“Armenia”, a picture story by Ivan Dementievsky, opens this issue.
Writings
Aleksandr Medved. Dreams on India. In the consciousness of mediaeval Russian society India existed as an enigmatic and mysterious country. Its fantastic image from time to time appeared on the pages of ancient Russian texts and this is what this article tells of.
Poets of Saudi Arabia. Classical Arabian poetry unlike modern one is well known to Russian reader. The selection of verses of Saudi Arabian poets being published here in the translations of Nikolay Pereyaslov gives some notion of ways the poetry of this country moved in 20th century.
The Land of Orient
Gleb Shulpyakov. Iran: Eight Days in January. Living observations that the author had by his journey mix in this story with unexpected associations and historical allusions. This country’s system of life is totally realized through the religion, the author thinks. This is the model of their society, their way to transform chaos into reality.
Natalia Zhukovskaya: “Beads Are a Kind of Ancient Computer With Some Software”. The author of this saying is N. A. Zhukovskaya, ethnologist, Ph. D. (History), is an owner of great collection of beads used by various confessions and peoples. In the published monologue (literally fixed by V. Zhukov) she reveals the symbolic meaning and the history of acquisition of several items from her collection.
Tatyana Simbirtseva. The Seoul Builder. The name of Afanasy Seredin-Sabatin is not known to anyone in Russia. Meanwhile this is him who at the end of 19th century planned first European type buildings and constructions in Korea including the building for Russian Consulate. Having Korean sources as a base, the author turned for the first time well to collect together information on our forgotten compatriot and even to find his descendants in Russia.
Sergey Belozyorov. The Famous Commandaria. Commandaria is a kind of dessert wine that is being prepared in a special way and is the most known wine specialization of the island of Cyprus. The history of this drink could be the subject of a fascinating book: here there traces of Richard the Lion’s Heart, sultan Selim II, Johannite knights, monks from Christian monasteries. Commandaria was distributed by the ways of mediaeval sea trade and it took part in first wine competitions in 18th century in France.
Natalya Bolsokhoeva. Three Villages in Law Mustang. Mustang, formerly an independent kingdom, now protectorate of Nepal, has a unique Buddhist culture being studied by this article’s author. Here are interwoven in a marvelous way the traditional economy and the television, pre-Buddhist beliefs and the Internet, the people keep in their homes ancient relics and sacred texts.
Nikolay Listopadov. On the Way to Nirvana. The author watched a unique ceremony connected with a Burmese monk community’s head passing. The ceremony had aim to show that outstanding religious figure was to dwell in his next life in the supreme heavens. Some rites were highly unusual and even jolly.
Nelli Leshchenko. “Let This Be in Memory of You...” History of a Japanese girl who married an Austrian aristocrat and brought up after his death five children (late 19th – early 20th century).
Mikhail Karpov. The Autumn of the Ancient Capital. Poorly known pages of the struggle in China of 1950s around the fate of historical complex of city walls in Beijing. As a result of political decision not only the walls were demolished but also some other monuments dating back to Ming and Qing epochs. According the author, “Beijing lives and growths but in historical respect this city doesn’t exist more”.
The Music Is a One’s Conversation with the Divinity. N. Gavrilova’s interview with Natalya Golubinskaya, ethnomusicologist, specialist on culture and musician, whose subject of scientific interest is traditional Japanese music. The interview deals with traditional musical instruments and their usage by modern musicians.
Valentin Osipov. A Folder Happened to Come from Tbilisi. The memoirs on Lado Gudiashvili, an outstanding Georgian artist. In a folder donated by him to the author a series of sharp satirical drawings are found. “It clearly absorbed the influence both of the sombre grotesque of the Spanish Goya and the explosive sarcasm of Georgian people”, – the author recalls.
Sergey Komissarov, Aleksey Kulagin. Feng Shui, Realized in Gardens. With a help of some examples the authors show the distinctive traits of traditional Chinese parks and gardens that are formed in antiquity in frames of palace and temple building.
Our “Orientnet” section features a review of web-resources on Oriental Orthodox Churches