The digital afterlife: How the culture of memory is changing. The strangest historical secrets are still being argued with

The director of the Karelian museum “Owl Mountain” said in an interview with Yle that the information about the Soviet “fighting moose” in the museum’s exhibition was based on sources from the Internet, and promised to conduct additional verification. In turn, Professor Dmitry Frolov from the National Archives of Finland believes that the information from the museum relates to other experiments with moose that the USSR conducted in the 1930s. In his opinion, these animals were not trained for fighting, but solely for transporting goods, the article notes.

Researchers refute previously published archival information about "fighting moose", who were allegedly specially trained in the USSR army to participate in combat operations, reports Yle. According to an expert from the National Archives of Finland, the Soviet army did use moose, but they were only trained to transport goods.

Earlier, Yle News Service published an article about the Owl Mountain Museum (Huuhanmäki), which is located in Karelia near the border with Finland. This material also mentioned "fighting moose" which, according to the museum, were trained by the Soviet army for combat use in the 1930s, leading to media debate about the authenticity of this information.

The director of the Mount Owl Museum, Vadim Gavrilenko, later admitted in an interview with Yle that the information posted in his exhibition was based on data from Internet sources, and the staff did not consult with historians on this issue. However, he believes that data on Soviet "fighting moose" quite true: “Information about this is in the archives. There is also a lot of information on the Internet.” However, Yle correspondents have not yet been able to obtain links to the sources used by the museum. Gavrilenko explained that since there has been increased interest in this topic, museum staff intend to study it more thoroughly so that all doubts can be dispelled.

At the same time, Professor Dmitry Frolov from the National Archives of Finland believes that the museum's data may be based on other experiments with moose that the USSR conducted in the 1930s: “It is true that the Red Army trained moose. However, they were designed to transport goods, just like dogs, camels, horses or deer. In addition, there were few moose,”- he said. “There are several famous Soviet photographs, one of which shows a girl sitting on a moose, and another of which shows Red Army soldiers standing next to the moose. But in these photos, the elk is not a fighting animal, but a draft animal. As a researcher I can say that fighting moose—it is a myth",- the professor emphasized in an interview with Yle.

source Yle Finland Europe tags

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Military expert Alexey Leonkov assessed the latest Russian missile defense system PRS-1M, PolitExpert reports.
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The name of Judas has long become a common noun when denoting traitors and traitors. It is interesting that in Europe the plot of Iscariot is not as popular in folklore as it is here. But both overseas and on our land there are traitors, sometimes even in abundance.

Historians are still arguing about whether the Ryazan prince Oleg Ioannovich was a traitor. He avoided participating in the Battle of Kulikovo - decisive in the fight against the Golden Horde yoke. The prince entered into an alliance with Khan Mamai and the Lithuanian prince Yagaila against Moscow, and later handed Moscow over to Khan Tokhtamysh. For contemporaries, Oleg Ryazansky is a traitor whose name is cursed. However, in our time there is an opinion that Oleg took on the difficult mission of a secret spy for Moscow in the Horde. The agreement with Mamai allowed him to find out military plans and report them to Dmitry Moskovsky. Even Tokhtamysh’s campaign against Moscow, which he supported, is explained in this theory. They say it was necessary to stall for time and weaken the forces of the Horde by laying siege to a powerful fortress. Dmitry, meanwhile, was gathering troops from all over Rus' and preparing for the decisive battle. It was Oleg’s Ryazan squads that protected Moscow from the Lithuanian prince Jogaila, but a strike from the Lithuanian troops would have called into question the outcome of the battle on the Kulikovo Field. Of his contemporaries, only Tokhtamysh guessed about the prince’s double policy - and completely destroyed the Ryazan principality.

Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich

Moscow Prince Yuri (George) Danilovich could only count on intrigues in the Horde in the struggle for the Vladimir throne with Mikhail Tverskoy, the son of Yaroslav III: Moscow at the turn of the 12th–13th centuries was significantly inferior to Tver in power. In the Horde, the prince was his own man, living for two years in Sarai. Having married the sister of Khan Uzbek Konchak (baptized Agafya), he received a label for the grand-ducal throne. But, having come to Rus' with this label and the army of the Mongols, Yuri was defeated by Mikhail and fled back to the Horde. Konchaka was captured by the Tver people and soon died. Yuri accused Mikhail Tverskoy of poisoning her and disobeying the Horde. The prince was summoned to the Horde, where the court sentenced him to death. But for a long time, Mikhail, chained in stocks, had to wander along with the Tatar camp, and only after many torments was the prince killed. Yuri got Vladimir and a few years later - death at the hands of the son of the deceased Tver prince. Mikhail - posthumous glory: On December 5, Russia celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Great Martyr Holy Blessed Prince Mikhail of Tver, the intercessor and heavenly patron of Tver.

Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa was for a long time one of the closest associates of Peter I. For his services to Russia, he was even awarded the highest state award- Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. But during the Northern War, Mazepa openly joined the Swedish king Charles XII and entered into an agreement with the Polish king Stanislav Leszczynski, promising Poland Kyiv, Chernigov and Smolensk. For this he wanted to receive the title of prince and rights to Vitebsk and Polotsk. About three thousand Zaporozhye Cossacks went over to Mazepa’s side. In response, Peter I stripped the traitor of all his titles and elected a new hetman, and the Metropolitan of Kiev anathematized the defector. Soon many of Mazepa’s followers returned to the Russian side in repentance. By the decisive battle of Poltava, the hetman was left with a handful of people loyal to him. Peter rejected his attempts to negotiate a return to Russian citizenship. After the defeat of the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, Mazepa, together with the defeated Swedish king, fled to the Ottoman Empire, where he soon died.

Prince Andrei Kurbsky is nowadays called “the first Russian dissident.” For a long time he was one of the influential statesmen in Russia and the closest friend of Ivan IV. He was a member of the “Elected Rada”, which governed the state on behalf of the Tsar through major long-term reforms. However, it was not for nothing that Tsar Ivan Radu, who received the nickname the Terrible, dissolved it, and subjected its active participants to disgrace and execution. Fearing the same fate, Kurbsky fled to Lithuania. The Polish king granted him several estates and included him in the Royal Council. Already abroad, Kurbsky wrote a political pamphlet accusing the tsar of despotism - “The Story of the Grand Duke of Moscow.” However, the topic of betrayal came up later, when in 1564 Kurbsky led one of the Polish armies in the war against Russia. Although I could have left it military service. After Kurbsky fled, his wife, son and mother were tortured and killed. Ivan the Terrible explained his cruelty by the fact of betrayal and violation of the kiss of the cross, accusing his former friend of trying to seize power in Yaroslavl and of poisoning his beloved wife, Queen Anastasia.

General Vlasov

During the Great Patriotic War, his name became a household name, meaning a traitor to the Motherland. Even the Nazis hated the traitor: Himmler called him “a deserted pig and a fool.” Hitler didn't even want to meet him.

Soviet Lieutenant General Andrei Andreevich Vlasov in 1942 was the commander of the 2nd Shock Army and deputy commander of the Volkhov Front. Having been captured by the Germans, Vlasov deliberately cooperated with the Nazis, giving them secret information and advising them on how to properly fight against Soviet army. He collaborated with Himmler, Goering, Goebbels, Ribbentrop, and various high-ranking Abwehr and Gestapo officials. In Germany, Vlasov organized the Russian Liberation Army from Russian prisoners of war recruited into the service of the Germans. ROA troops took part in the fight against partisans, robberies and executions of civilians, and the destruction of entire settlements. In 1945, immediately after the surrender of Germany, Vlasov was captured by the Red Army, in 1946 he was convicted of treason and hanged.

Savitskaya Lyubov 09.14.2005 at 15:43

In 1701, a fishing boat departed from the pier of the Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery on the coast of the White Sea (now Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region). The artel of 27 pokrucheniki (hired fishermen) was headed by the future national hero of Russia Ivan Ermolaev, nicknamed Ryab. Under this name-nickname he entered the history of Russia and became famous thanks to Yuri German’s novel “Young Russia” and the television film of the same name. Few people know that the hero’s real name is not Ryabov, but Sedunov, and he was originally from the ancient Pomeranian village of Mudyuga, which stood on the Zimny coast of the White Sea.

Today we are publishing a documentary essay by journalist and local historian Albert Semin, dedicated to the feat and fate of Ivan Sedunov (Ryabov). This essay, among others, is supposed to be included in the book “Sailors of the Winter Coast”, which was prepared for publication by G.N. Burkov, G.P. Popov and A.A. Semin.

No-till bob

More than three hundred years have passed since the first victorious naval battle in Russian history with Swedish invaders in June 1701 near Arkhangelsk, and historians and local historians are still arguing about whether there was such a hero, Ivan Ryabov. And if he was, then who was he: a hero or a traitor?

Arkhangelsk historian Nikolai Konkov discovered a unique document in the Central State Archive of Ancient Acts and published in the collection “Chronicle of the North”: “Interrogation of the Dvina bobylka Ivan Ermolin, son of Sedunov.” This document, together with an accompanying note from the Arkhangelsk governor, Prince A.P. Prozorovsky in June 1701 was sent personally to Emperor Peter I. From the document it follows that the real name of the national hero of Russia is Sedunov, patronymic Ermolaevich, and that he comes from the Dvina district, Nizovsky camp, Mudyuzhskaya volost.

