Krokodil – The most dangerous new drug!

This new opiate for the poor was made in Russia as a substitute for heroin, which is becoming very expensive and unavailable for addicts.  It can be made at home, and from it, the skin of addicts becomes greenish and scaly, just like reptiles’. 

Krokodil (Crocodile) is the latest drug that can be made at home, and it first appeared in Russia. It is an opiate for the poor, and its effects are frightening. It is named “Krokodil” because its poisonous substances are quickly changing the look of the skin of the addicts, which is becoming greenish and scaly, like reptiles’ skin.

Russia has more than two million heroin addicts, more than any other country in the world. Efforts to reduce the flow of heroin from Afghanistan has led to its limited supply, increased price on the streets, and for those addicts who can not afford the next dose, even more terrible and ghastly thing – a drug that can be made at home. Its medical name is desomorphine and it is a synthetic opiate more powerful than heroin. It is made with a complex process of mixing and chemical reactions, which addicts know very well and do it several times a day.

And while heroin costs from 20 to 50 Euros, desomorphine can be “boiled” from Codeine-based pills for headache that cost two Euros per pack, and other ingredients that everyone has at home and can be very cheap to buy in the store. In case the vein is missed, an abscess is immediately appearing on the skin. The addicts who are using this drug for several years look terrible. Their skin becomes grayish, rotten, and, in the latter stages, you can actually see their bones. People are literally rotting to death.

Four years ago, Russian heroin addicts first discovered how to make a "Krokodil". Since then, the number of addicts is in rise, and it reached a peak in recent months. Every year, about 30.000 addicts die in Russia, which is one third of addicts’ deaths worldwide. It is estimated that about five percent of drug addicts in Russia use “Krokodil”, and about 100.000 more of them are using some other type of home-made opiate.

When someone goes to rehabilitation from heroin, symptoms last from five to ten days, after which there is great danger of their return.

With “Krokodil”, this is more complicated. Pains are lasting up to one month, and they are unbearable. To endure pain, rehabilitators have to be injected with extremely strong tranquilizers.

You can recognize “Krokodil” users by their specific smell of iodine, which is infiltrated into their clothes and can not be removed with washing.  Each apartment in which the “Krokodil” was boiled can be forgotten as a place to live because the smell can never be eliminated.

Addicts have no problem buying codeine tablets that are sold without a prescription, and pharmacists do not refuse to sell them even though they know why exactly they are bought.  The solution is obvious: ban the sale of codeine. But although the authorities are aware of the problem that lasts more than a year, they almost do nothing to resolve it.

Zhenya, former addict

“The effect of “krokodil” lasts from 90 minutes to two hours”, says Zhenya, a former addict.

“You don't sleep much when you're on krokodil, as you need to wake up every couple of hours for another hit. The cooking process takes at least half an hour, so being a krokodil addict is basically a full-time job. At the time we were cooking it at our place, and loads of people came round and pitched in. For three days we just kept on making it. By the end, we all staggered out yellow, exhausted and stinking of iodine.” –says Zhenya.

read more...

Doctor Esperanto - Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof

Already in the first edition of his book with instructions for learning his new language, Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof renounced himself forever of all personal rights, saying that international language is a property of society.

It was a gloomy autumn day in 1888 when an unknown man knocked on a door of a humble apartment in Warsaw where certain ophthalmologist lived. The ophthalmologist immediately opened the door. He thought that he had just another patient in front of him. But then, the unknown man said to him:

-    Cu vi estas doktoro Esperanto? (Are you doctor Esperanto?)

The ophthalmologist was speechless for a few moments. He just looked at his visitor. Then excitement sparkled from his face and he approached his visitor and squeezed his hand.

-     Jes, mi estas. Bonvolu!  (Yes, I am. Please!)

Those were the first two men who exchanged a few sentences with each other on a new international language – Doctor Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof and Antoni Grabowski.

The creator of the language of hope

In the Polish city of Bialystok, on December 15, 1859, it was a joyous day in the home of Mark Zamenhof. Surrounded by friends, the happy father celebrated the birth of his firstborn.  On that day, Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto, saw the world for the first time.

