Little sodomies. The main palace of the Russian Empire

THE JINN BREAKS THE OLD AND BUILDS A NEW PALACE

The palace collapsed on top of the genie, stones and the roof flew, but he didn’t even shield himself with his hand, as if it were sprinkled with fine rain. He rejoiced, laughed and threw the stones of the palace into the sky.

Look,” the grandfather laughed, “the stones are only being polished.”

Not even five minutes had passed before the genie broke the palace and trampled the remains into the ground. He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve.

Well done, Misha! - Grandfather praised. - I broke it quickly.

The genie turned his chipped face, smeared with plaster, towards us and said:

Zguchuburu. Berchugarachu.

Misha is interested,” the grandfather explained, “what kind of palace do we want: with five fountains or one hanging garden?”

The genie nodded his head and showed his hand with outstretched fingers.

“Let him make the palace the way it was before,” said Toropun-Karapun. He felt very sorry for the destroyed palace.

The genie nodded his head again, saying it’s clear.

And we began to wait with interest to see how he would build the palace. And the genie, realizing that he was being watched, straightened up to his full giant height, put his right leg aside and with the toe of his shoe, turning like a compass, drew a circle. Then he waved his right hand and caught in mid-flight a huge pipe that appeared out of thin air. The genie fixed the pipe in the middle of the circle.

For fountains and for water in general,” explained the grandfather.

The genie waved his left hand and a giant crane appeared in it. Very deftly the genie fitted the tap to the pipe.

Masterful! - Grandfather praised. - Look, what a head. Ooh! Anything is possible, the guy has golden hands!

Meanwhile, the genie slowly walked out of the circle, waved both hands and caught the lower part of the building, placing it in the circle. Then, walking in a circle and accelerating his movements, he began to catch not individual stones, but entire blocks - either a wall with a window, or a column. The palace was rising before our eyes. And the genie ran faster and faster, and all that could be heard was the clapping of heavy stone masses. He was already spinning around the palace in a whirlwind, he was no longer visible. It seemed as if a rainbow wheel was spinning rapidly, uncontrollably in front of us, and in the middle, like a flower, a blue palace with a crystal dome was blooming, revealing its petals.

I will never forget this wonderful sight.

Gradually, the circle seemed to begin to settle, rotated more and more slowly, and finally a genie appeared. He made a few more circles, adjusted something on the roof, straightened the columns, blew dust from the windows and walked away, swaying slightly. His chest rose high, and his breath swept over us like the wind.

Ay well done! - Spoon praised.

Hooray! - Toropun-Karapun shouted and clapped his hands, happy, like in the theater.

Hooray! - we picked up.

The genie pressed his hand to his heart, saying that he did everything from the heart, trying not to lose face. He especially bowed to Toropun-Karapun. Our captain beamed.

Well, Misha,” said grandfather, “has made the guests happy.”

The genie raised his right hand.

