How myths and science coexist in historical consciousness. Historical characters and legendary figures - what they really looked like. What historical figures looked like reconstructed from their skulls.
[email protected] in category, question opened 09.26.2017 at 15:00
2. Why do real historical figures coexist with gods here? What does this mixture of fictional and historical indicate?
3. How does a myth differ from a fairy tale? What unites them?
4. Do you know how Slavic deities are similar to Greek gods?
?1529
The global flood from which they escaped
Devaclion and Pyrrha.(Probably this event
recorded in ancient stone
chronological table from the island of Paros,
refers to the flood caused by the eruption
Santorini volcano.)
1519
King Cadmus, the founder of Kadmeia, came to
Thebes from Phenicia and taught the Greeks writing. 1432
King Minos, son of Zeus, from Mycenaean
the Achaeans reigned over Crete, and the Phrygian dwarfs
taught the Greeks how to forge iron.
1409
The goddess Demeter came to Athens and
taught the Greeks agriculture.
1300
Hercules, having cleansed the Augean stables and
Having defeated King Augeas, he established the Olympic Games.
1260
Theseus, having killed the Minotaur, liberated Athens
from tribute, gave them laws and established the Isthmian Games.
1251
Campaign of the Seven against Thebes, and at the same time
The Nemean Games were established.
1208
June 5. Capture of Troy after ten years
Trojan War.
1202
Orestes, son of Agamemnon, avenging his father,
kills his mother, but is acquitted by the Areopagus court.
1128
Resettlement of the Dorians led by the kings
Heracleidae in the Pelopennese.
1085
Death of Codras, king of Athens, in the war with
Doryans. The end of royal power in Athens.
937
The rise of the poet Hesiod.
907
The rise of the poet Homer.
895
The Argive king Fidon introduced
use of precise measures, scales and money.
19:41 08.11.2015
A. Voznesensky. In 1967 this creature wrote about Sholokhov - " Superclassic and brother, shame on you, dear. I tore off someone else's novel - I couldn't rip off the second one".
I agree with you Ayez2015 . If all these, as you rightly noted, creatures could write novels on the level of M.A. Sholokhov, then we would now be enjoying a modern masterpiece - “The Holy Fool Gazprom”.
What texture is wasted!
During this conversation, Khamidov suggested that Validol eliminate two people for a reward. The first potential victim was the owner of Saratovstroystekla, Mikhail Lanin. He personally knew Khamidov and gave the latter and his accomplices more than 200 million rubles under promises to appoint Lanin and his son to various positions: at first they were talking about places in the Central Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Mikhail is a former employee of the OBKhSS), then in Olimpstroy.
The second potential victim named by Khamidov was Mikhail Ozirny. He was an old friend of another alleged leader of the “fixers” group, Mikhail Koryak, and at one time he was an intermediary in the transfer of 4.5 million euros to “officials” by a businessman from Bashkortostan, for which he was promised the position of vice president of Transneft OJSC.
When Validol learned from Khamidov that one of the victims needed to be dealt with in the Congo, he flatly refused to go there. “I won’t return from there myself, they will either bury me or make me a slave,” said the “authority.” Therefore, to begin with, they “conspired” to eliminate only Lanin.
In March 2011, Khamidov’s personal driver brought Lanina and his common-law wife Elena Pravoslavnova plane tickets to Nice. During the trip they were supposed to inspect the official's cottage. The man and woman were met at the airport in France by several people from Chechnya, who put them in a car and drove them to the town of Villepinte. On one of the dead-end streets, one of the attackers shot Lanin and Pravoslavnova in the heads with a small-caliber pistol. The businessman died on the spot. The woman was luckier - the bullet did not penetrate the skull, the victim just lost consciousness. And the criminal decided that the second victim had also died, so he calmly left with his accomplice.
Having regained consciousness, Pravoslavnova was able to describe the attackers. Based on these data, police detained natives of Chechnya, Yazid Arsaliev and Ruslan Bersanov, who moved to France with their parents at the age of 10. They are currently being investigated.
According to the Investigative Committee, then Validol and Khamildov developed an entire operation to lure Ozirny out of Africa. They played on the fact that before leaving the Russian Federation he tried to take some position in Gazprom and paid a lot of money for it. In 2011, an acquaintance contacted Ozirny and said that the issue of appointment to a major position in the state corporation had been practically resolved. However, either the head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, or one of his deputies would like to personally communicate with Ozirny. Moreover, they intend to do this in Turkey, where a number of large joint projects are being implemented and various contracts are being signed.
Ozirny fell for the trick. He arrived in Turkey in transit through the UAE. Validol's people met him there and promised to take him to a certain residence, where Gazprom representatives were waiting for him. The businessman was taken to a mountainous area, shot dead, and the head and hands of the corpse were doused with acid. He was identified by his expensive watch and cross, and then DNA testing confirmed that the discovered body belonged to Ozirny.
Not far from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, 15 kilometers, on the banks of the Sheksna, on the ancient Belozersk land, you can easily get into the Middle Ages: here is the historical and ethnographic complex “Sugorye”, where an ancient Russian princely estate with a powerful watchtower - vezha, with a front door - has been recreated a chamber - a grid, next to which a Viking house peacefully neighbors, as in the good old days. There is also a forge, an armory and even an underground passage. Some of the main visitors here, of course, are children - mostly visitors. This is good, says Igor Aleksandrovich Ruchin, the owner of Sugorye, - historical reconstruction develops a taste for the study of history. And a person who knows his history will never feel like a tourist in an Orthodox church. We are talking with him after a school excursion, during which the children almost smashed the grid into a log, inspired by the opportunity to visit heroes, princes and princesses and have sword fights. Everything, fortunately, worked out well: the heroes and princesses reluctantly went to dinner, and the out of breath Ruchin collapsed on the bench with relief.
Igor, I propose to start by destroying stereotypes. After all, in relation to them, you will agree: adult uncles and aunts “play knights,” guided by their own fantasies about “how it really was,” in other words, fairy tales or films they saw in childhood. Moreover, films are the most historical thing in comparison with what is going on in the heads of uncles and aunts who have fallen into childhood. In addition, many believe that historical reconstruction has undergone destructive neo-pagan influence, becoming almost an arena of the so-called. "Rodnoverie" ventriloquism. Is it so?
Let's start in order. As for the right of a historical reconstruction to be called historical - yes, I have encountered the opinion that these are games for adult uncles and aunts all my life. Lately, however, much less: people, most likely, see the fruits of our activities, draw the right conclusions about it and are more respectful. And before there was an absolute misunderstanding... As soon as they didn’t call me: “the first knight in the village”, and “greetings from the past”, and much more. Well, yes, it’s strange for a small town to see how a father of six children, “instead of doing normal manly things - gardening, fishing, hunting and vodka,” suddenly begins to build some kind of fortresses, make chain mail, spears, shields, etc. ., and even proposes to teach our native history on the basis of all this. Even when, as I remember, we proved the benefits of our initiative by building a gridnice, a Viking house, a forge, a boat, organized a historical festival, when tourists flocked to us and the city saw serious financial help for itself, and then something was heard like: “Yes to him.” The wagons need to be unloaded, and not dealt with this story - let the man do the real thing! What is this story to us?!”
