Rose Mason
@rosemmason.bsky.social
Autodidact historian, mostly central and eastern Europe.
historical musicology
Слава Україні! 🇺🇦
Слава фламінго!🦩
"Why, said Montag slowly, 'we've stopped in front of my house.'"
historical musicology
Слава Україні! 🇺🇦
Слава фламінго!🦩
"Why, said Montag slowly, 'we've stopped in front of my house.'"
Pinned
Rose Mason
@rosemmason.bsky.social
· Mar 3
"The Russians' bungling incompetence really comes down to the fact that they didn't even bother to learn anything about us."
—Сергі́й Жада́н / Serhiy Zhadan
"Sky Above Kharkiv," p.42-43
March 21, 2022, 12:51pm
—Сергі́й Жада́н / Serhiy Zhadan
"Sky Above Kharkiv," p.42-43
March 21, 2022, 12:51pm
Reposted by Rose Mason
The PLA is undergoing a dramatic purge of its top leadership. The heads of all but one of the PLA’s five regional commands are currently unaccounted for, are under investigation or have been fired. The navy and the ground force have followed the rocket force in having their commanders targeted.
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The PLA is undergoing a dramatic purge of its top leadership. The heads of all but one of the PLA’s five regional commands are currently unaccounted for, are under investigation or have been fired. The navy and the ground force have followed the rocket force in having their commanders targeted.
A bit puzzled. I didn't expect this from Nawrocki.
November 22, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A bit puzzled. I didn't expect this from Nawrocki.
Budanov retains his poker face even when greeting former prisoners who were in Belarus'.
I'm so happy that they're home.
Слава Україні!
I'm so happy that they're home.
Слава Україні!
🙏🇺🇦 Budanov showed footage of the return of 31 Ukrainians who were held in Belarus
November 22, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Budanov retains his poker face even when greeting former prisoners who were in Belarus'.
I'm so happy that they're home.
Слава Україні!
I'm so happy that they're home.
Слава Україні!
I've long thought that Frida Kahlo is the better of the two, even back when she was seen as a mere appendage of Rivera. The colors and subjects of her paintings are more interesting, more unexpected, than those of Rivera.
Frida Kahlo used to be described in US media simply as "the wife of Diego Rivera." Now Kahlo overshadows him and all other Latin American artists, with a minor work taking $54.7 mn at auction. www.npr.org/2025/11/19/n...
A Frida Kahlo painting broke records at auction on Thursday
The artist's 1940 painting, El sueño (La cama), was expected to sell for $40 to $60 million on Thursday night. It sold for $54.7 million.
www.npr.org
November 21, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I've long thought that Frida Kahlo is the better of the two, even back when she was seen as a mere appendage of Rivera. The colors and subjects of her paintings are more interesting, more unexpected, than those of Rivera.
Damn it, we've warned you people over & over since the beginning of the 2/24/22 invasion. We warned you abt the dire consequences of not supplying Ukraine with every weapon it requested, in the ranges & numbers requested, not just for Europe but Taiwan & the whole факінґ world.
Yet you dithered.
Yet you dithered.
Russian spy ship enters UK waters and aims lasers at military pilots, Britain says
www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/u...
Russian spy ship enters British waters and directs lasers at military pilots | CNN
A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and directed lasers at military pilots, Britain’s defense secretary said Wednesday, as he warned that the country was facing a “new era of threat” from ho...
www.cnn.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Damn it, we've warned you people over & over since the beginning of the 2/24/22 invasion. We warned you abt the dire consequences of not supplying Ukraine with every weapon it requested, in the ranges & numbers requested, not just for Europe but Taiwan & the whole факінґ world.
Yet you dithered.
Yet you dithered.
This is fantastic news! Throughout history, in all parts of the world, rural populations have tended to be conservative.
Hang in there, Hungarians. April 2026 is coming.
Hang in there, Hungarians. April 2026 is coming.
November 19, 2025 at 12:53 AM
This is fantastic news! Throughout history, in all parts of the world, rural populations have tended to be conservative.
Hang in there, Hungarians. April 2026 is coming.
Hang in there, Hungarians. April 2026 is coming.
Oh beautiful, beautiful Харків! A city I know only through its writers, its artists, and reading its history! A city I dream of visiting one day so I can wander its streets: The lights, including the umbrellas hanging from the trees; and the gold statues of musicians with lampshades on their heads!
November 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Oh beautiful, beautiful Харків! A city I know only through its writers, its artists, and reading its history! A city I dream of visiting one day so I can wander its streets: The lights, including the umbrellas hanging from the trees; and the gold statues of musicians with lampshades on their heads!
Reposted by Rose Mason
My brother put on his Appalachian Business Shirt (a flannel) and now he’s strutting around like a full-time lumberjack. Sir, you can’t even find your own tail. Please stop trying to unionize the squirrels. #TuesdayMotivation #dogsofbsky #dogsofbluesky #dogs
November 18, 2025 at 9:48 AM
My brother put on his Appalachian Business Shirt (a flannel) and now he’s strutting around like a full-time lumberjack. Sir, you can’t even find your own tail. Please stop trying to unionize the squirrels. #TuesdayMotivation #dogsofbsky #dogsofbluesky #dogs
Вічна пам’ять, Oleksandr Savov!🕯️
“'Captivity keeps killing even after release,' Oleksandr Savov’s daughter said.”
