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Why are cats more attached to women?

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Cats are among the most famous and beloved pets, but have you noticed that they are usually bred mainly by women and are always looking for their presence? In fact, there is evidence from research that cats prefer to be among women instead of men. And here are the reasons why this fact may be due:

Because of the softer voice

Cats love to listen to their owners talk, and they probably like the female voice much more because of its melody. In addition, women are more likely to turn and seek the company of their cats.

Because of the touches

Again, cats are more capricious than dogs when it comes to scratching, touching and petting. They prefer gentler caresses and this will logically be more pleasant if it is performed by a gentle female hand. Men usually have rougher hands and are more restrained. The mistakes you make with your domestic cats

Because of maternal instinct

Women, whether they have children or not, pass on their maternal care to their pets. In this case, cats prefer women because they feel more cared for and loved. And it is very likely that most of the duties at home, such as feeding and cleaning the cat, are performed by the woman. The woman’s care for the cat will remind you of the mother’s caresses and tenderness.

They have some similar features

For example, if we take dogs – they are considered the best friend of men, because they love the dynamics, the weather outside, sports and are usually tidier. By the same token, we can say that cats prefer women because they have similar traits – they are more impulsive, irritable and chaotic, but also more capricious and demanding. Did you know that cats can imitate the human voice?

Because they interact better

Perhaps the main reason for a pet to have a pet among the owners is the time that each of them spends with him and devotes to him. Usually women have the upper hand here, as they take care of cleaning the cat toilet, bathing, eating, etc. and therefore pay more attention to their pet. The cat is influenced just like humans – the more attention and care and attention, the more she will love you and become more hugging.

Of course, we are not saying that cats hate men, but with the above arguments we are trying to explain to you some of the very logical reasons why a cat can choose a woman instead of a man. However, raising a pet is a responsibility and it doesn’t matter what gender you are, if you take good care of it, it will reciprocate with love and respect.

Russian-made “Marker” robot with a “courier” function

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Russian-made “Marker” robot with a “courier” function

The robot’s ability to autonomously transport cargo opens up prospects for its use as a “courier”, a warehouse worker, or to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield. This was announced by Aleksey Bogdanov, chief designer and head of the laboratory of the NPO Androidnaya Tekhnika.

“As part of the work on the” Marker “project, the technology of transporting goods in an autonomous mode is being worked out,” he told RIA Novosti November 15 last year. According to Bogdanov, cargo containers, specialized capsules for evacuating the wounded, equipped with a life support system, containers with fuel and much more can be used as cargo. The robotic platform can independently load and unload containers, as well as deliver to a designated point.

In the future, such systems can be used to automate warehouse operations and autonomously provide cargo to remote units of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as infrastructure facilities of state corporations and private companies.

The use of a group of percussion robots in an automatic mode makes it possible to achieve the so-called emergence effect, when the system acquires properties that are not inherent in its elements separately. “When we have a group of disparate robots, it’s just a set of machines, each of which has a certain efficiency that can be quantified. As soon as we combine them into a group, the efficiency of this group becomes higher than the sum of the efficiencies of its constituent elements,” – he explained.

In October 2021, Russia conducted field tests of five Marker percussion robots. The robots operated in an autonomous group without human participation, independently solving the tasks of distributing targets in the group and reaching optimal firing positions.

“A demonstration sample of a grouping of ground-based robotic systems was tested. The group involved five Marker robotic platforms – three on a wheeled chassis and two on a tracked chassis,” a source told RIA Novosti on October 19.

A group of robots, without human participation, conducted reconnaissance using equipment and technical vision installed on board. In the future, together with a group of robots, it is planned to conduct tests using unmanned aerial vehicles. As the source of the agency explained, “due to aerial drones, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of reconnaissance are significantly increased.”

Marker robots were first introduced two years ago. A Russian-made combat robot made its first demonstration trip at the Magnitogorsk test site.

12 highly alkaline foods that protect us from disease

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Some foods we eat create an acidic environment in the body that slows down the metabolism and can be a prerequisite for health problems such as disease, weight gain and premature aging. In order to avoid these troubles, we need to eat alkaline foods that balance the acidity in the stomach. Here are some of the most useful alkaline foods that should be part of our menu.

Bananas – energizes and is a great start to the day as an addition to your breakfast. Contains iron, endorphins and vitamins. It can improve your mood. Recommended for people with kidney problems.