Well, if we think that I can bring more benefit to my country and people by unloading wagons rather than by “revitalizing” history, then, of course, this is sad. It seems to me that everyone has their own talent, and it would be logical if everyone would do what they know how to do well: some will help the country by working as a loader, others by introducing its history, introducing its compatriots to it.
However, here everything almost came to an end in the end, and people recognized our right to do what we can do, and what we can do well.
As for the need to study our native history, this is not even a rhetorical question - this is an urgent need for our people, in my firm conviction. “To stand, I must hold on to my roots” - this song, I think, has not lost its relevance at all. A tree without roots, a country without history, are doomed to destruction, and an unworthy death: there is nothing to hold on to. By the way, we see this now in the example of our southern neighbors - poor Ukraine: the distortion of our own history, the rejection of our native roots, the attempt at all costs to instill in ourselves some alien elements lead to the destruction of the state and society as a whole, which we, alas, and we observe with bitterness and pain.
History at school has turned into memorizing diagrams, vectors... How can it attract attention and interest?!
It is clear that history needs to be studied and promoted with all our might. How to promote it is the question. And here we can just talk about the benefits of historical reconstruction. It’s one thing to learn history while sitting in a classroom or auditorium, cramming dates, drawing some graphs. I often come across people who say they hate history after studying it in school. History - both in the Soviet school and in the current one - turned into a series of some facts, figures, dates, names, and recently an incredible number of diagrams and diagrams have appeared. History as a science about the lives of people like us, only those who lived before us, has turned into memorizing patterns, vectors... How it can attract and interest a teenager sitting in an office all the time is incomprehensible to me. Yes, she is not attractive. Such dry teaching of history, in my opinion, kills the living connection between generations.
Yes, no one argues: both graphs and diagrams are sometimes needed - after all, we should know, say, how Russian industry worked in such and such a century. But you can’t turn history into just graphs. Just as we don’t turn, say, “Crime and Punishment” or “Eugene Onegin” into a set of tasks for morphological analysis - this will not turn out to be literature, but some kind of horror. It’s the same with history: we must feel that this is a living science, allowing us to feel like relatives with the holy Prince Vladimir, with Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, etc.
I was very lucky in my time with teachers. One of them now works as the director of the Museum of Archeology in Cherepovets - Alexander Valentinovich Kudryashov, a famous archaeologist. He taught, of course, in the classroom, he taught so interestingly and vividly that the students did not want to hear the bell from the lesson, but at the same time he literally fell in love with archeology: he took our classes to excavations, then created a surprisingly interesting school museum based on archaeological finds , and we worked as tour guides in this museum. When you are 15 years old and you already have some basic understanding of history and archeology, you must agree that this means a lot to a person. Yes, there were excavations, we worked with a shovel and a brush, there were mosquitoes and gadflies, there were songs around the fire and food from the pot, there were the most interesting educational conversations about those who lived in these places a thousand years before us - can a person in this case not start treat history with respect, if not love?
We are recreating our previous life not according to some “out of the blue” fabrications, but according to scientific data
Why am I saying all this: teaching and popularizing history should be multifaceted, and historical reconstruction is one of those facets, and very bright, imaginative facets, which helps to interest people and instill in them a taste for studying history. We recreate that former life, and not according to some “out of the blue” fabrications, but according to scientific data, historical samples, preserved artifacts or a whole complex of historical sources.
Suits - “it’s not just valuable fur”
- What sources do you mean?
First of all, archaeological: artifacts preserved in a cultural layer belonging to a certain century, from which we can say, for example, that an arrowhead in the 12th century looked like this, and in the 13th century like that, and also name the reasons for this change . Or, say, a belt set, which was a serious indicator of the status of a warrior - why certain innovations appeared, what caused them, etc.
The next type of sources is written: descriptions, notes from travelers about the lifestyle, behavior, faith, even costumes of the inhabitants of a particular region. This includes information from chronicles, scribe books, that is, the entire set of written sources. In addition, there is another source: pictorial. These are images in chronicles, on church frescoes and on icons of that time... And here we must take into account that the task of the icon is not so much to acquaint us with the intricacies of folk life, but with the faith of people and with the One in whom they believe. But, for example, an icon such as “Praying Novgorodians” can provide some information about the costume of the inhabitants of Veliky Novgorod in the 15th century.
What is the significance of the description of the costumes? I understand the interest in the lifestyle or faith of such and such a people - but what important thing will tell me how our ancestors dressed in the 11th-12th centuries? Maybe women are interested in this - there are all sorts of patterns, pendants...
The costume can also tell about what the relations were between neighboring peoples
Don't tell me! Studying (by studying, not fantasizing) even such a seemingly minor thing as a folk costume, you come to the conclusion that it is not very minor. Here are the decorations. Tell me, please, how is it that in the Russian North, where Finnish tribes lived, suddenly Slavic elements began to appear in folk costume along with Finnish ones? The fact that the North is being colonized by the Slavs is understandable - the question is how it is going. If relations between the Slavic and Finnish tribes were bad, the local folk costume would never have combined elements of the decorations of the two peoples. But if the relationship was good, such a development of the costume seems quite logical. Consequently, even by costumes we can judge not only what happened, but also how it happened. To the credit of our northern region, it was very friendly.
- Well, then, please tell us more about the costume.
Unlike the modern one, the ancient costume was very informative and performed many functions, being a kind of “calling card”. Concepts such as clan, tribe, religion, professional affiliation, social status were expressed in his appearance through many attributes, signs, and symbols. The material of the suit, its cut, colors, the presence or absence of certain elements in it, ornamentation, decorations - all this together created a complete image of its owner. In this case, the study of ancient Russian costume allows us to better imagine both the everyday life of the inhabitants of Ancient Rus' and their worldview. The costume of the Eastern Finnish type, traditional for Belozerie, received a powerful impetus in the 11th century from the Slavic settlers, who enriched it with elements characteristic of their culture. Trade ties of the region with the Volga region and the Baltic also contributed to the penetration of both new forms of clothing and types of jewelry that had an important sacred meaning in ancient times to Beloozero. The mixture of cultures is most noticeable in women's ceremonial attire, which included numerous metal ornaments worn in a strictly defined order. The decoration of the ancient Belozersk costume can be considered the highest achievement of the applied art of the Russian North of the 10th-13th centuries. During this time, the set of decorations changes, their new types disappear and appear, the dress itself becomes simpler, loses its barbaric splendor, and the strengthened Christian ritual displaces obvious pagan elements from the costume. The Slavs and Ves are being replaced by a single Russian nation, in the veins of whose representatives flows the blood of a variety of tribes that have found their home on Beloozero.