Young Cristobal
The junta brought into Charlemagne's squad a Chinese man trained to fight the Moors
dragon, but, having learned that the emperor was going to fight not with the Moors, but with
tribal Basques, became furious and deserted. For
centuries-old history of wars, various magicians proposed using them in battle
vampires (for night reconnaissance in force), basilisks (to defeat
terror to the point of complete petrification), flying carpets (for
dumping sewage on enemy cities), swords-treasures of various
advantages (to compensate for the small number) and much more. However, already
after the First World War, after Long Bertha, tanks, mustard gas and chlorine
defense magic began to fade. A general exodus began from the department
employees. The one who stayed there the longest was a certain Pitirim Schwartz, a former
monk and inventor of the musket rest, who worked selflessly on
the genie bombing project. The essence of the project was to drop on
enemy cities bottles with genies kept in captivity for at least
three thousand years. It is well known that the jinn are in a free state
They are only capable of either destroying cities or building palaces. Thoroughly
the seasoned genie (reasoned Pitirim Schwartz), freed from the bottle,
will not build palaces, and the enemy will have a hard time. Some
an obstacle to the implementation of this plan was the insufficient
number of bottles with genies, but Schwartz expected to replenish supplies
deep trawling of the Red and Mediterranean Seas. They say that
Having learned about the hydrogen bomb and bacteriological warfare, old man Pitirim
lost his mental balance, distributed the genies he had into departments
and went to explore the meaning of life with Cristobal Junta. No one else is him
never saw.
When I stopped on the threshold, the soldier looked at me with one
eye, wheezed: “It’s not ordered, go further...” - and dozed off again. I
looked around the empty, cluttered room with the wreckage of outlandish models and
scraps of illiterate drawings, moved the toe of a shoe that was lying near
entrance folder with a greased stamp "Top Secret. Before reading
burn" and walked away. There was nothing to turn off the power here, but as for
spontaneous combustion, then everything that could spontaneously combust, spontaneously combusted here
many years ago.
On the same floor there was a book depository. It was gloomy
a dusty room similar to the lobby, but much more spacious. By
about its size they said that in the depths, half a kilometer from
entrance, there is a good highway running along the shelves, equipped with milestones
pillars. Oira-Oira reached the “19” mark, and the persistent Vitka Korneev
in search of technical documentation for the sofa-translator I got hold of
seven-league boots and reached the “124” mark. He would move on and
further, but his way was blocked by a brigade of Danaids in quilted jackets and with fenders
hammers.

The “Gate of All Nations” was a large square hall with four carved columns. They were “guarded” by colossal shedu figures - sculptures of winged bulls with human heads. Envoys of the peoples and countries they conquered once passed through the “Gate of Nations” to the Achaemenid monarchs with rich gifts and tribute. Here they awaited the highest permission to enter Apadana - the ceremonial palace, or “Reception Hall” of Darius the Great.

The majestic and richly decorated Apadana was an example of the architecture of that era, the pearl of ancient Persian architecture. It was a huge square hall, each side of which was 85 meters. The ceiling vaults of the “Reception Hall” rested on 36 stone columns, which skilled craftsmen decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of court life.

Apadana occupied an area of ​​over 1000 square meters. Staircases, also decorated with relief images, adjoined the huge hall. Only 13 columns that supported flat floors have survived to this day. At one time, these columns were widely spaced, creating a free and well-lit space. They say that up to 10,000 people at a time - courtiers, warriors, envoys - gathered in Persepolis during receptions.

On solemn days, King Darius sat on the throne, and all those who had the honor of beholding their powerful ruler passed by him. The procession carved on the walls and on both sides of the stairs has been preserved for centuries. And who is not in it! Warriors armed with swords march with their horses and chariots; the mighty of the world are coming, marching under the command of Persian and Median dignitaries, the Saki - in long-topped hats and with long beards, leading horses as gifts, carrying gold bracelets and precious robes; the inhabitants of sinful Babylon walk in front of Darius in long pleated clothes, carrying rich fabrics and rings; the inhabitants of Bactria lead the clumsily stepping Bactrian camels. And above this entire mass of horse and foot is a winged sun, held by two shedu.

The power and greatness of the Persian Empire are captured here for centuries. All the reliefs in Persepolis were colorful, and although the colors have faded over time, some of the reliefs have been quite well preserved to this day.

To the south of Apadana lie the ruins of the Tripilion - the “Meeting Hall”, to the east - the ruins of the Throne Room of King Xerxes, or the “Hall of a Hundred Columns”. This hall was named so because its ceiling was supported by 10 rows of 10 columns each. It was even larger than Apadana, and thousands of skilled architects, engineers and craftsmen of various professions worked on its construction, many of whom were prisoners of the countries conquered by the Achaemenids.

As in the Apadana reliefs, in the few surviving reliefs of the “Hall of a Hundred Columns” we see troops standing in trellises. And here is Darius himself. It’s as if he greets visitors, sitting on a throne guarded by guards, just as he once met the nobility who were going to the council. The “Hall of a Hundred Columns” was illuminated only by torches, and darkness always reigned in its depths.