Broccoli – may not be a favorite of children, but they are among the most useful alkaline foods. They are rich in vitamins and minerals that promote the health of the kidneys, connective tissue and bones.

Avocado – extremely rich in vitamins, useful fatty acids and amino acids that take care of heart health. A great addition to your fresh salad!

Lemons – due to its high pH, ​​this is the most alkaline of all product, which is extremely useful for the body. Lemon helps with colds and flu, to cleanse the liver, strengthen immunity, lose weight, regulate acidity. It’s a great idea to start the day with a glass of warm water with lemon.

Cucumbers – neutralizes acidity and improves digestion. It is composed mainly of water, which makes it great for any diet. You can eat as much as you want from her, and she will take care of the better appearance of your skin.

Celery – slows down aging, fills the body with amino acids, nutrients and minerals. Regulates blood sugar and improves metabolic processes in the body. Eat celery regularly.

Garlic – this appetizing addition to any dish is an alkaline food for health. It takes care of good immunity and has antimicrobial action. Let garlic always be present on your table.

Melon – with its high pH, ​​melon is good to eat for kidney problems and colds. Helps improve mood, fights stress and insomnia. Great for dieting. Contains a lot of water and useful fiber.

Berries – are super useful for the whole body. They contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the body and slow down the aging process. Eat them in the morning with breakfast for an instant effect!

Grapes – add it to your menu as soon as the season comes, because it contains a lot of vitamins, helps to increase immune protection, to deal with stress and insomnia. Relieves nervous tension. Grapes have the property to rejuvenate the skin.

Spinach – one of the most useful green vegetables, rich in vitamins. Helps with anemia, asthma, diabetes. It can help keep your teeth, skin and hair in good condition. A real natural gift.

Flaxseed – a superfood that is rich in vitamin E and fiber. It has anti-inflammatory action. Helps deal with hot flashes during menopause. Add it to a milk breakfast, smoothie, shake, salad or other.

Turkmen chemists from local raw materials received a reagent for seawater desalination

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One of the latest developments of Turkmen chemists is a method for obtaining coagulants (purifiers) for seawater desalination. This development for obtaining drinking water through the processing of sea by coagulation is intended for the development of large oil and gas producing industries and enterprises of the Caspian Sea.

And about. Khallymurad Ataev, director of the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Academy of Sciences, spoke about this in detail on the pages of the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.

Now one of the coagulants widely used in industry – iron chloride – is bought for foreign currency. Within the framework of the state program of import substitution, scientists of the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan conducted research based on local raw materials. As iron chloride, it is proposed to use waste from metalworking enterprises and hydrochloric acid, which is produced by Turkmen entrepreneurs.

Nitric acid produced by Maryazot Production Association was used as an oxidizing agent. That is, all components are local: iron, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid. From them, 3-valent iron chloride (coagulant-purifier) ​​was obtained, which successfully passed production tests at the Kiyanly gas chemical complex for the production of polymers.

Technical characteristics of the product meet the requirements of the state standard. In general, for the desalination of one ton of sea water, 12.5 grams of a coagulant solution is used – 3-valent iron of a certain concentration.

Chemists propose to introduce installations for its production in the Maryazot Production Association, since all the necessary ingredients are mainly located in this region, which will reduce transportation costs. Given the wide demand for these products on the part of the country’s enterprises and the possibility of their further export abroad, it follows the economic feasibility of establishing this production.

The Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan is the only specialized institution in the country that conducts scientific and practical work in the field of chemical technologies, it is entrusted with the functions of solving scientific and technological problems for the development of physical and chemical foundations for the complex processing of mineral, hydromineral and hydrocarbon raw materials, training of practical scientists. During its activity, the institute, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, has developed and put into production new technologies, recommendations of economic importance. By this date, the staff of the scientific center came with a solid research base and innovative technologies capable of promoting modern ideas and ensuring the development of the country’s economy.

Thoughts change the universe

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Incredible, but true: thoughts change the universe. The world is suffering because of our evil thoughts. God saw in the antediluvian people that “all the thoughts and thoughts of their hearts were evil at all times” (Genesis 6: 5) – and brought a flood to the earth. The world was perishing from an angry element – the downpours lashed, the waves mercilessly swept away everything on their way – and only because “the thought of the human heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8: 21).

