Predestination in Islamic Perspective

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7 September 2022

The meaning of the presence of prayers – requests in the prayer practice of such a fatalistic religion as Islam, seems completely incomprehensible. According to Islamic doctrine, the afterlife of a person is predetermined by Allah. Even before his birth, a person is given a list of his future affairs, under which he can only silently sign and humbly accept. “They tied a bird to each of you” (K.17:14), i.e. what she portends is fate. Arabs – pagans believed in fate, fate and determined it by the flight of a bird (auspices). Mohammed could not rid himself of these pagan prejudices and decided to put into the mouth of God the words of a superstitious Arab. A “faithful” Muslim humbly expects what Allah will deign to prepare for his obedient slave, whether it be good or bad: “Neither good nor bad will befall us in the earthly world, except for what Allah has ordained for us. We are humble before His predestination” (K.9:51). At the same time, Islam still recognizes relative freedom of will for a person: “If your Lord, O prophet, wished, then people would have one religion, and they would obey Allah by their nature, like angels, but the Almighty did not wish this, but gave them freedom of choice” (K.11:118), “Allah willed… that you have the ability to choose” (K.16:93). At first glance, there is a certain similarity between the Qur’anic quotations and the Christian doctrine of free will. But it’s not. In Islam, it is believed that a person makes his choice from a list of options, each of which is already predetermined by Allah. That is, a person himself chooses his life path, whether it is: life – death, faith – disbelief, light – darkness, good – evil, but all these options are already predetermined by Allah, or, which is the same, are his will. “We are running from the predetermined to the predetermined,” said Omar ibn Khattab.

This is best illustrated by the case of Ali. “Once Khazret Ali (May Allah Almighty be pleased with him!) Was resting in the shadow of a wall that was about to collapse. Suddenly he stood up and moved into the shadow of another, much more secure wall. The companions immediately asked him: “O Ali! Are you avoiding what Allah has prepared for you?” He answered them: “I seek refuge in the power of Allah from the fate that he has prepared for me, that is, I run away from one fate in order to achieve another. If the wall came down on me and I was injured, then such would be the immutable sentence of Allah and His predestination, and since I left the dangerous place and avoided mutilation, then it was allowed for me and, therefore, such was again the immutable sentence. Allah and His predestination.

That is, wherever a person goes, he everywhere falls into the network of Allah’s predestination: “Not a single misfortune will befall the servant of Allah without His permission and predestination” (K.64:11). The freedom of a person manifests itself precisely at the moment of choosing between already predetermined paths. True, for some reason, Muslims do not associate such manifestations of evil as: drug addiction, alcoholism and prostitution with the predestination of Allah. Although, according to their own theory, everything goes to this. Even the Quran says about this: “No trouble will strike the earth: drought, lack of fruits, etc., and will not strike your souls: sickness, poverty, death, etc., unless it was predetermined by Allah … before We bring it to life on earth and in your souls. The predestination of trouble, the knowledge of it for Allah is very easy and does not present any difficulty ”(K.57:22). Of course, if we take the current situation, then, indeed, it turns out that a person himself makes a choice, for example, whether to sin with a harlot or not. But if we return to the origins of this sin, i.e. when there was no prostitution yet (we are considering classical prostitution, and not priestly or any other), we will see that the first woman who decides to do this still makes some choice from several options (to choose this way of earning money or no, even if the decision is not made by her), of course, already predetermined by Allah. Thus, we get the conclusion that the very appearance of such a variety of sin as prostitution is the predestination of Allah, i.e. his will. And although Muslims themselves recognize this as absurd, the Qur’an explicitly says that it was Allah who commanded some people to do wickedness so that they strayed from the straight path, and for this he himself destroyed them. And this destruction of people, firstly, was predetermined by Allah, and secondly, it was an expression of his will: “And when We, according to Our predestination (underlined – author), recorded in the Preserved Tablet (al – Laukh al – Mahfuz) , wished to destroy the inhabitants of the village in justice and according to Our will. We gave a command to those endowed with blessings in it, and they did wickedness and strayed from the straight path, and others thoughtlessly followed them, erring. Thus, they all deserved punishment, and We destroyed this village completely ”(K.17:16).

There is, however, another attempt to resolve this providential problem created by Muhammad. Some of the representatives of Muslim publicists (Yasin Rasulov), trying to somehow hush up this inconvenient incident with predestination, explain it in the sense of the establishment (predestination) by Allah of the laws of the universe. That is, predestination (predestination) is considered the inevitability of some law of nature. For example, a person decides to throw himself into an abyss. He jumps in and dies. His death in this case is considered predetermined by Allah by virtue of the laws of attraction established (predetermined) by him. That is, a person makes his own choice (manifestation of free will) and is broken due to the inevitability of the laws of nature established by Allah (predestination). Also, if he jumps there with a parachute, his flight is also predetermined by Allah by virtue of the relevant laws. If he walks on the ground, his movement is predetermined due to the inevitability of the laws of locomotion, etc. But to go, run or jump – the decision is made by a person.

It must be assumed that a person flying on a rocket overcomes the predetermined laws of attraction by virtue of other laws of mechanics predetermined by Allah. The bomb in Hiroshima burned everything alive due to the predetermined inevitability of the laws of nuclear physics. Alcoholic beverages knock a person down due to the predetermined inevitability of the laws of the effects of alcohol on the human body. LSD is maddening due to the corresponding processes predetermined by Allah, etc. It turns out that a person makes a decision, and Allah implements it. In this case, the blame falls on both, and no one has the right to take on the role of judge in relation to the other.

In short, such schemes can be developed indefinitely, but where is the truth? And the truth has long since been revealed to the world in the words: “And God created man … in the image of God … and in the likeness of God he created him” (Gen. 1:27; 5:1). That is, man was created holy and striving for goodness and absolutely free, as his Creator is free. And history develops not in the way God predetermines it, but in the way that man himself “predetermines” it, in accordance with the use of free will by him.

By the way, Islam teaches that in case of unauthorized use by a person of free will, which is entirely a gift of Allah and belongs only to him, he deprives a person of this gift and acts with a sinful weak-willed being at his own discretion.