The little boy grew up surrounded with parental love and care. From his father, an experienced educator and teacher, he inherited affection for languages that he easily learned, and from his mother he inherited sensibility and philanthropy. And his four brothers and three sisters, which were born later, were always unselfishly protected and loved by their oldest brother.

He had a gift for languages

The joy and beauty of his early school days were blurred. While attending elementary school in Bialystok, Zamenhof had to socialize and play only with Jewish children, no matter if he wanted that or not. The Polish and Russian children had their own groups, and didn’t socialize and play with anyone besides their own.

Children’s lack of understanding of other languages was a serious obstacle in their bonding. 

When he went to high school in 1869, Zamenhof already knew Polish, Russian and German language. He continued his education in Warsaw, in the classical gymnasium, where, with all his youthful vigor, he started learning Greek and Latin. Many years later, when he was creating Esperanto, Zamenhof used his knowledge of eight languages.

Even then, at a school desk, an idea kept developing in Zamenhof’s head - one language for all people, for all nations.  With much patience and will, he studied language textbooks and lexicons, and his working desk was full of books and dictionaries. Using the roots of Roman, Germanic and Slavic languages, Zamenhof was creating a new international language.

After finishing high school in 1879, Ludwig left his father’s home and went to Moscow. Before leaving, he promised his father that, at least temporarily, while studying at the university, he will put aside his work on the new language. He reluctantly parted from his notes, poems and translations.

In Moscow, Zamenhof conscientiously studied medicine. While working with his scalpel in the dissection hall, he thought about the internal mechanism of the human body. “The human beings are equal, they are creatures belonging to the same mankind. They all have a heart, a brain, generating organs, an ideal and needs, only the language and the nationality differentiate them."


After two years spent in Moscow, young Zamenhof returned to Warsaw. It is not difficult to imagine the despair of young medic when he heard that his father burned all of his workbooks and notes. But, already in August of 1881, Zamenhof had a completely new textbook and even richer dictionary of words. Locked in his room, he read aloud pages full of text he written with his new language.

The first book

After he successfully graduated medicine in Warsaw, in 1885 Zamenhof went to Vienna to acquire specialization. He returned to Warsaw as an ophthalmologist and, in 1887, he married Klara Silbernik who was for many years his faithful companion and collaborator.

Thrilled with the work of his son in law, Zamenhof’s father in law paid the printing of his first book - a new language textbook.  On June 2, 1887, it was printed in Russian language, but soon followed editions in Polish, French, German and English language. The book contained poetry and prose, 16 rules of grammar and 900 roots of vocabulary. 

Already in the first edition of his book, he renounced himself and his descendants of all personal rights, stating that "an international language, like every national one, is the property of society”. In the end, he signed himself with "Doktoro Esperanto" which, literally translated, means: Doctor Hopeful.

Zamenhof sent out all over the world a large number of copies of his book – to writers, educators and others. And that’s how the history of Esperanto began.

After a long and painful anticipation, responses from all around the world began to arrive. Questions, advices, opinions ...some were even written in Esperanto. And Grabowski was already translating the works of Goethe and Pushkin. In one Russian magazine, Tolstoy wrote: “I found the volapük very complicated and, on the contrary, very simple Esperanto. It is so easy that having received, six years ago, a grammar, a dictionary and articles of this idiom, I could arrive, at the end of two early hours, if not to write it, at least with usually reading the language. … the sacrifices which any man of our European world will make, by devoting some time to his study are so small, and the results which can result from this so immense, that one cannot refuse to carry out this test.”

Zamenhof personally responded to all letters and in that way he linked Esperantists from many different countries. The movement spread rapidly, despite the resistance of several well-known linguistic experts. And after nearly 400 failed attempts to create a common, international language, Esperanto is the only one that managed it. 

Guest at the first World Congress of Esperanto

In 1905, in company of his wife, Zamenhof visited France and the first World Congress of Esperanto. The Mayor of Paris paid him tribute and the French Minister of Public Instruction awarded him with National Order of the Legion of Honor. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, the creator of Esperanto had lunch with the most famous scientists of France.

