top of page

Page 3  Page 4

Page 5  -  Page 6

GefionFountain.jpg

January 7, 2022

​

Earlier I mentioned Man's unique ability to create new concepts by rendering existing things a new meaning. Now I should trace this ability to its origin - the human mind that is so wonderful that it can reimagine reality itself. Impressive as they are, many wonders of the material worlds are, in a way, byproducts of that primary wonder of Imagination. Legends and fairy-tales are just several examples of tools necessary to create those byproducts.

​

...Even though the English park named after Sir Winston Churchill is within short walking distance of the Little Mermaid, one would think that the spirit of the famous politician and sybarite, combined with personal charisma associated with his name, should define the ambience of the place. The very first artwork – a statuary - one stumbles upon in the park seems to confirm that impression.

The statuary features a strong, muscular woman vigorously lashing four lathery oxen – and the whole group exudes power, energy and purpose. The title of the statuary, Gefion Fountain, alludes to the story behind the mise-en-scene. The story has it that King Gylfi of Sweden wanted to stay in Goddess Gefion’s good books without having to show too much generosity – so, he offered the goddess some land as a gift. To be precise, as much land as she and her family would be able to plow in one night. Gefion was quick to agree and happy to oblige – so, she turned her four sons into oxen and urged them on. In the next eight hours or so the family herd plowed quite a chunk of land, carved it out and threw into the sea. That’s how the island of Zealand/ Sea Land was created. Quite naturally, the island needed a harbor to maintain its connection with the mainland. Once built, the harbor began to serve various purposes, including commerce – and, eventually, it became known as the Kaupmannhoevn/ “Merchants’ Harbor”.  Over centuries the name gradually transformed into Kobenhavn, otherwise known as “Copenhagen”…

​

 

Denmark-Copenhagen-Christian-X-2-525x394.jpg

January 14, 2022

​

It's hardly surprising that the legend, discussing the origins of Copenhagen, features a goddess and a king. The very meaning of the word "legendary" ("remarkable enough to be famous" - as well as "described in, or based on legends) implies that legends focus on prominent beings rather than common ones. Gods. Heroes (semi-gods or mortal beings with supernatural powers). True leaders.

​

Not every nominal leader (as in "Head of State", "Chief of Staff" and such) is a Leader. Christian X of Denmark, who reigned for 20 years in the first half of the 20th century, was. The latter part of his reign was marred by World War II, and of all Scandinavian countries, Denmark was, in a way, hit the hardest by it. While Sweden turned itself into the key source of strategic raw materials for the German war machine, thus managing to maintain its formal neutrality, and Norway's landscape provided ample opportunities for a guerilla war, Danish flats were perfect for deploying German tanks. Openly resisting the invasion under those circumstances would have been tantamount to bringing doom to the whole nation, and it was not before German armies got stuck in Eastern European swamps that Danish Resistance started to shape up. The initial defiance was moral rather than expressed in military actions - and its precarious nature called for a brave leader of unquestionable moral authority. The king answered the call. He never stopped rubbing it in the face of German occupational forces in one way or another. One such slap in the face was "forgetting" to send birthday greetings to Adolf Hitler. Even more embarrassing for the Germans was his habit of parading the capital on his horse day in, day out - and never taking any guards with him. "But Your Majesty should be protected when exposed to common people" - the Commander, personally responsible for the king's well-being, tried in vain. "My people are those who protect me!" - that answer alone would be enough to earn Christian X his place in history. Full of dignity and grace, the king's equestrian statue in Copenhagen makes that place come alive.

​

​

 

​

​

download (1).jpg

January 21, 2022

​

When George Mallory was asked, why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, he simply replied "Because it's there!' and these three words became one of the most famous catchphrases in the whole Western culture. By analogy, one might say that Nature's creations are wonders "because they ARE". Ageless caves, ever-erupting volcanoes and geysers seemingly reaching the star-studded sky - there is a sense of the ultimate about any and all of that, a vague image of perfection, something unrivaled, unparalleled. The situation is quite different when it comes to man-made objects: an equestrian statue is just a work of art, and a palace or, say, a tower are just buildings - unless they happen to be architectural masterpieces. What turns "just a statue/building" into a wonder is a story behind it - and the story behind such buildings in Copenhagen as the Observatory (aka the Round Tower), the Stock Exchange, and a number of churches and castles is essentially the same - the man on the picture.

