Jean Kwok

Jean Kwok is the award-winning, "New York Times" and international bestselling Chinese American author of the novels "Girl in Translation", "Mambo in Chinatown," and "Searching for Sylvie Lee", which was chosen as "The Today Show" Book Club Pick.
Biography.
When Kwok was five years old, her family emigrated to Brooklyn, New York from Hong Kong. The apartment that she, her parents and siblings lived in was infested with roaches and rats and they did not have any central heating. She worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood.
After elementary school, Kwok was accepted to Hunter College High School, a public secondary school for intellectually gifted students. Upon graduation from high school, she was granted early admission to Harvard University. Originally interested in science, in part to escape a life toiling in a factory, she realized when she was at Harvard that she could follow her dream instead. This realization prompted Jean to change her concentration to English and American Literature. She received her BA in English with honors, all while working up to four jobs at a time. Kwok later received her MFA in Fiction from Columbia University.
After that, she moved to the Netherlands for love and worked for Leiden University and the Delft University of Technology, teaching English and as a Dutch-English translator. Kwok now writes full-time and lives in the Netherlands with her husband, their two sons, and their cats.
Career.
Kwok is a New York Times and international bestselling author. Her work has been published in 20 countries and taught in universities, colleges and high schools across the world. She has been selected for numerous honors including the American Library Association Alex Award, the Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award and the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award international shortlist. Jean's writing has been reviewed in "Time", The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek and Vogue, among others. She has appeared on "The Today Show" and spoken at many schools and venues including Harvard University, Columbia University and the Tucson Festival of Books.
Kwok is trilingual, speaking Dutch, Chinese, and English fluently, as evidenced by the VPRO documentary filmed about her. She also studied Latin for 7 years. She is a member of the Curatorial Board of Ragdale Foundation.
Novels.
"Girl in Translation".
Kwok's debut novel "Girl in Translation" was published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin, in May 2010 and became a "New York Times" and international bestseller. It has been published in 18 countries and translated into 16 languages. Kwok drew upon her personal experience to write this novel about an exceptionally bright young girl who leads a double life in an exclusive private school and a Chinatown sweatshop.
Author Min Jin Lee compared the novel to "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". Nicole Tsong in the "Seattle Times" commented on Kwok's innovative use of language that allows readers to experience the linguistic barriers for themselves: "Kwok uses the potent combination of... halting English and a sophisticated internal narration about her new life to tell [the heroine's] story." Hannah Lee in the "Philadelphia Jewish Voice" noted that "Girl in Translation" was "as accurate to my childhood and upbringing in the world of New York's garment factories as a novel can be." "Girl in Translation" was featured in "The New York Times", "USA Today", "Entertainment Weekly", "Vogue" and "O, The Oprah Magazine", among others.
"Mambo in Chinatown".
Kwok's immigrant background plus her experience working as a professional ballroom dancer in between her degrees at Harvard and Columbia helped her to write her second novel about a young woman torn between her family duties in working class Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.
Kwok's second novel "Mambo in Chinatown" was also published by Riverhead Books in the United States on June 24, 2014. It was one of the New and Noteworthy Books listed by "USA Today" in June 2014 and was selected for Penguin Stacks and Best Books of 2014 by "Real Simple" and "Woman's Day". The "Chicago Tribune" wrote, "rarely has [this story] been told with such grace, lightness and humor as in this delightful novel" while the "Boston Herald" called it "a great story of cultural conflict and reaching for your dreams."
"Searching for Sylvie Lee".
Kwok's third novel "Searching for Sylvie Lee" was published on June 4, 2019 by William Morrow and Company, a division of HarperCollins. This novel about a young Chinese American woman searching for her older sister who had disappeared while on a trip to the Netherlands was an instant New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and combined print and ebook fiction, as well as hitting the "USA Today", Apple, Amazon, "Publishers Weekly" and American Booksellers Association bestseller lists. "Searching for Sylvie Lee" was chosen by Jenna Bush Hager as "The Today Show" Book Club Pick, Emma Roberts as the Belletrist Book Club Pick and "O, The Oprah Magazine" for their summer reading list, leading "Entertainment Weekly" to call the novel "this summer's book club sensation."
The "New York Times Book Review" wrote, "Kwok's story spans generations, continents and language barriers, combining old-fashioned Nancy Drew sleuthing with the warmth and heart we've come to expect from this gifted writer" and Kwok was profiled in "The New York Times" as one of "4 Writers to Watch." Commenting on Kwok's use of language in which each of the three narrator's inner dialogues are in their native tongues of Dutch, Chinese and English, the "Columbia Journal" wrote, "Depicting a language that hints at meaning through euphemisms and idioms, Kwok rejects glosses, italics, and explanatory commas…. Kwok's foray into the native speaker's mind maintains an admirable artistic integrity. More than a fast-paced thriller, Searching for Sylvie Lee is a meditation on dislocation, the gulf that separates generations of migrants, and the price of achieving some version of the American dream." "The Washington Post" called it, "A moving tale that, while billed as a mystery, transcends the genre… a beautifully written story in which the author evokes the hard reality of being an immigrant and a woman in today's world." PEN America wrote, "Jean Kwok’s latest novel examines cultural and linguistic barriers, family secrets, change, and the expansive identities of immigrants."
"Searching for Sylvie Lee" was one of the most-listed books of the summer, hitting many best book and most anticipated lists. It was featured and recommended by "The New York Times", "The Washington Post", "Time", "Newsweek", CNN, "The New York Post", PEN America, "Forbes", "O, The Oprah Magazine", "People", "Marie Claire", "Entertainment Weekly", "Real Simple", "InStyle", "Elle", "Harper's Bazaar" and more.


Select World Tower

Select World Tower is a building complex located in Satu Mare, Romania. The structure is constructed in the shape of a vertical U, with two towers of 6 and 8 storeys linked together by a 2-storey smaller building. The six storey tower contains of office spaces and a multifunctional hall. The two storey building is a commercial center. The eight storey tower contains a four star hotel with 101 rooms and a surface area of .


Roy de Ruiter (footballer)

Roy de Ruiter (born 19 August 1989 in Wageningen) is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Oss in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. He formerly played for Vitesse Arnhem and AGOVV Apeldoorn.


Anne Vermeer

Anne Rinse Vermeer (12 December 1916 – 26 July 2018) was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA).
External links.


Ronald Giphart

Ronald Edgar Giphart (born 17 December 1965, in Dordrecht) is a Dutch writer. His best known books are "Ik ook van jou" (1992), "Phileine zegt sorry" (1996) and "Ik omhels je met 1000 armen" (2000), all have been filmed. His 2012 book, "Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lusten", was published in English as "Living, Loving, Longing".


Joey Roukens

Joey Roukens (born in Schiedam, 28 March 1982) is a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music.
Roukens studied composition with Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Conservatoire and psychology at Leiden University. Roukens also studied piano privately with Ton Hartsuiker. His works have been performed by, among others, the New European Ensemble (on Dutch National TV), the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nieuw Ensemble, the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet and Orkest de Volharding. His output includes orchestral works, ensemble works, chamber music and solo instrumental works.
In his music Roukens strives to move away from modernist dogmas in search for a more direct idiom in which present and past, diatonicism and chromaticism, tonality and atonality can coexist in a natural way. In doing so, he tries to be open to as many different kinds and styles of music as possible, whether it be new styles or old styles, high culture or vernacular culture, ‘serious’ or popular music, western music or non-western music. For a long time, Roukens has also been active in pop music.


Arie de Graaf

Arie de Graaf (born 4 August 1947 in Arnhem) is a Dutch insurer, biologist, teacher, and politician.
De Graaf studied Dutch law at Utrecht University (1972-1977), where he obtained a Master of Laws. He worked for a mutual insurance (1966-1976) and was at the same time member of the municipal council of Arnhem (1970-1976). In 1976 he was elected Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands for the Dutch Labour Party. He specialized in corporate law, public finance, and pension funds. De Graaf was opposed to atomic weapons and systematically voted against all related parts of the Dutch defense budget.
De Graaf was nicknamed "Arie de Vraag" because of the large number (357) of written information requests to the government that he posed during his tenure. He left the House of Representatives in 1981 and subsequently studied biology at Wageningen University, where he was a visiting scientist at the laboratory for plant taxonomy. From 1988 he taught at the Inholland University of Applied Sciences ("HEAO Alkmaar" at the time).
The Aroid plant species, "Lagenandra dewitii", was described by de Graaf in honour of Hendrik de Wit.


Ed Engelkes

Ed Engelkes (born 21 January 1964) is a Dutch football manager. He was most recently head coach of Ajax Women and VVOG.
Playing career.
Engelkes started playing football at amateur club Alliance '22 from his hometown, Haarlem. Soon, he was scouted by a professional football club, HFC Haarlem. However, he would only appear for their reserve team, and during his early twenties, he expressed interest in becoming a manager.
Managerial career.
Early career.
Engelkes started his managerial career at HFC Haarlem, where he coached young players between the ages of 14 and 18. Subsequently, he moved to HBC from Heemstede, where he became a youth coach as well as assistant coach of the first team. During this time, he was also responsible for the youth academy of neighbouring club VV SIZO, from Hillegom.
KNVB.
In 1990, Engelkes was employed by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), where he was responsible for technical affairs, such as visiting football clubs in the Netherlands, the organisation of street football tournaments and the scouting of young talent for the KNVB's national youth teams.
Netherlands Women.
In 2004, Engelkes became assistant coach of the Netherlands women's national football team, working alongside new head coach Vera Pauw. In addition, Engelkes worked as coordinator of all women's teams of the KNVB. As assistant coach, Engelkes saw the Netherlands Women qualify for their first major international tournament, the UEFA Women's Euro 2009, where they reached the semi-finals. In April 2010, when Pauw left her post with the Netherlands Women, Engelkes was appointed interim head coach. On 1 November 2010, he was succeeded by Roger Reijners and returned to being assistant coach. He fulfilled this position until May 2012.
AZ Women.
Meanwhile, in 2007, AZ formed a women's team to compete in the newly formed Women's Eredivisie, and Engelkes became their manager in addition to his work as assistant with the Netherlands women's team. He led AZ to the Eredivisie title in each of his first three years in charge, from 2007–08 until 2009–10, and also won the KNVB Women's Cup, in 2010–11. After the 2010–11 season, AZ's women's team ceased to exist due to financial difficulties, which ended Engelkes' AZ tenure.
Ajax Women.
On 30 May 2012, it was announced that Engelkes would become manager of the newly formed Ajax women's team from the 2012–13 season, the start of the BeNe League. He said: "The chance to be working at Ajax is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am proud to do this job." In the 2013–14 season, he led Ajax to victory in the KNVB Women's Cup. In the 2015–16 season, Ajax finished as runners-up in the reinstated Women's Eredivisie. On 26 January 2017, Ajax announced that the 2016–17 season would be Engelkes' last with the club. During his final season, Engelkes managed Ajax to the Double as they finished as champions in both the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup.
VVOG.
On 18 March 2014, it was announced that Engelkes was appointed manager of Hoofdklasse club VVOG starting from the 2014–15 season. On 10 April 2015, his contract was extended for one year, following satisfactory results. During the 2015–16 season, VVOG were promoted to the Derde Divisie. On 7 February 2017, Engelkes announced he would leave the club after the 2016–17 season.