The architectural ensemble of Persepolis included many other structures; neither the sun nor the wind could erase them from the face of the earth over many centuries. Their size can be judged by the fact that the Achaemenid treasury, which consisted of many halls, occupied an area of ​​11,000 square meters. The doors of the treasury were lined with thin gold plates. One small piece of such a plate was found by archaeologists in 1941. It clearly shows drawings depicting animals and plant patterns.

It was not for nothing that Persepolis was called the “ceremonial” capital of the Achaemenid kings. The administrative capital of their empire in the winter was the city of Susa, and in the summer - Ecbatana. Persepolis was intended for holding holidays and performing ritual ceremonies. Every year in the spring, during the celebration of Novruz (New Year), the king and his courtiers gathered in Persepolis to accept gifts from the states they had conquered.

And considerable wealth was stored in the treasury of Persepolis. Fine jewelry, priceless works of art and many other gifts - all replenished the treasury of the Persian rulers. Thus, the Greek historian Diodorus writes that during the Achaemenid conquest of Egypt, numerous objects made of precious ivory, gold and silver vessels, sculptural figurines of Isis and other gods of Ancient Egypt, as well as beautiful alabaster vases were confiscated from the residence of the pharaohs. Much became the property of the Persian kings and was kept in Persepolis. The cups of the Hittite kings and the cup of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal were also found here.

But in May 330 BC, Persepolis was captured by the army of Alexander the Great. The famous infantry phalanx and light war cavalry of Alexander the Great turned out to be stronger than the war elephants and heavy chariots of the Persians. Having captured Persepolis, Alexander the Great captured the treasures of the Persian kings. “In addition to the royal palaces, Alexander the Great gave the entire city to his soldiers for plunder. They attacked the gold, luxurious utensils and clothes embroidered with gold and dyed purple. Rich clothes and expensive vessels with highly artistic decoration were cut into pieces with swords, and everyone took their share.”

Ancient authors claim that Persepolis contained 120,000 talents worth of gold and silver jewelry. To deliver them to Susa and Babylon, which the Macedonians had captured earlier, it took 10,000 carts, 300 camels and countless mules.

The ancient Greek historian Plutarch talks about the death of Persepolis in his writings.

Alexander feasted and had fun with his friends. Women also took part in the general fun along with their lovers. Among them, Taida, originally from Attica, especially stood out. Either cleverly glorifying Alexander, or making fun of him, she, in the power of intoxication, decided to utter words that were completely consistent with the morals and customs of her homeland... Taida said that on this day, mocking the arrogant palaces of the Persian kings, she felt rewarded for all the hardships she had experienced her wanderings around Asia. But it would be even more pleasant for her now, with a cheerful crowd of feasters, to go and with her own hand, in front of the king’s eyes, set fire to the palace of Xerxes, who betrayed Athens to a destructive fire. Let them say that the women who accompanied Alexander were able to take revenge on the Persians for Greece better than the famous leaders of the army and navy.

These words were met with a roar of approval and loud applause. Compelled by the persistent insistence of his friends, Alexander jumped up and, with a wreath on his head and a torch in his hand, walked ahead of everyone...

Let us recall that in 480 BC, the Persian king Xerxes, the son and successor of Darius I, together with his army crossed the Bosporus and began military operations in Greece. The formidable armies of Xerxes burst into Athens and burned to the ground the famous Acropolis with its temples and shrines. A year later, at the Battle of Plataea, the Persians suffered a crushing defeat, but for several more decades, almost all over Greece, cities and temples that had suffered during the Persian invasion were rebuilt - an invasion that, like an unhealed wound, revived the memory of the Greeks.

Persepolis was taken without a fight; the Persian troops were then far away, and besides, they were already powerless. In fact, the Persians were on the verge of final defeat, and the palace was already the property of Alexander the Great. It is impossible to explain the burning of Persepolis either from a military point of view or from the point of view of common sense.

