods, including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, so religiously revered by devout Hindus? Not only and not so much because Ganesha is the son of Shiva, and he is often seen as a mediator when asking for leniency to this all-powerful and terrible god of the Hindu trinit ... Read more

Exploring India

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 10:34:00 +0300

After the defense of my dissertation, almost no changes occurred in my life. Except that the salary for a PhD in philology was slightly increased, but the position of a junior researcher, known in common slang as menees, seemed to be assigned to me forever. But for me, titles were not so important as publications: articles, reviews, and literary translations. I could only dream of serious books. Perhaps it would be more logical to write a book on the work of Razipuram Krishnaswami Narayan based on his dissertation. But over the years, I managed to collect material for the monographs "English-language Literature of India" and planned to publish it. It was published in 1974, and the book "R. K. Narayan" - only in 1981. FIRST TIME IN INDIA October 1981 was an unusual year for me: my dream came true - I visited India for the first time in my life. My "Journey across the three seas" began with a plane landing in Delhi at Palam Airfield. Until recently, in Moscow, I was standing in a coat, wrapped in a scarf from the rain and cold wind. And here it was 35-degree heat, although the hands on the clock showed six in the morning local time. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the luxury hotel, we felt the romance of oriental hospitality: a beautiful Indian woman gave each of us a fragrant garland of flowers, and painted a traditional red circle on our foreheads - tika, and we immediately felt almost like locals. IT'S BETTER TO SEE IT ONCE THAN READ IT A HUNDRED TIMES We were delighted to plunge into the sunny world of Delhi: we visited the Red Fort, admired the Presidential Palace, visited, after removing our shoes, the largest mosque in India-Jami Masjid and the ruins of the most ancient-famous Qutb Minar of the XIII century, as well as the Krishna Narayan Temple. We also managed to touch the historic Ashoka column. There is a belief that the one who stands with his back to her, pulls his hands back and, if he can, connects his fingers, he will be rich and happy all his l ... Read more

SECRETS OF ANCIENT EGYPT: ON THE EVE OF NEW DISCOVERIES

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:38:00 +0300

INTERVIEW WITH EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGIST ZAHI HAWASS Keywords: Zahi Hawass, Ancient Egypt, archaeological discoveries, scientific activity, protection of ancient monuments Recently, a well-known archaeologist and historian, former Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt Zahi Hawass, visited Moscow at the invitation of Russian philanthropist K. V. Malofeev, founder of the St. Basil the Great Charitable Foundation. One of the lectures - "Pyramids, mummies and Cleopatra: the latest archaeological finds in Egypt" - he gave to students and teachers of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University, after which he gave an interview to our magazine. - At one time, you entered the University of Alexandria at the Faculty of Law. How did you choose archaeology later? Why are you interested in this particular area of scientific knowledge? - Yes, at first I studied law for a while, because I wanted to become a lawyer. But then I decided that studying law wasn't what I wanted to do, so I transferred to the Faculty of Humanities, the Department of Greek and Roman Archaeology. Although I didn't know what the future held for me in this field of knowledge. In 1967, I graduated from the university and was appointed Inspector of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. Later, as fate would have it, I was sent to excavate an ancient city near Kom Abu-Billo in the Nile Delta. During the expedition, we discovered an ancient tomb. As I descended into it, I saw a beautiful statue. From that moment on, I fell in love with archaeology. - During your scientific career, you have made many important archaeological discoveries. Tell us more about the most unique, in your opinion, finds. What riddles did they help scientists solve later? - All the discoveries, in my opinion, are important, but I would like to say something about the graves of the pyramid builders found separately. This was a truly sensational event, as there was no evidence as to who built ... Read more

TIBET: NOTES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:15:00 +0300

A real journey, dear Amazon, It starts before the floorboard creaks. I. Brodsky Closed on all sides from the outside world by a wall of high mountains, Tibet is still a mysterious country. For most of its history, it has been inaccessible to foreigners, not only because of the difficult passes, but also because of the difficult political situation in this part of China. In addition, they were afraid that overseas visitors would bring with them wars and destruction, a decline in morals and epidemics... A few brave souls managed to get on the roof of the world, and they brought with them stories of strange rituals, legends about powerful magicians who can cause hurricanes and earthquakes, about courageous people living in their own closed world. But time passes, and the situation changes. More and more scientists and diplomats, writers, artists and tourists visit this mountainous country. So we-a group of Moscow students of Oriental studies - were able to fulfill our long-standing dream. Our journey began in one of the stuffy Beijing evenings at the Western Railway Station of the Chinese capital. This is where the Lhasa train departs. The guides went through the cars, checked the tickets, and at the same time asked all passengers to sign a certificate stating that they understand what surprises can be presented by climbing to an altitude of 3000 m and above, and that risk takers will be responsible for their own lives and health. I must say that Lhasa-far from the highest place in Tibet-is located at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level, and staying at such an altitude is sensitive even for a healthy person. It was the morning of the second day, and we decided to pass it by by walking around the train cars. Interestingly, the train itself is heterogeneous in composition not only from a technical point of view: here and compartment cars, and reserved seats, and sitting, and passengers in it go very different. In the compartment cars, you will probably hear Eng ... Read more

