“Levada-center” asked the citizens of Russia, what historical events and phenomena cause them to have pride and some shame. Similar surveys have been conducted since 1999. This year, the sociologists polled 1,600 people in 137 localities in the period from 20 to 23 January.
On the first line consistently kept the victory in the great Patriotic war. This year it was voted 83% of respondents. “The return of Crimea to the Russian Federation” as a possible answer was included in the questionnaire for the first time. This option took place immediately after the victory in 1945 over the Crimea voted by 43% of respondents.
The least the Russians are proud of their freedom (10%), the Soviet classless society (9%), pursuits of Russian saints (7%), moral authority of the Russian intelligentsia (7%) and restructuring (4%).
2% of respondents said that none of this makes them proud of their country.
Regarding shame, “eternal poverty and disorder” was on the first place in the list. Ashamed that 54% of respondents.
Very few are ashamed of the “spirit of slavery” (8%), military defeats in the country (5%), the desire to impose by force their system on other Nations (4%), Putin came to power (3%) and “national pride” (3%).
8% of respondents said that none of the shame they did not cause.
And as it was before?
As we have noted, since 1999 a leading position among the “pride” had the victory in the great Patriotic war.
the Victory Day parade on red Square
The first survey conducted by “Levada center” showed that Russians are more proud of:
with the country’s role in space exploration (60%)
achievements of domestic science (52%)
moral qualities of the Russian people (45%)
great travellers (33%)
Meanwhile, there was more and percentage of people who are ashamed of poverty and insecurity in the country (79% in 1999). Similarly, when the first survey was greater the percentage of citizens who were ashamed of the destruction of the Soviet Union (48%).
About the “Levada-center”
“Levada-center” – is a Russian non-governmental organization founded by sociologist Yuri Levada and directed on carrying out of sociological and marketing research.
According the Association of regional sociological centers “Group 7/89”, in 2015, “Levada-center” was in second position in the ranking of research companies.
In 2016, the Centre introduced in the register of noncommercial organizations performing functions of a foreign agent. The Ministry of justice has considered that the conduct of opinion polls, provide the public with the results and performances of representatives of the organization at seminars is a political activity.
Lev Gudkov, Director of the Center disagreed with this decision, saying that the organization intends to appeal.
At the moment, “Levada-center” continues to conduct and publish new surveys.
what students think?
We surveyed 60 students to determine what events in the history of the country they are proud of, and which events and phenomena are ashamed. Answers were taken from the questionnaire “Levada-center”. And here are the results of this mini-survey were different.
None of the students was not ashamed of the destruction of the USSR.
A team of scientists led by Professor George Church of Harvard University said that in 2 years will be able to “mamelon” (mammophant) is a hybrid of a mammoth and an elephant. A great achievement of the team was that they were able in 2015 to increase the number of genes of a mammoth that is injected into the egg of an elephant from 15 to 45 writes The Guardian. This means that in the genome of the elephant adds more genes of a mammoth, which are responsible for certain characteristics of the extinct animal that will eventually lead to a full-fledged hybrid of the two, as scientists hope.
“Our goal is to create a hybrid embryo of a mammoth and an elephant. This can happen in a couple of years,” quoted George Church Independent.
From mammoth, the resulting animal will be a shaggy coat, small ears, thick layer of fat and blood, adapted to low temperatures – according to The Guardian.
At the conference, Professor Church said that this project has two goals: to provide an alternative future for the endangered Asian elephants and help in the fight against global warming. In his opinion, woolly mammoths could help prevent the thawing of the tundra due to the greenhouse effect, and thus play an important role in stabilizing ecosystems.
“in the Summer, they felled trees, contributing to the growth of grass,” – quoted by George Church The Guardian.
How is it possible to reconstruct the mammoth?
In 2012, the methodology was developed Crispr/Cas9, which allows you to more precisely edit the genome and splicing of the DNA molecule.
“We hope to do all the treatments outside a living body. It would be unwise to jeopardize an endangered species”, reports the words of the Church The Guardian.