Then what were the motives of the Macedonian commander when he destroyed Persepolis? Some historians claim that Alexander the Great was driven by a sense of revenge for the Persians' attack on Greece in 480 BC. Other researchers believe that Alexander the Great knew that the Zoroastrian tradition considered him a symbol of evil and a fiend of hell, the offspring of Ahriman, personifying the evil principle. According to ancient authors, Alexander the Great was guilty of the murder of many priest-magicians and the burning of the Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians.

Whatever the reasons for this severe destruction, ancient historians began to argue about them back in ancient times. In the fire, the priceless royal archive of documents written on leather and papyrus disappeared, and one of the brightest creations of human genius was ruined.

PALACE OF CYRUS THE GREAT IN ECBATANES

Cyrus the Great, Persian king (c. 590–530 BC)

Hamadan is one of the oldest cities in the world. It arose 4,000 years ago, was famous back in the days of ancient Media, was subjected to a destructive invasion three times: Alexander the Great, the rulers of the Arab Caliphate, the great Timur wiped it off the face of the earth, but each time it rose from the ruins and was reborn.

The first mention of this city is contained in the texts of the era of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser I (around the 12th century BC), in which the city appears under the name Amadana. In the cuneiform inscriptions of the ancient Persian kings of the Achaemenid dynasty, it is mentioned as Khagmatana, and the name Ecbatana, which the city bore for many centuries - both during its glory and during its decline - was given to it by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. It was he who first described this city in detail.

True, some scientists believe that modern Hamadan is not the Ecbatana of Herodotus, and suggest looking for the capital of the ancient kingdom to the southeast of Lake Rezaie. Lying among the rocky mountains, this lake is sung by many poets. There is a chain of islands on it, the largest of which is Shahi. Once upon a time, peasants from surrounding villages brought “several dozen sick goats” here, but the “exile” turned out to be a happy one for them. The goats survived, multiplied and went wild, and now Shahi Island is famous for its hunting grounds.

However, the famous archaeologist Demergen, who specifically studied this issue while excavating in Susa, has a different opinion. He established that modern Hamadan is indeed the Ecbatana of Herodotus. Moreover, it was here that the famous royal palace was located, immortalized in the writings of the ancient Greek historian.

The city of Ecbatana lay at the foot of a high mountain; it had no fortress walls, and only the citadel towering above it was strongly fortified. Herodotus considered the founder of the palace to be the Median king Diokes. After ascending the throne (according to Herodotus), one of the first acts of state of Diokes was the creation of a personal guard and the construction of a city and a royal palace.

Ecbatana consisted of seven fortresses located one inside the other; the royal palace and treasury were located in the seventh fortress - the central one. The walls of each fortress were painted in different colors. The outer fortress was white, the second was black, the third was dark red, the fourth was pale blue, the fifth was bright red, the sixth was grayish-cement color, the seventh was designed in golden-yellow tones.

Another ancient Greek historian, Polybius, also wrote about the splendor and brilliant decoration of the royal palace. According to him, the costs of finishing the building were simply fabulous, they could not even be compared with anything. The walls of the palace were made of the best pine trees, on which not a single knot remained that was not covered with gold or silver.

In 550 BC, Ecbatana was captured by Cyrus I, the Persian king from the Achaemenid dynasty, the founder of the Iranian state. Standing among the green mountains, Ecbatana became the summer residence of the Achaemenid kings.

In 330 BC, the troops of Alexander the Great entered Ecbatana. The city was plundered and burned, and in the royal palace, sheltered behind seven fortress walls, the great conqueror hid the wealth captured from the conquered peoples. Ancient historians write that, on his orders, the gold and silver trim of the palace columns was even stripped.

From the formerly majestic palace, only the stone lion has survived to this day, which lies on a hill from which a wide panorama of Ecbatana opens. The centuries and events that this formidable guard witnessed did not pass without a trace for him. The lion's front paws were broken by Muslims, who destroyed any image of a person or animal with fire and sword. One can now only guess about the lion’s once lush mane and its menacing face.

According to an old legend, this lion was enchanted. It was specially placed at the city gates so that it would guard the city in winter, blocking the path of winds and cold: in the winter months frosts in Hamadan reach -20°.