Divara van Haarlem

Divara van Haarlem also spelled "Dieuwertje Brouwersdr.", (1511 in Haarlem – July 7, 1535 in Münster) was a Dutch Anabaptist, married to Jan van Leiden and by him proclaimed Queen of the Anabaptist regime in Münster.
Originally from Haarlem, where her father was a brewer, she followed the Anabaptist Jan Matthijsz van Haarlem to Münster. She was married to Jan Matthijsz, who was killed in battle outside the gates of Münster in 1534. She next married the prophet Jan van Leiden several months after the death of her first husband.
Jan van Leiden made himself the spiritual and worldly leader of Münster and proclaimed Divara his queen. Jan's other wives included Elisabeth Wandscherer, who Jan ordered beheaded after she publicly questioned him. Divara was given clothes, a necklace and a crown of gold, her own residence and court and presided over the distribution at the public communion of between 2,000 and 6,000 people which was held at the town square. Jan van Leiden instituted polygamy and took several more wives besides Divara and Elisabeth. (Most accounts state his total number of wives at 16.) Divara gave birth to a daughter named Averall. After the fall of the town Divara was executed by decapitation along with four other women.
The 1993 opera "Divara – Wasser und Blut" ("Water and Blood") by José Saramago and Azio Corghi was based upon her.


Jan Versluys

Jan Versluys (1 September 1873 in Groningen – 22 January 1939 in Vienna) was a Dutch zoologist.
He studied biology at the University of Amsterdam, and afterwards participated on a scientific voyage to the Caribbean aboard the vessel "Chazalie". In 1898 he obtained his doctorate from the University of Giessen, then in 1899/1900 served as an assistant to Max Carl Wilhelm Weber on the Siboga Expedition to the Netherlands East Indies. As a result of the mission, he published a monograph on Gorgonians, titled ""Die Gorgoniden der Siboga-Expedition". Later on in his career, he worked as a professor of zoology at the universities of Ghent (from 1916) and Vienna (from 1925).
Taxa with the epithet of "versluysi" commemorate his name, an example being the amphipod subspecies "Niphargus longicaudatus versluysi".


Frank Pieter Israel

Frank Pieter Israel (born 31 December 1946) is a Dutch astronomer. He received his Ph.D. in astronomy at the Leiden Observatory in 1976,
where he now is emeritus Professor. Most of his work is dedicated to the Interstellar medium of external galaxies. The asteroid 7507 Israel is named for him.
Israel is chairman of the skeptical organisation Stichting Skepsis.


Alexander I Statue in Taganrog

The monument to Alexander I of Russia was erected on the initiative of the people of Taganrog in memory of the emperor's stay and death in the city.
The place to set the monument was chosen by the widow of Alexander I Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) – opposite the Greek monastery. Most of the money to subsidize the construction of the monument was donated by the members of the Imperial house of Romanovs, the rest of the sum was raised by the people of Taganrog.
The statue was sculpted by the eminent sculptor, rector of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts Ivan Martos. The architectural part of the monument was designed by the famous architect Avraam Melnikov.
The bronze figure of the emperor at full height was draped with a simple gown, and a general's uniform was visible under it. The tsar held the sword hilt with his left hand, and carried a scroll which was supposed to be the code of laws. One foot of Alexander I trampled a coiling snake symbolizing the victory over Napoleon. The face of the sculpture was a copy of the emperor's portrait, and the winged angels at his feet pointed out his angelic character. The granite pedestal consisted of three parts, 5 steps led to it. The entire monument weighed about 1600 kg.
On October 23 (11), 1831, celebrations took place on the occasion of unveiling the monument. They included divine services, consecration of the monument, firing a salute, ringing bells at all the churches and evening illumination.
In 1837 cast-iron lumps with heavy chains were added to palisade the monument. In 1888 a square was planted around and fenced with iron forged railings.
In 1920 the monument was destroyed (in 1932 the statue was remelted).
In 1998 in the course of celebrations of the tercentenary of Taganrog the monument was reconstructed according to original plans at the same place. The reconstruction was financed by the Rossiyskiy Kredit Bank.
The original model of the monument is kept in the collection of Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.


Hubert Hermans

Hubert J.M. Hermans (born October 9, 1937) is a Dutch psychologist and Emeritus Professor at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, internationally known as the creator of dialogical self theory.
Biography.
Hermans was born as son of a baker in Maastricht, The Netherlands. He studied psychology at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he became staff member at the psychological laboratory of the same university in 1965.
In 1973 he became associate professor of psychology at the University of Nijmegen and in 1980 full professor at the same university. Since 2002 he is president of the "International Society for Dialogical Science" (ISDS) and since 2006 editor-in-chief of the "International Journal for Dialogical Science" (IJDS).
For his merits for the Dutch society, he was appointed as Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw (Knight in the Society of the Netherlands Lion) in 2002. His 2006 Dutch book "Dialoog en Misverstand" (Dialogue and Misunderstanding) played a role in the preparation of the Dutch government in 2007.
From 1961-2007 Hubert Hermans was married to Els Hermans-Jansen, a psychotherapist, with whom he cooperated in the development of the Self-Confrontation Method (SCM). The couple has two children and two grandchildren. From 2008-2013 he was married to Agnieszka Hermans-Konopka, who wrote a dissertation (Warsaw, 2006) on the relationship between self and emotions. The couple continues to cooperate on the further development of Dialogical Self Theory in the International Institute for the Dialogical Self (IIDS).
Work.
Hermans is considered a key figure in narrative psychology. His dissertation (1967) was on "Motivation and achievement" and resulted in two psychological tests: "The Achievement Motivation Test for adults" (1968; published in English in 1971; and in German in 1976) and "The Achievement Motivation Test for children" (1971; published in German in 1976). Both test belong since then to the most frequently used psychological tests in the Netherlands.
As a reaction to the static and impersonal nature of psychological tests, he developed a "Self-Confrontation Method" (SCM; 1974; book published in English in 1995). Application of this method in practice led to the establishment of the Dutch Association for SCM Consultants that counted around 260 members in 2013.
In the nineties of the last century he developed the "dialogical self theory", inspired by the American pragmatism of William James and the dialogical school of the Russian literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin.
Dialogical self theory.
Hermans’s, basing on ideas of M.M. Bakhtin, W. James, purpose is to contribute to research and development of dialogical relationships, not only between individuals, groups, and cultures, but also between different I-positions within the dialogical self of the individual person. He does so in the conviction that dialogical relationships between individuals, groups, and cultures cannot exist in separation of productive dialogical relationships which individuals develop with themselves.
On the basis of this purpose, bi-annual International Conferences on the Dialogical Self are organized: in Nijmegen (2000), Ghent, Belgium (2004); Warsaw, Poland (2004), Braga, Portugal (2006), Cambridge, United Kingdom (2008), Athens, Greece (2010), Athens, Georgia, USA (2012), and The Hague, The Netherlands (2014).


Henk Nijboer

Henk Nijboer (born 31 March 1983) is a Dutch politician. As a member of the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid) he has been an MP since 20 September 2012. Previously he was a member of the provincial parliament of the province of Groningen from 2003 to 2007.


Spanish Hall (Prague Castle)

Spanish Hall () is a ceremonial hall in the New Royal Palace of Prague Castle. As part of the State Rooms it is intended for the reception of official guests of the President of the Czech Republic. Many important political and social events take place in the hall.
History.
Spanish Hall was originally intended for the display of statuary collected by Emperor Rudolph II. The over-lifesize terracotta and stucco statues by Adriaen de Vries were exhibited in the niches in the southern wall. Later the hall was used for ceremonial court occasions (for example banquets or concerts). The hall was built in 1602–1606, perhaps by Italian architect Giovanni Maria Filippi. The walls were decorated with pilasters and Renaissance stucco reliefs, some of which have survived. A row of wooden columns in the centre of the hall supported a panelled coffer ceiling and underpinned the double span-roofs. In the early 18th century the original roofs were replaced by a new king-post roof during Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer's alternations. The height of the hall was raised by 2.5 meters and a row of smaller windows was added. The hall was damaged during the Prussian bombardment of Prague Castle in 1757 and then was restored by Nicolò Pacassi who removed the central columns. In that time the niches in the southern wall were walled-up and the painter Norbert Kryštof Saeckel decorated them with illusive landscape views with ruins. In 1868 these paintings were covered with mirrors. In 1826 new toilets were installed between the Hall and neighbouring Rudolph Gallery. Both interiors were then rebuilt in 1865–1868 during the preparations for the Bohemian coronation of Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria, which, however, never took place. The reconstruction was led by Viennese builder Ferdinand Kirschner to plans by architect Hans von Ferstel. The present relief decoration originated mostly in that time. Contrary to the Rudolphian freely modelled stucco it consists of plaster castings additionally fixed on the walls and the ceilings. The two shorter walls of the hall were designed and built in a wholly new way.
Description.
Spanish Hall measures 48 meters by 24 meters and 12 meters high. The two long walls have remained from the time of Rudolph II—with nine windows on the north side and the same number of niches of identical size on the south wall. The keystone above the central window bears the imperial monogram "R" with the Order of the Golden Fleece. The two shorter walls, with galleries, were built in 1860s and are decorated with sculptures of Art, Science, Trade and Industry by Auguste la Vigne. The gilded chandeliers and wall lights date from the late 19th century, and take over 2,000 electric light bulbs.