WITH A MOVIE CAMERA IN AFRICA

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 14:34:00 +0300

documentary filmmaker V. S. Yeshurin Keywords:, Soviet African newsreel Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of a remarkable master of documentaries, director, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, twice winner of the USSR State Prize Vladimir Semyonovich Yeshurin (1909-1985). At one time, he was well known in our country and abroad. He called himself the "chronicler" of the victory march of the Soviet people and the "organizer" of cooperation with African countries. The Museum of the History of Moscow contains his diary entries and numerous photo collections. In the Russian State Library you can find his book " Through Eight Seas and two Oceans "(Goskomizdat, 1939) and a pamphlet by Boris Tseitlin, his partner on a trip to the front in Ethiopia in 1936, "Journey to Abyssinia" (Moscow, 1937). SOVKINOCHRONIKI OPERATOR In 1927, an 18-year-old young man, a junior operator of Sovkinochronika, sets himself the goal of life "to capture on film events that will be wonderful historical material in decades to come." He films foreign delegations visiting the Soviet Union and the first five-year construction projects. In 1928, Yeshurin captured the opening of the Central Park of Culture and Recreation. Gorky. Then he goes to Kazakhstan , where the Karsakpai copper smelter has just been put into operation in the western part of the Hungry Steppe. He manages to " show how the Kazakhs, who were formerly backward and unaccustomed to collective labor, work in production." After Kazakhstan, he shot the construction of the Rostov plant of agricultural machinery, and in Nizhny Novgorod-the beginning of the construction of an automobile plant. The next business trip is to the Ajarian ASSR, tea plantations and a tea factory in Chakva. Over the next two years, Yeshurin died twice.- page 55 participated in expeditions on the icebreaker "Sadko" in the Arctic waters. After the Arctic, 26-year-old Vladimir is sent to Abyssinia to shoot military operations, create film documents about t ... Read more

"A MESSAGE OF LOVE AND TENDERNESS" BY GAMAL AL-GHITANI

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:24:00 +0300

V. N. KIRPICHENKO Doctor of Philological Sciences D. A. MUBARAKOVA (Uzbekistan) Post-graduate student of the Uzbek State Institute of Oriental Studies Gamal al-Ghitani (p. 9.5.1945) is one of the largest and most widely read Egyptian prose writers, a prominent representative of the Arabic "new novel", or rather, of the direction that, having mastered the forms and writing techniques of Western modernist literature, at the same time focuses on the national cultural heritage, uses historical documents, traditions,and traditions. images and genre traditions of medieval Arabic literature. He was best known for his first novel, Al-Zeini Barakat (1972), written in the neo-traditionalist style of a palimpsest novel*, in which the events of Egyptian history at the beginning of the XVI century are projected onto the events of the second half of the XX century. Naguib Mahfouz was the founder of neotraditionalism, which aims to "Arabize" modern Arabic literature on the basis of reviving the artistic values of the Arab medieval heritage. Later, this style became widespread in the literature of other Arab countries. By now, al-Ghitani's novels "Al-Zeini Barakat", " Events on az-Za-Afarani Street "(1976), " The Lands of al-Ghitani "(1981), the three-volume "Book of Divine Phenomena" (1983-1987) and others have already become classics of modern Egyptian prose, translated into English. a number of European languages. Unfortunately, only his first novel, Al-Zeini Barakat (1986, transl.), has been translated into Russian so far. T. Kuzmina)1, and we are glad to introduce the Russian-speaking reader to the content of another novel by Gamal al-Gitani, "A Message of Love and Tenderness"2, which was written under the impression of the writer's trip to Uzbekistan and was first published in 1987, as well as two short stories that were first published in an Egyptian periodical at the end of 2009. The novel "Message of Love and Tenderness" is written under the impression of the writer's trip ... Read more