Which one? One can only guess. Since “if a person uses it (the gift of free will – ed.) incorrectly, does not fulfill his high destiny (presumably, he is not a Muslim – ed.), then the existence of such an individual loses all meaning”93. That is, the sinner is deprived of free will and is quietly thrown into the garbage heap of mankind as hopeless and “unfaithful.” Thus, the relative free will of a person is impermanent and periodic! And this despite the fact that Islam endlessly repeats about some kind of repentance, which in fact concerns exclusively Muslims, because “The one who accepts repentance is At – Tawwab (80th name)” – Allah: “Then, when you repented of your sin and asked Allah has forgiveness for him (calf), We have spared and forgive you ”(K.2:52). For everyone else, repentance lies solely in the adoption of Islam. But according to the same Koran, repentance is impossible for sinners, “For whom Allah has deprived of His mercy and led away from the straight path, you will never be able to guide him to the straight path” (K.4: 88). He can only guess why the merciful and merciful Allah, who, “if he wished, could direct every soul to the straight path” (K.32:13), nevertheless predestined them to be led astray from this straight path and “be kindling for hellfire”? (K.3:10) As a result, “we were convinced that Allah is powerful over us, wherever we are on earth, and we will not be saved from His predestination (sub. – ed.) by fleeing to heaven” (K.72 :12).

This is not enough. According to Islamic ideas, Allah is the creator of all events on earth (both positive and negative), as well as all the deeds and deeds of every person and any creature (both good and evil) up to this moment. That is, being in fact the creator of good and evil, he is in the literal sense the incessant creator of the history of mankind. “World history is an unceasing epiphany, even the victories of the infidels happen according to the will of God”94. “God not only maintains the world, but precisely creates it every moment, creates it again and again, so that in each subsequent moment any thing, any being, each person is different, different, different. The created world does not even have a relative ontological status. Not only through providence, but through the permanent creation itself, he is dependent on God. Between the action and its consequences, God establishes only a connection of habit, routine, but He is free at any moment to break this connection, to change everything. Likewise, human actions do not have any internal ontological reality: “God created both you and the work of your hands” (K.37:96), says the Koran, and Sunni Islam literally understands these words. God directly creates every action of man, both in its essence and in its moral content. That is, any sin and any evil, in principle, can be written off to the will of Allah, who contributed to this. The fact that both good and evil are predestined (predetermined) by Allah is stated in the Qur’an in plain text: “Thus they lose their peace of mind in earthly life, which comes from faith in Allah predetermined (good and evil)” (K.22:11). This is also confirmed by Islamic publicists: “Allah created both the good that He approves and the evil that He disapproves of. Those who believe that Allah created only good, and evil was created by Shaitan (Satan), are mistaken, since there cannot be “two Creators”. Both good and evil are created by Allah.

Notes:

92.Ali Apsheroni. The Essence of the Islamic Worldview.httr://scbooks.shat.ru

93.Ali Apsheroni. The Essence of the Islamic Worldview.httr://scbooks.shat.ru

94.Eliade M. History of faith and religious ideas. Volume 3: From Mohammed to the Reformation. Chapter 33: Mohammed and the Rise of Islam. http//www/gumer.info/

95.A.D. Redkozubov. Moral requirements for the individual in Islam and Christianity: a comparative analysis. https://rusk.ru/

96.Prophets. True faith is the faith of our ancestors. . ru/Server/Iman/Maktaba/Tarikh/proroki.dos

Source: Chapter 8. Rites in Islam – Unexpected Sharia [Text] / Mikhail Rozhdestvensky. – [Moscow: b. i.], 2011. – 494, [2] p.

Photo credit: Markus Spiske / unsplash

The mention of non-Orthodox at funeral services

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7 September 2022

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By St. Athanasius (Sakharov)

[From the letters of St. Athanasius (Sakharov), Bishop of Kovrovsky (1887-1962) to Nun Varvara (Adamson)]

Regarding mentioning your deceased parents. Above all, I think that children are always obliged to pray for their parents, whatever they may have been during their lifetime – monsters, blasphemers and persecutors of the faith. I am convinced that St. Martyr Barbara prayed for her father who killed her. Your parents were Christians. If, according to the Word of God, “in every nation the one who fears Him and walks in righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35), how much more does this apply to those who believe in the One God, glorified in the Trinity, and who profess Christ , came in the flesh.

Orthodoxy is dearest to me. I cannot compare it with any other confession, with any other faith. But I dare not assert that all the non-Orthodox have perished hopelessly. The mercy of the Lord is great, and his deliverance is great (Ps. 129:7). Who can resist Him if He has decided to save someone? And the Lord wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). He cannot save only those who themselves do not desire salvation and stubbornly resist His outstretched right hand. And your parents, as Christians, wanted and sought salvation, but they did not know the way of Orthodoxy.

If the prayer of St. Macarius the Great for the pagans brought them some comfort, how much more will the prayer of Orthodox children bring comfort to non-Orthodox parents?!

At the request of the pious Queen Theodora, the Fathers of the Church prayed hard for her husband, the fierce iconoclast and persecutor of Orthodoxy Theophilus, and received a revelation that through their prayers and because of Theodora’s faith, he was granted absolution.

So we can and must pray for the non-Orthodox. But, of course, the prayer for the non-Orthodox should be a little different. So, for example, at the very beginning of the funeral canon, a prayer is offered for the Lord to grant His eternal benefits to the deceased faithful. Something we can only say about Orthodox. Therefore, the Holy Synod approved a special rite of requiem for the non-Orthodox. Its printing began in 1917, but was not completed. Therefore, in 1934 or 1935, Mitr. Sergius (of Stragorod, successively metropolitan of Vladimir, Gorky, Moscow, vicar of the patriarchal throne and finally patriarch, b. b.) sent to the dioceses an order compiled by him for the memorial service of non-Orthodox deceased.

I think that the clergy in the Lavra have this hierarchy. If for some reason this act should not be performed, then give to the ordinary memorial service your memorial with all the names of your deceased relatives and friends, including the non-Orthodox ones, and at the very beginning of the list let the names of your parents and other non-Orthodox relatives stand .

Regarding their mention of proscomidia, it should be reasoned like this. The mention of proscomidia is accompanied by the subtraction of particles of prosphora. These particles symbolically depict those mentioned. They offer themselves to the divine Throne and immerse themselves in the divine Blood, as if they partake of it. According to the rules of the Church, not only the non-Orthodox, but even the declared, who are preparing for baptism, should not remain in the temple after the exclamation “Announced, come out” and when the Holy Eucharist is being performed. True, in recent times the ancient Christian strict discipline has weakened, and the non-Orthodox are allowed to remain in the temple until the end of the Liturgy.

However, if your parents, for example, were alive and had agreed to come with you to pray in an Orthodox church, then you yourself, approaching the Holy Communion, you would not even mentally allow the possibility of taking your parents to the Chalice.

That’s why I advise you to have a special monument with names of only Orthodox deceased for the proscomidia. It is not a sin that you mentioned your parents to the proscomidia before. You did it out of ignorance. Earlier, I also mentioned non-Orthodox to the proscomidia, and then I became convinced that it is better not to do this.