Yuriev Monastery

The St. George's (Yuriev) Monastery () is usually cited as Russia's oldest monastery. It stands in 5 kilometers south of Novgorod on the left bank of the Volkhov River near where it flows out of Lake Ilmen. The monastery used to be the most important in the medieval Novgorod Republic. It is part of the World Heritage Site named "Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings".
History.
According to legend, the monastery of wood was founded in 1030 by Yaroslav the Wise (whose Christian name was George); the first historically reliable reference to it is from the early 12th century when the stone building of the main church (the Church of St. George, Georgieveskii Church) was started in 1119 by Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich of Novgorod and Pskov and Hegumen (roughly equivalent to a western prior) Kyuriak (Kirik) and built by the master Peter.
By the first third of the 13th century the hegumen had been raised to the status of an archimandrite (roughly equivalent to an abbot, i.e., the head of an important monastery, although the comparison with western abbots is imprecise); Archimandrite Savatii is mentioned asking the Novgorodians to bless his successor just before his death in 1226. This has led some scholars to argue that the archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were elected by the veche, although there is very little evidence of this; in 1226 it appears that the Novgorodian elite approved the election of Savatii's successor although whether the veche took part is unclear. A later veche (more a mob than a governmental assembly in this case) held the Archimandrite Esif (Iosif - Joseph) overnight in the Church of St. Nicholas on the Marketplace in 1337. The chronicle does not say how the crisis was resolved, but the next year Esif was elevated to the Archimandrite of St. George after the death of Lavrenti. In 1342 he was sent to Koporye on a mission to secure Posadnik (burgomaster) Fedor Danilovich who was detained there. Russian monasteries at various times became guard-houses for prisoners of state. Also, in 1345, the church of St. George was renovated and new lead added to the roof under the direction of Archimandrite Esif.
The archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were often called Archimandrite of Novgorod, as in 1270, when Varlaam "Hegumen of St. George's [the Yuriev Monastery] and Archimandtire of Novgorod" died. A listing of the "Archimandrites of Novgorod," is included in the back of the Novgorodian First Chronicle. In fact, the archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were, for several centuries, the only archimandrites in the Novgorodian Land, and thus they were, in a manner of speaking, the Archimandrites of Novgorod. Some scholars argue theirole in the Novgorodian church administration was more formal than that though, and they were the deputy to the archbishops of Novgorod or else they headed all the monasteries in the Novgorodian Land, this, however, remains uncertain. Archimandrite Sava was buried in the Antoniev Monastery, and several archimandrites built churches in other monasteries, perhaps indicating their power or influence over all the city-state's monasteries. Archbishop Spiridon (1229–1249) was a monk and deacon at the monastery before he was elected archbishop of Novgorod. Archbishop Moisei (1325–1330, 1352–1359) was archimandrite of the Yuriev Monastery before being elected archbishop, and Archbishop Feoktist was, according to some sources, buried at the Yuriev monastery (explaining the large fresco of him and a smaller icon in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross), but other sources give another monastery, the Monastery of the Annunciation, as his place of burial. Prince Dmitry Shemyaka was also allegedly buried there.
The monastery played the role of Novgorodian princes burial place. In 1198 two sons of Yaroslav the Wise, Izyaslav of Luki and Rostislav, are buried in the Church of Saint George. In 1233 the elder brother of Great Prince Alexander Nevsky called Фёдор (Theodor), and in 11 years, in 1244, their mother called Феодосия (Theodosia) found the last resting in the church. Almost 200 years afterwards, when Swedish intervents had unearthed graves looking for lucre while invading the monastery during the Ingrian War (1610 - 1617), the remains of prince Theodor were found imperishable. They "put him out of grave and stand him leaned at wall, he was like alive". As the result, the great prince Theodor was canonized in Novgorod and is the local saint.
The monastery was an important source for historical information on medieval Novgorod, as part of the Novgorod First Chronicle (the Synodal text) was compiled in the monastery.
The Church of St. George is one of the largest in Novgorod and its immediate environs. It is a tall (105 feet tall) white-stone church 85 feet long by 75 feet wide with three silver domes, which is somewhat unusual for Russian churches which usually have five (the main dome representing Christ, the four smaller ones representing the evangelists). Some remnants of the medieval frescoes remain, but most of the church was refrescoed in 1902. Among the frescoes is a large Christ Pantokrator in the main dome, a full-length portrait of Novgorodian Archbishop Feoktist, and another full-length (although smaller) portrait of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich on the southwestern pier.
The monastery also has the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the northeastern corner of the monastery, with five blue domes and gold stars on it, built in the 18th century. The gateway into the monastery is crowned by a tall gold-domed tower which is visible from the city centre, including the Novgorod Kremlin two miles to the north.
The monastery owes its resurgence to the efforts of its powerful and energetic hegumen Archimandrite Photius (1792-1838) who persuaded Countess Anna Orlova, a wealthy spinster, to donate her immense funds to the eparchy. Both are buried in the penticupolar Church of the Transfiguration which they had built.
After the 1917 revolution, the monastery was ravaged. Five of its six churches were either destroyed or badly damaged by 1928; the monastery was closed in 1929. During the World War II, the buildings were occupied by the German and Spanish armed forces, and were seriously damaged. In 1991 the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and parts of it have been renovated since then. However the western part, including a church there, are still in ruins.


Euronext Amsterdam

Euronext Amsterdam is a stock exchange based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Formerly known as the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, it merged on 22 September 2000 with the Brussels Stock Exchange and the Paris Stock Exchange to form Euronext. The registered office of Euronext, itself incorporated in the Netherlands a public limited company ("naamloze vennootschap"), is also located in the exchange.
History.
The Amsterdam stock exchange is considered the oldest "modern" securities market in the world. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange was established in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company ("Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie", or "VOC") for dealings in its printed stocks and bonds. It was subsequently renamed the Amsterdam "Bourse" and was the first to formally begin trading in securities. The Sephardic Jewish writer Joseph de la Vega's "Confusion of Confusions" (1688) is the first full length work about the stock exchange, its participants and shareholders.
Prior to that, the market existed primarily for the exchange of commodities. In 1602, the States General of the Netherlands granted the VOC a 21-year charter over all Dutch trade in Asia and quasi-governmental powers. The monopolistic terms of the charter effectively granted the VOC complete authority over trade defenses, war armaments, and political endeavors in Asia. The high level of risk associated with trade in Asia gave the VOC its private ownership structure. Following in the footsteps of the English East India Company, stock in the corporation was sold to a large pool of interested investors, who in turn received a guarantee of some future share of profits. In the Amsterdam East India House alone, 1,143 investors subscribed for over ƒ3,679,915 or €100 million in today's money.
The voyage to the precious resources in the West Indies was risky. Threats of pirates, disease, misfortune, shipwreck, and various macroeconomic factors heightened the risk factor and thus made the trip wildly expensive. So, the stock issuance made possible the spreading of risk and dividends across a pool of investors. Should something go wrong on the voyage, risk was mitigated and dispersed throughout the pool and investors all suffered just a fraction of the total expense of the voyage.
The system of privatizing national expeditions was not new to Europe, but the fixed stock structure of the East India Company made it one of a kind. In the decade preceding the formation of the VOC, adventurous Dutch merchants had used a similar method of "private partnership" to finance expensive voyages to the East Indies for their personal gain. The ambitious merchants pooled money together to create shipping partnerships for exploration of the East Indies. They assumed a joint-share of the necessary preparations (i.e. shipbuilding, stocking, navigation) in return for a joint-share of the profits. These "Voorcompagnieën" took on extreme risk to reap some of the rewarding spice trade in the East Indies, but introduced a common form of the joint-stock venture into Dutch shipping.
Although some of these voyages predictably failed, the ones that were successful brought promise of wealth and an emerging new trade. Shortly after these expeditions began, in 1602, the many independent "Voorcompagnieën" merged to form the Dutch East India Trading Company. Shares were allocated appropriately by the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and the joint-stock merchants became the directors of the new VOC. Furthermore, this new mega-corporation was immediately recognized by the Dutch provinces to be equally important in governmental procedures. The VOC was granted significant war-time powers, the right to build forts, the right to maintain a standing army, and permission to conduct negotiations with Asian countries. The charter created a Dutch colonial province in Indonesia, with a monopoly on Euro-Asian trade.
The subscription terms of each stock purchase offered shareholders the option to transfer their shares to a third party. Quickly a secondary market arose in the East India House for resale of this stock through the official bookkeeper. After an agreement had been reached between the two parties, the shares were then transferred from seller to buyer in the "capital book". The official account, held by the East India House, encouraged investors to trade and gave rise to market confidence that the shares weren't just being transferred on paper. Thus, speculative trading immediately ensued and the Amsterdam securities market was born.
A big acceleration in the turnover rate came in 1623, after the 21-year liquidation period for the VOC ended. The terms of the initial charter called for a full liquidation after 21 years to distribute profits to shareholders. However, at this time neither the VOC nor its shareholders saw a slowing down of Asian trade, so the States General of the Netherlands granted the corporation a second charter in the West Indies.
This new charter gave the VOC additional years to stay in business but, in contrast to the first charter, outlined no plans for immediate liquidation, meaning that the money invested remained invested, and dividends were paid to investors to incentivize shareholding. Investors took to the secondary market of the newly constructed Amsterdam Stock Exchange to sell their shares to third parties. These "fixed" capital stock transactions amassed huge turnover rates, and made the stock exchange vastly more important. Thus the modern securities market arose out of this system of stock exchange.
The rapid development of the Amsterdam Stock exchange in the mid 17th century lead to the formation of trading clubs around the city. Traders met frequently, often in a local coffee shop or inns to discuss financial transactions. Thus, "Sub-markets" emerged, in which traders had access to peer knowledge and a community of reputable traders.
These were particularly important during trading in the late 17th century, where short-term speculative trading dominated. The trading clubs allowed investors to attain valuable information from reputable traders about the future of the securities trade. Experienced traders on the inside circle of these trading clubs had a slight advantage over everyone else, and the prevalence of these clubs played a major role in the continued growth of the stock exchange itself.
Additionally, similarities can be drawn between modern day brokers and the experienced traders of the trading clubs. The network of traders allowed for organized movement of knowledge and quick execution of transactions. Thus, the secondary market for VOC shares became extremely efficient, and trading clubs played no small part. Brokers took a small fee in exchange for a guarantee that the paperwork would be appropriately filed and a "buyer" or "seller" would be found. Throughout the 17th century, investors increasingly sought experienced brokers to seek information about a potential counterparty.
The European Options Exchange (EOE) was founded in 1978 in Amsterdam as a futures and options exchange. In 1983 it started a stock market index, called the EOE index, consisting of the 25 largest companies that trade on the stock exchange. Forward contracts, options, and other sophisticated instruments were traded on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange well before this.
In 1997 the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and the EOE merged, and its blue chip index was renamed AEX, for "Amsterdam EXchange". It is now managed by Euronext Amsterdam.
On 3 October 2011, Princess Máxima opened the new trading floor of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
The former Stock Exchange building was the Beurs van Berlage.
Although it is usually considered to be the first stock market, Fernand Braudel argues that this is not precisely true:
However, it is the first incarnation of what we could today recognize as a stock market.
Building.
The Amsterdam Bourse, an open-air venue, was created as a commodity exchange in 1530 and rebuilt in 1608. Rather than being a bazaar where goods were traded intermittently, exchanges had the advantage of being a regularly meeting market, which enabled traders to become more specialized and engage in more complicated transactions. As early as the middle of the sixteenth century, people in Amsterdam speculated in grain and, somewhat later, in herring, spices, whale-oil, and even tulips. The Amsterdam Bourse in particular was the place where this kind of business was carried on. This institution as an open-air market in Warmoestreet, later moved for a while to the ‘New Bridge,’ which crosses the Damrak, then flourished in the ‘church square’ near the Oude Kerk until the Amsterdam
merchants built their own exchange building in 1611. Transactions had to be logged into the official accounts book in the East India house, indeed trading was highly sophisticated. Early trading in Amsterdam in the early 16th century (1560s-1611) largely occurred by the Nieuwe Brug bridge, near Amsterdam Harbor. Its proximity to the harbor and incoming mail made it a sensible location for traders to be the first to get the latest commercial news.
Shortly thereafter, the city of Amsterdam ordered the construction of an exchange in Dam Square. It opened in 1611 for business, and various sections of the building were marked for commodity trading and VOC securities. A bye-law on trade in the city dictated that trade could only take place in the exchange on weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon. While only a short amount of time for trading inside the building, the window created a flurry of investors that in turn made it easier for buyers to find sellers and vice versa. Thus, the building of the stock exchange led to a vast expansion of liquidity in the marketplace. In addition, trading was continued in other buildings, outside of the trading hours of the exchange, such as the trading clubs, and was not prohibited in hours outside of those outlined in the bye-law.
The location of exchange relative to the East India house was also strategic. Its proximity gave investors the luxury of walking a short distance to both register the transaction in the official books of the VOC, and complete the money transfer in the nearby Exchange Bank, also in Dam square.


