Tag Archives: World War I

Le Bourget and a century of flight

Le Bourget is rarely mentioned in tourist guides to Paris. In fact, it is better known as a private airport receiving business passengers and chartered flights. This inconspicuous airport however has a rich history and a flight museum, which is fascinating for anyone who has ever had any curiosity about the history of flight and how man took to the…

Ivan the Terrible with his Oprichniki, overseeing his treasury. The Oprichniki were the tsar's dogs responsible for sniffing out treason. There were the forerunners for Imperial Russia's history of political police which carried on into Soviet times.

Colliding cultures in Kazan

They say first impressions are important and my first view of Kazan was beautiful. Rising slowly from the haze of the Volga River, the Kremlin, cupolas of the Orthodox churches and the minarets of the mosques, shimmering in the afternoon heat was like a twisted fantasy from the 1001 Nights. This impression was enhanced by the greeting I was given…