During the other moments of the liturgy, however, without specifically removing particles from the prosphora, in a secret prayer or in a funeral litany, we can also mention non-Orthodox, especially our parents.

Incidentally, the late Fr. Alexii Zosimovski advised Fr. Michael Shiku to mention his parents, devout Jews, during the litanies for the announced.

Source: Collection of Letters of St. Athanasius (Sakharov), M.: “Rule of Faith”, 2001, c. 272-274 (in Russian).

Joint press release following the 8th Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine

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Council of the EU and European Council

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6 September 2022

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Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine — From left to right: Denys SHMYHAL (Prime Minister of Ukraine), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES (High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), Olivér VÁRHELYI (European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement)

On 5 September 2022, the European Union and Ukraine held the 8^th meeting of the EU and Ukraine Association Council in Brussels.

The Association Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked and unjustified Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU commended the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people and its leadership in their fight to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of Ukraine and underlined its unwavering commitment to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression and to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. It commended Ukraine’s civil society for their continued key role in building Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian aggression.

Ukraine expressed its appreciation for the previous packages of EU restrictive measures and underlined the necessity to foster the process of strengthening EU restrictive measures against Russia. Ukraine also called for measure in the sphere of visa policy.

The Association Council emphasized that those responsible for human rights violations, atrocities and war crimes committed in the context of the Russian war against Ukraine, the perpetrators and their accomplices must be held accountable.

The EU emphasized its strong commitment to supporting the intensive work of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal court and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General in this respect and underlined its continued financial and capacity-building support to these efforts. Ukraine considered that its suggestion on the establishment of the special ad hoc international criminal tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine shall be further explored. The EU recalled Ukraine’s commitment in the Association Agreement to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and encouraged Ukraine to implement this commitment urgently.

The Association Council highlighted the historical importance of the decision of the European Council of 23 June 2022 to recognise the European perspective and grant the status of candidate country to Ukraine. It stressed that the future of Ukraine and its citizens lies within the European Union. The EU recalled that the Council will decide on further steps once all the conditions specified in the Commission’s opinion on Ukraine’s EU membership application are fully met, underlining that the progress of Ukraine towards the EU will depend on its own merit, taking into consideration the EU’s capacity to absorb new members. The EU noted the action plan prepared by the Ukrainian Side on the implementation of the recommended steps included in the European Commission’s opinion, welcomed the progress already made, and underlined the importance of their full and effective implementation.

The EU reiterated its commitment to further strengthening relations with Ukraine, including through well-targeted support to Ukraine’s European integration efforts and exploiting fully the potential of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), and stressed the mutual commitments to that end. The EU recognised the substantial progress that Ukraine has made thus far in its reform process and underlined the need to preserve and build on the achieved results.

The Association Council welcomed the steps that Ukraine had taken thus far with regard to reforms in the sphere of anti-corruption, fighting against fraud, anti-money laundering and rule of law and urged Ukraine to pursue further efforts in these areas. It stressed the paramount importance of ensuring the independence, effectiveness and sustainability of the anti-corruption institutional framework and avoid politicisation of the work of all law enforcement agencies. The Association Council welcomed the major steps taken by Ukraine towards a comprehensive reform of the judiciary in 2021 and the appointment of the new Head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, while emphasising the urgent need to complete the selection of the new Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the reform of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU), including a clear and transparent competitive selection process for judges.

The Association Council welcomed the prompt mobilisation of EU humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the Russian invasion against Ukraine. The Association Council also welcomed the EU’s and its Member States strong emergency response via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism at an estimated value above EUR 430 million. The EU highlighted the key priority in ensuring winterized shelter facilities and housing ahead of the upcoming winter and the need to enhance cooperation within the international community.

The Association Council recalled EU’s activation of the temporary protection status for citizens of Ukraine giving them temporary residence rights, access to labour markets and housing, medical assistance and education.

The Association Council welcomed the EU’s financial support and immediate relief efforts with over EUR 9,5 billion, including support amounting to EUR 2.6 billion under the European Peace Facility, that will have been provided since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. The EU reiterated its strong commitment to Ukraine’s reconstruction, geared towards fast-forwarding the green, climate resilient and digital transitions, underlining its readiness to take a leading role in the effort and stressing the importance of Ukraine’s ownership. Both sides underlined the need for practical development of the partnership initiative between European and Ukrainian regions and municipalities aiming at recovery of the destroyed and damaged Ukrainian cities. The EU recalled that its support for reconstruction will be linked to the implementation of reforms to ensure the rule of law, resilient democratic institutions, to reduce the influence of oligarchs, to strengthen anti-corruption measures consistent with Ukraine’s European path and to further the process of aligning legislation with the EU acquis.

Ukraine expressed gratitude for the military assistance provided by EU Member States to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including under the European Peace Facility and called for continuation of these efforts as long as required.

The Association Council welcomed the decision on allocation of loan funds of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the amount of EUR 1,059 million to cover priority needs.

The Association Council noted the priority given to the objective of integration of Ukraine’s payment market participants into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and the necessary steps to achieve that objective.

The Association Council recalled the common values of democracy, rule of law, gender equality, respect for international law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities and LGBTI persons.

The Association Council emphasised the need to ensure – in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission – respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities. In particular, Ukraine needs to finalise its reform of the legal framework for national minorities as recommended by the Venice Commission and to adopt effective implementation mechanisms as indicated in the steps specified in the Commission’s opinion on Ukraine’s EU membership application.

The Ukrainian side presented its vision on the accession framework.

The Association Council commended Ukraine’s decision to ratify the Istanbul Convention as a major step forward in protecting all women and girls.

The EU reconfirmed its commitment in supporting Ukraine’s efforts to preserve its macroeconomic stability during the war. Both sides acknowledged the disbursement to Ukraine of EUR 2.2 billion in emergency and exceptional EU macro-financial assistance programmes in the first half of 2022 and expressed their commitment to deliver on the remaining part of the exceptional macro-financial assistance package of up to EUR 9 billion, as announced by the Commission in its Communication Ukraine: Relief and Reconstruction of 18 May 2022.

The Association Council welcomed the success of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which has supported the doubling of bilateral trade flows since its entry into force in 2016. Both sides welcomed the temporary full trade liberalisation and temporary suspension of trade defence measures introduced by the EU on Ukrainian imports since June 2022. The EU stressed the importance of a solid implementation of the DCFTA and welcomed progress on the “Priority Action Plan for enhanced implementation of the DCFTA”. The EU welcomed Ukraine’s progress in implementing its commitments in the public procurement sector, notably as regards the first and second phases of the roadmap, which is a step towards the further gradual mutual opening of public procurement markets. The EU and Ukraine emphasized their willingness to continue negotiations on the review of customs duties under the Article 29 (4) of the Association Agreement. The EU noted in particular the decisive progress on Ukraine’s path towards joining the Common Transit Convention and the Convention on Simplification of formalities in trade in goods. The EU also confirmed its commitment to continue supporting Ukraine on its path towards an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial products. The Association Council welcomed Ukraine’s association to the EU Customs and Fiscalis programmes. The Association Council welcomed the start of the negotiations between Ukrainian Side and the European Commission on Ukraine’s participation in the EU Single Market Program (SMP).

