What causes indentations in fingernails. How can nail abnormalities indicate underlying health issues. When should you be concerned about changes in your nails. What treatments are available for various nail conditions.

Common Causes of Nail Indentations and Irregularities

Nail irregularities can be a source of concern for many individuals. Understanding the potential causes behind these abnormalities is crucial for maintaining overall nail and health wellness. Here are some common reasons why you might notice indentations or other irregularities in your nails:

• Skin conditions (e.g., psoriasis, eczema)
• Fungal infections
• Nutritional deficiencies (vitamin B-12, iron, zinc)
• Injury or trauma to the nail
• Underlying health conditions
• Side effects of medications

Are indentations in nails always a cause for concern? Not necessarily. While some nail irregularities may be harmless and simply cosmetic, others can indicate more serious underlying health issues. It’s important to monitor changes in your nails and consult a healthcare professional if you notice persistent or concerning abnormalities.

Decoding the Signs: What Your Nails Might Be Telling You

Your nails can serve as a window into your overall health. Different types of nail abnormalities may signal various health conditions:

Spoon Nails (Koilonychia)

Spoon nails, characterized by a concave shape resembling a spoon, can be indicative of several health issues. What causes this distinctive nail deformity? Spoon nails are often associated with:

• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Heart disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Hemochromatosis (iron overload)

Beau’s Lines

Beau’s lines are deep, horizontal grooves that run across the width of the nail. These indentations can result from:

• Severe illness or injury
• Chemotherapy
• Zinc deficiency
• Diabetes
• Peripheral vascular disease

Do Beau’s lines always indicate a serious health problem? Not necessarily. They can also be caused by temporary disruptions in nail growth due to minor illnesses or nutritional imbalances. However, persistent or recurring Beau’s lines warrant medical attention.

The Matrix Matters: Understanding the Root of Nail Health

The nail matrix plays a crucial role in nail health and appearance. This hidden part of the nail unit is responsible for producing new nail cells. When the matrix is affected, it can result in various nail abnormalities.

How does matrix damage manifest in nail appearance? Matrix issues can lead to:

• Indentations or ridges in the nail plate
• Changes in nail texture or thickness
• Discoloration of the nail
• Abnormal nail growth patterns

Protecting the nail matrix is essential for maintaining healthy nails. Avoiding trauma to the nail area and maintaining good overall health can help preserve matrix function and nail appearance.

Bumps and Growths: When to Seek Medical Attention

Unusual growths or bumps around the nail area can be concerning. While some may be benign, others could indicate more serious conditions. Common nail-related growths include:

• Warts
• Cysts
• Fibromas
• Pyogenic granulomas

Can nail growths be cancerous? Unfortunately, yes. Some nail growths may be signs of skin cancer, including:

• Melanoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Basal cell carcinoma

Given the potential seriousness of some nail growths, it’s crucial to have any unusual bumps or changes in the nail area evaluated by a dermatologist. Early detection and treatment can make a significant difference in outcomes, especially in cases of malignancy.

Nutritional Deficiencies and Nail Health: Making the Connection

The health of your nails can often reflect your nutritional status. Various vitamin and mineral deficiencies can manifest as nail abnormalities. Some key nutrients for nail health include:

• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Iron
• Zinc
• Vitamin B12
• Protein

How do nutritional deficiencies affect nail appearance? Deficiencies can lead to:

• Brittle or weak nails
• Slow nail growth
• Discoloration
• Ridges or indentations

Maintaining a balanced diet rich in these nutrients can help promote healthy nail growth and appearance. In some cases, supplementation may be recommended by a healthcare professional to address specific deficiencies.

Fungal Infections: A Common Culprit in Nail Abnormalities

Fungal nail infections, or onychomycosis, are a frequent cause of nail irregularities. These infections can affect both fingernails and toenails, leading to various changes in nail appearance and texture.

What are the signs of a fungal nail infection? Common symptoms include:

• Thickening of the nail
• Discoloration (often yellowing or browning)
• Brittleness or crumbling
• Separation of the nail from the nail bed
• Distortion of nail shape

Fungal nail infections can be persistent and challenging to treat. Treatment options may include:

• Topical antifungal medications
• Oral antifungal drugs
• Laser therapy
• In severe cases, nail removal

Preventing fungal nail infections involves maintaining good foot hygiene, keeping nails trimmed and dry, and avoiding walking barefoot in public areas like locker rooms or swimming pools.

Systemic Diseases and Nail Changes: Recognizing the Signs

Certain systemic diseases can manifest symptoms in the nails, making them an important diagnostic tool for healthcare providers. Some conditions that can affect nail appearance include:

Psoriasis

Nail psoriasis can cause various nail changes, including:

• Pitting or small depressions in the nail surface
• Discoloration (often described as an “oil drop” appearance)
• Thickening of the nail
• Separation of the nail from the nail bed (onycholysis)

Diabetes

Diabetes can affect nail health in several ways:

• Slower nail growth
• Increased risk of fungal infections
• Thickening of the nails
• Yellowing of the nails

Liver Disease

Liver problems can sometimes be reflected in nail changes:

• Terry’s nails (white nails with a dark band at the tip)
• Clubbing of the nails
• Brittle or soft nails

Can nail changes alone diagnose a systemic disease? While nail abnormalities can be an important clue, they are typically considered alongside other symptoms and diagnostic tests. If you notice persistent nail changes along with other health concerns, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider for a comprehensive evaluation.