Previously, researchers have proposed to implant a hybrid embryo into the uterus of an elephant, but refused for ethical reasons: the animal during the experiment could die. For example, according to the The Guardian, Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester believes that the proposed revival of a mammoth raises ethical global problem: the mammoth is not just a set of genes, is a social animal, the Asian elephant. What happens when you have this hybrid? As it will perceive the environment?
the Theme of the revival of the mammoths: history of the issue
In 2005 a group of scientists from Japan was going to impregnate a female elephant with the sperm of a mammoth preserved in the permafrost, and then to be crossing the resulting offspring. Experts suggest that such a process will lead to the appearance of an animal similar to the mammoth, only after 50 years. Even then, skeptics have treated the project with suspicion. They consider it virtually impossible to detect tissue where the DNA molecule is not destroyed or fragmentary – Lenta.Ru
In 2008 a group of Russian geneticists, led by Evgeny Rogaleva were able to decipher the DNA sequence of mitochondria from the wool of mammoth, which caused another surge of discussion on the topic. However, for cloning one mammoth mitochondrial DNA is not enough – said Expert.Ru
In 2011, Japanese scientist Akira Iritani said that around 2015, the light can emerge a real mammoth. This project was criticized by a Professor of the Institute of gene biology, Anatoly Altstein:
“I have absolutely no idea how lain 25 thousand years in the permafrost, the cell may remain viable. After all, the kernel must be good that is called “alive,” quoted a scientist Moskovsky Komsomolets.
the Russian scientists do not believe in cloning a mammoth
Alexei Tikhonov, the Deputy Director of the Zoological Institute of the RAS, commented on the draft of the Church as follows:
“This is complete nonsense, of course, a scientific PR. It is strange that such a respected University like Harvard, is engaged in such things”, quotes Life.
According to Tikhonov, cloning is impossible, because it requires a living cell of the mammoth, which no one has.
Michael Gelfand is Professor, doctor of biological Sciences, believes that “editing” the elephant to mammoth will take a very long time:
“…the Cloned mammoth in this sense, never will be. You can do the reverse engineering. Take the elephant and slowly his edit back to mammoth. Now count the generation of the elephants, and the number of differences. It turns out that it would take several hundred thousand years,” writes Professor portal The Question.
Senior researcher of the laboratory of mammalian Paleontological Institute of RAS, doctor of biological Sciences Yevgeny Mashchenko has also included the cloning of the mammoth is impossible:
“At the present level of development of science and technology it is impossible to obtain cells for cloning from animals that died more than twenty years ago. I’m not saying that it is impossible in principle — it can’t be done right now,” – the words of Yevgeny Mashchenko Expert.ru
The genre of performance art, provocative and sometimes divides society: aesthetes admire, and the townsfolk are outraged and demand to punish the author. Take stock Peter Pavlensky for which the artist repeatedly brought to trial. Not only the performances with political overtones, and artistic experiments in the realm of sexuality and physical contact cause a violent reaction. Where is the line between perverted instincts and high art? Try to find the answer in retrospect, the most controversial performances at the century looms.
the
Physicality
Cute MUAR: the “Mirror box”
In the summer of 2016 Cute MUAR, was arrested by the London police during a performance of “Mirror box”. The artist who has made this campaign in several cities, appeared in Trafalgar square and invited passersby to touch her genitals, putting his hands in the mirror box, worn like a skirt. Nice announced that its performance is a continuation of the rally, which was held in Cologne after a series of rapes. Through his speech, the girl drew public attention to the problem of mutual consent during sexual intercourse. She prizvali to respect women and to always remember that only they have the right to decide “when and how is anyone to touch them”, and when it is unacceptable.
Valie Export: “Haptic cinema”
Nearly half a century before the Moire young artist Valie Export took to the streets of Vienna in a cardboard box with a curtain covering her bare chest. Was the audience informed that this box is the cinema hall, the girl’s body, and the common view they will replace the touch. Using his own body as the main instrument, Vali has researched the problem of sexual objectification. In this case, she exploited the audience, engaging them in an unusual game. In 1969, the artist spent new performance, appearing at the session in the cinema in trousers with a hole cut out between his legs. She walked between the rows, occasionally turning to the audience. The audience was confused, because with the manifestation of female sexuality in such an extravagant form of many of them faced for the first time.
Boryana Rossa: “Deconstruction tactile cinema”
Boryana Rossa during the campaign “Deconstruction tactile cinema”
Idea Export was continued in the works of actionistic the next era. Boryana Rossa, the Bulgarian artist who beat cancer thanks to the procedure of mastectomy (removal of breast tissue) and created one of the most spectacular performances of physicality. In 2013, Boryana has deconstructed the action of Valie Export. The girl herself put on the box with the curtain and asked everyone to touch her body — only to discover there chest the audience could not.
the
Gender
Judy Chicago: “the Trilogy of birth”
the Participants of the performance by Judy Chicago
“Trilogy of birth” (1972) — one of the last performances by Judy Chicago — vaguely resembled a child’s game in a trickle. Some of the girls stood in a dense column and with all the forces “push”, while the other participants of the presentation crawled between her legs, pretending to born children. “Babies” holding hands and singing songs, which became louder and louder, and in the end passed into some frenzied animal scream. Twenty participants of the performance tried to immerse the audience in a condition that a woman experiences in childbirth. Judy often complained that aktivistki almost turning to the topic of motherhood — whether because they lack experience, or because they avoid the problems of gender roles, being in captivity for many a taboo.