God also saw the heartfelt thoughts of the proud builders: “Let’s make a name for ourselves” (Gen. 11: 4) – and mixed their language in Babylon – a sociocultural catastrophe took place. What were the thoughts of the Sodomites busy with? It’s a shame to write, and it’s disgusting to imagine – even those punished by the Angels with blindness, they groped to find the entrance to Lot’s house, and Lot himself was told: “Come here” (Genesis 19: 9-11) – passion is in the head all their thoughts, and the cataclysm that happened then is known to everyone. No grass, no fish, no birds – the flora and fauna of the Dead Sea are not pleasing to the eye. The stars will go out, the sky will twist like a scroll, the sun will turn into darkness and the moon – into blood due to the fact that the thoughts of people are both Babylon and Sodom, and the proud depravity of the antediluvian world.

So thoughts are too essential. For it is said about a person: “As the thoughts are in his soul, such is he also” (Proverbs 23: 7). Our essence is determined by our thoughts. Let no one think that in thoughts one can do this and that, but the main thing is to do well. It will not work if there is nothing good in the thoughts. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1: 8). Do not shake hands with the weak, do not let someone else pass ahead (in the same traffic jam on the road), do not say a warm word even to the most beloved ones – wife, children, parents – because there is no good in thoughts.

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It turns out that thoughts are changing? Yes, and not only the Universe. Thoughts change everything. Here was the “overshadowing cherub” (Ezek. 28: 16) – “the seal of perfection, the fullness of wisdom and the crown of beauty” (Ezek. 28: 11). But he just thought: “I am better than everyone else” – and “you fell from heaven, day girl, son of the dawn” (Isa. 14: 12). Slipped on my own pride! “Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; Thou hast ruined thy wisdom because of thy vanity” (Ezek. 28: 17). “I” became the center of the universe – and evil invaded the pure God-created world.

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God created the world with His thought. This is what the holy fathers teach us. “He creates thoughts, and this thought, supplemented by the Word and completed by the Spirit, becomes a deed” (St. John of Damascus). The thought of God is unspeakably beautiful, unspeakably wise, inexpressibly blessed. And therefore the universe in its breathtaking beauty, in its infinite wisdom reflects God’s plan, God’s logo, God’s thought.

Man-creation is in the image of the One who created. A person’s thought creates a person’s life as it will be. Man – a reflection of God – is called to beautify the world. And above all, decorate with your pure, kind, beautiful thought. Do we really think that the main thing is decors, designs, outfits and other labels of outer life, and even inside of us, even a complete disgrace?

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Deeds are the embodiment of thought. As a river begins from the source, and a tree – from the root, so does a person’s work – from his thought

The thoughts of some are like a wonderful symphony. The thoughts of others are like the grinding of iron on glass or like wild blows with a stick along the edges of a rusty barrel. Such thoughts burst forth in dissonance in a disorderly word and a disorderly deed. For deeds are the embodiment of thought. As a river begins from the source, and a tree begins from the root, so the work of a person begins with his thought.

The Holy Fathers say that Angels are quick as thought. But our thoughts can become like Angels – when they become messengers of Purity, Light, Love. When they carry evil in themselves, they become like a fallen angel.

For some, the mind is the devil’s chariot. He famously rules the behavior of a person, turning his thoughts like reins. The evil rider, riding the soul, directs it to the cliff or to the swampy and viscous places, where death is cheekily tyrannizing. In others, said the Monk Macarius the Great, the mind is the throne of the Divine. Such a mind contemplates the Heavenly secrets, and it also sees the secrets of the earthly path. He will help those who are stuck in swampy places to get out. For a pure mind sees the way, but a darkened mind does not see its own trouble.

The thoughts of some are like the pure reflections of an Angel, the thoughts of others are the ominous reflections of a demon. But more often in one and the same person strange changes take place: either the heavenly light shines, then the gap of gloomy darkness gapes. And therefore we live in an incessant struggle.

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Let no one say that no one sees our thoughts: they say, it doesn’t matter what’s on your mind. The other does not see your thoughts, but he will see what your thoughts have led you to. Dirty thoughts spoil both your life and your face. A face twisted with anger is the fruit of bad thoughts. Green with envy, black with hatred, pale with cowardice, fear, despondency. Prodigal, bad wishes – and they will leave a seal. Do not even think that your thoughts will not appear on you in any way.