Treatment Options for Nail Irregularities

The treatment for nail irregularities depends on the underlying cause. Here are some common approaches:

Topical Treatments

Topical medications can be effective for certain nail conditions, such as:

• Antifungal creams or solutions for fungal infections
• Corticosteroid creams for inflammatory conditions like psoriasis
• Moisturizing treatments for brittle nails

Oral Medications

In some cases, oral medications may be necessary:

• Antifungal pills for severe or resistant fungal infections
• Supplements to address nutritional deficiencies
• Systemic medications for underlying conditions like psoriasis or lichen planus

Procedural Treatments

For certain nail conditions, procedural interventions may be recommended:

• Nail removal (partial or complete) for severe fungal infections or trauma
• Cryotherapy for warts
• Laser treatments for fungal infections or cosmetic concerns

How long does it take to see improvement in nail appearance after treatment? The timeline for improvement can vary greatly depending on the condition and treatment approach. Nails grow slowly, so it may take several months to see significant changes. Patience and consistency with treatment are key.

In addition to medical treatments, lifestyle changes can also play a role in improving nail health:

• Maintaining a balanced diet rich in nutrients essential for nail health
• Protecting nails from trauma and excessive exposure to water or chemicals
• Practicing good nail hygiene, including regular trimming and avoiding aggressive manicuring
• Managing underlying health conditions that may affect nail health

Remember, while many nail irregularities can be managed effectively, some may indicate more serious health issues. If you’re concerned about changes in your nails, it’s always best to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and personalized treatment recommendations.

Understanding the various causes and implications of nail irregularities can help you better monitor your overall health and seek appropriate care when needed. By paying attention to your nails and addressing any concerns promptly, you can maintain both the health and appearance of your nails while potentially catching early signs of other health issues.

Why Does My Fingernail Have a Big Dent?

QUESTION

Some of my fingernails have developed indentations, and there’s a bump at the edge of one cuticle. Should I be concerned?

ANSWER

Possibly. An indentation on the fingernail and a bump at the edge of the cuticle mean that the matrix (the tissue beneath the fingernail) is affected. The matrix, which contains blood vessels and nerves, constantly produces new cells. These new cells force old cells to clump together to create your fingernail. By the time the nail emerges from beneath the skin, the cells are dead. Otherwise, it would be very painful to cut your nails!

To find out what’s causing these conditions, you should consult a dermatologist. The bump that you describe at the edge of the cuticle could be a wart, cyst or other benign condition…or it could be malignant (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma). The only way to know for sure is to have a sample (a biopsy) of the bump taken and analyzed. If the bump is malignant, your dermatologist can recommend treatment, such as complete removal of the tumor, and refer you to a cancer specialist. If the bump is due to a cyst, it will need to be surgically removed. A wart can be removed by freezing it with liquid nitrogen, but the treatment will need to be repeated.

There could be a variety of explanations for the indentations in your fingernails. Skin conditions such as psoriasis or a fungal infection can sometimes cause small dents or pits in fingernails. A deficiency of vitamin B-12 or iron can often result in nail ridges or dents. A large indentation can also be due to “spoon nails,” so-called because the nail becomes concave and shaped like a little spoon. Spoon nails can be caused by iron-deficiency anemia, heart disease or an underactive thyroid.

A deep, horizontal ridge across the nail, sometimes called Beau’s lines, can also resemble a dent. This condition can be caused by a reaction to a drug, such as chemotherapy, or even a zinc deficiency that interrupted nail growth and then the growth resumed once you stopped the drug or corrected the nutritional deficiency. In some cases, Beau’s lines can signal a chronic underlying health condition, such as diabetes or peripheral vascular disease.

A dermatologist can examine your nail ridges to determine whether you may have an underlying health condition and refer you to an appropriate specialist, if needed, for treatment.

Nail abnormalities – Healthily

Fingernail or toenail abnormalities can tell you a lot about your health. They’re often a sign of a fungal nail infection or injury, but can sometimes indicate a more serious underlying condition.

See your doctor if your nails have changed in colour, texture, shape or thickness and you don’t know why (for example, you haven’t injured your nails or been biting them).

Below are the most likely reasons for the following nail problems:

• brittle or crumbly nails
• discoloured nails
• white nails
• thickened, overgrown nails
• loose nails
• indented spoon-shaped nails
• pitting or dents on the nails
• grooves going across the width of the nails
• unusually curved fingertips and nails
• white lines running across the nails
• dark stripes running down the nail
• red or brown little streaks under the nails
• a destroyed nail
• infected nail fold (painful, red and swollen skin next to the nail)

Brittle or crumbly nails

Brittle nails are often just a sign of ageing or long-term exposure to water or chemicals such as detergents and nail polish.