Elena Kovylina: a series of performances
Elena Kovylina is waiting for a new opponent during the performance, “Box”
In his submissions, Elena Kovylina has repeatedly covered the topic of gender stereotypes. Performance “Do it yourself” (1999) — illustration of obedience, women dependent on the decisions of men. Wearing a noose around his neck, she stood on a stool and offered the representatives of the stronger sex to take it out. The performance “Boxing” (2005) was devoted to the theme of feminine weakness. Elena came out to the ring and waited for the enemy, and then tried to stay on his feet at least a few rounds. About the emotional instability says “Waltz” (2005), during which the dancing girl was literally unconscious, drinking a glass of vodka after each round to which she invited at first intrigued and then frightened men.
the
Relations
Marina Abramovic and olai: a series of performances
Marina Abramovic and Frank Uwe Sasipen (olai)
The story of abramović and Ulay — a vivid example of how relations within the couple becomes part of the performance. Before meeting with German artist Marina Abramovic has tried to explore facets of his own body and mind, but met a loved one, turned to the subject of spiritual merging men and women.
“Relations in space”
Marina and olai perform performance “relation in space”
One of their first joint installations of Marina and Ulay was represented in the Venice Biennale in 1976. Naked artists quickly moved around the hall, faced, and then dispersed again, repeating this for several hours. The actionist tried to combine the power of both sexes to produce a third creature, which they dubbed “ThatSelf” (“the entity”).
“Inhale/exhale”
Performance art Marina Abramovic and Ulay “Breath”
“Breath” show that the couple spent in Amsterdam in 1978. Marina and the Wulai connected their mouths with a special device, and breathe the exhalations of each other until the oxygen ran out. The presentation lasted about 15 minutes, after which they both fell to the floor unconscious. In this view, artists have tried to show that the lovers can support each other’s lives, at the same time its taking.
“rest Energy”
the Artists freely give weight to their bodies during the performance, “Energy of rest”
The performance, which took place in Dublin in 1980, Marina and olai dedicated to the limitless confidence between close friends. They stood opposite each other and didn’t look. Abramovich was holding a combat bow, and olai — stretched the string and the arrow that was aimed at the heart of the partner. Under clothing every were devices that recorded the heartbeat and broadcast the sound throughout the room. It lasted about four minutes, but Marina “they have become eternity.”
the
Violence
Rudolf Svartskogen: “3rd action”
Rudolf Svartskogen during the “3rd action”
Almost all of these performances took place in Vienna in the 60s and were associated with the experiments over the body, trying to control the pain and enter a state of meditation. Rudolf Svartskogen belonged to one of the most radical group of Austrian artists, and together they have invented new methods of ritual violence in performance art. In his submissions, he has broken every imaginable taboo, claiming that gives access to the instincts that are suppressed by society of postwar Europe. During the “3rd action” (1965) he wrapped himself with bandages and made the cuts, watching as the blood flows down onto the piece of metal that was lying near his head. Self-torture for Shvarzneger — an opportunity to prove that the power of the human body can only belong to him.
Marina Abramovic: “Rhythm 0”
Marina Abramovic “Rhythm 0”
Marina Abramovic has created a series of performances called “Rhythm”. In 1974, she for six hours was locked in the gallery with the public. Before them was laid out 72 of the subject, some symbolized choice (honey, rose, fur boa), other violence (chain, knife, belt) and the death (gun, bullet). On one wall hung a ad that all items on the table and the body of the artist are in full possession of the public. At first the people were involved in the “game” with caution, but after a couple of hours it was getting really aggressive. Marina clothing was torn, her body pierced with thorns, covered with bruises and cuts, one of the spectators put the head of the artist to the muzzle of the gun, but it failed to stop. Abramovich explained that wanted to show “how quickly the person can return to the wild cave state if he is to let”.
the
experts
the Specifically for Hit.media
Alexander Starusev-Perceive, master of fine arts, lecturer, HSE
“Performance should not be seen as a way to shock the audience, this phenomenon has become a full form of modern art. And it is known to be prone to provocative. If we see society as a mechanism, a performance in it — the force that may lead him into action, to excite, and, most importantly, to restore the desired balance.”
the editor of the “Art” of the website Colta Sergey Guskov
“The emergence and spread of action primarily due to the fact that the art always seeks and finds new, more affordable ways of dialogue with an audience.”