The Association Council welcomed accession of Ukraine to the common transit system (NCTC) as from 1 October 2022. Ukraine underlined the importance of setting up automatic exchange of advance customs information between Ukraine and the EU Member States as an efficient instrument for combatting customs fraud.

The EU welcomed Ukraine’s ongoing engagement in implementing its commitments in the telecommunication services sector, which, if fully met, can lead to internal market treatment for this sector. The Association Council welcomed the signature of a joint statement by telecom operators based in the EU and in Ukraine on their coordinated efforts to secure and stabilise affordable or free roaming and international calls between the EU and Ukraine. The EU underlined its commitment to explore the possibilities for a longer-term arrangement eliminating roaming charges between the EU and Ukraine. The Association Council also welcomed the signing of the agreement on Ukraine’s association with the EU’s Digital Europe Programme, an important step in further integration with EU’s Digital Single Market.

The Association Council welcomed the Ukrainian Regulator’s joining the work of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and its supporting agency the BEREC Office.

The EU reconfirmed its solidarity with Ukraine in countering hybrid and cyber threats as well as its continued engagement in strategic communication and countering foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, notably in light of increased cyber-attacks linked to Russia’s war of aggression. Both sides underlined the importance of conducting the second round of the Cyber Dialogue in September 2022 and welcomed their readiness to further extend the scope of cooperation in cyber field. The EU and Ukraine agreed to work closely on further strengthening overall resilience of Ukraine, including within actual Eastern Partnerships instruments.

The Association Council welcomed the successful synchronisation of Ukraine’s electricity grid with the Continental European Network. The Sides commended the start of commercial exchange of electricity between Ukraine and the EU. They welcomed the start of a gradual increase in electricity trade on a level playing field in terms of equivalent basic rules with respect to market access as well as compatible environmental and safety standards. The Association Council acknowledged a considerable progress of Ukraine in implementing key EU energy legislation, including the unbundling of its transmission system operators in gas and electricity. The EU reiterated its readiness to support Ukraine’s energy sector as well as reform efforts, including via the EU-Ukraine High Level Working Group on energy markets. The EU took note of the availability of vast gas storage capacities in Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities. The Sides stressed the need to decrease dependency on Russian fossils and nuclear fuels and technologies. The EU and Ukraine agreed to continue close collaboration to coordinate the security of gas supply and increase resilience in view of possible disruptions in gas supplies.

The Association Council welcomed efforts of Ukrainian nuclear regulator and operator to maintain safe operation and energy generation on Ukrainian nuclear power plants as well as to continue corresponding legislation approximation. The Association Council condemned the Russian military control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and called for an immediate withdrawal and de-militarization of the facility, and restauration of full control over the plant to the legitimate operator and Ukrainian authorities to ensure nuclear safety and security. The Association Council emphasised its support to the efforts of the IAEA and underlined the need for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to remain an integral part of the Ukrainian energy system.

The Association Council stressed the need to achieve Ukraine’s green transition as part of the reconstruction efforts. Both sides welcomed the finalisation of the development process of the EU – Ukraine strategic partnership on renewable gases.

The Association Council welcomed the signature of the agreement to associate Ukraine to the LIFE Programme, with the objective of addressing climate change and environmental challenges, including air, soil and water contamination, biodiversity conservation through the demonstration of innovative solutions and techniques and the capacity building of actors involved.

Both sides welcomed the intention of the parties to complete in 2022 the negotiations on an Agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the regional satellite navigation system European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

The Association Council welcomed successful transit of the first ships from Ukrainian ports following successful UN and Turkey mediation. It welcomed also the ongoing implementation of the EU solidarity lanes action plan and its achievements so far. Ukraine highlighted the Solidarity Lanes as a key assistance by the EU to address the challenges in relation to agricultural exports and its necessary imports due to the persisting constraints put by Russia on Ukraine’s Black and Azov Sea ports. The Council welcomed the Ukrainian initiative to associate with the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme. The Council welcomed the provisional application of the road transport agreement between the EU and Ukraine and the amendment of the indicative TEN-T maps for Ukraine. Ukraine underlined the need to further update the TEN-T maps for Ukraine, in particular regarding inclusion of the Danube river.

The Association Council welcomed the potential of the cross-border cooperation programmes with EU Member States to foster the capacities of regional and local authorities and to further strengthen the EU-UA links. The Association Council also welcomed additional financial support of 26.2 million for Ukraine in the new Interreg programmes 2021-2027 as well as more flexible legal provisions towards the on-going cooperation programmes with the EU. The EU marked the renewed Ukraine Presidency of the European Strategy for the Danube Region.

The EU encouraged Ukraine to participate in and take fully advantage of the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme. The Association Council welcomed the entry into force of Ukraine’s association agreement to the Creative Europe Programme and to Horizon Europe and EURATOM Research & Training programmes. The Association Council welcomed the signature of the agreement to associate Ukraine to the EU4Health Programme.

The Association Council commended the EU support to Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors.

The meeting was co-chaired by Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

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News desk

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6 September 2022

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“Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

A record number of publishing houses – 122, are participating in the “Book Alley” opening today in Sofia. The tents are located in the pedestrian area of Vitosha Boulevard and the park in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK).

There are a total of 52 tents in which publishing houses are located, presenting new and rare books, specialized and children’s literature. The large-scale literary event is organized by the “Bulgarian Book” association within the framework of the #LITERACY Cause, which started at the beginning of the year. The goal of the association “Bulgarian Book” is to increase the interest in reading and functional literacy through the frequent encounters of readers with literature.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== “Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

The event is being held under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Yotova, who will officially open it.

The Literary Corner of the Alley will be the scene of the cultural program with free access, including book premieres, meetings with authors, publishers and translators, events for children and fun workshops.

The working hours of the exhibition will be every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Book Alley will continue until Sunday, September 11.

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Night of Religions returns to full live presence in Barcelona

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6 September 2022

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Night of Religions returns to full live presence in Barcelona

On 17 and 18 September, the seventh edition of the Barcelona Night of Religions (Nit de les Religions) will take place. In this seventh edition, under the subtitle “Faiths and Beliefs in Dialogue”, there will be around fifty activities spread across the whole of Barcelona and organised by places of worship and organisations of different faiths, which will offer talks, workshops, concerts, performances and guided tours, among other activities.

