🔴The World-Famous Painter of the Arctic: Alexander Borisov (1866–1934)

In 1900, one of Alexander Borisov's paintings received an honorable mention at the World Exhibition in Paris. This early success paved the way for his grand European tour in 1905.

His journey began in Vienna, where, on the recommendation of Franz Josef Land discoverers Julius Payer and Karl Weyprecht, his first solo exhibition was held. It was an impressive debut, featuring 227 works.

The tour continued with great acclaim in Prague, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. Hailed as the "Russian Nansen," Borisov saw his work featured in albums and catalogs published in four European languages. In late 1906, an exhibition in Paris earned him the Legion of Honor, and his painting “Glaciers. The Kara Sea” (1906) was acquired for the collection of the Musée d'Orsay.

In 1907, his exhibition moved to London. King Edward VII and his family spent an hour viewing the works, and the British government awarded Borisov the Order of the Bath. Fridtjof Nansen himself visited the show and, on behalf of the Norwegian government, presented him with the Order of St. Olav. Borisov was also invited to a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society.

Borisov's renown as an Arctic explorer, painter, and chronicler of Northern life soon reached the United States. There, in 1908, he organized another exhibition and was personally introduced to President Theodore Roosevelt.

Remarkably, his triumph in Russia came only after he had been celebrated abroad. Although he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class, in 1905 for his services in “exploring the Northern Territory and interpreting it through art,” a major solo exhibition in his homeland did not occur until 1914. For this event, Prince Felix Yusupov provided his estate to display 200 of Borisov's paintings.

Source

🔴 We have some incredible news about one of the most unusual weddings we've ever seen!

How do you make your wedding day truly unforgettable? You could book a fancy restaurant and ride through the city in a luxury limousine. Or, you could exchange vows in the mountains to the cheers of "Congratulations!" from fellow climbers.

That's a celebration that will definitely be remembered for a lifetime. Two couples from Novy Urengoy and Perm did just that, choosing to get married during a day trip to the Romantic Glacier in Yamal. They were joined by 300 other tourists from across the country—from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the Volnovakha District—who acted as their joyful witnesses.

For this unique ceremony, the newlyweds trekked 5 kilometers over Arctic off-road terrain as part of a tourist group. Pavel and Ksenia pledged their vows to each other at the foot of the picturesque Rai-Iz mountain range. Then, higher up on the glacier at an altitude of 800 meters, Ilya and Angelina had their own wedding ceremony.

This marks the first high-altitude wedding ceremony ever held in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. All that's left is to wish these adventurous newlyweds a lifetime of happiness!

Source