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About the reasons of public debate, which led to the decision of the St. Petersburg authorities to transfer to St. Isaac’s Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church for free use for 49 years, says the experts of the talk show “To the point”: the Dean of St. Filaret Orthodox-Christian Institute, Father George Kochetkov, art historian, Professor of St.-Filaret Orthodox-Christian Institute Alexander Koprowski and Professor of cultural studies at the Higher school of economy journalist Jan Levchenko.
Alexander Koprowski sure that the information noise around the St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Russian Orthodox Church – “thing is artificial, when in a certain place you need to throw a grenade, distracting from other issues”. In this story, in his opinion, the main issue is moral: if it’s a working temple, its main function is to be a place of prayer.
Father George drew attention to the foreign experience: “For the Museum – Museum premises. The temple must be the temple. Thus with one another can be combined. This practice is common around the world and worked for a long time. To me it is strange that here there are any conflicts.”
Yan Levchenko believes that the controversy around Isaac requires a balanced positions on both sides:
“This conflict can raise issues that previously were resolved either automatically or at the level of “who’s who”.
One of the main issues is money. The Ministry of culture expects that the cost of Isaac would take on a new owner, and the ROC is waiting for state subsidies “in the framework of the programme”.
Father George is confident that funds for the maintenance of the memorial Church will only come from the public pocket:
“There are no Other options and should not be. Society and the state are interested in the preservation of cultural monuments. If you want it to be a cultural phenomenon and not just a cult – pay. And this is absolutely normal”.
Alexander Koprowski sees no drama in the material in question:
“These things are very easy to find the money. Any millionaire donating to Isaac, not to be afraid that someone the money to drag”.
Yan Levchenko urged to consider the situation as a “show” act, which should serve as a reason for the decision of the accumulated differences between the active cultural community and Church:
“The Situation may not be the same because of its ambiguity. Need not about the specific St. Isaac’s Cathedral to think, and to perceive that this conflict is representative of the unfolding public debate on the topic, what to do with the relationship of Church and state”.
Full version
Talk show “To the point” comes out in the spring of 2016 as an educational student project at the faculty of communication, media and design, Higher school of Economics.
Judge: “This is the most evil thing in which I took part”
Oscar Wilde: “And I?”
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If you ask the modern reader, a product of Oscar Wilde he knows he will promptly answer: “of Course, “Dorian gray””. And only a few will remember that after the death of Wilde’s poems were worth reading. His first collection called “Poems” was published in the late nineteenth century. During the year it was published more than a thousand copies.
Oscar Wilde
Alfred Douglas twenty – year-old boy, with whom Wilde tied a close relationship, played a fatal role in the life of a writer. Because of their frequent meetings Wilde hasn’t been home, haven’t seen his wife and children. It was the occasion of serious concern as families, and British society, which could not close my eyes to the relationship between Wilde and Douglas.
Young Alfred
As Alfred Douglas and his father fought a lot, Queensberry thought of Oscar Wilde guilty of disorder his relationship with his son. Once at the bar, met two friends, he left Wilde slanderous note, calling him a “sodomite”. This greatly hurt the feelings of the writer, but friends advised him to ignore this ridiculous accusation. Despite this, Alfred Douglas, despised father, wanted payback. In the end, Wilde filed a lawsuit, accusing Queensberry of libel. But it was not there: the writer has received from Queensbury retaliatory accusation of homosexuality, supported by various evidence. (Queensberry found 13 boys with whom Wilde had a relationship and have provided the court with dates and places of their meetings.) This was the beginning of the trial of a London man of letters. News of this spread instantly: the hall in which the meeting took place, was crowded.
In court, Oscar Wilde defended his honor and dignity, denying the sexual nature of the relationship. The answers of Oscar Wilde caused an explosion of laughter from the audience. He was teased by the Prosecutor, by showing lack of seriousness and the absurdity of the accusations against him. When the Prosecutor asked to clarify the meaning of the phrase “the love that carries my name”, taken from a sonnet by Douglas, Oscar Wilde gave a speech that will be remembered forever Londoners:
“The love that carries my name” is in our century the same majestic attachment of older men to younger what Jonathan had for David, what Plato laid the basis for his philosophy, which we find in the sonnets of Michelangelo and Shakespeare. It’s the same deep spiritual passion, characterized by purity and perfection. She’s intelligent, and time and again she breaks out between the older and younger men, of whom the eldest has developed intelligence, and the younger is filled with joy, anticipation and magic of life lying ahead. As it should be, but the world does not understand. The world mocks this affection, and sometimes puts her man to the pillory”.