The main objective of the Night of Religions is to generate and promote a space for meeting, mutual knowledge and dialogue between the citizens and the faiths and religious communities and entities of Barcelona. There will be two days of open doors and dialogue with the participation of some fifty communities and entities from different religious traditions and convictions: Christians of different denominations, Muslims, Jewish, Buddhists, Bahá’ís, Hindus, Hindus, Sikhs, Scientologists, other beliefs and non-religious.

As in previous editions, it will be a day to get to know and interact with the plurality of convictions, spiritual traditions and denominations of the city’s residents. The two previous editions were adapted to the reality marked by a context of a health crisis as a result of covid-19, but this time it is back to being fully face-to-face (only one activity will be virtual).

The initiative, which is supported by Barcelona City Council and the “La Caixa” Foundation, is organised by the UNESCO Association for Interreligious and Interconvictional Dialogue (AUDIR), with the leadership of its youth group.

Through interreligious, inter-convictional and intercultural dialogue, the Night of Religions highlights the fact that religious plurality enriches Barcelona’s identity and plays a part in it. The proposal aims to generate a meeting and dialogue point between the citizens of Barcelona and religious communities and organisations of different beliefs. The Night of Religions also seeks to break down prejudices and stereotypes that are the source of various forms of discrimination and to promote the values of the culture of peace.

“The diversity of beliefs and convictions is a heritage of our society and, when accompanied by respect and dialogue, it is a pillar on which to build a fairer and more egalitarian society,” says Arnau Oliveres, co-director of AUDIR. He adds that “‘The Night of Religions, Faiths and Beliefs in Dialogue’ is an event that promotes the meeting and inclusive dialogue, which aims to be a space that allows us to get to know the diversity of our country and to combat prejudices, stereotypes and discourses that promote hatred, showing the contributions of traditions to shared humanity”.

For his part, Khalid Ghali, Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue and Religious Pluralism of Barcelona City Council, stressed “the importance of a plural and diverse city like Barcelona having an event like La Nit de les Religions, an annual event which, now in its sixth year, is consolidating its position as a proposal to raise awareness and bring the diversity of beliefs and convictions present in the city closer to its citizens”. He emphasises that this initiative “generates spaces and opportunities for meeting and dialogue, breaks down stereotypes and prejudices and enriches the whole of citizenship”.

The inaugural event will take place on 17 September at 12 noon, in the Sala d’Actes of the Centre Cívic Cotxeres de Sants (Carrer de Sants, 79). Among others, Mr Khalid Ghali Bada, Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue and Religious Pluralism of the Barcelona City Council, and Ms Montse Castellà, President of AUDIR, will speak. Afterwards, the group “Rumba Nois” will offer a Catalan rumba concert, with explanations about the origin of the gipsy population and the Catalan rumba, and a hand-clapping workshop.

Of all the activities organised in this edition, the guided tours around different parts of the city stand out, as well as the themed tours, which over the previous six editions have been very successful and have been consolidating and increasing in number. Some of them, as in previous editions, are organised by Interreligious Dialogue Groups in Barcelona*. All of them will take place on Saturday 17 September and require prior registration. In this edition we find:

Guided tour of Barcelona’s cemeteries: guided tour of the Montjuïc cemetery, a reflection of the city.
Route of the gipsy memory and the Catalan rumba at the Ecomuseu Urbà Gitano de Barcelona.
Guided tour of the Grup de Diàleg Interreligiós de Gràcia: visit to the Parròquia de Verge de Gràcia i Sant Josep, the Dojo Zen Ryokan and the Església Evangèlica Baptista de Gràcia.
Guided tour of the Grup de Diàleg Interreligiós de Nou Barris: visit to the Mesquita Yamaat Ahmadia, the Parròquia Sant Sebastià and the Església Evangèlica Unida de Barcelona.
Guided tour of the Eixample: visit the Church of Scientology of Barcelona and the Brahma Kumaris centre, both offering a workshop.
Guided tour of the Grup Interreligiós del Raval: visit to the Mesquita Tarek Ibn Ziad and the Centre Filipí Tuluyán-San Benito.

Freedom of conscience and worship and its recognition in the city is fundamental. And in order for freedom of conviction and conscience to be truly possible, it is necessary to work within the framework of laicism, so that all worldviews and options of conscience (religious and non-religious) meet and cooperate on an equal footing. But beyond the right to express one’s faith, religious and conscientious bodies and traditions bring incalculable wealth and value to a city like Barcelona. They form part of a common good, a historical good, a cultural and human good that must be guaranteed and preserved.

So, on 17 and 18 September, there will be two days to discover the different religions, cultures and convictions of Barcelona. A day for believers and non-believers, for coexistence and enjoyment.

You can consult the PROGRAMME of all the activities HERE (it will be updated).
You can follow all the news on social networks through #nitreligions2022.

*Interreligious Dialogue Groups (IDGs) are meeting places where people with different beliefs and convictions in a specific territory come together with the aim of enhancing the value and visibility of religious pluralism in the city, defending the right to religious freedom, freedom of thought and conscience, breaking down prejudices between traditions and improving social cohesion in the territory. The objectives of the GDI are: to promote mutual understanding, and dialogue between confessions and beliefs, establish alliances and common projects in the territory, and make themselves known to the rest of the population. The GDI programme is promoted by Barcelona City Council and managed by AUDIR.

UN congratulates couple who married with ‘equality agreement’

By

Gaston de Persigny

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6 September 2022

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A couple in the western province of Izmir has set the stage for a new trend in Turkey by signing a “gender equality agreement” before getting married, saying there can be no love when there is no equality.

The remarkable wedding ceremony that took place recently attracted attention in the country.

Zeleha Shemin and Murat Büyükülmaz got married in a ceremony led by Filiz Sengel, Mayor of Selcuk Region, and signed a wedding agreement in front of the guests.

In an agreement, the couple declared: “We, as two free individuals, declare that we will be the two sides of an equal life and will unite our lives on this basis of equality.”

“We promise to protect and strengthen this equality agreement at all times of our lives together.”

“No equality, no love,” the couple announced.

The agreement entered the country’s agenda with an Instagram post by the UN Turkish Women section on September 3. The institution noted: “The inspiration of the day comes from a couple signing the ‘equality agreement.’ We wish the couple happiness and hope their inspiration for equality extends throughout their lives.

The newlyweds told the Turkish daily Miliyet: “We believe that the main reason for the problems people are experiencing is based on social inequalities. We thought our love could only exist if we could maintain equality and decided to sign the unusual agreement in front of our guests,” they added.