Thorough research - archaeological, ethnographic - and at one time allowed us to take first place at historical festivals. I repeat: we are guided by research, not fantasy. How did we decide that the costume of the inhabitants of ancient Beloozero was a complex of linen clothes, complemented by fur capes? - The Arab traveler Abu Hamid Al-Garnati mentioned this. While in Bulgaria on the Volga, he met with the “residents of the Visu country,” that is, representatives of the entire tribe (which, by the way, is where such names as Cherepovets, Vesyegonsk, etc. came from). So, he described everything as “people dressed in clothes made of linen, which protect them from the cold, and in clothes made from the skins of a beautiful beaver with the fur on the outside” - here you have a source for reconstruction.
There are a lot of sources, but they are all scattered. The task of the reenactor is to put all of them together and make with his own hands some logical, consistent and reasonable complex that corresponds to the given era. And this complex still needs to be proven, relying on your knowledge, research, proposing hypotheses, being ready for their critical perception. And this is a real scientific work that involves serious research, not fabrications.
What is great for a hobbit is a concern for a psychiatrist
- So the so-called “role players” have nothing to do with it?
Naturally. Hobbits, elves and playing various other orcs are one thing, historical reconstruction is quite another. In my opinion, such games can be dangerous both for a person’s spiritual state and, excuse me, for his mental health. I have come across people who, being “role-players,” became so accustomed to the image they had imagined of such and such a hero from the past or from fantasy literature that they simply lost their own identity - roughly speaking, they almost became schizophrenics. Or maybe they did - it wouldn’t hurt psychiatrists to figure it out. That's why we firmly believe that work, hobbies and everyday life must be separated. At work, we really wear reconstructed medieval costumes, introducing them to our guests, but our home life implies the reasonable use of reasonable achievements of progress. Simply put, we don’t ride a horse, but a car, we cook food not on a fire, but in a slow cooker, we use phones and computers, we don’t hang bear and wolf skins, like swords and shields, on the walls of our house - that’s enough for us here at work.
Christianity as a condition for preserving peace
Igor, you have been involved in historical reconstruction, research, archeology, and ethnography for many years. Can you briefly say what the main conclusions of your studies are?
A savage people could not have created either a state like Rus' or a country like Russia - it’s time to learn this long ago!
Even briefly it will take a lot of time, believe me. But if we’re talking too generally, I’ll still raise a patriotic topic: I’m ashamed when poorly educated people constantly appeal to the so-called “civilized world.” Firstly, it’s a shame that we have poorly educated people: with so many excellent scientists that are in Russia, one could turn to their works! Secondly, it’s a shame for the addressee of the appeals: what kind of “civilized world” is this? Are we running around Mother Russia with stone axes? Yes, despite all our Russian expanses, we have more writers, artists, poets, designers and others per square meter than in the rest of the world! And this self-deprecating looking into the eyes of “civilized countries” is frankly sickening. If others have something good - don’t think about it, adopt it. If you have something good (and it was and is) in yourself, don’t forget it, keep it. A savage people could not have created either a state like Rus' or a country like Russia - it’s time to learn this long ago! This is what history teaches. And an intelligent reconstruction, based on historical facts and research, provides, in my opinion, a great help to her.
- And how do you do it?
I think yes. Many, overcoming humiliating stereotypes regarding their own Fatherland, are surprised to learn that, for example, the same Scandinavians called Rus' “Gardariki,” that is, “the country of cities.” When they all still lived in farmsteads scattered along the northern fjords, among the rocks, at that time we already had several dozen large, developed cities. The city is the center of crafts and trade. In addition, this is a real military fortification with everything necessary: a fortress wall, a moat, watchtowers, etc. It is clear that the presence of such large centers is one of the signs of a highly developed civilization. The city is also the center of political and spiritual power, as it was, for example, on Beloozero: here was also the center of the spread of Orthodoxy over a vast territory. From here came the rays of Christian enlightenment of the region. It seems to me that we need to know this and thank our ancestors for their work. Let me remind you once again: here, on Beloozero, no armed conflicts have been recorded between neighboring tribes and peoples. And, as we believe, the preaching of Orthodoxy played a huge role in this - peaceful, friendly, not arrogant, open to other peoples. In contrast, by the way, from our borders, where, according to the chronicles, there were plenty of armed clashes and even terror. It is there that mass graves are found that appeared after the invasion of nomads on ancient Russian cities; There are also traces of princely strife, the struggle for power, when the scorched earth tactics were used in relation to their own people - this did not happen here until the 14th century, when Moscow begins to fight with Novgorod and Rostov for these lands. Here we already see traces of the war: there were campaigns by the Ushkuiniks, and retaliatory measures by the hostile side, and, of course, the residents suffered from all this confrontation.
- Who are the “ushkuiniki”?
Something like the Novgorod Vikings, Slavic “gentlemen of fortune.” These were explorers, colonialists, and merchants (but not in the traditional sense), but for the most part they were still ordinary robbers. They were feared just as the Vikings were feared in their time.
What can neopagans do to please?
It is no secret that historical reconstruction is also a field of activity for the so-called neo-pagans. Is there any danger for science here?
Not only for historical science, but also for the person himself. The danger for science lies, first of all, in the fact that with their so-called “research” is not based on reliable sources. After all, history is the science of sources, and if you neglect them for the sake of your beliefs, or, more simply, fantasies and fabrications, then there is no need to talk about any science at all. You can’t even talk about hypotheses, because hypotheses are based on a completely clearly defined circle of historical facts, but here there are neither facts nor thoughts - there are conjectures, and always with Perun or Veles far-fetched. Scientific work is not implied here in principle; it is only required to justify one’s own illiteracy and hatred of Christianity.
- Even hatred? Why can't you practice your faith without hatred?
Simply because it is impossible without hatred of Christianity - I am convinced of this every time I encounter the so-called. "Rodnovers". There is a whole complex of “tender feelings” here: contempt, fear, hatred and, it seems to me, envy, which is hidden behind the first three. If Christians can prove and show the foundations of their faith, relying on all sorts of sciences: history, philosophy, religious studies, etc., then pagans have fragmentary information that is covered with an incredible layer of mystical fabrications, and often all this mysticism is rooted in far from harmless pseudo-spiritual practices. This inferior mythology comes from the need to have at least some basis, some justification for one’s, excuse me, beliefs. Sometimes it gets ridiculous: once on the Kulikovo field during a festival some ragged guys came out and started shouting: “Glory to Perun!”, and then they convinced everyone that this is exactly how Russian soldiers behaved during the battle with Mamai. We ask them: “Where did you get this from, you sick people?” They proudly answer: “We know!” - “Ah, well then, excuse me.”
- By the way, is a sane dialogue with neo-pagans possible?
In my experience, very rarely. When you begin to be interested in the sources of their beliefs, it turns out that after long shamanic rituals, Perun appeared to the Supreme Magus Dolboslav in a dream and said this and that - that’s all theology. Great, right? When you try to start a serious conversation, these guys very quickly begin to get nervous, and your friendliness (and I don’t want conflicts, I honestly want to know where their beliefs, both historical and religious, are rooted) collides with hysterical aggression towards Orthodoxy . Everything is explained very simply: people, deprived of internal discipline, which is obligatory in Christianity, feel their weakness - well, we all feel it, and panic fear and reluctance to at least try to take a step towards Christ, knowing that such a step will force them to make a choice : either give up many suicidal “wants”, or continue to vegetate in them. Yes, often neo-pagans relish with pleasure the sins - fictional and real - of Christians, point a finger at them and, grinning, say: look at yourself - you’re no better. I am already saying this to the shame of Christians. But even a Christian who sins knows that he is committing a sin, and does not justify either himself or the sin itself. It’s easier for the pagans: what is a sin in Christianity looks like a virtue for them. But a Christian, you see, will suffer, delve into himself, be ashamed, repent - this is more difficult and painful, but still more worthy.