The hero’s social position is also indicated: “no-till landowner,” that is, a bachelor who does not have his own land. “And he, Ivashko, was tenacious, in that Mudyuzhskaya volost, feeding on all sorts of seafaring fisheries.” He was probably also a commercial hunter, very successful in catching hazel grouse, or “grouse,” as the Pomors used to say (they were caught in large numbers and transported frozen in carts to Moscow and St. Petersburg). Hence the village nickname - Ivan Ryab (Ryabov).

Flip flop

A sharp turn in the fate of Ivan Sedunov occurred in the summer of 1701. From the surviving archival documents it has been established that, not having his own fishing gear at sea, he was hired as a roper in the fishing artel of the Nikolo-Korelsky monastery, which still stands near the city of Severodvinsk. In the mentioned “questioning” Sedunov claimed that “in the current year, 1701, in the month of May, he, Ivashko, wandered around the Nikolsky Korelsky Monastery with the abbot and his brethren on their industrial Murmansk boat to go with the working people from the crooked feeder to the Murmansk fish halibut and cod crafts."

It is difficult to imagine that on the eve of the war with the Swedes, an entire artel was able to freely, despite the prohibition of the Tsar’s decree, go to sea past customs and guard posts undetected. It can be assumed that going to sea was authorized by Archbishop Athanasius of Kholmogory and Vazhsk, who, on the personal instructions of the tsar, was engaged in the construction of the Novodvinsk citadel and other defensive structures.

Walking by the sea...

Some sources claim that Peter I learned about the intentions of the Swedish king Charles XII go to war against Russia from the Dutch merchants who went with goods to Arkhangelsk. It was Ivan Ermolaevich Sedunov, as an experienced sailor, who was entrusted with reconnaissance at sea to meet the enemy, appointing him as a helmsman, that is, a senior officer. Ivan Ermolaevich always prepared for going to sea ahead of time and thoroughly. In the parish and expenditure book of the Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery there is a record that in October 1700 “8 money was given to the feedman Ivan Ryab for the journey.”

The events of June 1701 are described from the words of Ivan Sedunov in the “questioning” of June 26, 1701: “And, walking by sea, he reached the island of Soskovets. And at that island, in the nasty (unfavorable - author) sea weather, he, Ivashko, with workmen he stood on that boat for three days. And on the third day of June, on the 15th day, in the middle of the day, he, Ivashko, and his companions saw: far away in the sea, seven ships, large and small, were sailing. And having found them, Ivashka and The guards came to their boat from the sea from Korovan, a small ship with a shnyak came to their boat. and they went with their ship, in which they came to them together in the Korovan."

Destroy trade

0 what happened next is widely known from the books by Yevgeny Bogdanov “The Lodey Feeder”, Yuri German “Young Russia” and the television film “Young Russia”, in which the role of Ivan Ryabov (Sedunov) was played by the famous People's Artist of Russia - Boris Nevzorov.

The doctor gave a high assessment of the life and feat of Ivan Ermolaevich Sedunov historical sciences, leading employee of the St. Petersburg branch of the Institute Russian history RAS Yuri Bespyatykh: the battle, insignificant in scale, that took place at the very beginning of the Northern War, largely determined its course and the victorious outcome for Russia. Since hostilities practically paralyzed overland international trade, Arkhangelsk was the only port of the country through which there was intensive exchange of goods with merchants of many countries, and only through it could Russia receive goods for waging war, primarily ammunition, military equipment, fabrics for sewing uniforms, and more ... The Swedish squadron had the goal of destroying Arkhangelsk trade, clogging the navigable Berezovsky estuary of the Northern Dvina, and ruining the city and port.

Consequently, the victorious battle at the Novodvinsk fortress actually became fateful for all of Russia, it saved the country... The success of the city’s defenders was ensured by Ivan Ryabov (Sedunov), who ran two Swedish ships aground and thereby accomplished an outstanding feat... Ivan Ryabov is sometimes called the northern Susanin. However, in my eyes, the service to the Fatherland of the boat helmsman is historically more important.

In the photo: silent witnesses to the events described are the remains of coastal batteries on the island of Solombala (Arkhangelsk).