Some residents are still confident in the magical power of the enchanted lion. They say that girls who dream of getting married quickly, or women whose family is not going well come to him secretly. You just have to sit on the lion or just respectfully pat him on the head, and all your wishes will come true. And cheerful, playful children spend whole days rolling on the centuries-polished back and mane of an enchanted lion.

Once upon a time, on the territory of the Knossos Palace lived the Minotaur, the son of the wife of King Minos and the sacred bull. In order for a monster with a human body and a bull's head to agree to live incessantly in the labyrinth built for him, criminals were thrown to him to be devoured, and once every eight years a tribute was sent - seven girls and seven boys. In order not to sacrifice his subjects, the Cretan king demanded that young people be sent from Athens: this city was under the influence of King Minos.

Theseus, whose father was the Athenian ruler Aegeus, having learned about what was happening, decided to kill the monster, and therefore persuaded his father to replace him with one of the victims (they agreed: if Theseus defeats the Minotaur, he will replace the black sails with white ones). The young man did not immediately go to the monster: once in the palace of Midos, he charmed the king’s daughter, Ariadne, and the girl in love quickly figured out how to make her lover find his way out of the labyrinth, giving him a ball, the thread of which would show the way back.

Having defeated the monster, Theseus went home, taking Ariadne with him, but there was one “but”. Minos promised to give his daughter as a wife to the god Dionysius - and therefore her marriage with Theseus was not included in the Olympian’s plans. But the young man did not respond to all the demands to return the girl. Then the gods sent a curse on Theseus - and he forgot what he promised his father. Aegeus, seeing the black sails, without waiting for the ship to arrive, rushed into the sea.

Scientists who study the Minoan civilization are increasingly inclined to think that the legend of the Minotaur did not arise just like that, but had a very real life history. According to one version, the “demigod” was the teacher of King Minos, his name was Taurus and he was a very cruel man who often organized fights, offering Athenian children as a prize.

He usually got the reward: he was a very skilled warrior and not everyone was able to defeat him. This could not continue for long - and, in the end, the Athenian Theseus defeated him, as a result of which King Minos freed his city from paying tribute by young people.

There is another hypothesis that reveals the secret of the origin of the legend of the Minotaur. Some scholars argue that bullfighting was an elaborate theatrical performance and an initiation ritual for young aristocrats (numerous frescoes in the Palace of Knossos directly tell of this event).

Castle

The Palace of Knossos is located on Kefal Hill, in the north of the island of Crete in the administrative district of the Greek Republic, four kilometers from the coast of the Cretan Sea, south of the capital Heraklion. You can find the city at the following coordinates: 35° 17′ 52″ N. latitude, 25° 9′ 47″ e. or at the address: Crete, Minoiton, Heraklion 71409.

It is no coincidence that the palace complex was nicknamed a labyrinth. The Knossos palace of King Minos was built so confusingly and chaotically that many visitors, unfamiliar with its plan, were simply lost and had difficulty finding a way out. Interestingly, the palace was built twice. The first palace complex, built by King Minos (according to assumptions, the main architect was Daedalus), was erected about four thousand years ago and was destroyed by a powerful tsunami, which, according to geologists, hit the island between 1645 and 1500. BC. The second palace was built by the Achaeans according to the plan of the first, but they stayed in it for no more than a century, after which, for unknown reasons, they left the city.

The period when the first palace was created and the years following it (1700 to 1450 BC) is considered the heyday of the Minoan civilization, in particular the city of Knossos, and therefore architecture, painting and even engineering technologies were at a high level . Quite indicative is the fact that archaeologists found many documents among the ruins of the Knossos Palace, which made it possible to determine that there were three types of writing on the island: hieroglyphic writing (the signs were depicted in the form of drawings), as well as linear writing A and B - the signs were depicted contour lines.