​

Many rulers had nicknames. Some were known as "Greats", others as "Conquerors" - and the "greatness" of the former almost inevitably implied the achievement associated with the latter. To the best of my knowledge, untainted by Google, there was only one ruler - David who reigned in the 11th century Caucasian Kingdom of Georgia - who remained in history as "The Builder". Christian IV of Denmark would have every reason and right to share that, much rarer title. Just like Alexander the Great, he had quite a few cities named after him. Unlike the Emperor of Macedonia, Christian didn't conquer those cities - instead he built them! To be precise, he "built them", as opposed to "had them built", because not only the King commissioned the construction and paid for it but he also literally participated in the process. Quite often that monarch would come to the building sites to supervise the process (which he knew inside out) and actually lend a hand in accomplishing physical tasks. One of the cities founded by that longest-reigning monarch in the history of Scandinavia, is known today as "Oslo", but for 300 or so years it bore the name of "Christiania"...

download (2).jpg

January 28, 2022

​

High places have always drawn attention and piqued curiosity. Personalities like Christian IV and Christian X ensured that in Denmark those attention and curiosity would remain warm and friendly. In other countries, including England, the relationship between the Crown and its subjects has over centuries been more complex (and often - rather formal). One might say the English and Danish monarchies have different auras - and that difference is easiest to feel on a huge square in front of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen - the home of the Danish royal family - where a ceremony known as "the changing of the guards" takes place on any given day at noon sharp. All you need is a couple of Englishmen waiting for the ceremony next to you and recalling details of a similar event held at Buckingham Palace in London.

​

The London show is a magnificent pageant featuring 300 mounted guards and the Royal Regiment wearing traditional red uniforms and bearskins, and marching to military-band timpani. No wonder that the pageant attracts quite a few locals, let alone multitudes of tourists. Danish guards also have bearskins - completely unique pitch-black ones custom-ordered in Canada where the population of bears in question is so limited that hunting them is strictly state-licensed. Actually, the bearskins is the one and only feature the two ceremonies have in common. Crashing waves and screaming seagulls replace the timpani; a couple of policewomen, politely reminding the spectators not to block the guards' path, come instead of the horse guard. Quite likely, those policewomen are the only Danes on the square otherwise attended by a handful - a far cry from those multitudes in London - tourists.

As for the most lasting (and even somewhat troubling) impression produced by the ceremony, it's a weird discrepancy between the guards' baby faces and their gigantic size.

All my attempts to solve that riddle remained unsuccessful...

​

​

 

 

​

​

phpzr0JSD.jpeg

February 25, 2022

​

When it comes to the "monarch - subjects relationships", there has historically been a lot of variety, depending on the part of the world. Asian rulers are often deified (for instance, Japanese Emperors are believed to be direct descendants of the Supreme Goddess Amaterasu, while criticism against the king in Thailand is considered sacrilege and punished by law). Eastern European monarchs were sometimes seen as God-given parental figures whose right and duty was to take care of and, mostly, punish their usually unruly and sinning "children"(Russian kings/queens would be traditionally addressed as, what can be roughly translated as, "Little Father"/"Little Mother"). Western European royals are rather perceived as legal entities that must fulfill their contractual obligations to keep enjoying a considerable number of rights and perks (this interpretation of monarchy might have been introduced as early as 1215 when King John of England was essentially forced to sign a Charter of Liberties known as Magna Carta). 

 

Danish warm and friendly attention to and curiosity about their monarchs has made sure that none of the above would apply! The best way to describe a unique relationship between Danish kings and their subjects might be to compare the former to...their namesakes on the chess board! In chess the king is the most important but also the weakest (at least, for most part of the game) piece of the whole set. In Denmark the monarch is the mirror of the country's international image and the primary symbol of its unity - and yet, hir power is symbolic, as well, because key decisions affecting the country's daily life are made by the Parliament. Besides, as most public figures, the royals have very little privacy. It's therefore not surprising that they are sympathized with, and sometimes even spoiled. For instance, several lovely rotunda pavilions were built for the royal family right on the waterfront (and not far from the Mermaid) - so that Queen Margrethe II and her kin could rest comfortably after yachting for a few hours. Even the police would occasionally turn a blind eye to royal misdemeanors - just like it did when Crown Prince Frederick decided to swish through Copenhagen at 300 km/hour. Usually, the rules are observed much more strictly: when the visiting Swedish king followed suit, he was fined an equivalent of 750 $ - even though his speed merely reached 200 km/hour...

Transportation Means.JPG

March 5, 2022

​

Most wonders belong in their own time and place - even now, when concerts are broadcast live from the best music halls in the world, and museum exhibits can be viewed in 3D without leaving the comfort of one's own home. Somehow, seeing a picture of, say, Niagara Falls is not the same as experiencing the Falls while standing right in front of them. Maybe it's the aura of the place...