Wearing gloves will help protect your nails while doing work where your hands are exposed to water. Regularly applying moisturising cream to your fingers and nails will also help protect them.

Sometimes, brittle or crumbly nails can be caused by:

• a fungal nail infection – this is often the cause of crumbly toenails and can be cleared by taking a course of antifungal tablets
• a skin condition called lichen planus – this can just affect the nails
• an underactive thyroid or overactive thyroid – where the thyroid gland either doesn’t produce enough hormones or produces too many
• nail psoriasis – a long-term skin condition that can cause the nails to become crumbly

Reactive arthritis is a less common cause of crumbly nails. It’s an unusual reaction of the immune system affecting the joints, muscles and other parts of the body following an infection. If you have a combination of symptoms affecting different parts of your body, your doctor might consider this condition.

Discoloured nails

The most common causes of a yellow nail are fungal nail infections or nail psoriasis .

Yellow nails can also be caused by any of the following:

• frequent application of nail varnish
• lymphoedema – a long-term condition that causes swelling of the skin
• permanent damage to your airways caused by bronchiectasis – a long-term lung condition
• sinusitis – inflammation of the lining of the sinuses
• inflammation of the thyroid gland, found in the neck
• tuberculosis (TB) – a bacterial infection affecting the lungs
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin) – caused by liver disease
• some medications, such as mepacrine or carotene
• chronic paronychia – infection of the nail fold

Green-black nails can be caused by overgrowth of bacteria called pseudomonas, particularly under loose nails. It can be treated by applying antibiotic eye drops underneath the nails or soaking the affected nails in an antiseptic solution or vinegar.

Grey nails can be caused by medications such as antimalarials or minocycline.

Brown nails can sometimes be caused by thyroid disease, pregnancy, malnutrition and frequent use of nail varnish.

Red or yellow drop under the nail

If the discolouration looks like a drop of oil under the nail or is the colour of salmon, you may have psoriasis of the nails.

Half white, half brown nails

Fingernails that are half white and half brown (brown near the tips) can be a sign of kidney failure , where the kidneys stop working properly.

The link isn’t fully understood, but one theory is that kidney failure causes chemical changes in the blood that encourage melanin (a skin pigment) to be released into the nail bed. It’s also possible that kidney failure causes an increase in the number of tiny blood vessels in the nail bed.

It’s estimated up to 40% of people with kidney failure have “half-and-half” fingernails. They also sometimes occur in people with AIDS and those who’ve had chemotherapy .

White nails

If most of the nail has turned white and it isn’t because it has become detached from the nail bed, it’s likely to be either a fungal nail infection or a sign of decreased blood supply to the nail bed, which causes something known as “Terry’s nails”.

Terry’s nails are typically white with reddened or dark tips and can be a sign of a wide range of medical conditions, including:

• liver cirrhosis (scarring and damage to the liver) – about 80% of people with cirrhosis have Terry’s nails
• liver, kidney or heart failure
• diabetes
• iron-deficiency anaemia – where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells
• chemotherapy
• an overactive thyroid – where the thyroid gland produces too many hormones
• malnutrition

Thickened, overgrown nails

A common cause of thickened nails is a fungal nail infection . This can also cause them to discolour and become crumbly (see above).

Other possible causes of thickened or overgrown nails are:

• psoriasis – a long-term condition that tends to also cause red, flaky patches of skin
• long-term pressure from shoes that are either too small or too narrow over the toes
• reactive arthritis – where the immune system attacks the joints, muscles and other parts of the body following an infection

Severely overgrown horn-like nails

Sometimes, the toenails become so overgrown and thickened that they resemble claws and are almost impossible to cut with conventional nail clippers. This nail disorder, known as onychogryphosis (“ram’s horn nails”), is seen in older people or as a response to long-term pressure on the nails. Regular chiropody can help, but sometimes the nails need to be removed by a podiatrist or doctor.

Loose nails

It’s normal for a toenail to come loose and fall off after an injury to the toe. Another common cause of a loose nail is over-manicuring the nails and cleaning underneath them with a sharp object.

Less commonly, a loose nail may be a sign of one of the following health conditions:

• a fungal nail infection
• psoriasis of the nail
• warts that cluster around the fingernail
• an overactive thyroid
• sarcoidosis – a condition where small clumps of cells form in the organs and tissues of the body
• amyloidosis – where protein builds up in the organs
• a problem with the connective tissue fibres in the body that support the organs and body tissues
• poor circulation – for example, caused by smoking or Raynaud’s phenomenon (a condition where the blood supply to the fingers and toes is affected, causing them to turn white)
• an allergic reaction to medicine (usually to a type of antibiotic) or nail cosmetics

A loose nail should be cut back to where it’s detached to allow the nail to become reattached as it grows. You shouldn’t clean your nails with anything other than a soft nailbrush.