It is believed that the Palace of Knossos was the largest structure erected by representatives of the Minoan civilization: its area was 130 by 180 meters (many call it the first skyscraper of the ancient world: it had buildings with about five floors). The palace had water supply, sewerage, ventilation, and also contained a huge number of living rooms, workshops, reception halls, ruler’s rooms, etc.

Unfortunately, exact data on what exactly this architectural monument looked like has not been preserved, and from the ruins found, one can only guess about it. As a result of reconstruction, archaeologists were able, although not completely, to restore the appearance of the ancient structure.

Courtyard of Knossos Palace

The Knossos Palace initially did not provide for any fortifications, and all its buildings (halls, galleries, stairs, passages) were located in a chaotic manner around a central square stone courtyard, 50 by 50 m.

Since local architects did not master the art of symmetry, they built buildings where they saw fit, and did not pay much attention to how harmoniously the building fit into the ensemble. Therefore, some rooms were carved directly into the rock, others were built from brick (since this area was always seismically active, Minoan craftsmen alternated stone with layers of wood to give the buildings stability).

From an architectural point of view, the red and black columns of the palace tapering towards the bottom were interesting. At the top of each pillar was a round capital, where lay a slab supporting the ceiling. The ancient masters of Crete did not pay much attention to forms - they performed a purely practical function: they were supports, while among the Persians and Egyptians the columns often had the shape of a plant.

The design of the stone stairs of the palace complex was also interesting: they not only connected the buildings with each other, but also had gutters through which drinking water flowed into the palace, the pools and bathrooms were filled, and pipes were installed to remove waste from the latrines.

Palace from inside

The Knossos palace had no window openings at all. They were easily replaced by huge holes in the ceiling, which, if the building had several floors, were located on top of each other, thanks to which the sun's rays reached the lower tier (depending on the size of the opening, the craftsmen achieved different levels of illumination of the rooms). These openings also provided ventilation in the rooms, which was important in the hot climate of the island.

The western wing of the palace complex served as an administrative and religious center (there were three stone mines where gifts were brought to the gods during religious ceremonies - sacrificial animals, wine, butter, milk, honey). In the same part of the building was located the Throne Room - the most luxurious room of the palace. The small hall could accommodate no more than sixteen people. The ruler's throne with a high back was made of plaster, and has survived to this day. It is located in the hall, being the most ancient throne on the European continent.

On the walls of the Throne Room there were griffins lying among lilies everywhere. Sir Evans, who discovered the Palace of Knossos and led the excavations, did not doubt the existence of King Minos, and therefore believed that he was not only a ruler, but also a high priest. Therefore, it was not in vain that mythical animals were here - the head of an eagle symbolized Air, the body of a lion - the power of the Earth, the tail of a snake - the other world.

The premises in which the ruler's family lived were located separately from other living rooms, and could be reached by a wide staircase. The royal rooms were bright, and the walls were decorated with various paintings. The artists painted the frescoes of the Knossos Palace (plants, zigzag patterns, ritual actions) on wet plaster with paints.

The portraits painted by ancient artists were also interesting: people’s faces are different from each other, there are no frozen poses, and among the colors the most popular shade is red with black trim (orange, blue and turquoise tones can often be seen).

Paintings on the walls decorated almost the entire palace, and all the frescoes were painted very skillfully, and the details were very well drawn. A popular theme was bullfighting and sports activities; a fresco with a blue bird sitting on a rock, with mountains, roses and irises as a background, has been partially preserved. Also on the walls there are often images of elegant ladies with intricate hairstyles (ancient painters were so successful in conveying the fragility, beauty and grace of women that researchers conventionally called these frescoes “Parisian women” or “court ladies”).

Death of Knossos

The Santorini volcano erupted between 1645 and 1500. BC. on the neighboring island of Thira, which was located in the Aegean Sea, destroyed all nearby cities and settlements not only in Crete, but also on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The destruction of the territory neighboring Thira was caused not so much by the eruption itself (it was so powerful that the volcano completely collapsed and its cone disappeared from the face of the Earth), but by the tsunami that followed, which swept away everything in its path, including the destruction of the Knossos Palace.