 

As for time, even the most famous Wonders - six out of the Original Seven - are long gone. True, there is an exception - as they say, "Everything bows before Time but even Time itself bows before the Pyramids! - but it's the one and only exception.  Everything else does indeed do Time's bidding and crumbles into disappearance with its passage.

​

Finally, there are wonders that disappear without crumbling - and, in a way, those are the most amazing of all of them. Who would stop today even for a moment before making a phone call, turning on a TV, placing milk in the fridge or boarding a plane to travel half across the globe in several hours? Yet, if we do pause to think about it for a fleeting moment, we'll immediately realize that  historically insignificant 100-150 years ago all of the above either didn't exist or was every bit a wonder, if not a miracle. While individual bygones had inevitably decayed, the collective technological concepts bringing those early objects about have stayed and developed. Modern technologies' products are slimmer, lighter, much easier to handle and more aesthetically pleasing - and yet, they aren't wonders anymore. Not in our collective mind. However, if we ever try to see by-now-oh-so-familiar-things with fresh eyes, the goldmine of wonders will become practically inexhaustible... 

maxresdefault.jpg

March 19, 2022

​

Wonderful ideas are as mortal as wonderful objects - and a revolutionary concept that has almost singlehandedly defined what tourism in the 21st century looks like, has proven to be no exception.

Tourism as we used to know it, was all about certified guides using motor coaches or boats to bring big groups of people to prominent locations featuring famous museums, renowned cathedrals, historic buildings or other landmarks. Sometimes, these groups would climb the tallest building in the city to get a panoramic view. Wealthier or simply more adventurous tourists would even use helicopters for the same purpose. In other words, every city could quite literally be seen, as Winston Churchill would put it, from "the land, the sea and the air"

(of course, Churchill in his remarkable speech rather insisted on using the three to fight the Nazis, while tourism is a much more peaceful and educational activity). A stock example is Paris where every self-respecting tourist would "conquer" the Eiffel Tower, cruise on the Seine and take a night tour in the City of Lights - to see essentially the same things from a number of different angles (which is the whole point of such an itinerary). The question is, how much will such a tourist remember next day, let alone in a week or a month. After all, even the keenest observer with an excellent memory would have no chance to stop and contemplate any given object of interest, no time to grok it or even develop any real affinity with it. 

​

A stroke of genius, almost ridiculous in its simplicity, had changed all that once and for all. A one, two or three-day pass that allows its owner to board any tourist bus, serving a particular route or several routes, any number of times for any period of time on the given date(s) - and that provides all the time and all the opportunities one might need to really familiarize hirself with any particular area. Of course, at times, such buses are almost completely empty - and no tour guide would work for just one or two people for 8-10 hours a day. No human guide that is - that's why hop-buses use audio guides operating in 7-8 languages. And "Voila"! Now almost anybody can board such a bus, stay for 55-60 minutes to get an overview - in their native language - leave the bus at any stop along the route (usually, there 10 to 12 such stops for each of the 3-4 city routes) to spend some time around a particular attraction that caught that tourist's imagination, then re-board the same or another bus (they return every 15 minutes or so), to repeat the procedure "ad infinitum" or, at least, until the end of the day.

​

It goes without saying that the recorded texts are also nothing like "to your right...to your left" followed by a string of numbers, names and such. Instead, they are full of so-called "information hooks" - touching personal stories (like that of the Christian X statue in Copenhagen), amusing details ("this is the headquarters of the biggest shipping company in Scandinavia. The seven-pointed star decorating the building is supposed to symbolize the seven seas the company's ships are navigating. However, the company's employees believe that what the star really symbolizes is the seven-days business week!"), or even seemingly trivial facts concerning famous people ("right in front of the municipality building is a statue of our famous writer, Hans-Christian Andersen. As you can see, his eyes are riveted on the Tivoli Gardens where Andersen loved to spend time when living in or visiting the capital"...

Now try really hard to forget all that, and you'll immediately understand how wonderfully efficient the hop-approach is. Just think of it not being a wonder anymore...

