Аннотация: Toulon, Berezina and the magic of the old French medallion. A confession of a teacher of a capital University (Russia, the 21st century).
Toulon, Berezina and the magic of the old French medallion. A confession of a teacher of a capital University (Russia, the 21st century).
I was born in Russia, in the USSR, in epoch of preparation for the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite. The family was from intelligentsia. My father was a high-ranking officer. As a child, I read several books on a military history.
I was greatly impressed by Yevgeny Tarle's book "Napoleon".
There was something magical about the battles of Napoleonic times. People participated in the attacks, fired cannons, and the soldiers and officers - from the nothing, from the nobody - became victors, generals, marshals, kings, emperors.
How much more interesting it was than a two-room Soviet apartment, a school class and a pioneer events!
Soviet life seemed unbearably boring to me.
The guys listened to The Beatles, they themselves participated in musical ensembles ...
I found for me my interesting business in historical reconstructions.
Everything was changing both inside me and in the external life, when I was putting on the military clothes of the past, when my hand was gripping a weapon og old times.
To take part in historical reconstructions, an interesting people gathered. An interesting conversations were held here, quite good money was silently circulating here, here one could find inconspicuous paths to the great roads leading to well-being.
What was the average Soviet citizen capable of when he joined the ranks of the Movement of Historical Reconstruction?
He was capable of looking with admiration at an old pistol or an old sword. He could to put on some kind of old times uniform. He was capable of participating in a simulated battle according to a scenario prepared by someone.
What kind of military cap to wear? How to plan a simulated, conditional battle?
To answer these and many other questions, one had to read a lot, spend a lot of time in the reading rooms of libraries, in archives.
Out of a hundred people, only three were capable of this. I was among these three.
But of these three, only I was able to learn French and master it to such an extent that I could read in French, and not only modern texts, but also archival documents.
There were no people in my circle who could find the keys to the French archives. In fact, I, a man of Soviet mentality and Soviet upbringing, was not capable of this either.
But some chains of chance allowed me, a Soviet person, to find the path that led me to the French archives. Maybe it were that old épée, which I sometimes held in my hand, and that man who once owned this épée in the past, - they helped me? According to one version, this épée belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte in the days of the capture of Toulon (1793).
Someone in the archives is swallowing a dust, but I found myself among the intellectual elite.
Actually, why shouldn't I teach at the university with my knowledge? I know ten, one hundred times more than any university teacher - at least in the field of Napoleonic studies.
A some effort were done. - Thus, I am a lecturer in the history department of the capital's University.
I have unique information.
I am a participant in historical reconstructions, I imagine events as if I personally participated in them, and I can tell fascinatingly about historical events.
I am the best in the Faculty of History - and perhaps in the whole university - in a mastery of lecturing.
So, my life has undergone dramatic changes.
In the movement of historical reconstruction. No one except me knows French at a level that allows one to communicate freely, to lecture at foreign universities and to read documents in French archives. All this pushes, puts me to the first role in the Movement. When the money wind starts blowing, I know how to catch it in my sails. Participation in the Movement provides not only an interesting activity and money, but also a circle of acquaintances, interesting leisure (for example, balls and solemn, festive dinners in the old style).
In my personal life. Traveling abroad, a fascinating style of lecturing, having a significant amounts of money, a positive circle of acquaintances, opportunities for interesting leisure activities - all this provided me with the attention of ardent and enthusiastic studentesses.
So, I have with large amounts of money, I have a leadership position in the Historical Reconstruction Movement, and the representatives of opposite sex demonstrate continuous interest in my person.
After the end of the Soviet era and after the departure of Mikhail Gorbachev, my position and situation did not shake in the first ten years. In some aspects, it has become even more interesting and pleasant to live.
But gradually the situation began to change. The big privatization was over, and new waves of raiders were looking for where and what they could to turn into their ownership.
If large enterprises have already acquired new owners, then the attention of a new wave of raiders could be turned to the Movement of Historical Reconstruction.
After a solemn, wide and successful celebration of the anniversary of one of the Napoleonic battles, I was gracefully removed from my leadership role in the Historical Reconstruction Movement to a role of five level of (in)significance.
I tried not to lose heart.
A high-ranking patron (from the highest circles) who was fond of the era of Napoleon accidentally appeared on my horizon.
In terms of money, I did not lose at all.
The closeness to a person from the highest circles slightly changed my worldview.