A city of Boulogne-sur-Mer offered hospitality to all followers of previously unknown Warsaw doctor. And at every step of this little city a new language was heard. 800 Esperantist from 30 different countries eagerly expected the official opening of the congress. Noticeably excited, doctor Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof went on the podium and, in Esperanto language, began his speech with these words:

“I greet you, dear comrades, brothers and sisters from the great world human family who gather together from near and far lands from the world to shake your hands one another in the name of the great idea which links us together. Let us be fully aware of all the importance of this day, because today within the generous walls of Boulogne-sur-Mer have met not French with English, nor Russians with Polish, but people with people”.

In the following years, he visited congresses in Geneva, Cambridge, Dresden, Barcelona, Washington, Antwerp, Paris and Cracow. 11th Congress was organized in 1915, in San Francisco. Only Americans attended it because European Esperantists fought on the battlefields of World War I.

Doctor Zamenhof followed the horrors of war in Warsaw. This good man who loved people so much and wanted peace between nations, now listened about destruction and killings every day. Worn with years of work and overwhelmed with tragic events the humanity faced, his health started to deteriorate. On April 14, 1917, his heart stopped beating.

This great man, who had friends and followers in all parts of the world, was buried modestly. Only Warsaw’s Esperantists, including the loyal Antoni Grabowski, attended the funeral. Because of war, nobody else couldn’t attend.

read more...

Injustice - Dmitri Mendeleev

It would be logical that a scientist like Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was awarded with Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

After all, Mendeleev invented the periodic table of chemical elements, and described the manner of their organization and grouping on which modern chemistry is based.

Furthermore, his system was so good that he predicted the existence of certain elements that, in his time, weren’t yet been discovered.

However, in 1906 when the Nobel Committee for Chemistry recommended Mendeleev for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences rejected the proposal.

The reason behind this decision was – little revenge.

Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius, who was awarded with Nobel Prize in 1903 for the theory of ionic dissociation, interfered and pressed for the rejection of Mendeleev. Mendeleev was his most eloquent critic and Arrhenius saw an opportunity to avenge himself.

The same thing happened and in 1907.

read more...

Coca-Cola's brief political history

This year marks 125 years since John Pemberton invented carbonated soft drink – Coca-Cola – “cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation, headache, neurasthenia and impotence”. But Coca-Cola was not only a cure, it was also the source of headache and hysteria in the political waters.

The only Coca-Cola that was colorless was created after World War II - for political reasons. It was produced in limited quantities, by special order, for a Russian Marshal Georgi Zhukov, who tried Coca-Cola during his negotiations about dividing Germany with the commander of allied forces in Europe, U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower. This Coca-Cola was packed in cylindrical bottles that had a red star as a label instead of Coca-Cola’s recognizable logo.

Zhukov really liked this drink, but since the relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union began to tighten, it was inconvenient for him to be seen with an American drink in his hands. That is why, on Zhukov’s request, and with the approval of U.S. President Harry Truman, Coca-Cola Company manufactured colorless Coke and packed it so that it looked like vodka. 

Last year, Coca-Cola Company celebrated its 100 birthday, and this year they will celebrate 125 years since John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola. 

In the beginning, Coca-Cola was advertised as “Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating” drink and also as a cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation, headache, neurasthenia and impotence. By often following U.S. foreign policy, rarely acting in conflict with American interests, and eventually becoming the symbol of globalization, in the past decades Coca-Cola was also and a source of headaches and hysteria in the (international) political waters.

During World War II, a special group of Coca-Cola employees called “Technical Observers” was among U.S. army soldiers. These Technical Observers supervised the shipment and operation of 64 complete bottling plants that distributed nearly 10 billion bottles of Coca-Cola to servicemen and women.

Military personnel who worked in Coca-Cola military plants became just as important as mechanics who worked on the maintenance of aircraft and tanks. And thanks to its popularity, along with lobbying in the army with the statement that this drink was a key product in the war, in 1942 Coca-Cola Company managed to get an exemption from sugar rationing.