Indented spoon-shaped nails (koilonychia)

If your fingernails curve inwards like spoons (koilonychia), you may have one of the following disorders:

• iron-deficiency anaemia
• haemochromatosis – where the body retains too much iron
• Raynaud’s phenomenon
• lupus erythematosus – a rare condition where the immune system attacks the body’s cells, tissues and organs

Pitting or dents on the nails

Pitting or small dents on the surface of your nails can be a sign of any of the following conditions:

• psoriasis
• eczema – a long-term skin condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked
• reactive arthritis
• alopecia areata – a condition that causes temporary bald patches on the scalp that are about the size of a large coin

Grooves across the fingernails (Beau’s lines)

Deep lines or grooves that go from left to right across the nail are known as Beau’s lines . They may occur as a result of:

• a previous illness – the line forms at the time of the illness
• having chemotherapy
• a previous injury
• previous exposure to very cold temperatures, if you have Raynaud’s phenomenon

Illness, injury or cold temperatures can interrupt nail growth and cause nail grooves to form at the base of the nails.

The grooves tend to only be noticed a few months later, when the nails have grown and the grooves have moved up the nails to become visible. It takes about four to six months for a fingernail to fully grow out, and six to 12 months for a toenail.

Unusually curved fingertips and nails

Clubbing of the fingertips means the tissue beneath the nails thickens and the fingertips become rounded and bulbous. The fingernails curve over the rounded fingertips.

Clubbing is thought to be caused by increased blood flow to the fingertips. It can run in families and be completely harmless. However, if it suddenly develops, it may be a sign of one of many possible medical conditions, including:

• long-term lung disease or heart disease, such as lung cancer , bronchiectasis , or endocarditis
• inflammatory bowel disease – a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the gut
• stomach cancer or bowel cancer
• cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
• polycythaemia – a condition where the blood is too thick

White lines running across nails

White spots or streaks are normal and nothing to worry about, but parallel white lines that extend all the way across the nails, known as Muehrcke’s lines, are a sign of low levels of protein in the blood. In contrast to Beau’s lines, they’re not grooved. They can occur as a result of liver disease or malnutrition .

Dark stripes running down the nail

Dark stripes running down the nails (linear melanonychia) are fairly common in black people over 20 years of age, and in most cases it’s perfectly normal.

However, dark stripes shouldn’t be ignored because it can sometimes be a form of skin cancer that affects the nail bed, called subungual melanoma. It’s important that your doctor checks it to rule out melanoma.

Subungual melanoma usually only affects one nail. It will also cause the stripe to change in appearance – for example, it may become wider or darker over time and the pigmentation may also affect the surrounding skin (the nail fold).

Red or brown little streaks under the nails

If you have little red or brown streaks underneath your nails, it’s likely they’re splinter haemorrhages – lines of blood caused by tiny damaged blood vessels.

A few splinters under one nail are nothing to worry about, and are most likely caused by an injury of the nail. However, if many nails are affected, the splinters may be a sign of lupus erythematosus , psoriasis , an infection of the heart valves (endocarditis) or another underlying condition.

A destroyed nail

Nails can be destroyed by:

• injury, including nail biting
• skin conditions, such as psoriasis or lichen planus
• overgrowth of the surrounding tissues, which is usually harmless – for example, caused by a wart or verruca
• overgrowth of the surrounding tissues caused by skin cancer (this is rare)
• nail patella syndrome – a rare genetic condition which may cause missing nails, usually at birth

See your doctor if one of your nails is destroyed and you don’t remember injuring it.

Painful, red and swollen nail fold (paronychia)

Paronychia is inflammation of the nail fold (the skin and soft tissue that frames and supports the nail).

It’s most commonly caused by infection, injury or irritation, and is about three times more common in women than in men. Sometimes, it’s associated with an underlying skin condition, such as eczema or psoriasis , or another medical condition, such as diabetes or HIV .

Paronychia can develop over a few hours (acute paronychia). If it lasts for more than six weeks, it’s known as chronic paronychia.

Acute paronychia

Acute infective paronychia usually starts after a minor injury to the nail fold, such as from nail biting, picking or manicures. The affected area is red, warm, tender and swollen. After a while, pus can form around the nail and may lift the nail.

Acute paronychia is often the result of a Staphylococcus infection , but it can sometimes be caused by the virus responsible for cold sores (herpes simplex virus) . In this case it’s known as herpetic whitlow .

Treatment for acute paronychia includes antibiotic creams or tablets . If there’s a large amount of pus, surgically draining it can help. With treatment, an infected nail fold can clear up in a few days. If it isn’t treated or doesn’t respond to treatment, the problem can become long-term (chronic).

Chronic paronychia

Chronic paronychia often affects people who have their hands in water for long periods, or come into contact with chemicals, such as cleaners, bartenders, canteen staff or fishmongers.

It may start in one nail fold but can affect several fingers. The affected nail folds are swollen and may be red and sore from time to time, often after exposure to water. The nail plate gradually becomes thickened and ridged as it grows, and may become yellow or green and brittle.

S ee your doctor if the condition is severe. They may prescribe antibiotic creams or tablets. In some cases, they may refer you to a dermatologist (skin specialist).