It is interesting that during excavations, no remains of people or animals that would have died as a result of the cataclysm were found, which means that people, warned by the earthquake, managed to leave the dangerous territory.

When the eruption ended, a large amount of ash, which completely covered the island (in the center of Crete its layer was about twenty centimeters, and on the east coast - about a meter), completely prevented the growth of any vegetation in this area for decades.

After some time, life on the island resumed - in the 15th century. BC. it was settled by the Achaeans, who restored the castle, preserving the original plan of the Knossos palace. They lived here for no more than a century - and in 1380 BC. Knossos, and with it the Palace of Knossos, fell completely into disrepair.

Knossos Palace today

The Palace of Knossos was discovered by British archaeologist Arthur Evans at the end of the 19th century. after his attention was attracted by the Cephalus Hill, the appearance of which strongly resembled the sand-covered ruins of an ancient city. And after some time, he heard about one of the merchants who discovered huge pots and the ruins of some buildings on his plot near the hill. For Evans, this information was enough: he organized excavations, and in parallel with them he restored destroyed ancient buildings, so it is difficult for tourists to distinguish the remains of ancient structures from those built by Evans.

Gin- this is a strong alcoholic drink, which was used to build real palaces, a truly English drink with Dutch roots. This is a drink that many venerable connoisseurs consider second-rate, but for many centuries it has enjoyed stable popularity all over the world. And since connoisseurs don’t want to drink it neat, well, it will still find its way into their stomachs, because for a very long time it has been one of the first and most popular components of alcoholic cocktails.

But first things first. As for the birth of gin as an independent drink, we can safely say that the birth was not easy. To begin with, Franciscus Silvius, a Dutch doctor, invents an alcoholic tincture of juniper berries, and exclusively for medicinal purposes. But, as it turned out, this alcoholic tincture was superior in its characteristics to any Dutch alcoholic drinks of that time (and we are talking about the 16th century), so that soon the infusion of juniper berries turned from a pharmaceutical medicine into the popularly loved jenever (translated as juniper). By the way, many modern gin lovers call Dutch jenever gin, although these are somewhat different drinks, albeit similar in source materials. Well, that's not what we're talking about. The drink would have remained the property and pride of Holland if not for the 30-year war (1618-1648) during which English soldiers learned about the existence of such an interesting drink. Of course, soon jenever was in England, where it successfully received the simpler and more memorable name gin. I must say that it would have changed little until our times, but fate was favorable to this drink. Especially if we remember the famous patron of distilling, William III, who ascended the throne in 1689, it was thanks to him that anyone could engage in distillation, one just had to warn the public about it 10 days in advance. And this is in England, where by that time distilling had already been developed nowhere else. As a result, by 1730 in London alone there were over 7,000 thousand establishments selling alcohol, in particular gin. Old people and children, women and men drank it, and the poorer sections of the population generally idolized this drink. And they can be understood, given the extremely low price of gin in those days; on the other hand, that gin was a rare sweetish nasty thing. Of course, such popularity of the drink threatened drunkenness (or binge drinking) on ​​a national scale. The government tried to change the situation by raising taxes in the gin law of 1736, but its production simply went into the shadows, so after 6 years the law was repealed. This allowed producers to emerge from the shadows and gradually transform gin into a much more civilized drink.

It all started with the Gin Palaces, they were called Gin Palaces. They opened in contrast to the pubs that were breeding like rabbits, and these were real palaces, sometimes with their luxury beyond the bounds of understanding. Here you could take a break from everyday worries, forget about your problems and enjoy a strong, aromatic, strong drink. Moreover, the quality of the drink in such establishments significantly exceeded the quality of “street” gin (which in turn largely solved the alcohol threat). Of course, not only workers began to go to such establishments; more precisely, they did not go there very often. At the same time, wealthy gentlemen paid more and more attention to the Palaces. And after the invention of continuous distillation, not only the taste and aroma of gin was improved many times over, but also its social position, because it was finally recognized in high society.
Equipment for continuous distillation cost a lot of money, so very quickly the production of high-quality gin was concentrated in the hands of a narrow circle of people. Hundreds of artisanal enterprises simply went bankrupt, unable to compete with the updated, dry (no added sugar) gin.