An animal grin, wild eyes, wolf fangs on the neck - this is what, according to neo-pagans, a real Russian should look like
It is sometimes scary to look at what their own interpretation of paganism does to people. At work, I often have to communicate on social networks, not so long ago I saw that one of the interlocutors had changed his profile photo: an animal grin, wild eyes, a distorted face, wolf fangs on the neck - this is how, in his opinion, a real Russian should look (and “a real Russian is, of course, a pagan”).
This change shocked me: the man is over 40, at one time he was an officer - such a real Russian hero with a bright face and a kind smile. And then he left the army - and on you: because he had nothing better to do, he apparently got involved in a pseudo-pagan sect that had nothing in common with real history. And away we go... Everything is according to Dostoevsky: Russians have no middle ground. If he has already accepted some idea or thought, he will follow it recklessly. It would be better to look around at your leisure. No, really: it’s scary to watch.
- So, in reconstruction, according to you, there is both common sense and the possibility of its perversion?
This is true, and this applies not only to reconstruction, but also to literature - or anything! Do you know how unpleasant it is to see that our society chooses jesters and clowns as teachers and almost as prophets? And it would be okay to laugh, no - clownish judgments are considered almost a revelation in the field of linguistics, history, or religion. Here one such “prophet” was going to come to us to film another historical masterpiece about the fact that Christianity, it turns out, is alien to Rus', and we all lived “with Ra.” To be honest, we were not delighted with the proposed visit. So God said: our “history guru” fell ill and could not come, may God grant him physical, intellectual, and especially spiritual health.
Have there been cases when people, out of ignorance, in their youth, fell into what seemed to them to be a romantic, but by no means historical, “reconstruction”, got out of it and, therefore, out of neo-paganism?
Yes, fortunately. A lot here depends on the honesty of the person’s search. If he really is looking for meaning - in science, faith - then he will find it sooner or later. We have several guys working for us who, having begun to get acquainted with science, with real reconstruction, saw its benefits both for the mind and for the soul. And if a person is smart, interested and able to analyze, he will never allow himself stupid antics regarding Orthodoxy - the faith of his own people.
And those people who loudly declare their paganism can surprise in a good way. Still, the Christianity of their ancestors has an effect, which, albeit at a not yet conscious level, is rooted in their descendants. We sit and talk, the usual topic: “paganism is the real faith of Russians.” In this case, I ask the guys to be honest with themselves: if you are all real pagans, then, based on the data of ethnographic studies, which are a dime a dozen, I demand that you do the following to confirm the sincerity of your beliefs - and I really give them excerpts from ethnographic studies of the 18th - early 20th centuries, which contain such facts about everyday pagan survivals that the very mention of them causes disgust. There is more and more a “lower floor” of psyche and physiology, in short - an utter abomination. So, to the credit of many of my interlocutors, they begin to spit and ask indignantly if I have gone crazy. “No,” I say, “I haven’t moved, I’m telling you about your faith, I confirm all this with the facts available in scientific use. Will you repeat it? Do you yourself sincerely believe that the sun is the god Khors, and not an accumulation of hot matter? Do you really honor Perun? - So sacrifice a couple of babies to him, following the example of the “glorious ancestors”! After all, this is what Svyatoslav’s soldiers did during the siege of Dorostol! This is normal! - “Go away!..” Well, this “Go away!”, to be honest, in many ways consoles and gives hope that we have not completely moved away from Christ yet - there is still an opportunity to get closer to Him. This means that even those who call themselves pagans, inside, in the depths of their souls, reject the essence of paganism. Just don't play too hard: these are dangerous games.
About the transformation of mind and memory
- But to deny the existence of paganism in Rus', in my opinion, is somewhat incorrect.
And in general - let's remember the meaning of the Christian Transfiguration!
And no one disputes that it happened. I remember our conversation with Archbishop Maximilian (Lazarenko), Bishop was visiting us then: embarrassed, I told him about the influence of paganism on the life of Russian people, showed pagan symbols in ancient Russian costume and home decoration, etc. The Bishop said: “That’s it, that’s all it was. But let's think about how Christianity transformed the pagan infancy of Rus', replacing the worship of creation with the veneration of the one Creator of all things... Tell people about why and how Russian people, instead of naive worship of the forces of nature, chose to worship Christ - the Sun of Truth. Tell us about the difference in the meaning of the words “slave” and “servant of God.” And in general - let's remember the meaning of the Christian Transfiguration. Make a person’s thought work - then his soul will work, I hope.”
Some of his opponents accused and continue to accuse Saint Alexander Nevsky of slavish submission to the conquerors: he submitted to the pagan Tatars. And Dimitri Donskoy, with the blessing of St. Sergius, began the liberation of Rus', defeating them. What is the difference? Why did one submit and the other start a war of liberation?
We must remember that in the 13th century, Rus' was threatened by invaders more terrible than the then religiously omnivorous and tolerant Mongols of Orthodoxy: our Western “partners” had completely different plans for Rus' than the newcomers from the East. If the Mongols were only interested in external subordination, the material side (they did not even think of encroaching on spiritual life), then their western neighbors were striving precisely for spiritual occupation. By the way, we can, again, see its fruits in Ukraine. All this union, divisions, schisms are the fruits of that long-ago history, when Prince Daniil of Galicia turned to the heterodox for help. He did not receive any help, nor did he save Rus' from plunder. And Saint Alexander Nevsky, having eliminated the danger of spiritual occupation from the West, was forced to humble himself before the Mongols, which ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives and preserved Orthodoxy. As the historian Vernadsky said: “These were two feats of Alexander Nevsky: the feat of warfare in the West and the feat of humility in the East.” By the way, thanks to this, many invaders subsequently became Christians, according to the Providence of God.