Equality at home, equality in society

In 2017, UN Women in partnership with Promundo, ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality and Connecting Research to Development (CRD) conducted the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) study in Lebanon which analysed the perceptions of masculinity and the impact it has on the lives of women and girls, on men themselves, and for gender equality more broadly. The study found that for 35 per cent of men ‘to be a man, you need to be tough,’ and 19 per cent of men also agreed that it is “shameful when men engage in caring for children or other domestic work”.

Unique monasteries in Romania painted with frescoes on the outside

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News desk

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6 September 2022

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The frescoes have remained almost unaffected by time and atmospheric conditions

In Romania, several monasteries hundreds of years old, as well as their main churches, are painted on the outside of the temples. Considering the technology of the creation of the frescoes, it is surprising that they have survived, unaffected neither by time nor by atmospheric conditions.

Perhaps the most famous of these monasteries is Voronets. But he is not the only one. The Humor Monastery, built in 1530, is also dotted with frescoes on the outside. They are not as preserved as those in Voronets, but they look impressive. In 1488, the Moldavian prince Stefan the Great founded Voronets as a sign of gratitude to the hermit Daniil, who encouraged him to fight against the Ottomans in Wallachia. The monastery was built between May 24 and September 14, 1488. The church was erected over a period of about four months, and in 1547, during the reign of Metropolitan Grigore Rosca, the vestibule was added, which was also painted on the outside. Since its creation, the monastery has been inhabited by monks. Monastic life was interrupted in 1758 after the annexation of the Bukovina region to the Habsburg Empire. Then Voronets did not function, and the cells of the monks were destroyed. In 1991, the activity of the monastery was renewed by nuns, headed by the abbess Irina Pantescu Stavrofora.

Murals on the outer walls of the temple

The frescoes on the walls of the Voronets monastery are distinguished by the fact that the painter depicted strong, memorable figures that do not have the aristocracy of the images from the Arbora monastery, for example, but have very realistic features, as if they were people of the people.

The Voronets Monastery is called the Sistine Chapel of the Orient, because of the large fresco on the western facade – “The Day of Judgment”. She amazes with the finesse with which she presents the most apocalyptic picture in the Moldavian open-air gallery. Unlike Michelangelo’s original, there is no huddle of half-naked muscular bodies, no tumult in the face of impending inevitability. This impressive picture is executed compositionally in five registers. In the main part is God the Father, and on both sides of him are depicted the zodiac signs.

The Moldovitza Monastery was built in 1532 as a symbolic protective barrier against the attacks of the Turks. It was built by the voivode Petr Rares, an illegitimate son of Stefan III the Great, by whose order the Voronets monastery was built. The frescoes were painted by Thomas of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well preserved. The predominantly yellow-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox art: a procession of saints leads to the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her lap above the narrow east window; The “Tree of Isaiah” springs from a recumbent Isaiah at the foot of the wall to marshal the progenitor of Christ around the Holy Family; the “Siege of Constantinople” commemorates the Virgin’s intervention in saving the city of Constantinople from a Persian attack in AD 626. (although the siege depicted is more the Fall of Constantinople in 1453).

High arches open the porch to the outside and daylight. In it the “Doomsday” covers the entire surface of the western wall with its river of fire and its image of the sea giving its dead to judgment. Moldovi and Humor are the last churches built with an open porch, a crypt above the tomb, and with Gothic-style windows and doors.

In 1585, the Sucevitsa monastery was built, the outer walls of which were also decorated with frescoes. Like the other monasteries, Sucevitsa combines elements of Byzantine and Gothic architecture, and the frescoes use scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The architecture of the church contains both Byzantine and Gothic elements and some elements characteristic of other painted churches in Northern Moldova. Both the inner and outer walls are covered with frescoes that have great artistic value and depict biblical episodes from the Old and New Testaments. The paintings date from around 1601, making Sucevica one of the last monasteries decorated in the famous Moldavian style of exterior paintings.

The courtyard of the monastic ensemble is almost square (100 by 104 meters) and is surrounded by high (6 m), wide (3 m) walls. There are several other defensive structures in the ensemble, including four towers (one at each corner). Sucevitsa was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery. The thick walls now house a museum that presents an extraordinary collection of historical and artistic objects. The lids of the tombs of Jeremiah and Simeon Movila – rich portraits embroidered with silver threads – together with church silverware, books and illuminated manuscripts, bear eloquent testimony to the importance of Sucevitsa first as a manuscript workshop and then as a printing house.

Correspondents in the Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878 on the Balkan Peninsula (2)

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Guest Author

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6 September 2022

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The number of Russian correspondents of the Balkan Theater increased over time. As of July 5, 1877, their composition was as follows [14]:

Table 1.

Periodical / Correspondent

“Birzhevye Vedomosti” – N.V. Maximov

“World illustration” – N.N. Karazin; H.P. Fedorov

“Voice” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Moscow Vedomosti” – L.V. Shakhovskaya; M.F. Metz

“Our century” – G. Stambolov; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko

“Novoe vremya” – A.A. Suvorin; M.P. Fedorov; V.P. Burenin; N.N. Karazin; P.P. Sokalsky; A.D. Ivanov; N.N. Rossolovsky; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko

“Odesski Vestnik” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Government Gazette” – V.V. Krestovsky

“Russian Mir” – E.K. Rapp

“Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti (Gazetteers)” – M.P. Fedorov; H.V. Maximov; A. Teoharov

“Severny Vestnik” – D.K. Gears

“Tiflissky Vestnik” – N.Ya. Nikoladze

“Sankt-Peterburger Zeitung” – N.V. Maximov

It should be noted that during the war V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko switched to “Novo Vremya” and began to send his correspondence to this newspaper. The staff of the Active Army included, apart from V.V. Krestovski, in his capacity as an official correspondent of the “Government Gazette” the artist E.K. Makarov, and also the famous martial artist V.V. Vereshtagin. in July 1877 the number of artists increased. P. Sokolov, Butkevich, M. Malyshev arrived at the Main Quarter, and P.O. Kovalevsky – in the detachment of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. The famous artist V.D. Polenov. Together with the Russian army, he took part in the battles, saw the heroism of the soldiers, the suffering of the Bulgarians, and sealed all this both in paintings and in watercolors (“Position”, “Artillery in the mountains”, “Bulgarian village” and etc.). [15]

The most complete list of correspondents who joined the theater of hostilities is given by N.V. Maximov. [16] It lists everyone whose photographs were pasted in the correspondence album. As mentioned above, correspondents were required to carry two photographs each. One was left at the Field Headquarters, where it was kept in a special album, and the second, with the pass and stamp, was carried with them as a personal certificate.