But somehow I became interested in history. Let's talk about technology, briefly and to the point. There are three important elements to making a good gin: spirit, juniper berries and water. The alcohol must be crystal clear and have a strength of at least 96%. Most often it is a spirit made from barley or corn, although black molasses and potatoes are sometimes used. Next, the main ingredient of gin is juniper berries, the best are considered to be Italian and Yugoslavian, and sometimes these berries are also aged for up to a year in order to fully reveal the taste and aroma. In addition to juniper berries, six to ten more spices are added. It can be coriander, angelica, orris, almonds, orange and lemon peels, licorice, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and many others; the exact recipe is always kept secret. And finally, water, which, in addition to purity, often undergoes demineralization in order to obtain completely pure H2O.

And then everything is simple. If a manufacturer wants to get a high-quality drink, then distillation is indispensable. This type of gin is called Distilled Gin and they usually write about it on the label. To begin with, the alcohol is diluted with water to a strength of 45%, after which spices and berries are introduced, the starting material is placed in stills and distilled, while removing the tail and head of the distillate, the strength of which will be about 80%. Some gins are distilled up to three times, such as Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin (Bombay Sapphire). All that remains is to add water and reduce the strength. Traditionally, it ranges from 37.5 to 47.3%.

Well, if the manufacturer decided to produce low-quality bodyagu, then everything is even simpler. A gin essence is taken, which is obtained either by simply squeezing the plant ingredients, or by distilling them with a small amount of alcohol. All this is diluted with alcohol and diluted with water. So much for gin. But it can’t be called Distilled Gin, much less London Gin. Actually, we also need to talk about the types of gin separately.

There are three main types of gin. More precisely, there are actually more of them, but the same Yellow Gin, which is aged in barrels for three months, is so rare that it’s not worth writing about. Experts already know what's what.

London Dry Gin(London dry gin) - At the moment this is the best dry distilled gin, initially it was produced only in London, which guaranteed the buyer high quality. Now such gin can be produced anywhere in the world, the main thing is to follow the technology. Today there is only one true London Dry Gin left, and that is Beefeater London Distilled Dry Gin.

Plymouth Gin(Plymouth gin) - will be worse than any cognac, since it can only be produced in the city of Plymouth, Devonshire. It has been produced by one single company, Black Friars Distillery, since 1793. At the same time, for a long time, Plymouth gin was the strongest and especially loved by sailors. It is smooth, easy to drink and has a strong juniper aroma. Of course, it is produced only by distillation.

Old Tom Gin(Old Tom Gin) - the predecessor of modern gin, sweetened with sugar. It is so called because of a wooden apparatus in the shape of a cat, to which, when wanting to drink, he put a coin in his mouth, after which the gin flowed out of the cat’s paw.
There are also flavored gins like this Sloe Gin with thornberry flavor, or Lemon Gin, which is flavored with lemon peels.

As for the taste and aroma of gin. A high-quality gin should definitely give a strong sensation of cold in the mouth, while the juniper should be primarily felt in the aroma, but not overpowering the secondary aromas. The problem is only one thing: not everyone can enjoy the taste and aroma of gin, which is why gin is primarily a cocktail drink. It is deservedly considered the basis of any bar; it goes well with tonics, vermouths, bitters, olives and even pickled onions.

If you decide to explore gin on your own, I will recommend three brands to you. I won't say that they are the best, that's up to you to decide, but each of them has its own key features that make them unique. This Beefeater London Distilled Dry Gin(Beefeater) - its strength is 40% or 47% and this is the last true London dry gin, it has been produced in London from 1820 to the present day. Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin(Bombay Sapphire) 40% ABV, curious in that it is triple distilled. Seagram's Extra Dry Gin(Seagram's), has an ABV of 40%, and is distilled at low temperatures and then aged in white oak barrels for three months.