When it came time for the jurors to announce their verdict, they are unable to do this. But the trial Wilde was convicted of “gross indecency” with men and sentenced to two years hard labor work.
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German and French scientists which investigate the mysterious island of the Atlantic ocean found probable cause of it’s death. “Culprit” of the incident could be the volcano on the Santorini archipelago.
The archipelago of Santorini, near Greece, was a single island, but that all changed, according to scientists, after the eruption of a volcano on the island in the XVI century BC. Fs a result, the middle of Santorini was destroyed and the entire island was instantly covered with volcanic sediments and debris of destroyed buildings, damaged mountains and trees. The eruption caused a tsunami, which affected Crete. Both Islands were inhabited by representatives of the Minoan civilization, the development of which is still considered as very high.
Scientists from France the study found that the eruption of the volcano occurred instantly. Such blazing speed was the cause of global changes of the island, namely its complete rupture. Only a hundred years of emptiness under the island of Santorini, was filled with magma. This magma began to expand, causing the island and began to deform, gradually turning into an archipelago. After analyzing the breed, the scientists were able to establish that the magma that formed the volcano in the middle of the island, reached the coastal zone and mixed with the water of the Mediterranean, and why was the explosion, from-for which the island was instantly flooded. Also the wave formed greater than 30 meters, which have reached Crete and damaged it.
Many believe that the island of Santorini is the Atlantis which fate in the III century BC was told by the famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato. According to him, a prosperous island with a prominent population suddenly disappeared in the depths of the sea without leaving a single trace.
Despite the fact that the theory of disappeared due to the explosion of the volcano island is very plausible, it has opponents. The fact is that in the works of Plato’s destruction of Atlantis is dated by about 9400 BC, that is over eight thousand years before the eruption in Santorini. This discrepancy is very confusing for many scientists, so this version still has decent support among researchers.
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On the Oct 28, 2016 the exhibition “Bulgakov. Two biographies” opened in the exhibition hall called New Manege. There are two anniversaries being celebrated this year: 125 years since the writer’s date of birth , and 50 years – since the very first publication of his most famous novel “The Master and Margarita.”
“Project” Bulgakov. Two biographies ” is a vivid example of coollaboration between the museums. Creating the architecture and design, a crew of “Manege” worked in permanent contact with the curators of the Bulgakov’s House – says Irina Tolpina, managing director Moscow Museum and Exhibition Association Manege. – A visit to the exhibition will be a dive into the world which connects the images of literary works with the reality in which he lived and worked as a writer. ”
Archive documents, provided by Bulgakov’s House.
The exhibition is divided into halves. In the first one, under the glass cases there are archive documents which tell Bulgakov’s biography, present his first fees and difficult way to the reader: in late 1920s his works were banned and named “anti-Soviet”. Bulgakov even counted that among the reviews on his works there had been 300 “hostile and abusive” ones and only three hab been laudatory.
N.Ulyanov’s sketches for Bulgakov’s play called “The Days Of Turbin”.
The second half of the exhibition is devoted to the theater, which played an essential role in Bulgakov’s life. His plays “Days of the Turbin” “Crimson Island,” “Zoyka’s flat” and “Moliere” were put on the main stages of the country – in Chekhov’s Moscow Art Theater, and Bolshoi Theatre. Visitors will be able to be backstage and try to undertand the process of writer’s clash with the Soviet censorship and even contemplate Bulgakov as an actor: in 1935 he played the President of the Court in the movie “The Pickwick Club”, based on the novel written by Charles Dickens.
A part of the exhibition is a replica of Bulgakov’s apartment, reconstructed via his contemporaries’ memoirs, extant outlines and black and white photos. But it was impossible to reconstruct everything accurately. There is a layout drawn on the floor, and words “sofa”, “chair”, “piano” display the furniture which hasn’t been found. In this apartment did Bulgakov work on the novel “The Master and Margarita” till the end of his life. There he created the “Notes of the deceased” and the play “Batum” about Stalin’s youth, with whom the writer even had a phone conversation, having made it clear that Bulgakov’s works would never be printed.
The exhibition will be open until the Jan. 9, 2017, and everyone has a chance to delve into Bulgakov’s work and biography, to assess if the crew of the Exhibition Centre successfully coped with the task by collecting about 700 materials from libraries and private collections, museums and archives in one single exhibition. Apart from the exposure itself, the project organizers have prepared a special program. It will include lectures of specialists in literature and history of theatre, panel discussions, film screenings and tours.