It can take months for chronic paronychia to clear, and up to a year after that for your nails to return to normal. Keeping your hands dry and warm, frequently using emollient hand cream and not biting or picking your nails can help.

Fingernail Marks & Dents: What Do They Mean?

Trauma is the most common cause of dents and marks in fingernails, the condition can be an indicator of an undiagnosed issue in the body. Paying attention to your nails can help you get an early consultation with a Naturopath and get diagnosed and treated sooner.

Lesser Known Causes for Dents in Fingernails the least known cause for ridges in the nail tells us that the body is not at the peak of health.

Are seen in pairs of transverse white colored lines spread horizontally across the nail and parallel to its base. Patients suffering from the following conditions get these lines: Cancer Prevention and Holistic Treatments/Support Therapy

Beau’s Lines: These are horizontal ridges on the nail plate. The following are the illnesses with which these lines are associated:

• Diabetes
• Patients treated with chemotherapy 
• Systemic infection
• Raynaud’s disease
• Malnutrition
• Injury to the nails

These lines disappear as soon the patient recovers from these conditions.

Terry’s Nails: These patients have white nail plate along with a horizontal dent closer to the finger tip. Some of the ailments associated with these ridges are: 

• HIV infection
• Diabetes
• Cirrhosis
• Kidney disease

Lunulae: A white half-shaped moon at the base of the nail, mostly the thumbs. This is called the lunula. If this section of the nail turns blue, the person suffers from silver poisoning or Wilson disease. If it turns red, then it implies conditions like:

• COPD  
• Heart Failure
• Carbon dioxide Poisoning
• Liver Cirrhosis
• Psoriasis

Injury to the Nail: these are the most common causes of ridges in the finger nails in healthy individuals. They go away along with the normal growth of the nail.

Nutrition: As malnutrition is an important cause for developing ridges in the finger nails, a good multivitamin with added nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin B-12 should be included into the diet.  Natural Energy Booster

Types of Dents in Fingernails and what do they Mean?

Small Dents In Fingernails
You can get small dents in the fingernails, it can be due to an inflammatory skin condition known as psoriasis. This is a skin condition,in which, red scale like small patches appear on your skin. Psoriasis can also affect the skin cells present in the nails and cause small dents to appear on the fingernails. But, when treatment for psoriasis is done, the dents will also disappear gradually. Small dents on the fingernails can also occur due to nail biting, trauma to your nail bed or it can also be heredity.

Horizontal Dents In Fingernails
These dents run from one side of the fingernail to the other. However, the presence of horizontal dents in your fingernails can be an indication of possible health conditions. The reasons for these dents can vary. A systematic infection or diabetes can lead to dents in fingernails. Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment also get horizontal dents. The nails tend to stop growing when a person is under a lot of stress for an extended period of time. When the nail starts to grow again, indentations occur at that particular spot. Controlling Type II Diabetes, Naturally

A lot of people tend to ignore dents and ridges in their fingernails. But, these dents could be an indication of a undiagnosed medical conditions such as iron deficiency, circulatory problems and also thyroid diseases. If you spot any dents in or on your fingernails, make sure that you do not ignore them! Instead take good care of your nails and your health.

What Is This DENT In My Toenail?: Michfoot Surgeons PC: Podiatry

 If you’re following the guidelines we as podiatrists tend to repeat, you’re already checking your feet regularly for any signs of changes, like discolored spots or tenderness or sores.  So, what if you’re looking over your feet one day and notice a large dent across your toenail?  Should you panic?

When this happens, it’s likely a Beau’s line. Beau’s lines are horizontal grooves in your toenail-  not to be confused with vertical ridges that often appear as you get older. Instead, Beau’s lines are depressions that look like a dent across the width of your nail. 

Beau’s lines can occur on both your toenails and fingernails. A Beau’s line, as described above, is a groove that runs across your nail; a person may have one or several on a nail. Beau’s lines are often caused by an injury or repeated trauma to the nail that interrupts the growth of the nail.  Common causes include dropping something heavy on the nail, which in turn damages the nail bed. You can even get Beau’s lines from sustained time in the cold- sort of shock to the system that causes the nail bed to treat it like trauma. You likely won’t see the dent right away, which means it may come as a shock to you later on when it emerges.  In cases where you can tie it back to a trauma, it usually doesn’t need medical attention- if it’s painful or if the skin underneath is dark, book an appointment with us so we can check it out.

Sometimes, however, Beau’s lines can be indicative of something more serious.  Malnutrition, vitamin/mineral deficiency (example: zinc deficiency), diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and more can cause it.  In some cases, illnesses like pneumonia can cause it.  If you’re undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, you may see them appear, corresponding to the treatments you have.  

In general, people cite the eyes, skin, and nails as windows into our health.  Toenails are a great example of this, and according to the American Academy of Dermatology, ʺNails often reflect our general state of health. Changes in the nail, such as discoloration or thickening, can signal health problems, including liver and kidney diseases, heart and lung conditions, anemia and diabetes.ʺ  Never ignore a change to your nails, especially one as obvious as Beau’s lines.  While it may be nothing serious, it’s better to have it checked by a podiatrist to confirm that you don’t have underlying symptoms associated with diabetes or peripheral vascular or nerve problems.  