Umbskaya Volost

Umbskaya Volost () was an administrative division (a "volost") of the Novgorod Republic and later of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Russian SFSR. Its seat was in Umba.
The volost was established by the Novgorodians in the second half of the 15th century. It was lost by the Novgorod Republic to the Grand Duchy of Moscow after the Battle of Shelon in 1471.
In the 16th century, most of the Kola Peninsula's territory was under the administration of Kolsky Uyezd. Umbskaya and Varzuzhskaya Volosts were the only territories of the peninsula which were a part of Dvinsky Uyezd.
In 1784, when Arkhangelsk Oblast of Vologda Viceroyalty was transformed into Arkhangelsk Viceroyalty, Umbskaya Volost was transferred under the jurisdiction of the new viceroyalty's Kolsky Uyezd. When the viceroyalty was transformed into Arkhangelsk Governorate in 1796, the volost's jurisdiction again changed accordingly.
In 1828, Poryegubskaya Volost was merged into Umbskaya Volost.
The volost was abolished on , 1841, when volosts of Arkhangelsk Governorate's uyezds were enlarged. Umbskaya Volost, along with Varzuzhskaya Volost and the territory of the Terskaya Lapps, became a part of new Kuzomenskaya Volost.
The volost was later restored, and was a part of Kemsky Uyezd of Arkhangelsk Governorate in 1883. When Kolsky Uyezd was restored on , 1883, Umbskaya Volost was one of the six volosts transferred to it.
The volost became a part of Murmansk Governorate at the time of its establishment in 1921, and was abolished on August 1, 1927 along with the rest of the volosts of Murmansk Governorate when the latter was transformed into Murmansk Okrug, redistricted, and transferred to the newly created Leningrad Oblast.


Hendrik Severinus Pel

Hendrik Severinus Pel (30 August 1818 – 11 January 1876) was a Dutch zoologist and colonial administrator on the Dutch Gold Coast.
Biography.
Hendrik Pel was born in Leiden to warehouse keeper Isaac Pel and Adriana Lammerina Hunink. On 1 January 1832, at age 13, Hendrik Pel was appointed élève at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and educated as a taxidermist. Pel had an adventurous nature and inquired with his superiors about the possibility to be sent abroad as a collector of specimens. The museum's director Coenraad Jacob Temminck saw in Pel an excellent candidate for the position of collector on the Dutch Gold Coast; Temminck had already sent the medical officer A.J. Baierlein to the Gold Coast in 1822 to collect specimens, but he died soon after his arrival, and later attempts to have the officers of medicine on the Gold Coast send specimens to the Netherlands failed due to their unfamiliarity with taxidermy.
Temminck tried to persuade the government to attach Pel to Jan Verveer's 1838 expedition sent to the Gold Coast to "quell the Ahanta insurrection," but his request was denied, as due to the previous failures the government had grown wary with sending taxidermists to the Gold Coast. In 1840, Temminck eventually convinced the government by suggesting to send Pel as an ordinary colonial administrator to the Coast with the instruction to collect specimens in his spare time. Pel was installed as assistant on the Coast of Guinea by royal decree of 28 June 1840.
After arriving in Elmina in December 1840, Pel was appointed commandant of Fort Orange in Sekondi on 13 April 1841. This was followed on 4 January 1842 by an appointment as head of the recruitment depot for soldiers of the Netherlands East Indies Army in Kumasi, relieving Jacob Huydecoper. Both Temminck and Pel himself had actively lobbied for Pel to get this appointment, as that would mean the only opportunity for Pel to gather specimens in the Gold Coast interior. Pel was recalled to Elmina on 7 February 1842, however, as the government stopped the recruitment of soldiers due to British objections. Pel had not been able to gather specimens, but did publish an account of his journey to Kumasi.
On 8 March 1842, Pel was appointed commandant of Fort Batenstein in Butre. At this post, he was also responsible for the oversight of the Dutch mining enterprise in Dabokrom. It is in Butre and Dabokrom that Pel was able to gather most specimens of his career on the Gold Coast. In January 1844, Pel was promoted to resident of Fort Crèvecoeur in Accra, which he found less interesting for taxidermy. On 25 February 1845, Pel was appointed to bookkeeper, fiscal, secretary and cashier ad interim in Elmina, and on 3 September 1847 he was again sent to Fort Batenstein in Butre, but now as resident. He would stay there until he was granted European leave in late 1850.
For almost the entire year of 1851, Pel was back in the Netherlands, working on an article about hunting on the Gold Coast and four zoological publications. In January 1852, Pel resumed his duties in the colonial administration of the Gold Coast as bookkeeper, fiscal, secretary and cashier, an office he had earlier occupied in an ad interim position. This office made Pel second-in-command of the colony, but also prevented him from devoting much time to taxidermy. Pel moved back to the Netherlands in March 1855 and was honourably discharged from his duties by royal decree of 1 September 1855.
Scientific contributions.
In his article about hunting on the Gold Coast, Hendrik Pel was the first zoologist to describe the West African bush viper or "Atheris chlorechis". Of much higher significance for the scientific community were the books and articles written by others about the specimens Pel sent to the Netherlands. Temminck published "Esquisses zoologiques sur la Côte de Guinee" (1853) about the specimens of mammals sent by Pel, and the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub published two articles and a book based in large part on Pel's bird specimens. Pel's fish specimens were studied by ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, Pel's snake specimens were studied by herpetologist Hermann Schlegel, and Pel's "Crustacea" specimens were the subject of Jan Adrianus Herklots's dissertation.
Pel's fishing owl, Pel's pouched bat and Pel's flying squirrel are named after Hendrik Pel. The scientific name of the bristle-nosed barbet, "Gymnobucco peli", is also after Pel.
Personal life.
Hendrik Pel married Elisabeth Margaretha van Romburg in Leiden on 24 July 1867.


Transfiguration Cathedral (Saint Petersburg)

