Sergei Vronsky was called ingenious hoaxer, compared with Nostradamus, Count Cagliostro, False Dmitry, and even Baron Munchausen. He was a descendant of the old ducal family, German Wehrmacht major, Rudolf Hess’ personal astrologer and, according to his biographers, one of the most effective Stalin’s agents.
He was an astrologer and a healer. And famous people including Feodor Chaliapin and Alexander Alekhine, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, Georges Pompidou and Mao Zedong, asked him for help. Vronsky had warned about the death of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Besides, he wrote a multivolume work Classical astrology and created a methodology for calculating the favorable and unfavorable periods for the individual based on his biorhythms.
Vronsky was an extraordinary and mysterious person. His name has become a symbol of classical astrology of the 20th century, and his multi-volume work, written in simple and understandable language, opened the gates to the mysterious science of astrology for many people. Vronsky died on January 10, 1998 in Riga, and a few days before his death, he had finished his work – 12 volumes on classical astrology. He put the last point in his manuscript, and only then quietly left this world. Vronsky was a mysterious person and even the closest people did not know anything about him in particular. He said: “I do not have the right to tell the truth.”
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Vladimir Zworykin invented the “miracle of the twentieth century” – electronic television. His innovative ideas were also used to create electron microscopes and electron-optical converters, a variety of devices for medical electronics – from miniature “radio pills” to television device for the blind.
Vladimir Kozmich was born on July 30, 1889 in Murom. The three-story stone house, in which he spent his childhood and youth, has survived to our time and now it is the Murom Historical and Art Museum. Father Kozma Alekseevich was a merchant of the first guild, headed the Murom Public Bank. Vladimir was the youngest of seven children. You know, two brothers of Kozma Alekseevich became scientists. Nikolai Alekseevich Zvorykin (1854 – 1884), a student of A. Stoletov, was a master of mathematics and physics. Konstantin Alekseevich Zvorykin (1861-1928) was a professor at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, the author of fundamental works on the theory of metal cutting and engineering technology.
Childhood, spent in Murom, remained in the memory of Vladimir Kozmich as a picture of a serene patriarchal way of life, full of joys.
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Prince Andrei Bogolubskii (1110-1174), the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, was a rather tough man, but the history of North-Eastern Russia with the capital in Vladimir is associated with his name. Bogolubskii conquered Kiev in 1169 and put an end to Kievan Russia, which ceased to exist as a single state, having turned into a sort of modern CIS.
The young prince did not want to quarrel with his relatives for the throne of Kiev, and after his father’s death in 1115 he went to the north, where the Rostovites and Suzdalians recognized him as their prince. There he founded the new Grand Duchy of Vladimir, which was destined to become the heart of the Russian state for almost two centuries. He undertook several successful military campaigns. The prince declared Vladimir the capital, and appropriated himself the title of Grand Duke of All Russia, and in Western historiography he is often called the first Russian tsar.
The only information about Bogolubskii’s birth date (1111) is in Vasily Tatishchev’s History written 600 years later. In 1146 Andrei together with his elder brother Rostislav expelled an ally of Izyaslav Mstislavich – Rostislav Yaroslavich from Ryazan.
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Efrosinya Polotskaya is the first woman to be canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. You know, she was one of the most educated women of her time.
XII century was a period when the inhabitants of ancient Russia began to accept the Orthodox faith. The new faith was reflected in architecture, literature and art. Orthodox churches were decorated with scenes from the Bible. At many monasteries, scripts were opened, where translators from Greek and copyists of books worked. Polotsk at that time was one of the largest centers for the book production, as well as an excellent place for those who wanted to get education. There was a chronicle, from which we can now learn about the outstanding personalities of the time.
The exact date of birth of Efrosinya is unknown. Historians have established that Predslava (her real name) was born in 1101. She was the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, and also the daughter of Polotsk prince Georgy. The girl was taught by monks. In the house of the prince there was a very large library and the girl was fond of reading. The description of Efrosinya and her life is taken from the annals, which were written by witnesses of that time. Among her favorite books were: Holy Scripture and the Psalter. Rumors about the wise girl quickly spread far beyond the borders of the Polotsk land, so many of the noble princes dreamed of such a wife.
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Pavel Trubetskoy (Italian – Paolo Troubetzkoy) was a Russian sculptor and painter, worked in Italy, the US, Britain, Russia and France. His work was highly appreciated by famous sculptors, artists and writers of the time. His good friend well-known Russian writer Leo Tolstoy called him primitive and extraordinarily talented.
As early as 1863 the father of the famous sculptor Prince Peter Trubetskoy was sent as a diplomat to Florence by the order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There he met his love and future wife singer Ada Vinans, who came from the USA to Italy to take singing lessons and develop her musical abilities. Despite the fact that he was already married to a Russian girl, Peter lived with Ada. To tell the truth, he could divorce his first wife only in 1870. When the information reached the royal court, Alexander II became very angry, forbidding Trubetskoy to return to his homeland.
At that time, Peter and Ada lived in the north of Italy in Intra under the name Stahl. There their three sons were born. Paolo was born on February 15, 1866.
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Why did the eagle appear on the seal of Ivan III? Did Ivan the Terrible kill his son? The history of Russian monarchs is full of mysteries.

Who was Rurik?
Historians have not agreed on the fact who was Rurik. According to some sources, he could be a Danish Viking Jutland or Swede Eirik Emundarson. Is there a Slavic version of Rurik’s origin? The historian of the XIX century Stapan Gedeonov linked the name of Prince with the word “Rerek” (or “Rarog”), which meant falcon in Slavic tribe Obodrits. During the excavation of the early settlements of the Rurik dynasty many images of this bird were found.
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Boris Godunov was the Tsar of Russia from 1598 to 1605. He was one of the most famous (or infamous) rulers of early modern Russia. During the 7 years of Godunov’s rule, Russia strengthened its influence and its own borders, but internal conflicts provoked the ascension to the throne of the impostor False Dmitry.
Boris was born in 1552 into the family of a landowner who lived near Vyazma. The ancestors of Boris are Kostroma boyars, who eventually become landlords in Vyazma.
Being a provincial nobleman, the young man was educated, but did not get acquainted with the Holy Scripture. The study of church books was considered a fundamental component of study, so gaps in this area were not allowed.
After the death of the parents, the uncle took care of Boris and his sister Irina, and because of constant travel he had to give the orphans to the Kremlin. The children grew up with the royal heirs. Ivan the Terrible loved to talk with Boris and even ordered him to write down his own wise thoughts.
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