Photo by A. Belichenko

Incredible facts

Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization

With a culture that stretched from Western India to Afghanistan and a population of over five million people, the appearance of the ancient Indus Valley people (India's oldest known civilization) was very impressive. Excavations carried out in 1922 revealed their extraordinary commitment to hygiene, maintaining a complex drainage system and immaculate bathrooms. Oddly enough, there is no archaeological evidence for the existence of armies, slaves, social conflicts or other vices common in ancient societies. Even until their very end, they seemed to keep everything clean.

Mummies of Tarim

During excavations in the Tarim Basin region of Western China, archaeologists were surprised to discover more than 100 mummified corpses, more than 2,000 years old. But a college professor named Victor Mair was left stunned after the remains were dug up and put on display at the museum, as many of the mummified corpses were found to have blond hair and long noses. In 1993, Mair returned to collecting DNA samples from mummies. The test results ultimately confirmed his hunch that the bodies belonged to the European gene pool. Although in ancient Chinese texts back in the first millennium BC. groups of Far Eastern Caucasian peoples were described, however, there was no mention of how or why they appeared there.

Voynich manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript is apparently the most unreadable book in the world. The relic was discovered in 1912 in a library in Rome, it is more than 500 years old, it consists of 240 pages of illustrations and text, the language of which is unknown to anyone. Deciphering the text eluded even the best cryptographers, so the most they could say was that the book was of an entertaining nature. However, statistical analysis shows that the writing of the manuscript appears to follow the basic laws and structures of any language.

Lost Roman Legion

After the Parthians of Persia defeated the Roman army led by General Crassus, legend has it that a small group of prisoners of war wandered the desert, and were eventually surrounded by the Han military. An Oxford historian who analyzed ancient records claimed that a lost Roman legion founded a small town near the Gobi Desert called Lygian. DNA tests are still being carried out to explain why some of the city's residents had green eyes and blond hair.

Who was Robin Hood?

The story of the existence of an altruistic bandit living in the forests seems more realistic than the legendary king with a magic sword. However, the historical search for the real Robin Hood has turned into a whole range of possibilities. There were many candidates for this role: Robert Hod, a fugitive from Yorkshire, and Robert Hood from Wakefield. Also complicating the list of "suspects" was the fact that "Robin Hood" eventually became synonymous with being an outlaw. Over time, identifying him became even more difficult as names such as Prince John and Richard the Lionheart appeared in history.

Karnak stones

If the construction of Stonehenge seems very difficult to you, think about the backbreaking work that went into creating the Karnak stones. On the coast of Brittany in northwestern France there are more than 3,000 megalithic stones, stretching over 12 kilometers, while they stand in a perfectly straight line. Local myth says that this is a Roman legion that was turned into stones by the master Merlin. A more rational explanation suggests that the rocks may have been a sophisticated earthquake detector. The identities of the people who erected them still remain a mystery.

Fall of the Minoan civilization

Just as historians are still arguing about what caused the collapse of the Roman Empire, they cannot come to a common opinion regarding the reasons for the disappearance of the Minoan civilization. Three and a half thousand years ago, life on the island of Crete (the residence of the mythical king and his cannibal beast) was destroyed due to a volcanic eruption on the neighboring island of Thera. Clay tablets discovered by archaeologists indicate that the Minoans flourished for more than 50 years after this event, after which they declined. One of the more likely theories of the fall is that volcanic ash caused a cultural devastation, leaving the weakened society more vulnerable to possible absorption into Greek civilization.

Swamp bodies

Numerous studies of this issue have not even come close to solving the mystery of these bodies. Hundreds of ancient corpses have been discovered buried in northern European wetlands. Experts who analyzed the remains said there were signs of torture on the corpses, which may indicate some kind of cruel games were being carried out. There are also suspicions that these people became part of a ritual sacrifice.

Lost City Helike

The Greek writer Pausanias described in his chronicles how a major earthquake destroyed the city of Helike. He talks about how, in a few moments, the tsunami swept away everything that was once a thriving metropolis, which was the center of the worship of Poseidon. No traces of the existence of the legendary society were found. However, in 1861, archaeologists found a bronze coin with the head of Poseidon depicted on it.

Rongo-rongo

Rongo-rongo is an illegible hieroglyphic text used by the inhabitants of Easter Island. And this is another secret of this mystical island. Although no other people neighboring Easter Island had a written language, the existence of the Rongorongo was discovered by chance in the 1700s. However, the language was irretrievably lost, along with any hope of deciphering it, after early European colonizers banned it.

From the meanings of cave paintings to the final moments of a mummified man's life, archeology provides a wealth of debate as inquisitive minds try to uncover the truth. I'll tell you about some of the most famous archaeological mysteries, which still cause active debate among scientists.