A company that at all times sought to show how much symbolic power its drinks has on U.S. troops, also functioned and on the opposing side, in Germany, where before the war this drink was very popular. One of the Nazi statements was that “America never contributed anything to world civilization but chewing gum and Coca-Cola”.

Some publicists have stated that Coca-Cola Company had controversial relations with Germany, before and during World War II: during the war, Coca-Cola branches didn’t stopped working in Germany, but they weren’t able to import the necessary raw materials in the country. Publicist Mark Pendergrast wrote that several top executives from Coca-Cola branch in Germany were in fact members of the Nazi Party, and there are also records that this company sold millions of bottles to Hitler's Germany.

This obscure and not completely explored part of Coca-Cola history was not an obstacle for this product name to become linked not only to America but to key values of Western countries, such as "every kind of freedom, democracy and free market capitalist”, during the Cold War period. Parallel to that, Coca-Cola was expanding in the world, and the American political influence was strengthening. 

In the early fifties, those who were opposed to American influence marked Coca-Cola as an American cultural weapon.  In relation to this, in France was created a term “coca-colonization” - It was used by leftists who fought against opening of factories for bottling Coca-Cola drink. They even tried to prove that Coca-Cola is poisonous. The former president of the Coca-Cola Company, Robert Woodruff, stated that leftist’s hostility towards Coca-Cola comes from the fact that Coca-Cola is the very “essence of capitalism”.

Despite the logic of capitalism, and in the name of protecting the interests of U.S. foreign policy, until the nineties Coca-Cola was practically not present in the Eastern European market. The first opportunity for Coca Cola to install facilities in Russia, in mid-sixties, was not used because the only possible partner was a communist government (there were no private firms in Russia during that regime). For Coca-Cola, that probably wasn’t a problem, but it was for the U.S. government. In that period, U.S. Army was in war with Vietnam, and if Coca-Cola started working in Russia, they would have financed the communist side, American public enemy number one. 

To this day, connection between Coca-Cola and American values brings damage to the Coca-Cola Company in the Middle East.  There, in mid-sixties, Coca-Cola was accused of anti-Semitism and in the following decades it has become a symbol of "American occupying" and "anti-Muslim” policy. Some internet sites claim that Coca Cola, read from right to left, in Arabic language means "No Muhammad, no Mecca". Boycott of Coca-Cola is also elaborated with claims that by buying a bottle of Coca-Cola tenth of its price goes to the largest Arabian enemy, Israel.

In 1966, Coca Cola was accused of avoiding working in Israel, in order to protect sales of its products in the Arabian world. Things started to get complicated when, because of these accusations, Jewish organizations in America begun to boycott Coca-Cola. The company eventually allowed the construction of a bottling plant in Israel, in 1968, but that again caused boycott similar to that of Arabian League, which ended in the early eighties.

With that, Coca Cola found itself again on the course of U.S. foreign policy.  Respond to this was creation of authentic Arabian Colas such as Mecca Cola. Recently, the Iranian Minister of Industries, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, renewed the idea of boycotting Coca-Cola, because it is a "Zionist product”.

read more...

People's Artist – Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin

The famous Russian opera singer, Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin (1873-1938), was a very rich man - a real millionaire. But then came the October Revolution and almost everything he had was taken from him.

However, Chaliapin continued to appear on stage, but his fees were no longer the same. More precisely, instead of the money he was paid "in kind". For example, six month after the Revolution, the former millionaire would a get bag of flour, a little bit of ham and sugar, and a sack of potatoes after he held a concert.

This doesn’t mean that the new Soviet government did not respect him and appreciate him. On the contrary! Chaliapin was among the first people who were declared as People's Artists.

Even on that occasion, instead of monetary prize, he was awarded with – food.

read more...

A heart of stone – Joseph Stalin

During World War II, the Nazis imprisoned many members of the Red Army. On the other side, the Soviets have also captured many German soldiers. 

However, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (1878-1953), Soviet President and General Secretary of the Communist Party, refused to exchange prisoners with the Germans.

