Thanks Karl. You are going to have to go to Russia for a month or so of blogging!
I wonder how familiar people are with Eisenstein's movies- still among the very best schievements of the art: "Alexander Nevsky" for example or "The Battleship Potemkin" which is set in Odessa and the Black Sea.
When you shovel aside the stinking mountain of propaganda which took up a large part of the energies of the western intelligentsia for more than half of a century (Encounter was the very least of it, a relatively sweet smelling product) the enduring depth of the Soviet cultural achievement begins ti become apparent. Their are famous works of Art, such as Eisenstein's films but the most important product was a civilised population, innovative, brotherly and marinated in the finest ideas of socialism and democracy.
Getting to Russia for a grand tour might happen in the future. First I'll need to reup my passport and will likely have to travel via a third country given the attitude here within the Empire. Many variables. Maybe a 70th birthday treat in 2025-6.
Putin's grasp of History is amazing. That little paragraph about Nevsky says so much about the thinking going on in the minds of the Russian leadership. He makes NATO leaders look like they got their history lessons from comic books.
Thanks for your addition. Problem is the norm for lifetimes in the 16-1900s weren't that long. Few know that us historians et al have determined to be a generation. It was meant as an explainer, not as a critique. It's also possible the translation missed the meaning. I'll look at the original Russian again since you've made me curious. Thanks!
Here's the Russian used by Putin, поколений, which is generations. Lifetimes would be жизни as far as I can discern. There are some words that use the root Putin uses. In many instances, Russian can be as complicated as English. Here's longevity for example, долговечность. And context is more important with Russian than with English. I' would think Putin's audience knew what he was referring to, and of course that's what's important.
Thanks Karl. You are going to have to go to Russia for a month or so of blogging!
I wonder how familiar people are with Eisenstein's movies- still among the very best schievements of the art: "Alexander Nevsky" for example or "The Battleship Potemkin" which is set in Odessa and the Black Sea.
When you shovel aside the stinking mountain of propaganda which took up a large part of the energies of the western intelligentsia for more than half of a century (Encounter was the very least of it, a relatively sweet smelling product) the enduring depth of the Soviet cultural achievement begins ti become apparent. Their are famous works of Art, such as Eisenstein's films but the most important product was a civilised population, innovative, brotherly and marinated in the finest ideas of socialism and democracy.
" Their " I'd bet a thousand dollars that I actually wrote "There"
Getting to Russia for a grand tour might happen in the future. First I'll need to reup my passport and will likely have to travel via a third country given the attitude here within the Empire. Many variables. Maybe a 70th birthday treat in 2025-6.
Putin's grasp of History is amazing. That little paragraph about Nevsky says so much about the thinking going on in the minds of the Russian leadership. He makes NATO leaders look like they got their history lessons from comic books.
Putin obviously refers to 5 or 6 LIFETIMES which adds up to 400-420 years (70-80 per lifetime)
Thanks for your addition. Problem is the norm for lifetimes in the 16-1900s weren't that long. Few know that us historians et al have determined to be a generation. It was meant as an explainer, not as a critique. It's also possible the translation missed the meaning. I'll look at the original Russian again since you've made me curious. Thanks!
Here's the Russian used by Putin, поколений, which is generations. Lifetimes would be жизни as far as I can discern. There are some words that use the root Putin uses. In many instances, Russian can be as complicated as English. Here's longevity for example, долговечность. And context is more important with Russian than with English. I' would think Putin's audience knew what he was referring to, and of course that's what's important.