For example, this situation happened to me. One of the influential people in France helped me start lecturing at a famous French university as a visiting professor. Once we had dinner with him in an informal setting, and he told me that his ancestor, one of Napoleon's generals, had not returned from a campaign in Russia.
Some time later, after returning to Russia, in one of the private collections I saw an old medallion with a portrait inside and the owner's name engraved on the medallion. Many details indicated that the medallion was made in France in the early 19th century. Having examined the French inscription on the medallion, I realized that the name of the former owner of the medallion coincides with the name of the influential Frenchman who helped me.
I purchased this medallion with the intention of presenting it to an influential person on my next trip to France.
However, my patron from the highest circles liked this medallion. The patron threatened me that he would stop cooperation with me (cooperation beneficial for me), if I did not sell him this medallion. He offered me a lot of money for it. A lot has changed in my life. In times gone by, I was not dependent on anyone. But the situation has changed. I had to give the medallion to the patron. In return, I got a lot of money and made a good trip along the coasts of Mediterranean with a new charming ardent studentess.
Around this time, unpleasant events in my life were added. There was a small scandal with one of my young mistresses.
With my social position, in my relationship, in addition to the love component, there may also be pedagogical and business aspects. I teach a girl and give her support, and my girlfriend helps me in my affairs and solves some issues of her own education and promotion.
For this reason, if my girlfriend decides to leave me, to part with me, I may experience discomfort and irritation.
Having behind me the powerful support of a patron from the highest circles, and having received new views on life, I tied my dear friend, who announced her separation from me, to a chair and threatened her with a hot iron, bringing the iron closer to her face so that she could feel the heat of the red-hot metal. According to the typical algorithm, she would be scared to such an extent that she would turn into an absolutely obedient creature.
But in this case it was different. She wrote a statement to the police.
I was forced to get acquainted her mother and to influence a girlfriend through her mother.
I managed to get my way. The relationship was temporarily restored, but after a couple of years, my girlfriend left me anyway.
My patron from the highest circles has gone out of orbit.
At this stage, the disappointing results were as follows: I was deprived of my first place in the Historical Reconstruction Movement; my patron has left the stage; At the university, at the Faculty of History, the bosses changed - and if before they tolerated me with irritation (who is interested in a too capable and too active person?), now they were waiting for my resignation.
But I had not so little left: experience, connections, money, knowledge of algorithms.
There was also a new strong connection with a new young ardent studentess.
She was fascinated by the status of a teacher (I helped her to enter graduate school), and the opportunity to travel abroad, and the prospects for her gaining scientific fame.
She was a very nice girl. She has successfully mastered the French language. She knew how to work in French and Russial archives, she wrote a scientific works. Our relationship became more and more family-like.
By this time I already had numerous children from other wives. The general situation around me was changing, and not in a positive way, so I hesitated - should I go to the registry office again? Should a marriage be registered?
Apparently, I did not notice something, and did not react correctly to these events. And these "something" was very important and very painful for a young woman.
My relationship with my de facto wife suddenly (for me) and sharply escalated.
My de facto wife became rude and aggressive towards me.
Meanwhile, my position was becoming increasingly unenviable. A prankers began to appear out of nowhere.
The "first" pranksters presented themselves as influential people and asked if I was ready to support the current government in the elections. Why not support, especially if they will help me to get the status of doctor and professor? (With all my knowledge and skills, paradoxically, I am still only an associate professor and a candidate of sciences). My de facto wife was not my graduate student. She studied in graduate school with my fellow professor, Doctor of Science, who works, like me, at the Faculty of History.
Those prankers showed up, talked to me, and left (the recordings of the conversations later appeared on the Internet).
Then another pranker appeared. This was the man who wrote a book with fictional (irreal) stories about one of Napoleon's wars.
This pranker and his book have been criticized by different people. But with me he began to conflict with the greatest energy.
They threw dead rats under my door, wrote offensive inscriptions on the walls into the entrance of my house, hacked my e-mail, spread the most incredible rumors about me on the Internet, as well as threats against me. Sometimes offensive words about me were directed directly to my actual wife's address (to her phone number or to her email address).
My relationship with my de facto wife became more and more aggravated.
Pressure from my enemy (and his company) and pressure from my de facto wife united. The situation was unusual and incomprehensible to me. I saw no way out and felt myself trapped. Prolonged, constant stress was destroying my personality. My consciousness was as if clouded.
At the moment of the acute phase of the next conflict with my future wife, I shot her in the head and killed her. (People associated with historical reconstruction are often close to weapons).
What was I to do next?
I tried to imagine what my acquaintances would have done.