The Germans were surprised with Stalin's decision since, among the captives, was his son Yakov.

Yakov eventually died in a Nazi camp.

Stalin's second son, Vasiliy, died of alcoholism in 1962.

read more...

You Never Know What You'll Need – Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov

During World War II,  the United States, that is, the White House was visited by the former Soviet Foreign Minister (Foreign Commissar) Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov (1890-1986).

His visit was a top secret, and only a small number of people at the presidential palace know who is actually hiding behind the name of "Mr. Brown".  

However, the content of Molotov’s suitcase raised suspicion among servants in the White House.

When they were tasked to unpack "Mr. Brown’s” suitcase, the servants were astonished with what an unknown man had brought with him to the White House.

Instead of underwear, shirts and formal suits, Molotov packed a gun, a long sausage and a loaf of brown bread.

read more...

Good Man: Gregor Piatigorsky!

Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976), the celebrated Russian cellist, was also an outstanding teacher.

However, he had difficulties with a young cellist who somehow could not progress. Despite the efforts of his teacher, to show him how to play, he was constantly making mistakes.  Instead of progressing, the student played even worse.

Thinking that maybe his perfect playing is discouraging his student, Piatigorsky himself started making mistakes while playing in front of him.

- You see, it can happen to anyone - he said to his student while playing the wrong notes.

This attempt proved to be effective, and the student eventually graduated. After graduation exam, congratulations went to both of them.  

- There is no need to congratulate to Professor - disdainfully said the young cellist. - He is really a nice man, but as far as playing, the poor guy has no idea – he is constantly mistaking!

read more...

Culture or Science, Whatever!

Many anecdotes even today tell about the not so bright Soviet politician Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982), President of the Soviet Union and Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of that country.

Leonid’s political speeches, that he as the president had a chance to keep, were, in fact, often, very long. Sometimes they lasted for six hours since Brezhnev read the original, and the copy of the speech that they gave him every time before he climbed on the podium!

On one occasion, Leonid Brezhnev visited the south part of the country where he was supposed to speak about science. But, his adviser mistakenly gave him the speech about culture.

Leonid began to read...

Peroration lasted, and he did not even notice what he is actually speaking.

Others have noticed, but they did not dare to say anything

read more...

Tsar and Infantry!

Peter the Great

Russian Tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725) was in many ways an unusual ruler.

For example, in a battle against the Turks, in 1695, he fought with his soldiers as ordinary infantry believing that in this way he will contribute more to the victory of his own army.

And on one winter day, in 1724, the Tsar saw one of his ship sink. Not thinking that someone else should have done it instead of him, he immediately jumped into the icy water to help saving people from the ship.

Since he spent a lot of time in cold water, the Tsar got cold and fever.

Devoted Peter the Great died a few weeks later.

read more...

Byzantine Art of Persuasion (Part III)

10 languages of lies 

The following example is just slightly younger and it is related to the reign of Justin II (565-578), nephew of Justinian and the first successor. Here, in a similar way, sophistically cunning civilized Byzantines collide with genuine honesty of primitive barbarians. Again it comes to newcomers from Asia, only this time it’s not the Huns, but the Turks and Avars. Because of the troubles they had with the Persians on the famous Silk Road that stretched from China to the far eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the Byzantines made a covenant with middle-Asia Turks. The contract did not include only sales and relocation of famous Silk Road, it provided and a military alliance against a common enemy – the Persians. Frequent exchange of legations - seven Byzantine delegations traveled on the Turkish court in the course of eight years - testified about intimate ties.

