In 1934, Joseph Stalin enacted sodomy laws, unleashing a wave of brutal detentions of homosexual men in large Soviet cities. Rustam Alexander recounts the compelling stories of people whose lives were directly affected by those laws, including a naïve Scottish journalist based in Moscow who dared to write to Stalin in an attempt to save his lover from prosecution, and a homosexual theatre student who came to Moscow in pursuit of a career amid Stalin’s harsh repressions and mass arrests. We...

A flight to escape. A past that refuses to stay buried. A journey that feels like a dream – or a trap. Everything seems normal – until it isn't. Strangers know too much. Shadows whisper forgotten truths. Memories shift, twisting into something unrecognizable. What was left behind is catching up, and the answers may be more unsettling than the questions. I Am You, You Are Me is a mind-bending journey into identity, fate, and the eerie connections that bind us all. Once the truth starts to u...

Offering a comprehensive study into the perceptions of ancient and medieval Iran in the Byzantine empire, this book explores the effects of Persian culture upon Byzantine intellectualism, society and culture.Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 650-1461 focusses on the enduring position of ancient Persia in Byzantine cultural memory, encompassing both in the 'religious' and the 'secular' significance. By analysing a wide range of historical sources – from church literature to be...

“The Official Chaperon” by Natalie Sumner Lincoln is a captivating mystery novel that weaves together elements of suspense, romance, and intrigue. Set in the early 20th century, the story revolves around the character of Grace Maynard, who is appointed as the official chaperon to a wealthy heiress, Miss Imogene Dare.As Grace fulfils her duties, she becomes entangled in a web of secrets, hidden motives, and unexpected dangers. The novel explores the complexities of high society, the ...

This book analyses climate change influences on rainfall erosivity and soil erosion across Central Asia, provides an overview (past and projections) on the Central Asian countries where projected changes in rainfall erosivity and erosivity density are the greatest, and discusses the potential impacts on the environment across the region. This analysis is accomplished primarily using the RUSLE model with past and future climate projections, spatiotemporal variations of rainfall erosivity an...

This unique two-volume book covers virtually the whole spectrum of international conflict and security law. It proceeds from values protected by international law (Part I), through substantive rules in which these values are embodied (Part II), to international and domestic institutions that enforce the law (Part III). It subsequently deals with current challenges in the application of rules of international conflict and security law (Part IV), and crimes as the most serious violations of ...

Something isn't right.The streets are familiar, yet subtly off—like a song played in the wrong key. Time moves forward, but moments slip through unseen cracks. Conversations repeat with eerie precision, yet their meanings shift. Faces he's known forever now carry a faint trace of unfamiliarity. The past feels rewritten, rearranged as if by an unseen hand.The deeper he searches for answers, the more the world bends—quietly, deliberately, as if it was never whole to begin wit...

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Innovative Technologies and Learning, ICITL 2018, held in Portoroz, Slovenia, in August 2018.The 66 revised full papers presented together with 4 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 160 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Augmented and Virtual Reality in Education; Collaborative Learning; Design and Framework of Learning Systems; Instruction...

Post-transition countries are coming of age and are approaching the status of fully-blown developing states. While the main problems highlighted in a classical transition storyline, such as large-scale privatization, institutional formation, and private sector establishment have largely been solved, the recent financial crisis has revealed fresh challenges which demand maximum differentiated attention. Such important contemporary issues as capital markets formation, monetary transmission m...

Prepare to be spellbound by the tantalizing mystery woven by Anna Katharine Green in “The Gray Madam.” In this enigmatic novel, Green takes you on a thrilling journey through the shadowy corridors of Victorian-era intrigue and suspense.At the heart of the story lies the enigmatic character of the Gray Madam, a mysterious figure whose presence looms over the lives of those in a small, unsuspecting village. The disappearance of a young woman, an eerie legend, and a series of unsettlin...

This book aims to analyze the theoretical and practical aspects of ESG transformation in the insurance sector, including assessment of the role of environmental, social and corporate factors in risk management, increasing sustainability, and developing insurance companies. It intends to show the relationship between how the ESG principles implementation can help strengthen investor and consumer confidence, increase the financial institutions' sustainability, and improve the overall socio-e...

“The Boy Slaves” is a novel written by Mayne Reid, a 19th-century Scottish-American novelist known for his adventure stories, particularly those set in the American West. The novel explores themes of adventure, survival, and friendship in the context of a thrilling and perilous journey.The narrative follows the experiences of the protagonist, a young boy named Maurice Gerald, who finds himself caught up in a series of dangerous events. Separated from his family and facing the challe...