But already in the 14th century, the Horde was not so tolerant of faith in Christ, on the contrary: Mamai can safely be called an Islamic extremist. And then there could be no compromise: we know very well what happened exactly eight years later on the Kosovo field in fraternal Serbia, which, having been defeated by the Mohammedans, fell under their rule, destructive of Christianity, for several centuries. All that remained was to take up the sword again and begin to liberate Rus', which began on the Kulikovo field:
“And our governors are 70 boyars, and the krants were the princes of white-haired Fedor Semenovich, and Semyon Mikhailovich, and Mikula Vasilyevich, and the two Olgordovich brothers, and Dmitry Volynskoy, and Timofey Voluevich, and Andrei Serkizovich, and Mikhailo Ivanovich, and I’m fighting with us three hundred thousand chained armies. And our commanders are strong, and our squad is knowledgeable, and we have the greyhound Komoni under us, and we wear gilded armor, and the helmets are from Cherkassy, and the shields are from Moscow, and the sulits are German, and the daggers are from Frya, and the swords are damask; and you know the ways for them, and they have prepared transportation, but they still want to lay down their heads for the land for the Russians and for the peasant faith... For those falcons and gyrfalcons, the Belozersk hawks, flew over the Don greyhounds and struck many herds of geese and swan . Either there was no falcon or a croak, then the Russian princes ran into the Tatar force. And when the copy of the Kharaluzhny struck the Tatar armor, the damask swords thundered against the helmets of Khinov on the Kulikovo field on the Nepryadva river... Not the Turks roared at the Great Don on the Kulikovo field. You didn’t win the great Don, but the Russian princes and boyars and governors of the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich were flogged. Defeat the princes of white-hairedness from the filthy Tatars, Fyodor Semenovich and Semyon Mikhailovich, and Timofey Voluevich, and Mikula Vasilyevich, and Andrei Serkizovich, and Mikhailo Ivanovich and many other squads,” as we read in “Zadonshchina.”
I, as a resident of Belozero, of course, am both glad and proud that our Belozero ancestors took part in that great battle. True, joy is accompanied by sadness, because then they all died. One way or another, I would really like such feelings for our ancestors - respect, pride, joy, and sadness about them - to be shared by as many people as possible, and shared sincerely, knowing about the glorious deeds of their ancestors, without feeling like aliens in the world. native land and tourists in their native churches. This is what we work for.
SACRED RELICS OF UNKNOWN PRACIVILIZATIONS
Recently, researchers and scientists from various fields of science have increasingly begun to turn to the psychology of mythology. Images of myths in poetic form reflect universal human experience and basic models of development of human society. Such models are called “archetypes”; they are universal and inherent to people of all cultures and in all historical periods. The very term “archetype” Jung traces back to Philo of Alexandria, and then to Irenaeus and Dionysius the Areopagite. It is noteworthy that this term is meaningfully connected with Platonic eidos.
Despite obvious fiction and verbal lies, a myth can contain truth on an internal level, as a kind of subjective experience. The appearance of a myth, therefore, not devoid of lies, does not in the least interfere with its inner truth and its idea of verisimilitude (Timaeus, 59 p.). Foreign scientists talk about such myths, for example, G. Perls, V. Tyler, V. Otto, R. Graves and others. For example, when telling Solon about the death of Phaeton, the Egyptian priests argued: “let’s say this legend has the appearance of a myth, but it also contains truth.”
One of this kind of “experiences” was an article about Atlantis by the famous Russian journalist and public figure of Tsarist Russia, Mikhail Osipovich Menshikov (1859-1918). His diaries give us some idea of the depth of the journalist’s philosophical and esoteric thought, which allowed Mikhail Osipovich to see with his inner eye the death of the island of Poseidonis. We know a lot of such revelations and experiences in world culture, and they open the doors to the antediluvian world of our planet.
According to Plato, a myth can be a kind of “sacred word, more precisely proclaimed by an oracle,” which means it has the power of proof (“Laws”, 1U, 712 a, U1, 771 s, XII 944 a). D. Merezhkovsky in the book “The Secret of the West. Atlantis-Europe” (1930) writes: “What is a myth? A tall tale, a lie, a fairy tale for adults? No, mystery clothes. Is there any truth behind the lies of “Atlantis?”
The prominent Soviet ethnographer S.A. Tokarev talks about works of folk art that are based on some historical events: these are legends about the founding of cities (for example, Thebes, Rome, Kiev), about wars, and major historical figures. The stories about the Trojan War, about the campaign of the Argonauts and other great enterprises of the Greeks, according to the scientist, are based on actual historical facts and are confirmed by archaeological and other data (for example, Schliemann’s excavations of Troy).
Oddly enough, it was archeology that developed the criterion for separating myths, behind which there are real events, from myths that have no points of contact with history. “Rich excavations in Crete and at the sites of Troy, Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos and others have shown that the legends about these cities are based on historical data. And the inscriptions of this era suggest that some of the heroes, like Priam, Hector, Paris, and perhaps Eteocles and others, were historical figures” (1, pp. 31-32). It has also been established that the last Etruscan kings Tarquinius the Ancient, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius the Proud can be recognized as historical figures. “The attempt by the Italian historian E. Peruzzi to present the history of Rome according to the reigns of Romulus, Numa Pompilius, and Anca Marcius returns us to the long-overcome tendency to perceive Roman etiological myths as reality” (2, p. 15).
Thus, according to M. Eliade: “Indeed, a whole series of myths, slowly telling about the exploits of gods and mystical creatures, in illotempore reveal the structure of reality, which remains inaccessible to empirically rational understanding” (3, p. 262).
Sensational discoveries still excite people's imagination. One of these finds should be recognized as the treasury of unknown kings from Dorak on the Asia Minor shore of the Sea of Marmara. In the 1950s, James Mellart, an employee of the British Institute of Archeology in Ankara, made sensational sketches of incredible treasures from the looted royal burial ground. The unknown people who showed these things to the scientist only wanted to evaluate and date them. After which they disappeared with the treasures for ten years. And so, soon the gold items described by Mellart suddenly began to appear on the black market in America. The sellers disappeared behind a line of dummies. Experts made their conclusion: the age of these treasures was 45 centuries! Dorak's gold floated into private collections and, apparently, is lost to science forever.
In the 1980s, a message flashed in the foreign press that an exhibition had opened at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, which displayed the treasures of Croesus, exported from Turkey 18 years ago!
In 1999, a sensational report appeared in the Western press that in Turkey, where the kingdom of Phrygia was once located, the golden tomb of King Midas had been discovered. It is made of gold blocks, its size is 9.5 by 4.5 meters. The royal sign of Midas is engraved on the walls of the tomb, as well as texts telling about the life of the Phrygian king. The tomb contained golden utensils. In the center of the burial room stood a large golden sarcophagus, inside of which was a coffin. The Austrian expert on ancient civilizations, Dr. Wolfgang Reinstein, stated that the body of King Midas to this day has the amazing ability to turn all objects into gold if you touch it. The servants of Midas also lay in the tomb, but they were then turned into gold. But Midas is indeed the real historical ruler of ancient Phrygia, familiar to us under the name Mita (738-696 BC).
But is this only a small part of the treasures of the ancient world? Where has the ancient gold of gods and heroes disappeared, where are the temple and cult relics of the clergy hidden?
Among the mythical treasures were things to which the ancients showed special favor. These things were called fetishes. People, endowing them with demonic-magical powers, later made the fetish an object of deep religious worship. Such things included: the Delphic Omphalus, the scepter of Zeus, the sword of Pelops, the egg of Leda, the horn of Amalthea, the golden dog of Zeus, three Cups: one that Zeus gave to Alcmene, the other that Hephaestus created, and the third - the Cup of the Argonauts, the necklace and peplos of Eriphyle , the golden chain of Helen, three tripods from the times of Laius, Oedipus and his grandson Laodamas, Trojan palladium, Golden Fleece, etc.