Transfiguration Cathedral (official name: , "The Cathedral of the Lord's Transfiguration of all the Guards") is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral. It is located on Transfiguration Square (), just off Liteyny Prospekt near the Chernyshevskaya metro station. Unlike most Russian churches, it has never ceased operating as a place of worship.
The church has given names to both Transfiguration Square and a nearby lane, which was formerly known as Church Lane () and is now known as Radishchev Lane ().
History.
Construction of the cathedral was ordered by empress Elizabeth of Russia and occurred from 1743 to 1754, based on a design by architect Mikhail Zemtsov. The cathedral was built in the place of an old barracks, that of the grenadier division of the Preobrazhensky regiment in honor of the Empress's ascension onto the throne with the help of some soldiers and officers of that regiment. The cornerstone was laid June 9, 1743. After the death of Mikhail Zemtsov, Pietro Antonio Trezzini headed construction. Trezzini slightly altered the project, changing the style to Baroque. The cathedral was blessed by archbishop Sylvester   in the presence of the empress, on the eve of the holy day of the Transfiguration of Christ. The iconostasis and the altar canopy were completed by Kobilinsky woodcutters from Moscow from the drawings of architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The figures were painted by M. L. Kolokolnikov.
During the reign of the emperor Paul I, the regimental Transfiguration Cathedral received the honorary title "of all the Guards", November 12, 1796.
August 8 (August 20, New Style), 1825, the first Transfiguration Cathedral was lost to fire. All that remained of the cathedral were the exterior walls and the essential sacred objects, which had been saved.
Between 1825 and 1829 it was rebuilt by architect Vasily Stasov in the Empire style that exists today. Metropolitan Serafim dedicated the rebuilt cathedral, August 5 (August 17, New Style), 1829. The main altar was dedicated in honor of the holy day of the Transfiguration of Christ, the right (southern) side chapel in honor of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, and the left (northern) side chapel in honor of the martyrs Pope Clement I and Pyotr Aleksandriysky, both of whose feast day is marked November 25 (Old Style).
A parish charitable society began at the cathedral in 1871, maintaining an almshouse, a children's shelter, a cafeteria, a school for children of soldiers, and free living quarters. In 1912, it was joined by a Brotherhood of Sobriety and Chastity. On the holy day of the Transfiguration of Christ (popular name - the Apple Savior), which occurs 6 August (Old Style), the cathedral has traditionally hosted a fruit bazaar.
After the 1917 October Revolution the cathedral remained open for worship. In 1918 it became a parish church, and the banners, ordnance, and war trophies kept there were removed and transferred to the Artillery Museum; since 1950 those relics have been part of the Hermitage collection. Also during the 1920s many valuable icons were removed.
From 1922 to 1926 (under Antonin Granovsky's Union of Church Regeneration) and from 1935 to the spring of 1944 the cathedral was controlled by the Renovationists; and from 1939, after the Church of the Savior on the Sennaya closed, it was the main Renovationist church in Leningrad. During the Siege of Leningrad an air-raid shelter capable of holding 500 people was constructed in the basement, where first aid was given to the wounded.
The façades and interior were restored between 1946 and 1948.
Fence.
Stasov directed construction of a fence around the cathedral in 1832-1833 commemorating the victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, the basis of which was the barrels of cannons taken from Turkish fortresses in Izmail, Varna, Tul'chi, Isakchi, and Silistra, and from the battle at Kulevchi. The engraved coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire is preserved on the barrels and some also bear the names given to the cannons: "The Wrath of Allah", "Sacred Crescent", "Spewing Thunder", "I Give Only Death". Trophy cannons shooting 18- and 24-pound balls were set aside as a gift to the cathedral by order of Emperor Nicholas I.
The fence consists of 102 bronze cannon barrels, in groups of three, set on thirty-four granite bases. They are set with the muzzles facing downwards to signify they will never again be used in combat. The central barrel of each grouping is topped with a crowned double-headed eagle. The barrel groups are linked by massive decorative chains. The two main gates are decorated with shields with bronze depictions of the medals presented for the war. Also, around the cathedral stand twelve cannons and two Unicorn (long-barreled) cannons, which are the property of the Preobrazhensky regiment.
In 1886, architect Ivan Blazheyevich Slupsky designed a chapel built into the fence. In 1916, architect Sergei Osipovich Ovsyannikov planned construction of a burial-vault for the burial of officers fallen in World War I, but the project was never realized.
Relics and Holy Objects.
In a side chapel near the north wall of the church is a hinged icon with depictions of the Transfiguration of Christ, the martyr Pantaleon, and the emperor Saint Constantine. The icon was given to the regiment's field hospital in 1900 by the commander of the regiment at the time, the general-major Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich. On a lectern (bookstand) in the right kliros of the church is an icon of the Image of Edessa, brought there in 1938 from the Trinity Church on Stremyannaya Street. It was created by the famous Moscow icon-painter Simon Ushakov for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and was the favorite icon of Peter the Great and accompanied him at the founding of Saint Petersburg, at the Battle of Poltava, on his deathbed and at his funeral. On the lectern in the left kliros is another celebrated icon, that of the Mother Mary, Joy of All Sinners. It is a copy of a miracle-working icon from the Church of Christ's Transfiguration on Bolshaya Ordynka Street, made in 1711 by the order of the sister of Peter the Great, the tsarevna Natalya Alekseyevna to commemorate the saving of the Russian army during the Prutskiy campaign in the Russo-Turkish War of 1710-1711. It was brought to the Transfiguration Cathedral in 1932 from the closed Church of Christ's Resurrection on Shalyernaya Street.
The cathedral houses the regimental relics, war trophies, and bronze wall plaques with the names of officers of the Preobrazhensky regiment fallen in battle. Under glass in separate cases are the Preobrazhensky uniforms of Alexander I, Nicholas I, and Alexander II, as well as a blood-stained saber that Alexander II was wearing during an attempt on his life on March 13, 1881 (March 1, O.S.).


Stockholm during the Middle Ages

Stockholm during the Middle Ages is the period in the history of Stockholm stretching from the foundation of the city c. 1250 to the end of the Kalmar Union in 1523. During this period, Stockholm still didn't fill up the small island Stadsholmen (the "city islet") which today known as the Stockholm Old Town ("Gamla stan"), and as a consequence this article to some extent overlaps that of Gamla stan.
Foundation and initial growth.
The origin of Stockholm pre-dates its written history and how and why the city evolved in the mid-13th century is still disputed. However, even though events during the 1250s and 1260s remain diffuse, the amount of surviving documents, such as letters and diaries, seem to indicate that Stockholm grew rapidly to become the largest city in Sweden during the late 1270s, and throughout the 1280s. It is still disputed whether this development was a planned process initiated by the king and German merchants, or a rather spontaneous growth. The lack of the perpendicular city plans and uniformly-sized blocks common in contemporary cities in Germany and Poland, seem to corroborate the latter.
It's reasonable to assume, Birger jarl's primary interest when founding Stockholm, not only was to strengthen his own domestic and international position, but that he was also aiming at a general economic expansion. As Sweden just had experienced more than 50 years of continuous warfare between rivalling political parties, it was at this time hardly able to produce the economical resources required to build an entire city. Furthermore, Sweden could not yet present a single city in the continental sense of the word, and it therefore seem unreasonable to assume the king could have been able to build a city from scratch by himself. He did, however, achieve an agreement with Lübeck where he invited Germans to settle in Sweden "as Swedes" and promised them generous benefits if they did. While no surviving document can confirm Stockholm was found, planned and built by Germans, their increasing presence in Swedish historical records coincide with the development of mining in Sweden. So, whether Birger jarl truly is the founder of Stockholm or not, its initial growth undoubtedly starts with him.
The economic breakthrough, however, appear to have come during the end of the 13th century under the leadership of Magnus Ladulås (1275–90). Magnus not only strengthened the relations with Lübeck and the Hanseatic League but also increased Swedish influence over Gotland and Visby and stabilized the administration. During his reign several trade centres were granted city privileges and, notwithstanding the word "capital" probably didn't exist in his vocabulary, he made Stockholm the de facto political centre and royal residence. The castle and the protection it could offer, initiated by Birger jarl, was the prerequisite to create a medieval city of continental standard, but the organisation and financial strength to produce it came with Magnus. An example of this is the city wall. A large-scale enterprise of this magnitude could hardly have been produced by the burghers of the newly established city, and, as it is first mentioned in 1288, it must have been one of the project Magnus organized.
The plague disaster known as the Black Death is likely to have taken place in the late summer of 1350.
The rivalry between the Swedish and German population in the 1380s eventually lead to a massacre on the Swedes, the Käpplinge murders, performed by the German "Hättebröder".
Kalmar Union.
During the turbulent closing era of the Swedish Middle Ages, controlling Stockholm and its castle became crucial to anyone aspiring to rule the kingdom, and the city was therefore repeatedly subject to lengthy blockades and occasionally besieged by various Swedish-Danish fractions disputing the Kalmar Union. In 1471, Sten Sture the Elder defeated Christian I of Denmark at the Battle of Brunkeberg only to lose the city to Hans of Denmark in 1497. Sten Sture managed to size power again in 1501 which resulted in a Danish blockade lasting 1502-1509 and eventually a short peace. Hans' son Christian II of Denmark continued the ambitions of his father and made failed attempts to conquer the city in 1517 and 1518, to finally besiege it and force Queen Christina Gyllenstierna leading the resistance to capitulate in 1520. In November the same year, archbishop Gustav Trolle crowned his allied Christian King of Sweden and together they had their common enemies, nobles and burghers of Stockholm, beheaded during the so-called Stockholm Bloodbath. When King Gustav Vasa finally besieged and conquered the city three years later, an event which ended the Kalmar Union and the Swedish Middle Ages, he noted every second building in the city was abandoned.
Population.
By the end of the 15th century, the population in Stockholm can be estimated to 5-7.000 people, which made it a relatively small town compared to several other contemporary cities, even in a medieval context. (Hamburg and Bremen ~20.000, Lübeck 25.000, Köln and London 50.000, and Paris 100.000.) On the other hand, among the approximately forty cities in the Swedish kingdom, the second largest must have been either Kalmar or Åbo, none of which can have been a home to more than 1-2.000 inhabitants. Of course, these estimations are very unreliable as there was no census in the modern sense, only tax rolls ("skotteböcker") enlisting individuals liable to taxation. For example, it is well-known trade was dominated by Germans, and these tax rolls seem to indicate one third of the city's tax-paying population were Germans, most originating from Lübeck, Danzig, and Westphalia. They were, however, most likely over-represented in these records as they formed an elite in the city centred on the southern square Järntorget, while Finns, also believed to have been numerous in the city, are hard to discern in these records, especially as they often took Swedish names (i.e. Bengt instead of Pentti), but also because they in general had simpler duties and didn't necessarily pay taxes. Furthermore, it is generally assumed no European city managed to reproduce its own population before the early 19th century and thus was dependent of people moving in. Considering medieval warfare and epidemics, the population must have fluctuated considerably.
Trade.
During the Middle Ages, export was administered mostly by German merchants who also dominated among the merchants in the city. Most of the merchants were living by or near the squares Kornhamnstorg ("Corn Harbour Square") and Järntorget ("Iron Square") on the southern corner of the city. Regional peasantry supplied the city with food and raw materials, while the craftsmen in the city produced handicrafts, most of them living by the central square Stortorget or by the oldest two streets in Stockholm, the names of which still reflects their trade: Köpmangatan ("Merchant's Street") and Skomakargatan ("Shoemaker's Street") in the central part of the city. Fishermen and carpenters dominated on the eastern waterfront, except the southern stretch which was located near the so-called "Cog Harbour" ("Koggahamnen") were the merchants' large sea-going ships were moored. In the western part of the city, along the thoroughfare Västerlånggatan, lived a heterogeneous group of craftsmen, including butcher, smiths of all sorts, carpenters, bakers, etcetera — in short, it was the industrial city district. The northern part of the island was occupied by the royal castle.
A tax roll from 1460 enlists two groups of craftsmen identified by name; on one side 43 carpenters, 40 fishermen, 25 shoemakers, and 24 tailors — approximately 35 per cent of the population liable to taxation — and on the other side 17 master masons, 8 meat costermongers, 8 bakers, 8 brewers, and 7 butchers. Of course, countless other men worked in the city but failed to reach into the tax rolls. The same tax roll mentions 13 women with a profession: 4 brewers, 1 tailor, 1 brawn-maker, 1 bagpipe-maker, 2 seamstress, 3 weavers, and 1 blood-letter. Lastly a group of 150 women not given a title appear in the records, but their intimate names was hardly meant to deny they were prostitutes: Anna svandunet "the swan-down", Birgitta rödnacka ("red-neck"). Katarina papegojan ("the parrot"). The most important crafts were organised in guilds intended both to guarantee the quality of items produced and ensure prices were favourable to the craftsmen.


