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The Ugly Swans
''The Ugly Swans'' (russian: Гадкие лебеди) is a science fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. In the USSR, it was published in 1987, in the Latvian magazine ''Daugava'', with the title "The Time of Rains" (russian: Время дождей). Initially, the novel was written in 1966-1967 to be published in the Soviet literary magazine '' Molodaya Gvardiya'', but the publication was rejected by censor due to prominent political and free-thought overtones in the novel. It circulated in samizdat, and in 1972 was published without the authors' permission abroad, in the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2006, a loose film adaptation of the novel was made by Konstantin Lopushansky. Plot summary The action takes place in an uncertain mildly-authoritarian country, in an unnamed town. Famous writer Victor Banev, a middle-aged heavy drinker, comes from the capital city to the town of his childhood where the rain never stops. Banev finds himself in the middle of s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arkady And Boris Strugatsky
The brothers Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky (russian: Аркадий Натанович Стругацкий; 28 August 1925 – 12 October 1991) and Boris Natanovich Strugatsky ( ru , Борис Натанович Стругацкий; 14 April 1933 – 19 November 2012) were Soviet-Russian science-fiction authors who collaborated through most of their careers. Life and work The Strugatsky brothers ( or simply ) were born to Natan Strugatsky, an art critic, and his wife, a teacher. Their father was Jewish and their mother was Russian Orthodox. Their early work was influenced by Ivan Yefremov and Stanisław Lem. Later they went on to develop their own, unique style of science fiction writing that emerged from the period of Soviet rationalism in Soviet literature and evolved into novels interpreted as works of social criticism. Their best-known novel, ''Piknik na obochine'', has been translated into English as ''Roadside Picnic''. Andrei Tarkovsky adapted the novel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Time Wanderers
''The Time Wanderers'' (also known as ''The Waves Extinguish the Wind''; russian: Волны гасят ветер, translit=''Volny gasiat veter'') is a 1985 science fiction novel by Soviet writers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, set in the Noon Universe. The book is narrated by Maxim Kammerer, and tells the story of ''The Great Revelation''. Plot summary The principal characters are Maxim Kammerer and Toivo Glumov, both working for an organization which investigates "Unexplained Events" (UEs). Their investigation of a series of events leads them to believe that they are witnesses to a new action by the Wanderers. After much investigation, the UEs are discovered to be the work of a secret society called the Ludens. They claim to have chosen this name for themselves as a derivative of the Russian word ''lyudi'' "humans", "people" with several semi-jocular allusions such as the popular Latin phrase ''Homo Ludens'' "the Playing Man" and an anagram of the Russian word ''nelyudi'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Golem
A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century rabbi of Prague. According to '' Moment'' magazine, "the golem is a highly mutable metaphor with seemingly limitless symbolism. It can be a victim or villain, Jew or non-Jew, man or woman—or sometimes both. Over the centuries, it has been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope, and despair."Cooper, MarilynJewish Word , Golem" '' Moment''. 17 July 2017. 24 August 2017. Etymology The word ''golem'' occurs once in the Bible in Psalm 139:16, which uses the word (; my golem), that means "my light form", "raw" material, connoting the unfinished human being before God's eyes. The Mishnah uses the term for an uncultivated person: "Seven characteristics are in an uncultivated person, and seven in a learned one", () (Pirkei Avot 5:7 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juventas
Juventas, also known as Iuventus or Juventus (Greek equivalent: Hebe), was the ancient Roman goddess whose sphere of tutelage was youth and rejuvenation. She was especially the goddess of young men "new to wearing the toga" ''(dea novorum togatorum)''—that is, those who had just come of age. Several voluntary associations ''(collegia)'' were formed for Juventas in the Italian municipalities, as attested by inscriptions. Temple and early cult Juventas had a shrine within the cella of Minerva on the Capitoline that probably dates no earlier than 218 BC, at which time she was identified with the Greek Hebe. According to Dionysius and Livy, both she and the god Terminus are supposed to have "refused" the ceremony of reversal ''( exauguratio)'' performed when Tarquin wished to rebuild the temple district on the Capitoline. Although other deities were relocated, these two were incorporated into the new structure. Dionysius also records that the semi-legendary king Servius Tul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flamen
A (plural ''flamens'' or ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of eighteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who served the important Roman gods Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus. The remaining twelve were the ("lesser priests"). Two of the served deities whose names are now unknown; among the others are deities about whom little is known other than the name. During the Imperial era, the cult of a deified emperor () also had a flamen. The fifteen Republican flamens were members of the Pontifical College, who administered state-sponsored religion. When the office of flamen was vacant, a could serve as a temporary replacement, although only the is known to have substituted for the , one of the . Etymology The etymology of remains obscure, and perhaps undecidable.Andrew Sihler ''New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin,'' Oxford University Press 1995 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sturmführer