In Greek myths there is a mention of certain things that strangely fit into a certain pattern, far from simple veneration and forming a secret of mysterial significance. Among such sacred objects are the golden dog of Zeus, the casket of Rhea, the crown of Ariadne, the scepter of Zeus, the ring of Minos, the Golden Fleece, the sword of Pelops, the Trojan Palladium and some others.
The Italian scientist, philosopher, founder and president of the International Organization “New Acropolis” Jorge Livraga in his book “Thebes” writes that about 12,000 years ago, as a result of another cataclysm, the last fragment of Atlantis-Poseidonis disappeared, but most of the libraries and some items were already in Egypt (4, pp. 39-43). But political instability, wars of conquest and other natural disasters forced the priests and Great Initiates to hide, hide in another, more reliable and safe place the treasures of bygone eras. But such a place had to be not only safe and calm, but also have a mysterious, sacred meaning. It was there, by the will of the gods, that the flame of that cult, which was threatened with complete destruction, should flare up.
A rich esoteric tradition tells us that the Atlanteans received treasures and sacred relics from previous races: the Hyperboreans and Lemurians, and then were transferred to the best representatives of our Fifth Race. Only the Great Initiates know where the precious heritage of the extinct Races is hidden. These repositories are located in South America, Africa, Europe, Russia and Tibet.
Some of these relics have already been found: the gold of Troy, geographical maps of Piri Reis, Orontius Phineus, Ptolemy, the Tablet of Isis Bembo, Noah's Ark, the famous "Mitchell-Hedges" crystal skull or "Skull of Doom" (discovered in 1927 in the temple Maya in British Honduras, now Belize).
I was able to isolate from a great variety of myths and legends those that directly point to Atlantis and other early civilizations. If there was a legend about Atlantis, told by Plato, then it must have been passed down from generation to generation in the form of genealogical diagrams, behind which stands the historical reality and ancestral memory of mankind, hidden in the deepest layers of the “collective unconscious”. Most likely, it was the oldest civilization on Earth, the real name of which is known only to the Initiates. And it doesn’t have to be called Atlantis or Hyperborea. The culture of Atlantis, having absorbed the culture of the lost civilizations of Hyperborea and Lemuria, was transformed into a European one, and then into a global one. Therefore, for most researchers and scientists, traces of the Atlanteans and their distant descendants are not found, because they are among us, the people of the Fifth Race, for we came from the Fourth Race of the Atlanteans.
In his article “The Lords of Ogenon. Mythology of Atlantis" I identified mythological and genealogical diagrams and tables of gods, heroes and historical figures who were directly related to the kingdom of the Atlanteans and their hidden treasures. Such persons include Sanchuniathon, Philolaus, Pherecydes, Pythagoras, Socrates, Gelon of Syracuse, Pindar, Aristotle, Xenocrates, Xenophon, Theopompus, Cyrus, Cambyses, Mitu (Midas), Alexander the Great, Nonna of Panopolitan, the Zeno brothers, Bryusov, Apollinaris Mikhailov and his son Michael and many others (5).
One can cite an interesting feature in the life of Pythagoras. Delos, where Pythagoras arrived, was famous for being visited by the Hyperboreans. Among the latter, Abaris, the priest of Apollo of Hyperborean, especially stood out. The main thing for us is that Pythagoras met with Abaris and showed him his sign on his body - some kind of golden sign (Iamblichus describes it as the golden thigh of Pythagoras). One thing is certain: both people learned by such a sign that each person belonged to a certain group of the population or the establishment of an occupation. It is not for nothing that Pythagoras himself was considered the Hyperborean Apollo. From this we can draw the only conclusion: on Pythagoras’ body there was something of a birthmark, a special sign by which he could be recognized as a representative of the Hyperborean people. Thus, Hyperborea in this case may turn out to be the northern colony of Atlantis.
Well-known traditionalists, including R. Guenon, however, associate Hyperborea with the North (North Pole), and Atlantis with the West. Therefore, Guenon distinguishes the Hyperborean Thule, which is the original, Highest Sacral Center within the framework of our entire Manvantara, from the Atlantean Thule, located in Northern Atlantis.
N.F. Zhirov in his book “Atlantis. The main problems of Atlantology" reports on the mythographer Dionysius of Miletus, nicknamed Scytobrachion (c. 550 BC), who had an artificial limb. He was allegedly the author of the book "Journey to Atlantis", although this may be fiction. But it is precisely such a detail as a distinctive sign on the body of people, somehow related to Atlantis, that should raise alarm bells and lead to certain conclusions. Pelops, the son of Tantalus, and therefore all his descendants had the same sign on his body (namely on his shoulder)!
Scientists and esotericists have long been talking about the subtle energy function of birthmarks on the human body. Congenital moles and spots can tell about hereditary characteristics or the karmic burden of past incarnations. Let us cite as an example a striking incident from more recent history.
This case is connected with the origin of the Merovingian dynasty of French kings. The very origin of the Merovingian dynasty is fraught with numerous mysteries, as researchers M. Baigent, R. Ley and G. Lincoln write about this in the book “The Sacred Blood and the Holy Grail.” According to the Frankish chronicler, Merovey was born of a mysterious sea monster - “the beast of Neptune, similar to the Quinotaurus.” This legend is symbolic and, as the authors of the book believe, hides a specific historical reality behind its wonderful appearance. In the case of Merovey, this allegory means the transfer of foreign blood to him by his mother or the mixing of dynastic families, the consequence of which was that the Franks were associated with another tribe that came, perhaps, “from across the sea.”
If you believe the legends, the Merovingian kings were adherents of the occult and esoteric sciences, possessed the gift of clairvoyance and extrasensory communication with animals and other natural forces. They had a birthmark on their body, which testified to their sacred origin and made it possible to immediately recognize them: a red spot in the shape of a cross was located either on the heart - a curious anticipation of the Templar coat of arms - or under the shoulder blade (6, pp. 164-165). The Tantalids-Pelopids had a birthmark on the shoulder, but over a long time (several millennia) it could naturally move to another place and even change in shape.
Thus, I have established: firstly, all of the above relics are associated with Atlantis and their last refuge - Crete; secondly, most of these treasures belonged to the descendants of Tantalus and Pelops; thirdly, these descendants had all the attributes of not only royal power (the Golden Fleece - the three crowns of Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto, the crown of Ariadne, a scepter, a sword, wonderful Guardians - the golden dog, curetes, Talos, Polyphemus), but also the attributes of magical power (the Golden Fleece - here is a fragment of the Heavenly Grail Stone, a casket with the shrines of Rhea, a thing buried by Pelops in Elis, if this is not the same thing); fourthly, tantalids and pelopids had a distinctive mark on their bodies, which indicated their “marine origin.”
Let's try to tie the genealogy of gods and heroes to fetishes - relics and to ancient topography. We are interested, first of all, in the genealogy of Tantalus and his son Pelops. What is the reason for the rise of this family, is it only in the gold deposits of Mount Sipylus in Asia Minor? Is there something else hidden here, hidden from us by oblivion and the veil of time? Let us remember that Tantalus was condemned to eternal torment not only for concealing a stolen golden dog. The main fault of King Sipilus was that he divulged among the people the secrets of the Olympians he had heard and distributed to his loved ones the nectar and ambrosia stolen at the feast of the gods.