Table 2. Russian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Government Gazette” – V.V. Krestovsky

“Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti“- Modzolevsky; Komarov

“Novoe vremya” A.A. Suvorin; M.P. Fedorov; V.P. Burenin; N.N. Karazin; A.D. Ivanov; N.N. Rossolovsky; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko; Maslov

“Russian invalid” – M.P. Fedorov (artist); Sukhotin (Lieutenant of the Russian Army)

“World illustration” – M.P. Fedorov (artist)

“Voice” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Severny Vestnik” – D.K. Girs; Baikov (Lieutenant Colonel of the Russian Army)

“Russian Mir” – E.K. Rapp; Georgievich

“Moscow Vedomosti” L.V. Shakhovskaya; M.F. Metz; Ilovaisky (professor, former temporary correspondent)

“Russian Vedomosti” – A. Teoharov

“Birzhevye Vedomosti” – N.V. Maximov

Among the correspondents of “Novo Vreme” N.V. Maksimov does not mention the names of N.N. Rossolovski and P.P. Sokalsky, although V.V. Krestovski to attribute them to this edition. P.P. At the beginning of the campaign, Sokalski was a correspondent of the “Golos” newspaper, but later he was replaced by the Americans Mac Gahan and Stanley. As for V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, at the beginning of the war he was a correspondent for the newspaper “Nash Vek”, and then he started writing for “Novoe Vremya”. A.D. Ivanov was also a photographer.

Regarding the foreign correspondents admitted at the beginning of the war to the theater of hostilities, their composition was initially small, as a rule, one or two from the major European countries. As of July 5, there was the following representation. [17]

Table 3

Country / Periodical / Correspondent

Austria-Hungary “News Wiener Tagblatt” – Not listed

Great Britain “Daily News” – MacGahan

Prussia “Militär Wochenblatt” – Captain Danngauer

Prussia “Kölnische Zeitung” – Doctor Schneider

North American United States “New-York Herald” – MacGahan

France “Figaro” – de Westin

As a rule, as correspondents, foreign publications sent officers from the General Staffs, who at the same time appeared as unofficial military agents with the Russian troops. Official military agents were also attached as correspondents, such as, for example, the Prussian Major von Liegnitz. He sent his letters to the “North German Universal Gazette”.

Foreign correspondents entered the theater of hostilities on recommendations from Russian embassies and high-ranking officials. At the same time, the foreign newspapers urgently petitioned the diplomatic missions for the admission of their correspondents. [18] Not all those who wished were given access to the army. Thus, on April 28 M.A. Gasenkampf was forced to refuse two correspondents – German and English. The English lieutenant colonel Howard Vincent arrived, according to the testimony of M.A. Gasenkampf, with a mass of letters of recommendation. However, Prince V.A. Cherkassky, head of the Russian Civil Administration in Bulgaria, happened to be familiar with him and recommended him, sent him as a potential British spy. This was the reason why the Grand Duke recommended the Englishman to give up, which was done. [19]

After all, the representation of foreign correspondents, according to N.V. Maksimov, was the following. [20]

Table 4. English correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Daily News” – A. Forbes; Mac Gahan (American)

“Times” – Grant Breckenbury (a colonel on active service in the English army who was on leave)

“Grafic” (illustrated magazine) – Villers (artist)

“Illustrated London News” (illustrated magazine) – Gale (artist)

“Standard” – F. Boyle

“The Skotsman” – D.L. Carrick (a doctor living in St. Petersburg); Rose

“Manchester Guardian” – Stanley (American)

“Freemens” (Irish magazine) – Stanley (American)

Mac Gahan also wrote for the Russian newspaper Golos, as did Stanley. Havelok also belonged to the corps of English journalists, but there is no information about which newspaper he worked for in any of the sources we processed.

Table 5. American correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“New-York Herald” – Dokankoz

“Boston Jornal” – King

The paper did not specify Jackson

V.V. Krestovsky, in his capacity as an American correspondent, also mentions Millet, without specifying which newspaper the latter belonged to. [21]

Table 6. Prussian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Militär Wochenblatt” – Danngauer

“Hambourger Nachrichten” – Danngauer

“National Zeitung” – Danngauer

“Ausburger Allgemeine Zeitung” – von Maree (or von Mare)

“Üeber Land und Meer” – I. Schoenberg (artist)

“Post” – von Brauchitsch

“Neue Militäriche Blatt” – von Brauchitsch

“Berliner Tagblatt” – Beta

Table 7. Austrian correspondents

Periodical Correspondent

“Neues Wiener Tagblatt” – Lukesch

“Politik” (Prague newspaper) – Reinstein (retired lieutenant); Lachman

“Presse” – Lichtenstadt

Table 8. French correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“XX Siècle” – Breban

“National” – Breban

“Jornal d’Odessa” – Breban

“Figaro” – I. de Westin

“Moniteur Universel” – D. de Lonlet (or Lonnet [22])

“Monde Illustré” – D. de Lonlay

“Estafette” – Bleach

“Indépendance Belge” – Con-Abrest

“Temps” – Lamont

“Republique Française” – Granet

“La France” – Farey

V.V. Krestovsky also mentions Pagnon among the French correspondents, but without specifying which newspaper he belonged to. [23]

Table 9. Swedish correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Stockgolms Dagblad” – Berling (Lieutenant of the Swedish General Staff)

Table 10. Italian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Opinion” – M.-A. Canines

“Pungolo di Napoli” – M.-A. Canines

“Gazetta Piemontaise” – M.-A. Canines

“Courier du soir de Milan” – M.-A. Canines

“Fanfulla” – Marcotti

“Roma di Napoli” – Lazzaro (artist)

“Illustration Italiana di Milano” – Lazzaro

Romania was represented by the Prince’s personal artist Karl Satmari and the princely photographer Duchesne. [24]

The Spanish artist José Luis Pellicer from Madrid arrived in the Russian army from the Spanish illustrated magazine “La Ilustración Española y Americana”. [25]

Correspondents of the “Daily Telegraph” and the majority of Viennese newspapers were not admitted to the army, as they represented unfriendly publications. Due to this fact, they lived in Bucharest, used second-hand information, including from colleagues by profession, and sometimes “from their own conclusions”.

In addition, Poggenpohl was sent to the theater of war as a representative of the Agence Havas, Reiter, Wolf and Vienne telegraph agencies. [26]

War 1877-1878 became the date of birth of Russian military correspondence. Here the first steps were taken (and it should be noted – successful) in the work of the military with correspondents: bribery, dosing of information entrusted to correspondents. Although there was no direct censorship, in order to obtain information, one had to be directly at the front, since the headquarters was reluctant to share it with correspondents.