The other does not see your thoughts, but he will see what your thoughts have led you to

Clean springs, even if no one knows about them, will water the forests. Without them, the life of our nature will dry up, dry up. Likewise, pure thoughts, even if they are not known to others, are the springs of our life. A head full of evil thoughts is like a nuclear reactor, emitting deadly radiation. Even if such a reactor is hidden somewhere in the desert, it will still harm someone. Sooner or later, its radiation will affect someone. And now imagine that people walk around like nuclear reactors – seething with anger, indignation. From time to time someone will break through, and then an explosion happens – in the form of a terrible crime, what has accumulated inside spills out.

The stages of the spread of evil on earth are as follows. First, a person is gnawed by his own sinful passions. They boil inside, we recognize them by their sensations, feelings, thoughts – evil, nasty, languid. They are haunted. As if bitten by wild wasps, the person finally gives up and begins, in turn, as if mad, to bite, gnaw those who are nearby. Poisoned by evil thoughts, it poisons the lives of those closest to you. If they surrender, they will be infected with the same malice. Yet together they turn into the bubbling mouth of a volcano. And how can cataclysms, wars, and chilling crimes not occur after this?

Evil, sinful thoughts draw out all forces from the soul, suck out vital energy

The wasp stings, the mosquito drinks blood, and evil, sinful thoughts draw out all forces from the soul, suck out vital energy. After a storm of evil thoughts, you will certainly come out exhausted. But you’re not only hurting yourself. A person accustomed to nourishing evil thoughts is like a hive of wild wasps. They buzz and hurt anyone who gets close. Their poison is useless, poisons, and causes acute pain.

It turns out that our worst enemies are our evil thoughts. If your thoughts stink and rot inside you, how can you not feel bad? But you feel bad from yourself. Why do you always think that someone else is to blame for your troubles? “How long will evil thoughts nest in you?” (Jer. 4:14).

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The truth is bitter, but you need to know it.

Do not hold back the wind with open hands, do not stop the formidable gusts of the storm by your desire alone. So just the power of your mind alone will not hold back the wind of thoughts. They obey the Humble One, Who said: “Shut up, stop.” “And the wind ceased, and there was a great silence” (Mark 4:39). And in order for it to be so in our life, we must sail with Him in the same boat, complete the course of life as He asks, and humbly ask Him: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” There is deep wisdom in the text of the Gospel. From pride, which had once invaded the world, storms and evil elements arose, but now the Humble One appeared – and everything obeyed Him.

One brother asked Abba Pimen the Great how to deal with rebellious thoughts. The elder answered:

“This deed is like a person holding fire in his left hand and a bowl of water in his right. If a fire flames, then it takes water from the bowl and extinguishes the fire. Fire is the suggestions of the enemy, and water is fervent prayer before God. “

Prayer is the same thought, only addressed to God

Who gave a man a mind – to Him and turn your mind. Who has planted a mind in you – raise your mind’s eye to Him. For you cannot clear your mind on your own.

Lightning, flashing in the east, is visible even to the west. And the ray of the rising Sun in the blink of an eye illuminates the face of the earth. So a kind, pure thought is able to illuminate our life. For there is nothing faster than thought. Prayer is the same thought, only directed to God.

Do we really think that prayer is bowing without thought and feeling, like a soulless action of the body? Is prayer really a mechanical sign of the cross, without feeling and meaning, like a conditioned reflex? Is prayer really a text in itself, without a clear content for us? – No! Prayer is a thought that soars to Heaven, pure to the Purest. Prayer is a warm sighing of the heart, with a thought alive and light.

Here is Moses and the people, they dared to the exodus. Ahead is the Red Sea, waves are beating against the shore. And behind – the chosen chariots, the fury of the Egyptians is immeasurable, their mood is decisive. The Israelites are desperate: “Aren’t there tombs in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness?” (Ex. 14:11). Moses tries to calm the people down. And then God Himself turns to Moses: “Why are you crying to Me?” (Ex. 14:15). But Moses did not open his mouth, the air was not filled with loud prayer. His heart screamed, and his thought ascended to the Almighty like a fragrant incense. And a miracle happened – the sea parted, the people passed like dry land. Intelligent prayer, filled with a deep heartfelt feeling, was accepted by God – and the usual for the laws of the earth was transformed into the unusual, for it took something from the laws of Heaven.