Have you ever had Beau’s lines on your toenails?  Let us know!  If you currently have them, call our office to schedule an examination with one of our skilled podiatrists who can confirm if it’s a Beau’s line and identify the underlying cause.

10 Things to Know About Dents and Ridges in Fingernails

Do you have dents and ridges in your fingernails? Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to our fingernails beyond how often to clip them or which color to paint them. But besides protecting our fingertips or making a beauty statement, your nails say a lot more about your body than you think.Small depressions (dents in fingernails), often referred to as nail pits, can sometimes occur without any cause. This means it can happen regardless of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Horizontal ridges run from side to side on your nails and are often referred to as Beau’s lines. Horizontal ridges can be caused by trauma to the nail and may be deep or discolored. The can also indicate malnutrition, psoriasis or a thyroid problem. Now keep in mind, nail ridges don’t always signal a larger problem, though. If the ridges are vertical, it’s important to know vertical ridges are like gray hair. You can expect to see more of them as you grow older.

You can tell a lot about your own personal health by the condition of your nail beds – more than you probably think you can. Fingernail disorders are not only an embarrassment; they may also indicate that something more serious is wrong with your health. Dents, you should not usually be concerned, as they simply indicate a nail injury that is growing out. Vertical fingernail ridges, you could be deficient in iron, have poor nutrient absorption, poor overall health, or even kidney trouble. Bumps and vertical fingernail ridges, you may be prone to developing arthritis. Horizontal fingernail ridges, this can indicate mental or physical stress.

The nails are made up of several parts, including the nail beds, folds, cuticles and lunula. The nails can indicate a possible deficiency in the body or other condition. Yellow and discolored nails can represent a respiratory condition such as chronic bronchitis. In addition, many defects on the nails can appear like vertical ridges, but may actually be spots, streaks or cracks.

Here are 10 things to know about dents and ridges in fingernails:

Vitamin deficiency is the condition of a long-term lack of a vitamin. When caused by not enough vitamin intake, it can be classified as a primary deficiency, whereas when due to an underlying disorder such as malabsorption, it is called a secondary deficiency. Dents and ridges in fingernails can be a sign of vitamin deficiency, especially of Vitamin B12. A diet that lacks in essential nutrients can lead to various nutritional deficiencies and dent in fingernails is a very frequent sign of these nutritional deficiencies.

When the body suffers a trauma — internally or externally — there is often evidence of the trauma on the nails. The most common cause of acute and chronic nail bed deformity is trauma. Dents and ridges in fingernails can also occur due to trauma to nails that may happen due to direct injury to the nails or nail biting.

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful. Apart from developing skin lesions, psoriasis can also result in development of Dents and ridges in fingernails. Symptoms may also be triggered by ingesting large amounts of alcohol.

Reiter’s syndrome, also known as reactive arthritis, is the classic triad of conjunctivitis, urethritis, and arthritis occurring after an infection, particularly those in theurogenital or gastrointestinal tract. Patients suffering from Reiter syndrome develop joint pain and swelling, and inflammation of eyes and urinary tract. Dents and ridges in fingernails may also occur in Reiter syndrome. The symptoms of Reiter syndrome are more severe in males in comparison to females.

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. Alopecia areata is a skin condition in which patients lose their hair in patches, especially from their scalp. Sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that may overlap. Dents and ridges in fingernails also occur in alopecia areata.

Home Remedies and Preventions

Apart from the various treatment modalities mentioned above that are aimed at the specific cause of dents and ridges in fingernails various home remedies can also be used to treat dents in fingernails. Some of these home remedies are:

We know that taking vitamins is important, especially if your body is not getting all the essential minerals and nutrients it needs through the food you eat. Develop multiple nutritional deficiencies, one of which is deficiency of Vitamin B12 that may manifest itself as dents and ridges in fingernails. Hence, to cure your fingernails of these unsightly dents you should eat a well balanced diet that is rich in all the nutrients. Take vitamin supplements to treat the nutritional deficiencies that have been already created.

Do not abuse your fingernails so as to prevent damage to them. You should avoid using your fingernails as tools to poke, open, or pick things. Don’t bite your fingernails or pick at your nail cuticles

It is important to keep your fingernails (and the skin around them) free from dirt. Keep your fingernails clean and dry so as to avoid any type of infection. While you are using harsh chemicals or washing dishes, wear rubber gloves that are lined with cotton.

Because many nail disorders result from poor nail care, developing good nail habits today will help keep them healthy. Remember the following tips: Keep them short. Shorter nails are less likely to crack or get caught on something and tear. It’s better to cut your nails after bathing, when they’re softer and less likely to break. Stay on the straight and narrow. Nails should be cut straight across and rounded slightly at the tip for maximum strength. Avoid biting your fingernails. You should regularly trim and file your fingernails. Moisturize your fingernails with a hand lotion regularly.