Russian correspondence arose spontaneously, and its emergence was associated with the need of Russian society to know about the course of hostilities, about the life of the army, about the life and life of the local Bulgarian population, etc. This need was explained by the great interest in Russian public circles in the fate of the Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. Unlike foreign correspondents, Russian correspondents did not have many privileges. Despite the fact that admission to the theater of operations was centralized and carried out by the Field Headquarters of the Army in the Field, the attitude towards correspondents and their position was different. If foreign correspondents were well prepared for their work, enjoyed the support not only of the newspapers that sent them, but also of their governments, then the Russian ones did not have one.

Although foreign correspondents arrived at the theater of war no less than Russian ones, most of them did not even appear on the battlefield. Russian correspondents, for the most part, directly participated in the battles, watched the life of the army.

Conventionally, the correspondents who covered the war in the Balkan theater can be divided into three groups: those who wrote from the rear, those who wrote while at the Field Headquarters, and those who wrote correspondence from their own experience. Correspondents of these groups were both among foreigners and among Russians. True, among the last representatives of the third group there were more. Of the foreign ones, one can distinguish in this respect the German correspondents who were discharged from the service of the military, and watched the war not only as correspondents, but also as military specialists.

In their letters, diaries, notes, Russian correspondents of the second group described all the “charms” of the war, without idealizing it, and without reducing it to a dry description of military operations and the life of royal people. Sometimes they are strict, overly critical in their conclusions, but what they saw made them so: deaths, injuries, stupidity of the highest command ranks, often senseless heroism of soldiers, etc.

Despite the difficulties, many Russian correspondents showed their best side, making a significant contribution to the development of Russian military journalism and truthful coverage of the war.

(to be continued)

Notes:

[14] Compiled on the basis of: Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondences and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 202; Gasenkampf M., My Diary 1877-78, pp. 33-34; Krestovsky V., Twenty months in the active army…, item 1, pp. 170-172.

[15] Vinogradov V.I., Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878. and liberation of Bulgaria, (Moscow: Mysl, 1978), p. 187.

[16] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), pp. 176-177.

[17] Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondence and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 201.

[18] Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondences and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 196.

[19] Gasenkampf M., My Diary 1877-78, pp. 13-14.

[20] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), pp. 175-176.

[21] Krestovsky V.V., Two months in the active army…, item 2, p. 177.

[22] Ibid., p. 177.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), p. 175.

[25] B.P., “With Shipki and Plevny”, International Life, No. 3 (2003), p. 128.

[26] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), p. 176.

With abbreviations from: Canadian American Slavic Studies. – 2007. – Vol. 41. – No. 2. – R. 127-186; portal “Russia in colors”: https://ricolor.org/about/avtori/gokov/

Source of the illustration: Vinogradov V.I. Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878 and the liberation of Bulgaria. – M.: Thought, 1978. – pp. 6-7 (in Russian).

Archaeologists have discovered a “female vampire” with a sickle around her neck and a padlock on her leg in Poland

By

Gaston de Persigny

-

6 September 2022

0

Archaeologists have discovered a grave of a “female vampire” from the 17th century in Poland. An iron sickle lay around the neck of the deceased, and a padlock was on the big toe of her left foot. According to the publication Arkeonews, it is possible that the appearance of the deceased was the reason for the unusual ceremony. In the practice of archaeologists, deviant burials are sometimes encountered. They are distinguished by the funeral ritual, which differs from that generally accepted in the respective culture. For example, the dead may be buried outside the cemetery or only some parts of the body. There can be many reasons for the appearance of deviant burials, related to both the belief system and the circumstances of the life and death of people buried in an unusual way. One of the categories of non-standard burials are the graves of so-called vampires.

Archaeologists believe that such burials contain the remains of people who were feared by others – they were afraid that the deceased would rise from his grave. To prevent this from happening, stones were placed in the mouths of the dead, they were mutilated and even nailed to the ground. In addition, placing sickles and hair on the neck or abdomen was practiced. Someone could be defined as a “vampire” because of unusual appearance, witchcraft, suicide, or being one of the first victims of epidemics. Similar rites were performed in many cultures, for example, in Italy a ten-year-old “vampire child” was found who died in the 5th century. And in the USA they even identified one of the “vampires” from the 19th century with the help of DNA analysis.

Professor Dariusz Poliński from Nicholas Copernicus University headed the archaeological dig that led to the discovery of the remains, which were found wearing a silk cap and with a protruding front tooth, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Polish archaeologists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń under the leadership of Prof. Dariusz Polinski conducted excavations near the town of Bydgoszcz (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship), where in 2005 – 2009 an early medieval necropolis whose burials contained valuable inventory was investigated. This year, however, scientists focused on an adjacent burial complex from the 17th century, damaged as a result of agricultural work. In one of the burials, archaeologists discovered the remains of a “female vampire”. An iron sickle lay around her neck, and a padlock was placed on the big toe of her left foot. At the same time, the remains of a silk hat were preserved on the skull of this woman, which may indicate her rather high status, since it was a very expensive item in the 17th century. Perhaps the reason why the locals buried her in such an unusual way lies in the woman’s unusual appearance – her front tooth protruded forward. According to Polinsky, usually the rite of “disposal” of the deceased consists, for example, of cutting off the head or legs, or placing the deceased in the grave face down. Currently, the discovered remains have been transported to Toruń, where they will be subjected to a detailed examination.

Photo: Female ‘vampire’ with a sickle across her throat found in Pień, Poland. (Mirosław Blicharski)

The Large Hadron Collider is preparing to shut down if there is no power

By

Gaston de Persigny

-

6 September 2022

0

The European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) is developing plans to shut down particle accelerators during peak hours on the electricity grid. This means that the Large Hadron Collider could shut down if there was a power cut across Europe. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing the head of the CERN Energy Management Commission, Serge Claude. “We’re really concerned about the stability of the power grid because we’re doing everything we can to prevent blackouts in our region,” Claude said.

CERN is located in a vast complex on the border of France and Switzerland and is one of the largest consumers of electricity in France. During peak hours, it consumes around 200 megawatts of electricity: just three times less than the nearby city of Geneva. The center is trying to keep the collider running and avoid a sudden power outage that could knock out the $4.4 billion machine, Claude said. The Large Hadron Collider is one of the complex’s eight accelerators, and separately there are two particle moderators that allow scientists to study antimatter.

The center is negotiating with its electricity supplier, which is controlled by French energy giant EDF SA, to get advance warning when to use less electricity. In this way, CERN will prioritize the shutdown of other accelerators and reduce electricity consumption by as much as 25%.

On July 5, the Large Hadron Collider began round-the-clock operation after a three-year hiatus. He was expected to work for four years at

Photo: CERN

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