Nature obeys not so much the laws of physics as the Creator of nature, who established these laws

The world changes where the mind of a person through prayer ascends to union with God. “Elijah was a man like us, and he prayed with prayer that there would be no rain: and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again: and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit ”(James 5: 17-18). Nature obeys not so much the laws of physics as the Creator of nature, Who established the laws of physics. But how will you ask God for rains or lack of rain, if there are thunders and lightnings inside yourself? How will the world around us change if the world inside us does not change? And therefore, the meaning of prayer is that first of all our own minds are transformed.

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Silence reigns in thoughts from the most unexpected reasons. For example, you felt pity for someone, in a difficult moment you helped from your heart – and your soul felt better. He helped another, but acquired it himself. Even your thoughts have become calmer, for peace has reigned in your heart. That is, the silence of the mind suddenly and unexpectedly comes from mercy. And therefore, an unmerciful person, no matter how much he prays, will not acquire either purity of mind or silence of heart.

The world is also born from forgiveness – when you stopped holding evil on the offender. This experience is inexplicable and inexplicable rationally. It is impossible to convince someone to forgive if his heart is resolutely against it. But unforgiveness is enmity. And where there is enmity, there is a storm of thoughts. Forgiveness is the sacrament of the transformation of a soul from a hating, punishing, revengeful soul into a loving, merciful, pitying soul. Where the Kingdom of goodness is, the thoughts of evil do not tyrannize. Forgiveness brings peace.

But the most effective weapon is humility. It is mysterious and sometimes seems elusive. It’s even more difficult to explain. Humility is inexplicable – just as the Lord Himself is inexplicable, shining with the light of humility. But those who acquired it, learned from the Meek and Meek, and took His yoke upon themselves, they find peace (see Matthew 11:29). Saint Ignatius told about himself how, as soon as he entered the monastery, he underwent obedience in the refectory. Once he put the dish on the last table, at which the simple novices were sitting, and mentally said: “Take from me, servants of God, this wretched service.” At the same time, he suddenly felt in his heart a gracious consolation, which did not leave him for about a month. Humility is the door of God’s grace, and grace heals the soul as a fragrant, healing myrrh.

Pure thought brings us back to pure childhood. At the dawn of our years, we perceive the world in a completely different way – the picture of the world is fresh, saturated with bright colors, full of the breath of life. We seem to see the world in its pristine beauty and innocence, we partly come into contact with the paradise vision. But the happiness of childhood is not in the absence of problems and worries. Childhood happiness lies in pure and innocent thoughts. There is no adult dirt experience. The child looks with a clear eye at the world as a kingdom of joy. And therefore, he who has purified his mind looks at the world through the eyes of childish wonder and childish joy.

The thought is not restrained in those who are not restrained in life.

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Saint Nicholas of Serbia once said:

“If you can help a person – help, if you cannot help – pray, if you do not know how to pray – think well of the person! And this will already be a help, because bright thoughts are also a weapon. “

If you want to do something good for people – have good thoughts about them.

So, if you want to do something good for people – have good thoughts about them. A good thought is a good beginning. A good attitude is born from a kind thought. A kind word will be born from a kind thought. And a deed cannot be kind if your thoughts are not kind.

A doctor, undertaking to heal with evil thoughts, will certainly hurt someone. A teacher who starts a lesson with evil thoughts will turn into a monster. A policeman or a military man – it’s scary to even imagine what their evil thoughts will turn into. A builder and a seller, a driver and an engineer, a representative of any profession – depending on his thoughts, he either creates or destroys.

Good thoughts – and good life. Thoughts are evil – and life is evil. A handsome person is a person with beautiful thoughts. A kind person is a person with good thoughts. As well as the one who nurtures evil, ugly thoughts, is evil and ugly himself.

One of the saints said: “Think about the good, so as not to think about the bad, because the mind does not tolerate being in idleness.” This truth was conveyed to us by the Monk Ephraim the Syrian, relying on what the saints said before him. The mind is never idle. If you do not give him a good occupation, he will slip into an evil deed. If you do not sow good seeds in it, tares will sprout. Fill your mind with a prayer to the King of Paradise, so that hell does not rule within you while still here.