​

​

​

​

​

R_odd_copenhagen.webp

March 26, 2022

​

While groundbreaking technical innovations and simply great ideas often succumb to Time, there is one particular category of things that manages to slip under Time's radar. Some of those things make people curious - that's why they are called "curiosities". Others are odd enough to unsettle or even repulse those who come in contact with them - hence the more telling name, "oddities". As human nature never changes, neither does human attitude towards those things - so they remain popular enough to find a permanent niche in human culture. A big enough niche to justify creating a special kind of museum for hosting and exhibiting such oddities/curiosities. Quite fittingly, such museums had become known as "odditoriums" 

​

At least, three things are certain in life: death, taxes and a whole range of various and, sometimes, clashing thoughts and impressions if you happen to visit an odditorium like the Ripley Museum in Copenhagen. It's rather amusing to see a whole Bible squeezed onto a credit card. It's thought-provoking to find out that the size of Napoleon's signature was inversely proportional to his fame. It's interesting and, in a way, gratifying to find out that the first metallic coins were produced in China. It's outright awe-inspiring to see an exact copy of Taj-Mahal and a fully operational violin - both made of matches! It's rather weird to see a genuine one-cent cheque, and it's absolutely mind-boggling to hear about an aircraft staying airborne for several hours and then landing on the same airfield it took off from - all that with its crew as dead as a Pharaoh!

​

There are quite a few educational exhibits, too. One can learn about various cultural traditions (for instance, by seeing copies of animals offered as lucky charm gifts to Chinese newborn babies who were supposed to emulate their animal's best traits) or, say, natural phenomena (there is a fish on display one of whose bones looks like an exact copy of a crucifix)...

​

​

download.jpg

April 2, 2022

 

Most exhibits of the Copenhagen Odditorium are...well, oddities - that is, objects of little to no practical significance. There is, however, at least one notable exception - a nose. To be precise, a silver nose crafted to successfully replace its maker's natural one that was sliced off during a duel. A fully functional 16th century prosthesis can be deemed as nothing short of remarkable in its own right but the person of its owner/creator turns that silver nose into a true one off. The dueling trouble-seeker was none other than a certain Tycho Brahe.

​

A Dane, he was born in the region of Scania that became Sweden soon after his death. A famous astronomer, he conceived an idea of planetarium almost two centuries before the first actual planetarium was built in the Netherlands in 1781. Brahe insisted on and personally contributed to building four observatories, among them one in Upsala, Sweden - arguably, the most famous observatory in the world.  He served several kings, including Christian IV - then a very young monarch, eager to learn, and in need of great mentors. Who knows, just how much of its prosperity the kingdom of Denmark owed to the fact that those two outstanding personalities happened to cross paths!

​

A giant of science - and yet, as the above-mentioned duel proves, Brahe was no bluestocking, whatever the colour of his actual stockings might have been! A vessel where a great mind, a great spirit, and multiple skills happily co-existed and probably boosted each other, Tycho Brahe was a true Renaissance man who left his mark on many areas that eventually defined the place of his native Denmark in the Renaissance world. In a twist of irony, he left his mark on the world of oddities, too.

hp8hrbwgi8f9c92616ee272eb0628_world clock.jpg

April 9, 2022

​

Most wonders, both natural and man-made ones, are either fully intuitive or easy to explain.

We look at waterfalls and geysers or into caves, and we immediately know why they are there. We see paintings and statues, or even such bizarre objects as a silver nose in a museum, and a couple of sentences is enough to clarify what they are about. Talking of museums, most of them are about exhibitS. However, there are exceptions to either rule, and one such exception is to both rules, at the same time.  

​

There is a clock in a room located in a tower at Copenhagen City Hall. The room is big enough to host a full-fledged museum of a modest size, yet the clock in question is the only object there. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to call it the "only exhibit" either because that clock is truly one of a kind. It's not for nothing that it is called the "World Clock".

To quote the Atlas Obscura, "this gilded horological masterwork is geared to calculate global times and dates, and planetary positions with remarkable precision. And, as long as it continues to be wound once every week, it will continue to display this information for the next 2,500 years". The article goes on to provide very detailed information about when and how that clock was conceived, created and installed, but both that and readily available description of how the clock functions (multilingual technical texts and drawings are all over the room) take a back seat to one's immediate perception.

​

A spacious room, flooded with sunshine, immediately reminds of a temple of some sort - in this case, a Temple of Science. The divine resident of that temple is very complex, and it takes up a lot of space - yet, being fully symmertric and elegant, it doesn't strike as bulky. There are plenty of exposed shiny little parts - tubes, springs, even solid metal blocks - that create a sense of harmony almost too perfect to be real. One can't help thinking of a fairy-tale and, maybe, even looking for a little boy (and there is more than enough space for a little boy inside the clock!) trying to spell "Eternity". There is none. The clock keeps... no, not ticking, as the room is eerily quiet, but working like...well, clockwork! Every 100 years it falls behind by exactly 1 second - and it seems that Eternity has found its way into that room even without Kai...

bottom of page