Rolf Weijburg

Rolf Weijburg (born 1952 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands) is a graphic artist, specialized in the art of etching.
Biography.
At the age of 18 Weijburg moved to Utrecht to study at Utrecht University and enrolled for Social Geography. Here his fascination for maps and charts was only partly satisfied, as his interest in the Big Wide Open was greater than that. After a year, Weijburg switched to study at the Academy of Arts and the following five years were dedicated to mastering the art of etching. Amongst his tutors were Dick van 't Wout and Fred Koot. In 1976 Rolf Weijburg graduated in Monumental Art. Weijburg is recognized as one of the best sketching artists of his time and still resides in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Work.
Weijburg's work comprises various etches and other graphics, published articles and books.
Four large series of color-etchings have been developed by Rolf Weijburg:
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has some works of Weijburg in their collection.
Rolf Weijburg has also accepted to do commissioned work, such as providing illustrations for the Djoser travel brochures, the website of 'De Russenoorlog' and Weijburg provided the charts and map for the 35-episode series "In Europa" (2007-2009), after Geert Mak’s book by the same title.
Publications.
In 2017 a documentary, "the Art of Travel" by Arnold van Bruggen and Eefje Blankevoort, was released. It focused on Weijburg's art and how travel was part of this. It takes the viewer on a trip to Príncipe where Weijburg finishes his etching series of 'Atlas of The Worlds Smallest Countries' with "Ilha do Príncipe" of 2016.
Awards.
In 1992, Weijburg received the Dutch Graphics Prize (Nederlandse Grafiek Prijs) for his colour etchings
The book “Voyage au Sahara” (text: Catherine Cazier, Flammarion, Paris 1984) won the French ‘Grand Prix Elan’ for best Children’s book in 1985. Weijburg produced the illustrations


Ho Chi Minh monument

The Ho Chi Minh monument in Moscow (Russian: памятник Хо Ши Мину) at Ho Chi Minh Square in Akademichesky District memorializes North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh. The monument was inaugurated on May 18, 1990, on the eve of Ho Chi Minh's 100th birthday.
Description.
The monument is made of bronze and stone, with a portrait of Ho Chi Minh embossed on a giant disc. Below the disc is a sculpture of a Vietnamese man rising from his knees. Behind the disc are images of tropical flowers and two curved bamboos. Below the monument is a quotation from Ho Chi Minh "Нет ничего дороже независимости, свободы" ("Nothing is more precious than independence, liberty").
The creators of the monument are the sculptor Vladimir Efimovich Tsigal and architect Roman Grigoryevich Kananin. Tsigal visited Vietnam in 1985 to research Ho Chi Minh for his project. According to him, the round disc is "the image of Vietnam's sun, representing the dream for a bright future for Vietnam", and he used the image of the two curved bamboos "stemming from the understanding of the emblematic Vietnamese plant: the bamboo can be curved, but it's difficult to break, similar to the will and strength of Vietnam."
The entire project cost about 1 million Soviet ruble.
History.
Ho Chi Minh Square was inaugurated in 1969, after the death of Ho Chi Minh. In 1985, the Central Committee and Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union decided to create a monument at the square. This decision was seen as counter to Ho Chi Minh's wishes, whose last testament requested that no statues or monuments are to be made in his honor.
The construction of the monument generated controversy among some Muscovites. Firstly, they contended that breaking down trees and bringing in granite caused aesthetic and ecological damage to the area. Secondly, they believed that the cost of more than 1 million Soviet ruble for the monument could be better used to build 150 good apartments, helping to alleviate the housing situation in the city. On April 4, 1990, students in Moscow organized a rally to call on the government to strictly fulfill Ho Chi Minh's will. They demanded that the government dismantle the monument, sell it to Vietnam, and restore the square to its original condition. According to them, Ho Chi Minh had thrice in his wills requested that people honor him by planting trees, not by building monuments. A representative from the government replied that since Vietnam already had a monument to Lenin, the USSR should have a monument to Ho Chi Minh to reciprocate. According to the representative, the square had already been ruined and the government had already spent 200,000 rubles at the construction site and 500,000 rubles to cast the sculptures.
On May 18, 1990, on the eve of Ho Chi Minh's 100th birthday, the Ho Chi Minh monument was inaugurated.
During the collapse of the Soviet Union, some people demanded the demolition of the monument due to its association with authoritarianism. The Moscow government in 1991 wanted to destroy the monument. This idea was opposed by those sympathetic to Vietnam, such as the cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov, and Vietnamese diplomats, who suggested moving the statue to the Embassy of Vietnam in Moscow. However, as of 2020 the monument still stood at its original location.
Usage today.
Muscovites nickname the monument the "flying saucer monument" ("памятник летающей тарелке") because of its similar shape. In slang, it is also called the "ruble" ("рубль") because of its similarity to the commemorative ruble with the portrait of Lenin. Some people satirically call it the "monument commemorating 300 years of the Mongol-Tatar yoke" ("памятник 300-летию татаро-монгольского ига").
For former Soviet advisors who served during the Vietnam War, the monument serves as the annual meeting location on the occasion of Ho Chi Minh's birthday, at 10 AM.
The monument is often visited by members of the Vietnamese community in Russia, who use it as a public gathering place, as well as a wedding venue. Functionaries from Vietnam also often visit the monument and place wreaths of flowers.


Aemilianus van Heel

Johannes Wilhelm van Heel (8 June 1907 – 8 October 1938), later known as Father Aemilianus van Heel, was a Franciscan friar from the Netherlands, who served as a missionary in China and died in the second Sino-Japanese War.
Biography.
Van Heel was born in Leiden, the Netherlands, on 8 June 1907. His parents were Johannes Cornelis van Heel (a cobbler) and Maria Clasina Blesting. He entered the Franciscan order and was ordained a priest on 26 March 1933. Later that year he left for China as a missionary, where he took the name Hu Yong-Sheng. The young friar joined a group of about 20 Franciscan friar from the Netherlands in the south of Shanxi province, where they had been serving as missionaries for the Roman Catholic church since the 1890s.
On 13 September 1938, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops invaded Shanxi province. Some 2000 people sought refuge with the church of Shitougeta (currently Changzhi) in Yuanqu County, where van Heel was the parish priest. On 8 October 1938, when Japanese soldiers demanded that the women in the church be handed over to them, he refused to comply. He was found dead the next morning.
On 17 June 2017, a monument for van Heel was erected at his grave. It has an inscription in Chinese which, in English translation, reads: "AEMILIANUS VAN HEEL, Franciscan missionary, born 1907.06.08 in Leiden, Holland. Came to China in 1933. From 1937 worked as a priest in Shitou (Chang Zhi) Church in Yuanqu. He protected thousands of refugees, especially women, from Japanese troops and was murdered 1938.10.08 in retaliation. Be remembered forever for virtue and courage."


Ockje Tellegen

 Ockje Caroline Tellegen (born 16 October 1974) is a Dutch politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 20 September 2012. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), she has been first Deputy Speaker and president of the committee on Education, Culture and Science since 2017.
Born in Delft, she grew up and resides in The Hague. Tellegen was political assistant to fellow party member and State Secretary for European Affairs Atzo Nicolaï from 2002 to 2006. Previously she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the embassy in Berlin.


Pilgrim Fathers Church

The Old or Pilgrim Fathers' Church () is a church located in Rotterdam-Delfshaven, in the Netherlands.
History.
The history of the Old or Pilgrim Fathers' Church goes back as far as 1417, when the Roman Catholic church of St Anthony was consecrated on this site. The oldest known depiction of the church dates from 1512. In 1574 during the Reformation, the church came into Protestant hands and was altered to suit its new function.
In 1608 a group of English Dissenters fled to the Netherlands. They had left the Church of England a few years before and founded their own religious community.
After living in Leiden for eleven years, they decided to become Pilgrims and cross to America, where they might worship God in their own way and still be Englishmen. The "Speedwell" left Delfshaven, on 21 July 1620, bound for America. According to the chronicles the Pilgrim Fathers knelt down in prayer on the quay near the church. Much later, American visitors gave the church its third name, Pilgrim Fathers' Church.
The most radical rebuilding took place in 1761. At this time the church was heightened considerably () and was given its present facade with the bell-shaped gable.
In the nineteenth century the building with the text "Eben-Haëzer" ('helping stone') in its gable, was erected behind the church. The "Stichting Oude Hollandse Kerken" (Foundation Old Churches in Holland) acquired the church in 1992. A large-scale restoration was completed in 1998. The main user of the Pilgrim Fathers Church remains the Reformed Church Delfshaven. Besides the church activities, the Pilgrim Fathers Church is rented for concerts, lectures, weddings and exhibitions.
Interior.
The Old or Pilgrim Fathers' Church has a spacious and light interior. Arches, plastered white, divide the nave from the aisles. Commemorative panels, bearing the names of the vicars who served the community from 1574 adorn the otherwise bare walls. The richly carved pulpit dates from the eighteenth century.
As usual in Dutch Protestant churches, the pulpit stands within a rectangular enclosure. Here, the members of the church council sat during services and here, baptism was administered. The stained-glass windows in the choir represent the six days of Creation. It has a 44-bell carillon but the oldest bell, which was cast in 1464, is cracked and is now on display in the church.
See also.
St Mary's Church, Rotterdam, Anglican church in Delfshaven


Nijmegen Tigers

Nijmegen Tigers was a Dutch ice hockey club based in Nijmegen until 2003, when it was forced into bankruptcy. It has been succeeded by the Nijmegen Devils.