There is no doubt that the secrets of the Olympians are intimate knowledge transmitted by the gods to people. The mediators in such a transfer were earthly kings and priests, endowed with the corresponding attributes of royal and magical power. It was these individuals who were supposed to preserve the hermetic wisdom of secret knowledge from century to century and only in case of emergency reveal it to people. This is evidenced by the extensive esoteric tradition, which saw in mythological characters not specific individuals (for example, there were 3 Zeus, 5 Hermes, 49 Manus), but a general title of many Adepts and Initiates. Before becoming gods and creators, they all passed through the human stage. Any person could be Dhyan - Kogan, God, Spirit. According to Blavatsky, the Spirit is a disembodied or future person.
Now a lot becomes clear. The Tantalid-Pelopid family possessed intimate knowledge, kept secret. But what kind of knowledge? Knowledge of the treasures and sacred relics of Hyperborea, Lemuria and Atlantis!
Is it possible to find a historical rational grain in these myths? Where is truth and where is fiction? The historian Pausanias, known for his conscientiousness, saw in his time (2nd century AD) the tomb of Tantalus near Sipylus. In Olympia (Greece) near the temple they showed the tomb of Pelops. In the same temple, in the treasury of the Sicyonians, there was the golden sword of Pelops and the horn of the goat Amalthea.
The same Pausanias directly writes how Zeus gave his royal scepter, 24 measures long, to Pelops in order to rule over people and vast lands. Then he passed from Pelops to his son Atreus, and then to his grandsons - Agamemnon and Menelaus. Both were kings of Mycenae. No wonder the oracle of the inhabitants of Mycenae reported that they should elect only a descendant of Pelops as their king!
But myths again give us surprises. The mystery of the Golden Fleece haunts many researchers. According to myth, Hermes gave Pelops the Golden Fleece! The same Hermes, the same Golden Ram, much more famous, gave to the Boeotian Phrixus - his Fleece ended up in Colchis. It turns out that there were two Runes - two symbols of royal power? But is this so, perhaps we are talking about the same sacred object?
The Colchis myth clearly indicates that the Golden Fleece literally fell from heaven to earth. This could be one of the four fragments of a huge meteorite, which I identified as the Heavenly Grail Stone. Powerful spiritual energy emanated from this stone, connecting distant cosmic worlds with earthly ones.
I have previously expressed the idea that in antediluvian times a huge meteorite consisting of some precious material fell to the Earth. When it fell, the heavenly stone fell apart over the territory of Greece into four pieces. One fell in the region of Asia Minor, in the Dardanelles and Troas (myth of Gella and Electra), the second - on the Scythian land (Scythian legend), the third - in the region of Colchis (myth of the Golden Fleece), and the fourth fragment reached Tibet (Chintamani stone) . This meteorite was then deified by the Greeks, Scythians, India and Tibet. Tradition gives us a clear answer: it could only be the Heavenly Grail Stone! (7).
Many atlantologists associate Crete with Atlantis, but this is not so. Crete is one of the main colonies of the Atlantean country, along with Egypt, Phenicia, Sicily, Italy and Greece. So, in ancient times on Crete, on Mount Dikta, countless treasures and sacred relics of Hyperborea, Lemuria and Atlantis were kept in the strictest secrecy.
Mount Dikta is a mountain full of secrets and mysteries. It was identified with Mount Lasithi, and the Dictaean Cave with the Psychro Cave, but such data are questionable, since they diverge from the ancient topography. Most likely, it was located east of the city of Prasa, where the oldest temple in Palekastro was discovered. In Prasa itself, archaeologists discovered the Altar Hill. Ancient tradition connects the Cretan Labyrinth with one of the island’s caves, where mysterious night services were held, but it cannot be compared with the Knossos Palace found by Evans. By the way, numerous torches were discovered in the Palekastro area, which are indispensable in night mysteries.
Why did a golden dog and Kuretes, armed with swords and shields, stand guard in the Dictaean cave, what and who were they guarding? Not only Zeus, who was there for a very short period, but spent most of his time - from birth to death - on Ida. Most likely, the greatest treasures were hidden in the Dictaean cave - sacred relics of the gods.
The external protection of these treasures was carried out by Talos and Polyphemus, belonging to the copper race of the Atlanteans. What and from whom did the giant protect the island of Crete? This is also strange because archaeologists have not found any fortifications or fortress walls either in Knossos or in other cities of the island. It is surprising that the western side of Crete until the 19th century of our century was one of the most inaccessible and studied corners of the world! And this is written by one of the most serious researchers of the archeology of Crete, J. Pendlebury. In the west are the White Mountains, their peaks - Agios Theodoros, Soros, Agion Pneuma, rising to 2300 meters, can be considered among the wildest places in Europe. Paradox - an island in the very center of the birth of almost all civilizations on Earth, at the intersection of many trade routes, which was in front of everyone’s eyes and ears for several millennia - turned out to be little studied, and some western gorges and caves generally remained a blank spot for European people until up to this day!
From the Neolithic period (4000-3000 BC) to the Late Minoan period 111 (1300-1100 BC), the western part of Crete was practically uninhabited. It’s as if some kind of witchcraft envelops this part of the island with an impenetrable blanket, preventing anyone from penetrating its hidden secrets.
Despite the diversity of opinions of ancient authors, the relics themselves remained in Crete. Later they were hidden in a more secure place. To confirm this, I will give an amazing story about the noble family of the Mikhailovs, involved in the mystery of the mysterious treasures of a lost civilization.
In 1988, I met a wonderful person, Mikhail Apollinaryevich Mikhailov, a writer and marine painter, the author of several books on ship modeling and shipbuilding. An excellent expert on ancient myths, he told me about his family tradition.
His father, Apollinariy Ivanovich Mikhailov, sailed for a long time on the merchant ships “Ruslan”, “Ryleev”, “Kamenets-Podolsk” in the Black and Mediterranean seas. In 1906, he was the second mate on the ship "Ruslan", and in 1924-1925, captain on the ship "Ryleev". On one of these sea crossings, in the Greek port of Piraeus, Apollinarius Ivanovich met an experienced pilot who had often visited Crete and knew well the numerous convenient bays of the northern coast of the island. According to the pilot, he heard from local residents a strange legend about the greatest treasures of antiquity, supposedly hidden on one of the northern capes of Crete. Mikhail Apollinaryevich pointed out to me that his father repeated the reliable words of the pilot several times: “the greatest treasures of antiquity.”
This amazing legend was recorded in most detail by Apollinaris Ivanovich in his diary. He died tragically in one of the campaigns. Mikhail Apollinarvich recalled that after his father’s death he saw some kind of leather-bound notebook. This was his diary. What is the fate of this notebook remains a mystery. I would like to warn the reader that this historical and folklore message is only about the greatest treasures of antiquity, hidden on the island of Crete, but in no way connected by the Mikhailovs with Atlantis or any other pre-civilizations. This connection with Atlantis or an unknown “maritime civilization” was established by me as a result of long-term historical, mythological and genealogical research.
