Today I Witnessed And Participated In An Amiable Small-talk That Can Easily Be Considered Stuff Of Legends.

Today I witnessed and participated in an amiable small-talk that can easily be considered “stuff of legends”. 😂

Me, looking through a lovely pre-revolutionary book about Napoleonic era, which was provided to me for a brief introduction, and reading out loud some lines occasionally: "It is said that when the French heard about the Frankfurt proposals, they complained and laughed interchangeably at the thought that the fate of modern Europe would be in the hands of some Habsburgs or Hohenzollerns, who were the embodiment of German feudalism."

*light chuckles intensifying*

*then more coherent conversation takes place*

— So, is it better to have French imperialism instead of German feudalism?)))

— Yes. Keep flipping through. 🗿

*chuckles instantly turn into homeric laughter*

❗️Friendly reminder: it was a simple joke, historical process is a much more complicated business as well as specific terms used in that purely comedic case. ✌️

That sweet-sweet feeling of preparations for a reenactment event when you’ve officially joined the team 💙

Just a smol insight. I couldn’t resist the temptation. 🤫

The most stereotypical Russian sight you’ll ever witness. And yet it is very real. ❄️

Soldiers of the Grande Armée (including those poor souls who served the Russian empire THAT year, since winter and deadly illnesses were merciless to anyone) experienced much unpleasant feelings from its omnipresence, without any doubt. Still, that solemn vision is breathtaking, when you are able to contemplate in chilly solitude of your surroundings.

Wonder, if anyone in the Napoleonic community on Tumblr would love to see more of such occasional ✨ aesthetic ✨ insights into the Russian “reality” from a person who was born and raised in that aloof place?

Insights with a sprinkle of Napoleonic impressions, natürlich~

These are the first two of what will be a three-volume translation of the memoirs of a Russian artillery officer named Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii. The first volume just came out a few days ago; the second will be released this fall, and the third (no cover available to show yet) sometime in 2024.

Are you familiar with that breathtaking feeling when you take a book into your hands for the first time and just 👁️👄👁️?

That’s exactly the feeling I’ve experienced today once again!

Any time I’m able to work with the books that were printed back then, I become overwhelmed with complete comprehension of the passage of time. Being able to directly “communicate” with the past and its heritage in such way is always priceless. ❤️‍🔥