''Sturmführer'' (, "storm leader") was a paramilitary Military rank, rank of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928. Translated as "storm leader or assault leader", the origins of the rank dated to the World War I, First World War when the title of ''Sturmführer'' was used by leaders of German shock troops and special action companies.Hermann Weiß (publisher) "Biographical lexicon to the Third Reich". Fischer pocket-book publishing house, Frankfurt on Main 2002 (appendix). By 1930, ''Sturmführer'' had become the lowest commissioned officer (CO) rank of several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations, including the SA. The title was also used as an SS rank until 1934 when, after the Night of the Long Knives, the SS renamed the rank ''Untersturmführer'', equivalent to a junior or second lieutenant (OF-1b) in the army. Other variations of ''Sturmführer'' included ''Obersturmführer'' and ''Hauptsturm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goliath
Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ... defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Israel. Scholars today believe that the original listed killer of Goliath was Elhanan, son of Jair, and that the authors of the Deuteronomist#Deuteronomistic history, Deuteronomic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous character David. The phrase "#Modern usage of "David and Goliath", David and Goliath" has taken on a more popular meaning denoting an Underd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Summanus
Summanus ( lat, Summānus) was the god of nocturnal thunder in ancient Roman religion, as counterposed to Jupiter, the god of diurnal (daylight) thunder. His precise nature was unclear even to Ovid. Pliny thought that he was of Etruscan origin, and one of the nine gods of thunder. Varro, however, lists Summanus among gods he considers of Sabine origin, to whom king Titus Tatius dedicated altars ''(arae)'' in consequence of a votum. Paulus Diaconus considers him a god of lightning. The name ''Summanus'' is thought to be from ''Summus Manium'' "the greatest of the Manes", or ''sub-'', "under" + ''manus'', "hand". According to Martianus Capella, Summanus is another name for Pluto as the "highest" ''(summus)'' of the Manes. This identification is taken up by later writers such as Camões ("If in Summanus' gloomy realm / Severest punishment you now endure ...") and Milton, in a simile to describe Satan visiting Rome: "Just so Summanus, wrapped in a smoking whirlwind of blue flame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mars (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Mars ( la, Mārs, ) was the god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and was pre-eminent among the Roman army's military gods. Most of his festivals were held in March, the month named for him ( Latin ''Martius''), and in October, which began the season for military campaigning and ended the season for farming. Under the influence of Greek culture, Mars was identified with the Greek god Ares,''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. whose myths were reinterpreted in Roman literature and art under the name of Mars. The character and dignity of Mars differed in fundamental ways from that of his Greek counterpart, who is often treated with contempt and revulsion in Greek literature. Mars's altar in the Campus Martius, the area of Rome that took its name from him, was supposed to have been dedicated by Numa, the peace-lov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phobos (mythology)
Phobos ( grc, Φόβος, , Ancient Greek: "fear") is the god and personification of fear and panic in Greek mythology. Phobos was the son of Ares and Aphrodite, and the brother of Deimos. He does not have a major role in mythology outside of being his father's attendant.Hesiod, ''Theogony'933/ref> In Classical Greek mythology, Phobos exists as both the god of and personification of the fear brought by war. In Roman mythology, he has also been referred to as Pavor or Terror. Mythology Phobos was the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He mainly appears in an assistant role to his father and causes disorder in battle. In the ''Iliad'', he accompanied his father into battle along with the goddess Eris (discord) and his brother Deimos (Dread). In Hesiod's '' Shield of Herakles'', Phobos and Deimos accompany Ares into battle and remove him from the field once he is injured by Herakles. In Nonnus' '' Dionysiaca'', Zeus arms Phobos with lightning and Deimos with thunder to frighten Ty ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vladimir Vysotsky
Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky ( rus, links=no, Владимир Семёнович Высоцкий, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr sʲɪˈmʲɵnəvʲɪtɕ vɨˈsotskʲɪj; 25 January 1938 – 25 July 1980), was a Soviet singer-songwriter, poet, and actor who had an immense and enduring effect on Soviet culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which featured social and political commentary in often humorous street-jargon. He was also a prominent stage- and screen-actor. Though the official Soviet cultural establishment largely ignored his work, he was remarkably popular during his lifetime, and to this day exerts significant influence on many of Russia's musicians and actors. Biography Vladimir Vysotsky was born in Moscow at the 3rd Meshchanskaya St. (61/2) maternity hospital. His father, Semyon Volfovich (Vladimirovich) (1915–1997), was Jewish, a colonel in the Soviet army, originally from Kiev. Vladimir's mother, Nina Maksimovna, (née Sery ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bulat Okudzhava
Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava (russian: link=no, Булат Шалвович Окуджава; ka, ბულატ ოკუჯავა; hy, Բուլատ Օկուջավա; May 9, 1924 – June 12, 1997) was a Soviet and Russian poet, writer, musician, novelist, and singer-songwriter of Georgian-Armenian ancestry. He was one of the founders of the Soviet genre called " author song" (''авторская песня'', ''avtorskaya pesnya''), or "guitar song", and the author of about 200 songs, set to his own poetry. His songs are a mixture of Russian poetic and folk song traditions and the French ''chansonnier'' style represented by such contemporaries of Okudzhava as Georges Brassens. Though his songs were never overtly political, the freshness and independence of Okudzhava's artistic voice presented a subtle challenge to Soviet cultural authorities, who were thus hesitant for many years to give him official recognition. Life Bulat Okudzhava was born in Moscow on May 9, 1924, into a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