According to my new ideas about life, I should try to hide what happened.
I bought the necessary tools, dismembered the body, and tried to drown it piece by piece in a nearby body of water.
It was emotionally difficult to carry out all these actions. I had to stun myself with alcohol.
Due to intoxication, I I made the incorrect step into water during another attempt to drown part of the corpse. And I fell into the water. A passing man saw this and called rescuers. They got me out of the water. The remains of a corpse were found ...
Now everything has gone by the official, formal way. And all this is terrible.
At night, I replay stories from my life in my memory and try to determine: where was that turning point at which and when I was ought to act in a completely different way ...
[MLXXXIII. Internet-Duce or a March to a site of a crowdfunding. Sociological Essay. - October 15, 2019.
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MCXLVI. The Fairy Tale of how a modern staff Manager put on trial Kutuzov and Alexander I. - November 27, 2019.
MCLVII. The "Fantomases" and the historian.. - December 5, 2019.
MCLXV. A Top Official. A Top Historian. A Women's rights. An essay on modern history. - December 11, 2019.
MCLXVII. A development of a modern Russial literature. Essay on a modern Russial culture. - December 13, 2019.
MCCXXV. The famous historian and the modern Russial history. The moral essay. - January 16, 2020.
MCCXLVIII. A Hero of Our Time. The essay of a brief research of the modern society. - January 28, 2020.
MCCL. From Russia into Loseristan. Two realities of modern science. Essay on the history of science. - January 29, 2020.
MCCLXII. The cross-cultural trajectory. Quasi-Sophia Kovalevskaya. Essay on a modern culture. - February 4, 2020.
MCCLXXXII. The third cross-cultural trajectory. A note on a modern culture. - April 1, 2020.
MCCСLXXXIII. How the most famous Russial historian was released. A science fiction story with a happy end. - April 8, 2020.
MCCСCLXII. Talents! Here are waiting for you! (Algorithms of successful people). A philosophical essay. - May 26, 2020.
MDXVII. A scientific and technical civilization team, a feudal scientific and technical community, a scientific and technical prankers. A brief history of the Russial (Soviet) scientific and technical sphere. - June 22, 2020.
MDLV. Vaccine. - Russial science. Achievements. Leaders. Essay on the philosophy of modern Russial science. - 12 July 2020.
MDLXXIII. Floods are approaching Moscow. Scientific prankers. The note. - July 19, 2020
MDCXVIII. The principle of illusory reality. Sokolov. Yeshchenko. Furgal. A philosophical essay. - August 4, 2020.
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MDCLXII. The economic future of Belarus. A forecast. - August 21, 2020.
MDCCXVI. A career elevator and a doctors of science in St. Petersburg State University. The essay on the historical mysteries of a modern Russial science. - September 16, 2020.
MDCCXVII. Key elements of the biography of Oleg Sokolov, the leader of the Russial Napoleonic studies. Experimental essay - an attempt of a partial biographical reconstruction. - September 16, 2020.
MDCCXVIII. A phenomenon of baiting in a modern Russia. A political science sketch. - September 17, 2020.
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MDCCLXXIII. Oleg Sokolov, the creator of the micro-world, who was spirited (alcoholized) in a Russial sub-criminal jar. A culturological sketch. - October 16, 2020.
MDCCCXLVIII. Wonderful scenarios under a consideration by the information holding. A story. - November 21, 2020.
MDCCCLVII. The dominant a life scenario in the modern Russia. A culturological essay. - November 24, 2020.
MDCCCXC. Two brilliant girls from the Krasnodar krai. Or - it's better without an ax. A note on the modern Russial criminal sub-culture. - December 9, 2020.
MCMXI. Historian Oleg Sokolov and the micro-version of the destruction of the intelligentsia. A history sketch. - December 20, 2020.
MCMXII. The mystery of the awards for the fight against coronavirus. A historical note. - December 21, 2020.
MCMXLIX.A mysterious ballet in the sphere of Russial culture. A sketch of the Russial criminal sub-culture. - January 13, 2021.
MMXIX. The Paris Archives of Oleg Sokolov and Anastasia Eshchenko. A note. - February 18, 2021.
MMXLIV. Igor Bogdanov and Oleg Sokolov. The cultural scenarios. An essay. - March 2, 2021.].
May 23, 2021 02:10
Translation from Russian into English: May 23, 2021 14:47.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Тулон, Березина и магия старинного французского медальона. Исповедь преподавателя столичного университета (Россия, 21 век)'.