However, circumstances have changed dramatically in the year of 576 because the empire made an alliance with the Avars against the Danube Slavs. That was sufficient reason to the Turks, who felt let down, to suddenly change their attitude towards Byzantium. When the Roman emissaries found themselves in front of the new ruler of Turkey, Turksat, on them gushed avalanche of anger. Torrent of words, which was recorded by Byzantine writer, Menander Protector is in his historical record, was accompanied by an unusual gesture: since he had only one tongue in his oral cavity, resent ruler of the Turks tried somehow to push all ten of his fingers in his mouth so he could symbolically accompany the sentences from which the blood vessels of Byzantine envoys froze, "Are you not the Romans (Byzantines), who have ten languages and lie on all these languages? …like my ten fingers in my mouth, that’s how you use many languages: with one you deceive me, with another Avars, my slaves. Simply put, you are wheedling all nations, and deceive them with art of your words and your traitorous ideas, disregarding those who are rushing down to trouble from which only you have gain. "

After a short pause he continued his tirade by saying: “Turks never lie”, and then in the threatening tone he revealed he’s appeals: “Your emperor will answer to me for his behavior, he, who speaks to me about friendship and at the same time, makes an agreement with Avars, slaves who escaped from their masters... Why, oh, Romans, you always send my envoys through the Caucasus when they are traveling to Byzantium, and claim that there is no other way they could go? You do that with the hope that I will due to inaccessible terrain refrain from attacks on Roman lands. But I know exactly where Dnieper, Danube and Maritsa flow. It is not unknown to me how strong your power is, for I am the master of the whole country, from the first solar rays in the east to the last edge on the west. “

With this frightening admission, which almost cost life the Byzantine envoys, Turkish-Byzantine eight-year-old alliance abruptly stopped. That same year the Turkish army threatened Byzantine possessions in the Crimea. Turkish Khan’s speech, let me add, filled with dignify confidence, is a vivid example of distrust and contempt which was, thanks to Byzantine too cunning and ruthless diplomacy, certainly often provoked in their victims in the area of the Eurasian steppes.

The Byzantines have expressed their persuasive skills and during the Christianization of Russians. In the Russian source “Повесть временных лет” (Tale of Bygone Years), in a very interesting and sometimes on the verge of anecdote way, it is shown how Prince Vladimir of Kiev - who wanted to turn his compatriots from polytheistic pagan to one of the monotheistic religions – made an important decision. This unusual story is actually a mixture of facts and fiction, a mixture which stands hesitantly between story, extensive theological treatises and ironic jest. Of course, in it are inserted and later amendments.

To read "Byzantine Art of Persuasion (Part IV)", click HERE.

read more...

Byzantine Art of Persuasion (Part I)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – a message from the New Testament (the Gospel of John, 1, 1). "Words, words, words!" – Pathetically cries Hamlet in William Shakespeare's eponymous tragedy. French writer Andre Maurois warned of power and destructive force that words can have: - “If the people better understood what danger lies in the use of certain words, dictionaries in the windows of the bookstores would have had a red ribbon with the inscription: "Explosive! Carefully Handle!"” Indeed, although they are most impermanent, at the end and after all, only words remain.

It is well known, on the other hand, that artistry in the use of the words is exactly proportional to the level of civilization of a certain society. In the period of the Middle Ages, Byzantium was a good example which confirmed the rule said. Barbarians themselves were aware of the skills of Byzantine diplomacy, that is, their ability to achieve anything they wanted with words and their clever use, which would otherwise been achieved only by the force of arms.

But this is not just about the deep impression that Roman eloquence was leaving on simple and primitive barbarians, but also and about giddiness and sometimes Byzantine perfidy which were in a special way connected with the art of handling words in the intricate political and diplomatic circumventions. In order to understand this, it is necessary to recall the Roman beliefs in their own uniqueness and Byzantines confidence in the sacred right of Byzantine Empire to rule over the entire Christian universe.

From this kind of belief, the Byzantine conception was coming out according to which all other people were less valuable than Romans and as such were worthy of contempt. It is necessary to bear in mind what was issued in order to properly understand the Byzantine attitude toward other nations, but also attitude of others towards Romans.

In order to show this, I will present four cases: two from the early Byzantine history, tied to 6th century and Turkish tribes, one from the final decades of the 10th century, in which, along with the Byzantines, the Russians are the main participants, and, finally, one which is placed in the last years of the 13th century, and it’s turned to the history of the Byzantine-Serbian relations.

To read "Byzantine Art of Persuasion (Part II)", click HERE.

read more...