But what then? If thought is purified, will you become happy? No! The heart will inevitably be filled with pain. If you are like an Angel in life, you will still experience suffering here on earth. Someone else’s pain will not give you rest. And the filthiness of the sins of this world will cause you grief. But something will change inside you. The universe of your soul will be transformed – and this is already a lot! Everything is interconnected here. One’s sin affects all. But the righteousness of one becomes the hope of others.

Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol recalled how, while still a very young novice, he, together with others, visited Elder Paisius the Holy Mountain. They asked a question that worried them. The elder answered in the simplest words. But what happened at the same time was remembered for a lifetime. During the simple but kind-hearted words of the elder, everything literally smelled around – rocks, stones, trees, the air itself. Everything was filled with a wonderful fragrance (it did not last long, while the elder gave them an answer, and then he shut himself up in his cell). Such a sign was given because the soul of Elder Paisius was fragrant with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Morning dew refreshes the face of the earth, and the pure prayers of pure souls bring life to the whole world. For the sake of these prayers, cities stand, kindness and love are still held in the world, and for the sake of the same prayers people have not yet destroyed each other.

The gospel helps us think about many things. When the mental eye is clear, then your whole body is light. And if there is not a single dark part in you, then your whole nature becomes light, as if a lamp illuminated you with radiance (cf. Luke 11: 34–36). “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). For in their thoughts, in their minds and hearts, the Kingdom of God is still shining here.

Small can be great, insignificant – significant. And our eternal destiny can be decided by what we do not attach much importance to. But a tree grows from a small seed. Look what seeds you sow every day.

One of the largest ghettos in Europe

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Old buildings, disease and poverty.

There is a pungent odor in the air, the smell of laundry and the stench of sewage. Bed linen hangs sadly from the balconies of the buildings, there are real Soviet bars from the 70’s, which have not been renovated since.

Cables for illegal connection to electricity are coming out of the old buildings, which are without water. This is the type of Lunik IX district on the outskirts of Košice (eastern Slovakia), the largest Roma ghetto in this Central European country and one of the largest in Europe, where unemployment exceeds 90 percent.

Lunik is today considered one of the largest Roma communities in Slovakia, Paudal writes.

The only oasis in this place, which currently has about 4,000, is the Salesian-run parish, which is surrounded by a fence that children climb before the priest asks them not to.

 “We have to lock everything here,” says Father Marian Peciar.

“The big difference between us and the other organizations working here is that we’re always here,” he says. “The locals know we’re here for them and we trust them for that.”

Mothers at 15, grandmothers at 30

The Salesians came to Lunik in the summer of 2008 in agreement with the diocese, whose priests could no longer perform their ministry in the neighborhood, spending only a few hours a month there.

Born in Kosice, Father Petar Besheni is responsible for opening this community, a mission he has committed himself to “out of obedience, not choice.”

“This experience with the poor has made me change a lot since then because I realized the importance of redirecting to a few things that really make us happy,” he says.

If the Salesians are not perceived as “social workers” and their “primary mission is to lead to Christ,” they still offer specific services to the people of the area, the community leader said.

“After our arrival, we helped many people leave Lunik and build a better life elsewhere,” said Father Besheni.

“Our mission is to act constantly. We also work with young people, the residents are open to living with many children, but often do not have the strength to educate them. In Lunik, women are mothers at 15 and grandmothers at 30.”

Pope Francis also came to the area on Tuesday, September 14 last year.

South Ossetia plans to join Russia

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The president of Georgia’s breakaway and self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, said in late March that the territory would take steps to become part of Russia in the near future, Reuters reported.

Moscow has recognized the republic and Georgia’s other breakaway region of Abkhazia as independent states after waging war with Tbilisi in 2008. Russia has provided significant financial support, offered Russian citizenship to its people and deployed thousands of troops there.

“I believe that unification with Russia is our strategic goal, our path, the aspiration of our people,” Bibilov was quoted as saying by the press service of Russia’s ruling United Russia party.

“We will take the appropriate legal steps in the near future. The Republic of South Ossetia will become part of its historic homeland – Russia,” said the leader of the self-proclaimed republic.

The most valuable coin in the world, minted by the assassin of Julius Caesar, for sale

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Numismatica Ars Classica roman Coin
Photo provided by Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG

Some define it as the Holy Grail in numismatics, for others it is just an investment, for others it is the bloody steam cut in praise of the most dramatic scene in Roman history.

