Russian Art Architecture.

Russian Art Architecture. Russian Art ArchitectureFrom icons and onion domes to suprematism and the Stalin baroque, Russian art and architecture seems to many visitors to Russia to be a rather baffling array of exotic forms and alien sensibilities. Without any sense of the rich tradition of Russian culture, an appreciation of the country's enormous artistic wealth becomes a game of historical anecdote"the church where so-and-so took refuge from what's-his-name"or a meaningless collection of aesthetic baubles"I like the blue domes the best." In fact, Russian art and architecture are not nearly so difficult to understand as many people think, and knowing even a little bit about why they look the way they do and what they mean brings to life the culture and personality of the entire country.IconsThe tradition of icon painting was inherited by the Russians from Byzantium, where it began as an offshoot of the mosaic and fresco tradition of early Byzantine churches.SPAR Krasnoyarsk, Russia - Nov 2012During the 8th and 9th centuries, the iconoclasm controversy in the Orthodox church called into question whether religious images were a legitimate practice or sacrilegious idolatry. Although the use of images wasn't banned, it did prompt a thorough appreciation of the difference between art intended to depict reality and art designed for spiritual contemplation. That difference is one of the reasons that the artistic style of icons can seem so invariant. Certain kinds of balance and harmony became established as reflections of divinity, and as such they invited careful reproduction and subtle refinement rather than striking novelty. Although this philosophy resulted in a comparatively slow evolution of style, icon painting evolved considerably over the centuries. During the 14th century in particular, icon painting in Russia took on a much greater degree of subjectivity and personal expression. The most notable figure in this change was Andrey...

Celebrities Who Speak Spanish as a Second Language

Celebrities Who Speak Spanish as a Second Language If youre learning Spanish, youre in the company of celebrities. Although there are plenty of famous folks who grew up with Spanish as a first language and have crossed over into English-language celebrityhood, there are some celebs who had to learn Spanish like the rest of us. Here are some you may recognize, although not all of them claim to be fluent: Actors Ben Affleck and his younger brother Casey Affleck learned Spanish while living in Mexico and during film stints in that country. Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) traveled extensively during her adult life. According to her official website, Angelou voraciously read and studied and was able to master French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Fanti (a language of western Africa). Baseball manager Dusty Baker speaks Spanish fluently. According to SportingNews, he learned the language in high school classes because his mother made him. Early in his baseball career, I was the only (American) guy on the team talking to the pretty little girls, he told SportingNews. Im 19 years old. I didnt have any clue how beneficial it was going to be later on in my life. Among those his language abilities inspired was first baseman Joey Votto, who said in a 2012 interview that he studies Spanish daily and even hired a tutor so he could communicate better with Latin American players. Having grown up in Canada, he also speaks French. Soccer superstar David Beckham learned Spanish while playing for Real Madrid. Italian actress Monica Bellucci has appeared in at least one Spanish-language movie, 1998s A los que aman. (IMDb) German-born Pope Benedict XVI, who like many of his predecessors was  multilingual, routinely addressed Spanish-speaking audiences in their native tongue. Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has recorded a few of his songs in Spanish, including Cama de rosas (Bed of Roses). (Bonjovi.com) Actress Kate Bosworth speaks Spanish fluently. (IMDb biography) When he was president of the U.S., George W. Bush would occasionally answer questions in Spanish from news reporters. He appeared to understand the spoken language much better than he could speak it. His brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, however, speaks Spanish quite well. When he was president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, who studied Spanish at the U.S. Naval Academy, would often speak Spanish at conferences in Latin American countries. But in situations where the nuances of words mattered, he insisted on the use of professional translators. (2012 interview with the Council of Foreign Relations.) Although he married an Argentine woman, actor Matt Damon spoke Spanish long before he met her. He said in a 2012 interview with The Guardian that he studied Spanish through immersion in Mexico as a teenager and later backpacked throughout Mexico and Guatemala. American actor Danny DeVito, who voiced the title role in the 2012 animated film The Lorax, also provided the voice for the Spanish and Latin American versions. (ABC.es) Young actress Dakota Fanning had a Spanish-speaking role in the 2004 film Man on Fire. (IMDb) Although he didnt speak Spanish before signing on, actor and comedian Will Ferrell starred in the 2012 Spanish-language film Casa de mi padre. Australian movie heartthrob Chris Hemsworth has picked up a smattering of Spanish from his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky.   British actor Tom Hiddleston is known for his his attempts at speaking native languages when talking to his foreign fans, and he has been known to speak French, Spanish, Greek, and Italian along with bits of Korean and Chinese, among others. (Bustle.com) Actor Matthew McConaughey picked up Spanish while growing up in Uvalde, Texas, which has a large Spanish-speaking population. (Perezhilton.com) American actress Gwyneth Paltrow spent the summer of her sophomore year in high school as a foreign exchange student in Talavera de la Reina, Spain. She continues to regularly visit the town and her host family. (People) Rocker David Lee Roth recorded a Spanish version of his 1986 album  Eat Em and Smile, calling it Sonrisa Salvaje (meaning Wild Smile). Actor Will Smith spoke a limited amount of Spanish during a 2009 interview on the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. At one point he exclaimed,  ¡Necesito ms palabras! (I need more words!) (YouTube) Actor and singer David Soul learned Spanish while attending college in Mexico City. He also can speak German.