Looking for more answers about fingernails? Check out 3 Answers for What Causes Horizontal Ridges In Fingernails or even 5 Best Tips About Vertical Ridges on Nails Vitamin Deficiency

Secrets your nails reveal | The Star

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but your fingernails may provide a peek into the status of your health.

ARE your fingernails healthy, or sending you a health warning?

Fingernails and disease don’t go together in most minds… but they should. Your fingernails can give you valuable health warnings and signal the presence of serious disease.

Take a good long look at your nails. Hold a hand level with your nose about a foot out from your face and scrutinise each one.

Look at the curves, dips, ridges, and grooves. Check out how thick or thin they are and if your nails are chipped or broken. Make a note of the colour of the nail itself, the skin under it, and the skin around the nail.

Have your nails always looked like this?

Changes to your fingernails and disease onset are linked, so note any new developments. With this fresh view, compare what you see with this list of eight potential fingernail health warnings.

Discoloured nails

A healthy fingernail should be pink, with a touch of pinkish white (moons) near the base. If your nails are a dull colour or streaked with other colours, you may have a serious hidden health problem.

• Green nails are a sign of bacterial infection.

• Red streaks in your nail bed are a warning of a heart valve infection.

• Blueish nails signal low oxygen levels in your blood.

• Dull nails mean a vitamin deficiency.

• White nails may signal liver disease, such as hepatitis.

• Dark stripes at the top (Terry’s nails) are associated with ageing and congestive heart failure.

Thick nails

Thick nails are not natural. You want your nails to be strong, but if they resemble talons or claws, watch out!

• Thickened nails that are otherwise normal can signal lung disease.

• Thick and rough-textured nails can signal a fungal infection.

• Thick and separated nails may mean thyroid disease or psoriasis.

• Unusual thickness may also be a symptom of a circulation problem.

Thickening nails are a change that should tune you in to other health symptoms you may be ignoring. Also watch out for allergic reactions to new medications which can show up as suddenly thick nails.

Split nails

Split nails aren’t just occasionally chipped. Instead, these nails seem to flake away in layers. Don’t blame frequent handwashing or nail polish for everything, especially since:

• Split nails result from folic acid, vitamin C, and protein deficiencies.

• Split nails combined with a pitted nail bed (base) can signal psoriasis, which begins in nails 10% of the time, according to WebMD.

• Split nails may result from chronic malnutrition.

Watch what you eat and check the psoriasis connection to fight back and pay more attention to your overall health.

Concave (spoon) nails

Spoon fingernails signal a number of internal issues. To be considered full spoons, nails will be soft and curve up, forming a dip that is often big enough to hold water. Spoon nails signal:

• Iron deficiency (usually from anaemia).

• Haemachromatosis, a liver disorder where your body absorbs too much iron.

• Heart disease.

• Hypothyroidism.

Your fingernail and health challenges go hand in hand – for many people, clearing up their health issue results in their spoon nails returning back to normal.

Pitted nails

Small dips or holes in your nails can be a result of banging up your hands – or they could be a sign that you need to look more closely at your health. Nail pitting can signal:

• Psoriasis.

• Connective tissue disorder.

• Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss.

• Zinc deficiency (when the pit seems to form a line across the middle of your nail).

Watch your hand to separate natural dents and dings from real, lasting pits. The first will clear up quickly, but pits linked to disease linger.

Ridges

Nails should have smooth surfaces with almost imperceptible lines. Obvious ridge lines are a signal that something is up with your body. Some of the most common conditions associated with heavy ridge lines are:

Don’t just buff away your ridges – hear their warning!

Dry, brittle nails

You don’t need lotion or cuticle oil. If your nails are dry and brittle, you should check your hormone levels and bacterial health.

• Thyroid disease leads to brittle, dry fingernails that crack and split easily.

• Fungus can make nails dry or even crumbly, affecting 12% of all Americans, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Both thyroid and fungal issues take time to treat, so you won’t see a difference in the look of your fingernails for a full growth cycle.

Clubbed nails

If you have plump skin that seems to swell around the nail, or if your nails seem to have puffed around your fingers, they are said to be “clubbed”. Clubbed nails can mean:

• Lung disease, especially if you already have trouble breathing.

• Inflammatory bowel disease.

• Liver disease.

Your fingernails won’t be the only signs of these diseases, but they can provide confirmation or motivation to seek medical care.

Nutritional deficiency and your nails

Your nails also can reflect certain nutritional deficiencies you may be suffering from. These include:

Vitamin deficiency

• Deficiency of vitamin B and D cause pigmentation and ridges along the nail bed. The bluish black vertical lines on your nails are warning signs that you need to make immediate changes to your diet.

• Deficiency of vitamin C causes reddish black spots to appear on the nail bed.

• Deficiency of vitamin A and D cause a situation called hapalonychia or soft nails.

• Deficiency of vitamin E causes nails to lose their natural colour and turn yellow.