One of the most famous coins of the ancient world Eid Mar, in its gold version (aureus) will be sold at auction in Switzerland in late May.

The precious piece of metal was cut by order of Mark Junius Brutus, who went down in history as the traitor who organized the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC, reports “Standard”.

The extremely rare gold coin has been on display at the British Museum for the past ten years, rented by a private collector whose name is kept secret. This is not the first time that the same Eid Mar has entered the famous museum. In 1932, numismatist Oscar Ravel was introduced there.

A plaster cast of the coin, made at the time, is still kept in the British Museum today. The valuable object was also prominent during the exhibition “Shakespeare: Staging the World” (Shakespeare: Staging the World) for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In addition to the Eid Mar aureus in the British Museum, there are two other gold variants from antiquity – one in the collection of the Deutsche Bundesbank (Central Bank of Germany) and another that sold for a record for a Roman coin 4 = 2 million. dollars at a numismatic auction in 2020

Aureus Eid Mar is the more valuable option, and the lighter (about 2 grams) and silver-carved denarius is more common, but it is also very expensive and cherished by numismatists around the world.

On one side of the coin is a portrait of Brutus with the Latin inscription BRVT IMP, which marks him as a recognized military winner. On the opposite side are two daggers representing Brutus and Cassius, as well as a pylos (in Latin Pileus), known as the “hat of freedom” (symbol of the freed from slavery in ancient Rome).

This particular aureus is overvalued because of another feature of it. It has a hole drilled just above Brutus’ head to be worn around the neck. At the same time, there is a high probability that a high-ranking participant in the conspiracy against Caesar was showing off with him, even if one of the senators personally pierced the dictator.

The coin is estimated at about 750,000 Swiss francs in advance, which is equivalent to nearly 820,000 dollars, but according to auction experts, it is likely to reach a higher value. And there’s no way it can’t happen, because it’s undoubtedly one of the most intriguing coins on the market.

Not just a piece of precious metal, but almost a fantastic part of history, an incredible document that survived more than 2,000 years to take us back to one of the most dramatic events of antiquity, writes the newspaper Standard.

Everyone already knows that “And you, Brutus?” (Et tu, Brute?) Is not the last thing in the world that Caesar said, but only a line brilliantly used by William Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar. There is no evidence that the great general said anything while dying pierced by the daggers of traitors.

A century and a half after the landmark event, the Roman historian Suetonius claims that Caesar said nothing, but there were witnesses to the contrary.

According to them, the last words of the dictator Kai su, teknon (from Greek), which translates as “And you, child” or “And you, young man”, were addressed to Brutus. There is a version that teknon is an insulting address to a child or young person, ie. it may sound, say: And you, pickle? And in Shakespeare’s case, this is not the last line of the hero, there he dies, saying: “Death, then come!”.

Another Roman historian, Plutarch, wrote that after the assassination, Brutus stepped forward to say something to his fellow senators, but they fled the building. Brutus and his companions pass through the Capitol and declare, “Romans, we are free again!”, But the inhabitants of the Eternal City respond in silence.

Murder of a tyrant or ugly betrayal?

The assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar, committed by the March Ides (March 15) in 44 BC, is the result of a conspiracy led by Mark Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. It is noteworthy that Brutus undertakes the ugly task, although he is the son of Caesar’s longtime mistress – Servilia, and is one of the people close to the general.

In history to this day, he is destined for the fate of a controversial figure – on the one hand a fighter for freedom, and on the other – the most heinous of traitors. Brutus was born around 85 BC, a child of the union between two of the most prominent families in ancient Rome – the Uniates, of whom his father was Mark Junius Brutus the Elder, and the Serviles – his mother’s family.

Was he the illegitimate son of Caesar?

Brutus became a protégé of the famous senator and defender of the republic Cato the Younger, married his daughter Portia. As a quaestor (treasurer) in the Brutus provinces, he amassed wealth through high interest rates on loans and extortion of debtors using the army.

When dictator Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon on January 10, 49 BC. and immerses the republic in a civil war, Brutus faces a dilemma: whether to support his friend (and his mother’s lover) Caesar or the republican cause embodied by his benefactor Cato, but currently embodied by his father’s assassin Pompey.