Thijs Berman

Thijs Berman (born September 26, 1957 in Coevorden) is a former journalist. Between 2004 and 2014, he was a Dutch politician and a Member of the European Parliament.
Biography.
Berman was a correspondent in Paris and Moscow for Dutch weekly De Groene Amsterdammer, for the Dutch Public Radio ("Radio 1"), the Dutch Inter-Churches radio and television IKON, the Dutch international radio "Wereldomroep", the agrarian daily "Agrarisch Dagblad", and magazine" Elsevier". He presented radio and television shows, notably for broadcaster "IKON". He was also a regular contributor to TV5, the international French-speaking TV-station.
In June 2004 he was elected to the European Parliament. He is a member of the Dutch Partij van de Arbeid, which is part of the Party of European Socialists, and was, between 2004 and 2008, member of the Committees on Agriculture and on Regional Development. In 2008, he joined the Committees on Budget, and on Development and Humanitarian Affairs. Between 2009 and 2014 he was a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Development and the Subcommittee on Human Rights. He also was a substitute for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and for the Committee on Budgetary Control. Further he was the chair of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan.
In 2009 he headed Dutch Labour in the European elections after winning the party primaries.
In 2009, he terminated the EU Election Observation Mission at the presidential elections in Afghanistan, as the successor of French general and politician Philippe Morillon. In 2010, he was appointed as head of the EU Election Observer Mission to Ethiopia. In 2012, he was the EU Chief Observer to the presidential elections in Senegal. In 2014, he was the EU Chief Observer to the presidential elections in Afghanistan.
In 2016, Berman took up a role in Vienna, Austria, as the Principal Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
Berman now resides in the Netherlands, where he works as Executive Director of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD).


Leen Looijen

Leen Looijen (born 9 July 1947) is a Dutch football manager, who has worked in N.E.C., NAC Breda, RKC Waalwijk, FC St. Gallen (Swiss), FC Emmen, Willem II, FC Groningen and Vitesse Arnhem.
Career.
Looijen was born in Wageningen. He was head coach of N.E.C. from January to June 1974, from 1978 to 1981 and from 1987 to 1991. From 1994 to July 2007 he served at the same club but as technical director, until this function was taken over by Carlos Aalbers. Then Looijen became head of scouting for NEC. He was also the national coach of the Dutch Antillean football. This position he held until June 2008.
In January 2009 he became technical director of De Graafschap. There he was dismissed on September 20, 2011. In May 2012 his book' "From losing you learn to win" was released.
Looijen coached the national football team of Tuvalu during their three tour of the Netherlands that started on August 16, 2013. The Tuvaluan team trained almost every day in this period and played a total of 20 practice games against amateur clubs from around the country.


Assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin

Several attempts are known to have been made on Vladimir Lenin's life. The most famous of them was committed on August 30, 1918 by the Socialist Revolutionary Fanny Kaplan, as a result Lenin was seriously wounded.
Assassination attempts in January 1918.
On January 1, 1918, the first unsuccessful attempt on Lenin's life took place in Petrograd, in which Friedrich Platten was slightly hit by a bullet. According to one of the versions of the All–Russian Extraordinary Commission, Dmitry Shakhovskoy was the organizer of the assassination attempt on January 1, 1918. A few years later, who was in exile, Prince Dmitry Shakhovskoy announced that he was the organizer of the assassination attempt and allocated five hundred thousand rubles for this purpose. Researcher Richard Pipes also pointed out that one of the former ministers of the Provisional Government, constitutional democrat Nikolai Nekrasov, who immediately after the assassination attempt, changing his last name to Golgofsky, left for Ufa, and then to Kazan, was involved in this attempt. In March 1921, he was arrested, sent to Moscow, and in May, after a meeting with Vladimir Lenin, was released.
In mid–January, the second attempt on Lenin's life was thwarted in Petrograd: the soldier Spiridonov came to see Mikhail Bonch–Bruevich, declaring that he was participating in the conspiracy of the "Union of Saint George's Cavaliers" and was ordered to eliminate Lenin. On the night of January 22, the All–Russian Extraordinary Commission arrested the conspirators at 14 Zakharyevskaya Street, in the apartment of "citizen Salova", but then they are all sent to the front at their personal request. At least two of the conspirators, Zinkevich and Nekrasov, subsequently joined the "white" armies.
Incident when the Council of People's Commissars moved from Petrograd to Moscow in connection with the transfer of the capital (March 1918).
On March 11, 1918, the Bolsheviks moved the capital from Petrograd to Moscow, fearing the expected German offensive. The move of government bodies took place in difficult conditions: as of March 11, the sabotage of the railway workers was still not completely broken. To divert eyes, the move was announced on March 11, however, in fact, the move began one day earlier, on March 10 at 21:45, and was guarded by Latvian Riflemen under the command of Berezin.
On its way, the train with Lenin met with a train with armed deserters coming from the front. At the station Malaya Vishera there was a clash of deserters numbering up to 400 sailors and 200 soldiers with numerically superior Latvian Riflemen. The Latvians disarmed the deserters and blocked the "anarchist train". Historian Richard Pipes, in his work "Bolsheviks in the Struggle for Power", described this incident as follows: "The company was traveling on a special train, guarded by Latvian Riflemen. Early in the morning they came across a train filled with deserters, and since the intentions of the latter were unclear, Bonch–Bruevich ordered the train to stop and disarm everyone. Then the train moved on and arrived in Moscow late in the evening".
Assassination attempt on August 30, 1918.
On August 30, 1918, at the Michelson Plant in Moscow, an attempt was made on Lenin, according to the official version – by the half–blind Socialist Revolutionary Fanny Kaplan. As a result of the assassination attempt, Lenin was seriously wounded (the question of the organizers and participants in the assassination attempt, as well as the involvement of Fanny Kaplan, remains unclear to this day).
On the morning of August 30, 1918, the Chairman of the Petrograd Extraordinary Commission, Moisey Uritsky, was killed in Petrograd. Despite the news of this murder, no additional security measures were taken in Moscow. The speeches of the members of the Council of People's Commissars at the factory rallies, scheduled for 18:00, were not canceled. Lenin was supposed to speak at a rally in front of the workers of the Michelson Plant. He left for the plant without security. There was no security at the plant itself. Lenin's speech at the rally ended with the words: "We will die or win!". When Lenin left the plant and was already getting into the car, a woman approached him with a complaint that bread was being confiscated at the railway stations. At this point, Kaplan fired three shots. Lenin's driver, Stepan Gil, rushed after the unknown, but after a while she stopped herself, was arrested and taken to Lubyanka.
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Lenin was unconscious immediately after the assassination attempt; doctors discovered that he had a dangerous wound in the neck under the jaw, and blood got into his lung. The second bullet hit him in the arm, and the third hit the woman who was talking to Lenin at the moment the shots began.
The extraordinary commissioners established that the unknown is a former anarchist Fanny Kaplan, who before the revolution was involved in the assassination attempt on the Kiev Governor–General; in exile, she joined the Socialist Revolutionaries. By her own admission, Kaplan sympathized with the regime of the Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly and the leader of the Socialist Revolutionaries Chernov, and she decided to kill Lenin as revenge for the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly.
Information made public by the Soviet government in 1922 during the trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries.
The details of the assassination attempt, or rather what the authorities decided to report on this matter, became known to the public when, in early 1922, the Bolshevik government decided to hold the first open political trial – over the leaders of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. At the trial, the "repentant" "Socialist Revolutionary militants" Grigory Semyonov and Lydia Konopleva testified.
In accordance with Semyonov's testimony, the Militant Organization of the Socialist Revolutionary Party resumed its activities in early 1918 and in July liquidated Volodarsky. The next main target was Trotsky as the military leader of Bolshevism. However, Trotsky was constantly moving between the capital and the front, therefore, as Semyonov put it, "for technical reasons" it was decided to first eliminate Lenin.
During the training, Semyonov discovered that Kaplan, whom he described as an "unshakable revolutionary terrorist", was conducting the same training independently of him. Kaplan joined Semyonov's group; she herself, during interrogations at the Extraordinary Commission, claimed that she acted independently, without representing any party.
The first assassination attempt was made by the Socialist Revolutionaries on August 16 at a meeting of the Moscow Party Committee, but the performer lost his nerves at the last moment. The second, successful, attempt was made on August 30th. For her, Semyonov appointed Novikov as the worker on duty, and Kaplan as the executor.
At the same time, the Socialist Revolutionaries tried to carry out an attempt on Trotsky's life by going to blow up the train on which he was leaving for the front. However, at the last moment, Trotsky managed to knock them off the trail by leaving on another train.
Poisoned bullet version.
For a long time there was an opinion that Lenin was wounded by a poisoned bullet. In particular, the historian Richard Pipes cites such a statement in his work "Bolsheviks in the Struggle for Power", referring to the testimony of Semyonov. Semyonov himself claimed that the three bullets had a cruciform incision into which curare poison was injected. In addition, according to the medical report, the doctors actually found a cruciform incision on the bullet removed from Lenin's neck. However, even assuming that the poison was actually inflicted, its properties were destroyed by the heat generated in the pistol barrel upon firing.
In the future, a controversy grew around this version, in which Lenin's political opponents tried to deny both the poisoned bullets and the existence of the attempt itself.
Results of the assassination attempt.
As a result of the assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin and Moisey Uritsky, the supreme body of Soviet power – the All–Russian Central Executive Committee, chaired by Yakov Sverdlov, announced the beginning of the Red Terror. The Council of People's Commissars – the Soviet government – on September 5, 1918, confirmed this decision by a special resolution.
Although Lenin's wound seemed fatal, he recovered very quickly. On September 25, 1918, he left for Gorki and returned to Moscow on October 14, immediately resuming his political activities. Lenin's first public appearance after the assassination attempt took place on October 22, 1918.
Robbery of Lenin (January 1919).
On January 6, 1919, Kuznetsov's Gang accidentally robbed a car with Lenin, who was driving to Nadezhda Krupskaya (according to the version in numerous stories – to a Christmas tree) at the Forestry School in Sokolniki. As described by Angelica Balabanova,
Attempted terrorist attack in September 1919.
According to researcher Viktor Savchenko, an underground anarchist group led by Maria Nikiforova ("Marusya") in the summer of 1919 began to develop plans to assassinate Lenin and Trotsky. After a series of "expropriations", the anarchists, under the slogan of starting a "dynamite war with the Council of People's Commissars and the Extraordinary Commission", blew up the building of the Moscow Party Committee on September 25, 1919, in which Lenin was expected to speak. However, Lenin was late for the opening of the plenum of the party committee, and did not suffer in any way. At the same time, during the terrorist act, the Chairman of the Party Committee Vladimir Zagorsky and 11 other people were killed, Bukharin, Yaroslavsky and a number of other prominent Bolshevik leaders, a total of 55 people, were wounded (see Explosion in Leontievsky Lane).
On the October Holidays of 1919, the anarchists planned to blow up the Kremlin, but the entire organization was opened by the All–Russian Extraordinary Commission and almost all were arrested, seven people were shot. Nikiforova herself ("Marusya") by this time had already been hanged by the White Guards in Sevastopol; presumably she was going to blow up General Denikin's headquarters.