“'Captivity keeps killing even after release,' Oleksandr Savov’s daughter said.”
Defender of Azovstal dies 8 months after returning from Russian captivity
November 18, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Вічна пам’ять, Oleksandr Savov!🕯️
“'Captivity keeps killing even after release,' Oleksandr Savov’s daughter said.”
“'Captivity keeps killing even after release,' Oleksandr Savov’s daughter said.”
Ukraine matters to the security of the free world.
Biking across the U.S. was always a dream for George Kent, but he turned it into a mission to support Ukraine. Strangers approached him, asked about the war, and contributed to his fundraiser, helping him collect over $100,000 for vehicles for frontline units.
🎥: @corrie-ua.bsky.social
🎥: @corrie-ua.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Ukraine matters to the security of the free world.
Whenever we've thought that the Russians had hit rock bottom — that surely there must be a limit to their depravity — again and again, we hear knocking from below.
The Russian Nazi paramilitary group Rusich announced a “contest” with a cryptocurrency prize for soldiers who execute Ukrainian POWs.
Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary group Rusich announces “contest” encouraging fighters to execute Ukrainian POWs
The neo-Nazi paramilitary group Rusich, which fights alongside Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine, has publicly announced a “contest” offering cryptocurrency rewards to fighters who send photographs of ...
theins.press
November 18, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Whenever we've thought that the Russians had hit rock bottom — that surely there must be a limit to their depravity — again and again, we hear knocking from below.
Reposted by Rose Mason
World War II–era shells were discovered in the Kharkiv region. The dangerous find was made in a field during routine agricultural work.
This is not an isolated incident, but a common occurrence in Ukraine. We are still demining decades later.
This is not an isolated incident, but a common occurrence in Ukraine. We are still demining decades later.
November 17, 2025 at 2:39 PM
World War II–era shells were discovered in the Kharkiv region. The dangerous find was made in a field during routine agricultural work.
This is not an isolated incident, but a common occurrence in Ukraine. We are still demining decades later.
This is not an isolated incident, but a common occurrence in Ukraine. We are still demining decades later.
Reposted by Rose Mason
This video is almost exactly the same as the moment I was wounded: a mortar attack, guided by a drone, contusion and another 20 minutes underground (under a train car in the video) with shrapnel in my neck before the drone flew away.
Turn on the sound to hear what modern war sounds like.
Turn on the sound to hear what modern war sounds like.
November 16, 2025 at 10:23 PM
This video is almost exactly the same as the moment I was wounded: a mortar attack, guided by a drone, contusion and another 20 minutes underground (under a train car in the video) with shrapnel in my neck before the drone flew away.
Turn on the sound to hear what modern war sounds like.
Turn on the sound to hear what modern war sounds like.
The best thing for a child—other than a lot of love—is a pet, which is really part of the love. Dogs love their people unconditionally, and this unconditional love is the best teacher for children. Children who are loved by dogs will carry that experience into adulthood; they'll never forget it.
November 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The best thing for a child—other than a lot of love—is a pet, which is really part of the love. Dogs love their people unconditionally, and this unconditional love is the best teacher for children. Children who are loved by dogs will carry that experience into adulthood; they'll never forget it.
Reposted by Rose Mason
Ukrainian forces blew up the road from Selydove to Pokrovsk, a key route for Russian assaults in Donetsk Oblast
Located northwest of Pokrovsk, the road had been used by Russian troops to move light vehicles and conduct attacks euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/15/u...
Located northwest of Pokrovsk, the road had been used by Russian troops to move light vehicles and conduct attacks euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/15/u...
Ukraine blows road to stop Russian infiltrations in Pokrovsk from northwest (VIDEO)
Meanwhile, Russia sends suicide squads to clear barriers.
euromaidanpress.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Ukrainian forces blew up the road from Selydove to Pokrovsk, a key route for Russian assaults in Donetsk Oblast
Located northwest of Pokrovsk, the road had been used by Russian troops to move light vehicles and conduct attacks euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/15/u...
Located northwest of Pokrovsk, the road had been used by Russian troops to move light vehicles and conduct attacks euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/15/u...
Reposted by Rose Mason
When I visited PEN Ukraine in Kyiv in September 2023, I was photographed by Kostiatyn Huzenko, who documented the war. He enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces this April and was killed on November 1 by a Russian missile. Courage, truth, memory
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
“If Caught in the Rain, He’d Smile”: In Memory of Kostiantyn Huzenko, Soldier, Artist, Friend
A marine, photographer, and friend, Kostiantyn Huzenko was killed by Russia in 2025. His spirit lives on in memories, photos, and the people he touched.
united24media.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:56 PM
When I visited PEN Ukraine in Kyiv in September 2023, I was photographed by Kostiatyn Huzenko, who documented the war. He enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces this April and was killed on November 1 by a Russian missile. Courage, truth, memory
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
Reposted by Rose Mason
✈️🇺🇦 Video about Ukrainian F-16 ground technicians who work nonstop—without pause, even under enemy fire and strikes.