Hating Pompey, Brutus nevertheless chose to side with him and joined the Republicans in exile in Greece in the mid-49s BC. After Pompey’s defeat at Pharsalus the following year, Brutus was pardoned by Caesar. He supported him and then won very strong positions in the ranks of the dictator, which led to rumors that Brutus was, in fact, the illegitimate son of Caesar.

However, Caesar’s appetite for power led Brutus to fear for the fate of his beloved republic. When his friend Guy Cassius Longinus invited him to join a conspiracy against Julius Caesar, Brutus readily accepted and became one of the main conspirators.

The battle against the Thracians made him emperor

At the March Ides (March 15) 44 BC. there is a session in the Senate at which Julius Caesar must set out plans for an impending invasion of the Party. The conspiratorial senators, led by Brutus and Cassius, surrounded Caesar and stabbed him to death in a fierce bloody scene (it is still debated how many assassins there were, how many times each of them stabbed the dictator and how many of them also suffered). They are, of course, expected to be hailed as liberators, but the Romans are horrified by Caesar’s assassination and even demand that the perpetrators be punished.

Brutus left Rome in April, barely avoiding a lynching from the crowd. He went to Cassius in Macedonia, where they built their republican base to wage war against the legions of the successors of Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian.

A successful campaign against one of the most rebellious Thracians – the Bessi, won him the title of emperor (imperator – the highest military position in republican Rome). He then began minting coins to pay his growing army.

Brutus’ legacy on gold and silver

The early coinage, started by Brutus, follows traditional themes, but in the last stage, when Eid Mar’s were produced in the middle of 42 BC, an old republican taboo was broken. Brutus places his own portrait on the obverse, combined with the pile between the daggers used to execute Caesar.

The irony here is palpable. Earlier, Julius Caesar minted his face on coins, worrying his opponents that he aspired to become king of Rome. Brutus follows the bad example, praising with his portrait the betrayal of Caesar on the iconic reverse side.

This thematic choice seems to be the last desperate act of disobedience at a time when the armies of the warring factions are meeting in the last clash in northern Greece – Brutus and Cassius against Mark Antony and Octavian.

And the final twist of fate is that Brutus used the same dagger he stabbed in Caesar to take his own life after the final defeat of his and Cassius’ troops in the second battle of Philippi on October 23, 42 BC. .

Denarii, and especially the Eur Mar aureus, are rare today, not only because of their remoteness, but also because they were collected and melted down by the victors Mark Antony and Octavian, who applied the ancient Roman tradition of erasing the memory of those forgotten by the Roman people – damnatio memoriae .

Whether aureus (gold) or denarius (silver), Eid Mar is undoubtedly the most important of all ancient coins – the only one from Roman times with a specific date (albeit only a day of the month), and the unique one that openly praises murder. Facts that increase their value with each passing century.

Painting  of Degas renamed because of the war in Ukraine

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The National Gallery in London has renamed the painting of the famous French Impressionist Edgar Degas from “Russian Dancers” to “Ukrainian Dancers”, reports The Guardian.

The work is a pastel depicting a group of dancers, whose performance in Paris the artist remains deeply fascinated.

Yellow and blue – the national colors of Ukraine, can be seen in the decorated ribbons in the hair of the dancers.

“The title of this painting has been the subject of debate for many years and is reflected in the scientific literature. However, in the last month there has been a greater focus on it due to the current situation. We think it is a good time to update the title of the painting so that it better reflects the theme of the painting, said a spokesman for the National Gallery in London.

 Photo: Russian Dancers. Date: c.1899. Edgar Degas

Insurer Zurich Insurance refused the logo with the letter Z – association with the aggression of the Russian Federation

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Major Swiss insurance company Zurich Insurance removed the Z logo on social media. The firm believes it could be “misinterpreted”. The letter Z is used in Russia in support of Russian aggression, reports Reuters.

See also: Yandex customers in Russia complain about the Z sign and refuse to take a taxi with the symbol

“We are temporarily phasing out the use of the letter Z on social media where it appears in isolation and may be misinterpreted / Zurich Insurance is monitoring the situation and intends to take further action if necessary,” the company said in a statement.

One of the company’s logos is a blue letter Z on a white background. Now social networks use the logo with the name of the company Zurich.

Zurich Insurance earlier in March refused to serve new customers in Russia. The company does not intend to resume business in the Russian Federation.

Read more about what is happening in Ukraine now, about the reaction of the world to ongoing events – in the GuildHall text chronicle.