Skull number 5
It is one of five skulls discovered in the city of Dmanisi, Georgia. The unusual size of the skull is the subject of ongoing debate in archaeological communities. Scientists mainly argue about whether the Dmanisian hominoid was an early form of Homo erectus or not.

spanish hill

The mysterious Spanish Hill is located in Pennsylvania. Researchers cannot come to a consensus regarding the origin of the structure and mounds found on the hill. Some believe that they were created by the first farmers, others - that these are the remains of settlements of ancient Indians, and still others - that fierce battles took place at this place.

33-meter temple in the city of Tikal

The debate surrounding this Mayan temple was not about its origins or purpose, but about the fact that archaeologists decided to dismantle the structure in order to see what it looked like. First stage its construction.

Grolier Codex

This pre-Columbian Mayan book first appeared in the private collection of a New York collector in the 20th century. However, since then its authenticity has been repeatedly challenged by archaeologists.

Piri Reis Map

The map was compiled by the Turkish admiral Piri Reis, and is supposedly a copy of one of the many maps of Christopher Columbus. For a long time in Turkey it was considered a source of national pride. However, experts have questioned its supposed accuracy, especially in relation to the New World and the coasts of Antarctica.

Baghdad battery

This is the name of a number of artifacts discovered in 1930 in Iraq. The vessels suffered from corrosion, and therefore archaeologists suggested that they were probably used to store vinegar or wine. However, it was later hypothesized that these vessels could have been used as galvanic cells to plate gold with silver. Although MythBusters proved that it was at least theoretically possible, controversy regarding its purpose continues to this day.

Ötzi

Ötzi's mummy was found high in the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy. The Ice Man Mummy, also known as the Tyrolean Ice Man, is the oldest naturally preserved mummy in Europe. There are many disputes and hypotheses regarding how Ötzi died. The most popular theories include everything from participation in a search party to ritual sacrifice.

Cyrus cylinder

An ancient cylinder containing Akkadian cuneiform was discovered in 1879 in what is now Iraq. This manuscript was written in the name of the Achaemenid king, Cyrus the Great. To this day, debates among scientists regarding its historical significance continue. Some experts see it as affirming the repatriation of Jews, while others see it as the oldest known human rights charter.

Parking primitive man Calico

Thousands of stone artifacts resembling prehistoric tools have been unearthed during archaeological excavations in southern California at an area known as the Calico site. However, there is still ongoing debate among scientists regarding whether these “tools” are artifacts (made by people) or an archaeological site (formed by nature).

Monte Verde, Chile

The discovery of the archaeological site of Monte Verde in Chile has led numerous archaeologists to believe that people settled in America much earlier than previously thought (the age of the monument is determined to be 14.5 thousand years).

Sandia Cave

Perhaps one of the most controversial archaeological finds in history is a cave located in New Mexico that was excavated by Frank Hibben in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of his methods of work and the conclusions he reached are a source of great controversy in archaeological circles even today. Particularly controversial is the assumption that humans settled North America much earlier than previously thought (once again).

Piltdown Man

Piltdown Man may have been one of the most famous anthropological hoaxes ever perpetrated by humans. Indeed, in fact, after bone fragments discovered in England were presented as the remains of a previously unknown species of early humans, it took the scientific world more than 40 years to expose this deception. The identity of the forger remains unknown.

Runamo

Runamo is a fractured diabase dyke located in Sweden with a supposed runic inscription on one side. This theory has been the source of several recent debates in scientific world about whether the cracks found here are of any kind or whether they are the result of natural wear and tear on the structure.

Cave of the White Shaman

This 7-meter painting, discovered in Texas, has become the main topic of numerous debates and discussions regarding its purpose and design. The most common theories include a variety of ideas, ranging from rituals performed before battle to ancient religious ceremonies.

Terterian tablets

Three tablets found in Romania in 1961 have caused considerable controversy among archaeologists, especially regarding their age and significance. More specifically, experts disagree on whether they represent an early form of writing or not.

Jam minaret

This is an amazingly well-preserved minaret in Afghanistan, the exact date of construction and true purpose of which has been the source of much debate among scholars. Even if we assume that the inscription on the side supposedly includes this information, it cannot be correctly interpreted.

Andean candelabra

While the Nazca Lines may be more famous, the Andean Candelabrum is another nearby geoglyph that has puzzled archaeologists. While some of them claim that it had religious significance, others have pointed to the fact that since it is carved on the side of the hill that can be seen from up to 20 km away, being on the open sea, it may have been its a kind of guide for sailors.

Uffington White Horse

This prehistoric figure, found on a hill in England, consists of deep trenches filled with white chalk. However, for many years scientists have debated whether it is a horse or some other animal altogether. The date of its creation is an even more controversial issue than the previous one.