NMS Delfinul

NMS "Delfinul" ("The Dolphin") was a Romanian submarine that served in the Black Sea during the Second World War. It was the first submarine of the Romanian Navy, built in Italy under Romanian supervision.
Construction and specifications.
"Delfinul" was ordered in 1927 from the Italian naval base and shipyard at Fiume (today Rijeka, Croatia). It was completed in 1931, but was accepted by Romania as the country's first submarine only in 1936, after the many corrections required by the Romanians were completed. She had a surfaced displacement of 650 tons, which grew to 900 tons when submerged. The boat measured in length, with a beam of and a draught of . Her power plant consisted of two Sulzer diesel engines and two electric motors powering two shafts, giving her a top speed of on the surface and submerged. Her crew amounted to 55. She was armed with eight torpedo tubes (4 bow and 4 stern), one deck gun and one twin machine gun. One more boat of this class was planned, but not laid down.
Role in World War II.
"Delfinul" played an important role in the Black Sea war against the Soviet Union in World War II. Its home base was the Constanța Naval Base, from where the submarine completed nine war time patrols. When Romania entered the war (22 June 1941), the navy had only one submarine, but that presence meant that the Soviet Black Sea Fleet had to secure an anti-submarine service for its convoys and near its naval bases. As a fleet in being, "Delfinul" had only to exist rather than taking part in the battles. It was kept under shelter in Constanța and rarely got out to do a reconnaissance mission. That changed when two modern submarines were built at the Galați shipyard in Eastern Romania – ("Shark") and ("Porpoise").
Patrol 1.
Căpitan (USN rank - lieutenant) Constantin Costăchescu commanded "Delfinul" on its first war patrol which lasted 22–27 June 1941. A simple reconnaissance mission from shore. On 26 June at 00:30, Costăchescu reported back to Constanța that a large Soviet war group was approaching Constanța. Because they lost their element of surprise, the Soviets lost a destroyer ("Moskva") and the lead ship "Kharkov" and the cruiser "Voroshilov" were damaged in the following battle.
Patrol 2.
The next patrol took place from 10 to 20 July, under the command of Căpitan (USN rank - Lieutenant) Corneliu Lungu. "Delfinul" patrolled the south of the Crimean peninsula and made a reconnaissance mission to Novorossiysk, trying to evaluate the anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities of the enemy naval base. On 13 July it was southwest of Cape Idokopas, and on 15 July it reached the south of Feodosiya. In that area, they spotted an enemy ship, but it vanished shortly after. During the night it was detected by an enemy patrol craft, but "Delfinul" quickly submerged and avoided being attacked. On 16 July, the gyro compass broke down and the submarine began its journey for home. from Cape Sabla, "Delfinul" spotted a small Russian submarine on the surface, probably from the "Malyutka" class. "Delfinul" tried to attack it with the deck gun, but the rough seas and two unidentified hydroplanes led the commanding officer to decide to dive the submarine and break contact.
On 30 July, "Delfinul" was scheduled to start another patrol at 16:00 (4:00 pm), but an engine malfunction forced the submarine to return to port at 19:00 (7:00 pm).
Patrol 3.
On the third patrol (12–20 August 1941), "Delfinul" returned under the command of Căpitan Costăchescu. Its mission, to attack the convoys leaving or arriving at Odessa. They only had two poor chances to attack anything, on the night of 13–14 August and on 19 August, but they could not maintain contact. The sector was abundant in enemy patrol craft and hydroplanes. The submarine also made a reconnaissance mission of the coast of Crimea.
On 20 August, on the way home (four miles off Constanţa), she fought the only submarine vs submarine engagement of the Black Sea naval war. At 12:08 pm, the Soviet M-class submarine "M-33" launched a torpedo at her, which missed. "Delfinul" swiftly counterattacked with her twin 13 mm machine gun, causing the Soviet submarine to submerge and retreat.
Patrol 4.
The 4th patrol (3–19 September), took "Delfinul" deeper in enemy-controlled waters. This time, the chance to attack surface vessels really presented itself. After spotting two convoys which "Delfinul" couldn't follow, on the 9 September, at 9:35, it was detected on the surface by a cruiser, which Căpitan (USN rank - Lieutenant) Corneliu Lungu identified as the . The submarine carefully maneuvered because of the underwater rocks. In the following days, the submarine had some chances of attack but the rough seas made it impossible. On 10 September, the submarine got into firing range of a two-ship convoy west from Cape Otrishenok, but the charge of an escort vessel forced Căpitan Lungu to submerge and lose contact. Another chance presented itself on 16 September at 5:05 west of Novorosiisk, in the form of a Russian tanker and its escort. But the escort spotted the periscope. When they raised the periscope again, the CO saw that the escort called for help so he submerged and left the area, following the directive to take no chances with the escorts. On 17 September it took a course for Constanța, and, on the way back, it was spotted by a number of Russian hydroplanes and even depth charged by a patrol craft.
Patrol 5.
The fifth patrol took place between 2 and 7 November 1941 and it is the patrol when the only attack of "Delfinul" took place. Its mission, the attack of the convoys destined for Sevastopol. Its CO was Constantin Costăchescu. Near Constanţa they spotted an enemy submarine, but because of the darkness, they lost it. On the morning of 5 November, the submarine reached the neighboring waters of Yalta. At 6:36 they spotted a patrol vessel and kept watch. Around 8:05, sub-lieutenant Constantin Stegaru spotted a large transport vessel on a course of 290, steaming for Yalta. At 8:15, the ship turned to the left, closing on the submarine. The CO decided to wait for the ship to pass behind him and shot from an aft tube. At 8:43, "Delfinul" launched a torpedo from tube 6, from away. The torpedo explosion, followed by a bigger one could be heard, moments after the launch. It is possible that the ship was not escorted because the first contact with a submarine hunter ship came in an hour after the attack. The depth charging lasted from 10:30 until 18:30 (6:30 pm). There were 23 passes and 80 to 90 explosions from depth charges. During the attack, Căpitan (USN rank - Lieutenant) Constantin Costăchescu dove the submarine deeper and deeper, and when the enemy was listening, he would stop the submarine's machinery. Afterwards, they went near the Turkish coast, but a dreadful storm made the trip home a difficult venture. Căpitan (USN rank - Lieutenant) Constantin Costăchescu was later awarded the Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class for the attack. The alleged sunken Soviet ship was claimed to be the 1,975-ton cargo "Uralets" (also known as "Uralles"). However, according to modern evaluations, the ship was sunk by the Luftwaffe on 30 October, during an air raid on Yevpatoria, and the torpedo attack missed the minelayer "Ostrovsky " The latter claim, however, is highly unlikely, as the crew of "Delfinul" reported to have heard an explosion seconds after launching the torpedo. The struck ship was most likely the Soviet tanker "Kreml", which was damaged.
Patrol 6.
The mission of the sixth patrol was to cut the Russian communication routes between Batumi and Istanbul. "Delfinul" left port on the 30 November, but because of bad weather, it was forced to return to base on the 3 December 1941.
Patrol 7.
The seventh patrol (6–13 December) took "Delfinul" back to the Batumi-Istanbul line. It didn't detect any enemy convoys. On its way back, it detected two Russian submarines near Constanța.
Patrol 8.
The first patrol of 1942 (18–30 May) found "Delfinul" under the command of Locotenent Comandor (USN rank - Lieutenant Commander) Constantin Lungu, who had been promoted. It patrolled the north side of the Turkish coast without detecting anything. It was attacked by two Russian planes on the 27 May, without sustaining any damage.
Patrol 9.
The last patrol of "Delfinul" (25 June – 3 July 1942) was carried out near Yalta. On the 27 June they arrived in the operation theatre but were forced to stay submerged because of enemy aircraft. Between 4:26 and 15:30 (3:30 pm) "Delfinul" was the target of 240 anti submarine bombs. A fuel tank cracked. After 16:00 (4:00 pm) enemy patrol craft appeared, and Căpitan (USN rank - Lieutenant) Costăchescu ordered a full stop on the electric motors. The next day, the submarine was spotted on the surface by an enemy aircraft at 16:12 (4:12 pm). Some bullets damaged its conning tower. On 1 July, the last day of the Sevastopol evacuation, the Russian flotilla was very active in the Crimean zone, so "Delfinul" was spotted and hunted for 13 hours. Between 7:35 and 10:30 there were counted 107 depth charges. Around 13:00 (1:00 pm) there was an attack with 20 bombs, and at 15:40 (3:40 pm) another 24. In the evening, between 19:30 (7:30 pm) and 20:00 (8:00 pm), 82 depth charges and bombs exploded near the submarine and 35 away from it. In total 268 explosions, mainly air dropped anti submarine bombs and few depth charges. After the patrol ended, the submarine was sent for a total refit at the Galați shipyard, arriving there on 24 November.
The end.
After the 23 August 1944 coup, the submarine was confiscated by Soviet forces and commissioned as "TS-3" on 20 October 1944. After a short career in the Soviet Navy, it was decommissioned on 12 October 1945. The submarine was eventually returned to Romania in 1951 and stricken in 1957.
The legacy.
The name "Delfinul" was passed to the only Romanian Navy submarine still in service today. It was bought from the Russians in the 1980s and is an improved diesel-electric attack . The new is still waiting for its new battery packs since the early 1990s.
"Audaces Fortuna Juvat".
"Delfinul" is the most successful Romanian submarine of all time. The Romanian Submarine Service had as motto the Latin expression: "Audaces Fortuna Juvat" which means "Fortune favors the bold" ("rom."-"Norocul îi ajutǎ pe cei îndrǎzneți").