Did Mikhail Apollinaryevich tell the author of these lines everything and is everything in this story true? Unfortunately, he died in 1996, also under very strange circumstances. I cannot tell you all the details of the mysterious death. But believe me, I know what I'm talking about. The investigation will certainly continue. Moreover, the name of that northern cape is known, where the greatest treasures and sacred relics of unknown civilizations are hidden.
Only one book has survived from Apollinaris Ivanovich’s library. This is an English-Russian dictionary published in 1933, on the title in the hand of Apollinary Ivanovich it is written in English: “Captain Mikhailov, Kamenets-Podolsk, March 1935, London.” "Kamenets-Podolsk" is the name of the ship. On the last page there are a few English words neatly written in pencil. Translated, one of them means “column of the northern lights.” What did Apollinaris Ivanovich want to say with this?
This is all that remains of the beautiful legend. But they are surprisingly tenacious, passing from generation to generation, ancient legends envelop us with an incomprehensible sense of permanent mystery.
Modern historian and researcher William Henry writes in his book that even in his youth, Franklin Roosevelt bought shares in a company that was trying to find the treasures of the Templar Order. As president, Roosevelt came under the strong influence of Nicholas Roerich, who believed in the reality of the existence of Atlantis. There is information that the so-called Stone of Destiny, which fell to earth from Sirius, was delivered to America. According to legend, the Stone was in the hands of the rulers of Atlantis, then passed to King Solomon. “The stone was hidden in a tower in Shambhala, in Tibet, it emitted waves that influenced the fate of the world,” writes V. Henry in his book. This was exactly one of the pieces of the Heavenly Grail Stone!
The biographer of the famous philosopher, magician and sorcerer Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus, reports that his grave was not found anywhere and there were rumors that in his old age he entered the temple of Diktynna in Crete and there “himself in his body” ascended to heaven. According to a well-known legend, Apollonius of Tyana allegedly crossed over from there to the mysterious Shambhala. Thus, there remain two promising areas for searching for world treasures: Crete and Tibet. The reality of such relics becomes more and more obvious every year.
In our country, the science of atlantology continues to actively develop. In the summer of 1998, the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences named after. P.P. Shirshov prepared an expedition to search for the legendary island. Scientists had to test the hypothesis of Vyacheslav Kudryavtsev, a full member of the Russian Geographical Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences, according to which Atlantis was located in the Celtic shelf area, south of present-day England and Ireland and west of France. But the expedition did not take place due to financial difficulties.
Russian atlantologists have become noticeably more active. Since 1999, the almanac “Atlantis: Problems, Searches, Hypotheses” has been published in Moscow - the first Russian periodical publication specifically dedicated to Atlantis and the main problems of Atlantology. This publication presents all points of view, both traditional and non-traditional. The almanac introduces the reader to new discoveries, forgotten, rare materials about Russian and foreign atlantologists or famous cultural figures who somehow covered the topic of Atlantis in their works and works.
Within the framework of the almanac, a unique and only one in Russia and the CIS countries is being created: the Museum of Atlantis named after. N. F. Zhirova. The museum has an extensive library of books in Russian and other materials dedicated to Atlantis.
In 2000, the First Russian Congress of Atlantologists took place in Moscow, which mainly resolved organizational issues. Nevertheless, it set priorities in the leadership of Russian atlantology at the moment. The leading atlantologists of Russia were the writer, President of the Moscow Club of Mysteries, academician of the International Academy of Informatization Vladimir Shcherbakov and laureate of the USSR State Prize, full member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. K. E. Tsiolkovsky Alim Voitsekhovsky. At its meeting, the congress noted the revival of interest in Russia in the problem of Atlantis.
Thus, the science of atlantology imperceptibly merges with the science of hyperbology. Once again, humanity is convinced that History cannot be considered without interconnection with the ancient Tradition and Esoteric Teaching. The development of the science of Atlantology will inevitably in the near future lead to a practical goal - the discovery of the mysterious and elusive Atlantis. There is little left to do - to discover Atlantis and finally reveal its relationship with Hyperborea.
ALEXANDER VORONIN
Report “From mythology to reality. Sacred relics of unknown pracivilizations" was published in the magazine "Reality and Subject" (2002, No. 3, volume 6, St. Petersburg).=
Machiavelli lived at a time when a person was not yet a slave to commodity-money relations, and the employer did not pursue exclusively selfish goals. During the Renaissance, people were weighed down by the imperatives of profit and ruthless competition.
The employer in the Renaissance was not yet an entrepreneur in the strict sense of the word; he thinks of himself rather as a figure of culture and progress, is proud of his honest name and reputation, and values human freedom and independence above monetary calculations. After all, the Renaissance era is an elegant copy of antiquity. Italians are reviving the ideals and values of Ancient Greece, and not the Roman Empire, which is closer to them by blood.
A return to universal human values will happen once again in history - in the second half of the 20th century, in the era of economic prosperity, democratic freedoms and political tolerance.
The life of Niccolo Machiavelli occurred at a turning point - the turn of the 15th-16th centuries: the four-hundred-year stage of the progressive development of Italy ended, a deep crisis engulfed the mechanisms of power and the socio-economic structure of society, manufacturing capital, as a result of a gradual decline in production, was losing its competitive position to usurious capital. At the dawn of a new capitalist era, the main role in the economic and political drama is played by the merchant bourgeoisie. Machiavelli's political philosophy as a projection of the era is full of antinomies, contradictions, and unexpected solutions.
Passion to gain and fear of losing
Machiavelli taught a ruler striving for success to coordinate his actions, firstly, with the laws of necessity (fate), and secondly, with the behavior of his subordinates.
Strength is on the side of the leader when he takes into account the psychology of people, knows the peculiarities of their way of thinking, moral habits, advantages and disadvantages. It is obvious that ambition rules people's actions, along with other qualities. But knowing this is not enough. It is necessary to find out who exactly is more ambitious and therefore more dangerous for those holding power: those who want to preserve what they have, or those who strive to acquire what they do not have.
The wealthy are driven by the fear of losing what they have accumulated. The fear of loss gives rise to the same passions that possess those who strive for acquisition, Machiavelli believes. Both motives of power, behind which an ordinary passion for destruction is often hidden, are equally vicious. The poor crave acquisition in the same way as the rich, who always feel that their possessions are not sufficiently secured if they do not make new acquisitions.
The rich, who have the levers of power at their disposal, and the poor, who strive to gain it, behave in principle the same way. Immoralism does not depend on social origin, it is dictated by participation in the struggle for power. The “Satanic villain” Caesar Borgia, whom Machiavelli considered an ideal leader, behaves no worse than the “revolutionaries” from the people.
In The History of Florence (1525), Machiavelli colorfully depicts the psychology and tactics of those who strive for power, using the example of the leader of the famous Ciompi uprising - one of the first worker uprisings in Europe, which occurred in Florence in 1378.