They prepare fighter jets for missions: they prepare the aircraft several times a day, supporting dozens of sorties from a single airfield.
They prepare fighter jets for missions: they prepare the aircraft several times a day, supporting dozens of sorties from a single airfield.
November 14, 2025 at 6:52 PM
✈️🇺🇦 Video about Ukrainian F-16 ground technicians who work nonstop—without pause, even under enemy fire and strikes.
They prepare fighter jets for missions: they prepare the aircraft several times a day, supporting dozens of sorties from a single airfield.
They prepare fighter jets for missions: they prepare the aircraft several times a day, supporting dozens of sorties from a single airfield.
I'd completely forgotten about this. As I recall, Russian officials started giving meat grinders to the families of fallen soldiers back in 2022.
One would expect to find a story like this in a satirical newspaper like The Onion @theonion.com.
One would expect to find a story like this in a satirical newspaper like The Onion @theonion.com.
November 14, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I'd completely forgotten about this. As I recall, Russian officials started giving meat grinders to the families of fallen soldiers back in 2022.
One would expect to find a story like this in a satirical newspaper like The Onion @theonion.com.
One would expect to find a story like this in a satirical newspaper like The Onion @theonion.com.
Reposted by Rose Mason
The Georgian version of "The Torture Camp on Paradise Street":
www.artanuji.ge/book_ge.php?...
www.artanuji.ge/book_ge.php?...
November 13, 2025 at 10:30 AM
The Georgian version of "The Torture Camp on Paradise Street":
www.artanuji.ge/book_ge.php?...
www.artanuji.ge/book_ge.php?...
"certain measures"!
2/2
Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelenskyy also met his military intelligence chief.
The President says he gave Kyrylo Budanov instructions to carry out certain measures in Ukraine’s interests.
Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelenskyy also met his military intelligence chief.
The President says he gave Kyrylo Budanov instructions to carry out certain measures in Ukraine’s interests.
November 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
"certain measures"!
Reposted by Rose Mason
Putin had clones of his offices built&is hiding in the Valdai forests, surrounded by 14 air defense systems,according to journalists from the investigative project Systema,RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, who analyzed thousands of official video recordings from recent years.⤵️
November 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Putin had clones of his offices built&is hiding in the Valdai forests, surrounded by 14 air defense systems,according to journalists from the investigative project Systema,RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, who analyzed thousands of official video recordings from recent years.⤵️
Reposted by Rose Mason
Happy Berlin Wall fall day! Good riddance to the Wall and the regimes that had built it. Celebrate the freedom that followed and don't fall for revisionism. The hard next decade was the pain of extrication from a failed political and economic project. This is my high school class on that day.
November 10, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Happy Berlin Wall fall day! Good riddance to the Wall and the regimes that had built it. Celebrate the freedom that followed and don't fall for revisionism. The hard next decade was the pain of extrication from a failed political and economic project. This is my high school class on that day.
Reposted by Rose Mason
Zelenskyy: "Europe fears the word ‘escalation.’ They believe any response is escalation - but Russia sees non-forceful, intellectual responses as weakness."
This is exactly right. We are at war a thug, or a school bully. Give them something and they will demand more!
This is exactly right. We are at war a thug, or a school bully. Give them something and they will demand more!
November 9, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Zelenskyy: "Europe fears the word ‘escalation.’ They believe any response is escalation - but Russia sees non-forceful, intellectual responses as weakness."
This is exactly right. We are at war a thug, or a school bully. Give them something and they will demand more!
This is exactly right. We are at war a thug, or a school bully. Give them something and they will demand more!
I'm just a self-taught historian of eastern Europe & it's infuriating that I have a better understanding of ru & its history than Western policy makers. No one will listen to me but there are plenty of people with PhDs who've tried to warn these policy makers, and they won't listen to them, either.
On the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Zelensky called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg from a bunker in Kyiv, pleading for a no-fly zone to stop Russian airstrikes.
He cited NATO’s past interventions in Bosnia and Iraq, but
He cited NATO’s past interventions in Bosnia and Iraq, but
November 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I'm just a self-taught historian of eastern Europe & it's infuriating that I have a better understanding of ru & its history than Western policy makers. No one will listen to me but there are plenty of people with PhDs who've tried to warn these policy makers, and they won't listen to them, either.
A horse is a horse, of course, of course!
Interesting if true!
Russia’s FM Lavrov appears to have fallen out of favor with Putin after a disastrous call with Rubio, which led to the cancellation of the Putin-Trump summit
Well at least he hasn’t fallen out of a window… yet
Russia’s FM Lavrov appears to have fallen out of favor with Putin after a disastrous call with Rubio, which led to the cancellation of the Putin-Trump summit
Well at least he hasn’t fallen out of a window… yet
Путин отправил Лаврова в опалу после срыва саммита с Трампом - Русская служба The Moscow Times
www.moscowtimes.ru
November 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
A horse is a horse, of course, of course!