Globalization has allowed the Hindu festival of Holi to spread almost everywhere—at least where there is an Indian community—with its irresistible springtime joy and colors. However, another lesser-known festival often takes place around the same time, typically on March 21: a Sikh event called Vaisakhi, which has a strong agrarian aspect and also commemorates the […]
Jorge Álvarez
Degree in History and Diploma in Archival and Library Science. Founder and director of Apuntes magazine (2002-2005). Creator of the blog El Viajero Incidental. Travel and tourism blogger since 2009 in Viajeros. Editor of LBV Magazine.
When Lenin and Stalin Robbed the Bank of Tiflis in 1907
The first quarter of the 20th century was a golden age in the history of bank heists, perhaps not in quality but in quantity—if we consider the amount stolen in the first case and the frequency in the second. The transition from famous 19th-century outlaws like Ned Kelly, Butch Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh, the Dalton brothers, […]
Soviet Experiments to Create a Man-Ape Hybrid that Inspired an Unfinished Opera by Shostakovich
In 1932, Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the most significant composers of the 20th century, started writing a satirical opera that he ultimately left unfinished. Its title, Orango, refers to the name of the unlikely protagonist of an almost surreal plot about the life of a Parisian journalist, a hybrid between a man and an ape. […]
The Turbulent Life of Andronicus I Comnenus, who Managed to Become Emperor by Escaping after 12 Years in Captivity
It’s tough to imagine a life more turbulent and extravagant than that of Andronicus Comnenus, Byzantine emperor and the last of his dynasty. Charismatic, contradictory, lover of worldly pleasures, expert military man, his strong character and lack of scruples led him to experience extreme situations, including twelve years of captivity, numerous military campaigns, scandalous love […]
Edward Emerson Barnard, the greatest observational astronomer in history
The 85th episode of The Sopranos, from its sixth season, is titled “Blue Comet” because one of its protagonists, a mobster fond of toy trains, is about to purchase one with that name when he gets murdered. The Blue Comet was a passenger railroad – painted blue, obviously – that linked New Jersey with Atlantic […]
Mikhail Devyatayev, the Soviet Prisoner who Staged a World War II Escape by Stealing a German Aircraft
The city of Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia), has a medieval historic center where the local cemetery is located. There stands a monument in memory of World War II and, next to it, an artistic tombstone bearing the name of Mikhail Devyatayev, a character with a more than curious story: he starred […]
How the Republic of Venice was Born within the Byzantine Empire as a Defense Against the ‘Barbarians’
As it’s known, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, that mighty maritime state born in the 8th century (independent since the 9th) and lasting until the late 18th century, was governed by a series of institutions (Great Council, Senate, and Council of Ten) under the supreme command of the Doge. Although the Doge was elected […]
The Bloop, the Mysterious Sound Detected at the Farthest Point from Land in the Pacific Ocean
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn (In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming) H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu This unpronounceable phrase is familiar to all readers of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. It refers to one of those supratemporal cosmic entities that feature in his fantastical tales, a primordial being that has lain dormant […]
The Story of the Cullinan, the World’s Largest Diamond, whose Discovery was Anticipated by Jules Verne in his Novel ‘The Southern Star’
Jules Verne had an extraordinary visionary ability. “From the Earth to the Moon” anticipated the arrival on our satellite, while “Robur the Conqueror” prophesied Man’s conquest of the air, and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” depicted the electric submarine, among other astonishing literary prophecies. The one narrated in L’Étoile du sud (“The Southern Star” or […]
Montaner, the Italian Village where in 1967 a Religious Schism Occurred, with the People Converting Massively to Orthodoxy
1967 was an important year for the Italian town of Montaner, as an extravagant episode occurred that seemed straight out of an Alberto Sordi or Luigoi Comencini movie; it’s not hard to imagine Totò as the protagonist – or even Fernandel, considering the theme – although the neighbors didn’t experience it with amusement precisely. The […]