To counter vitamin deficiency, it is imperative that you include foods like broccoli, papaya, almonds, peanut butter, hazelnut, orange, lemon, potato, banana, chicken, strawberries and kiwi fruit in your diet.

Zinc deficiency

Many people believe that white spots on the nails is due to vitamin and calcium deficiency. On the contrary, it is proven that the primary cause is zinc deficiency.

One can counter this situation by consuming good amounts of meat, dark chocolate and peanuts for healthy nails.

Iron deficiency

If you have abnormally thin nails that have become flat or concave in shape, then it’s time to add some iron supplements in your diet.

Koilonychias or spoon nails is an indication of extreme levels of iron deficiency in the body. It can also cause brittle nails and lifting of nails. This makes the nails vulnerable to infection.

To counter this problem, ensure that your diet includes enough iron-rich foods like whole grains, liver, and leafy greens like spinach.

Calcium deficiency

Transverse leukonychia of nails is associated with severe hypocalcaemia. It appears in horizontal white bands that tend to occur in the same position in other nails too.

Thin and brittle nails are also symptoms of calcium deficiency in the body.

Including dairy products like milk, cheese and curd in your daily diet will ensure strong and shiny nails.

Protein deficiency

If you find your nails cracking and breaking, then it is a sign of protein deficiency. You need to evaluate if adequate protein sources are included in your diet.

Animal products like meat and cheese are the best protein sources. For vegetarians, beans and legumes are food products rich in protein.

Include all these food items in your diet to get rid of nail problems caused by protein deficiency.

Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist (FRCOG, UK). For further information, visit www.primanora.com. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

6 Things Your Nails Say About Your Health – Cleveland Clinic

“Your nails are a very good reflection of your health. Many things can occur in the nails that can signify systemic or skin problems,” says dermatologist Christine Poblete-Lopez, MD.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Pay attention to anything on or around your fingernails or toenails that suddenly appears different, she says. “Anything that doesn’t look normal ought to be addressed. Your best course of action is to see a doctor as soon as possible.”

Here are six conditions that can also cause symptoms in the nails. However, for a diagnosis, it’s important to see your doctor, who will take many factors into account besides nail symptoms.

1. Stress

Fingernails and toenails are closely related to hair, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says. Just as your hair might fall out after an illness or a prolonged period of stress, your nails can also exhibit symptoms. Most frequently, stress will cause side-to-side lines to appear on your nails.

2. Moles or melanoma

A concern about nail color is one of the most common complaints dermatologists hear, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says. Discolorations usually appear in lines that run from cuticle to tip, and they can be benign moles or cancerous melanomas. African-Americans and Asians are more likely to experience normal pigmentation changes that are related to ethnicity.

You should consult a dermatologist if the skin under the nail plate — the hard part of the nail, covering the fingertips — develops any brown coloring, she says. These developments are always more of a concern if they affect a single finger instead of all. Brown lines that run into the cuticle could be a sign of melanoma. Ones that stop at or before the cuticle are likely caused by moles.

3. Arthritis

Small cysts that grow near or on the cuticles may arise with arthritis. These are benign (not cancerous) and best addressed by a hand surgeon.

4. Psoriasis

This common skin condition is usually characterized by scaly, red patches, but it can also impact fingernails and toenails, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says.

If you have yellow-red discoloring on your nail, often called an “oil drop” or “salmon patch,” you should consult your dermatologist. Here are other symptoms that can also indicate psoriasis:

Indentations: Nicks or pits on the nail plate, which is the hard part of the nail that covers the fingertips.

Beau’s lines: Lines that run side-to-side across the nail.

Skin thickening/nail loosening: Thickening of skin under the nail, which can dislodge the nail (onycholysis) from the nail bed. This generally starts at the tip and works their way toward the cuticle.

White areas: Distinct white spots on the nails, also called leukonychia. (The cloudy white spots that sometimes appear on fingernails and toenails do not fall into the category, and aren’t cause for concern, according to Dr. Poblete-Lopez.)

Black lines: Black lines running from tip to cuticle could be tiny clots called splinter hemorrhages or dilated and burst capillaries — potential symptoms of psoriasis.

Redness: The usually pale areas near the cuticle turn red, which could be caused by congested capillaries, another possible sign of psoriasis.

RELATED: How to Deal If Your Psoriasis Leads to Psoriatic Arthritis

5. Kidney disease

Several nail changes can indicate the presence of acute or chronic kidney disease, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says:

• Beau’s lines: These side-to-side lines can be a symptom of acute kidney disease.
• Ridged nails: Also called koilonychia, rough nails with ridges can exist in the presence of kidney disease. These nails are also frequently spoon-shaped and concave, and they can point to iron-deficiency anemia.
• White streaks/spots: Similar to psoriasis cases, distinct white streaks and spots on nails can point to chronic kidney disease.

6. Darier disease

Darier disease is a rare genetic disorder that causes a skin rash and appears mostly in adolescence. It shows up in the fingernails and toenails as broad, white or reddish stripes that run from cuticle to tip. A V-shaped nick near the fingertip can also indicate this condition, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says.

Prevention

Preventing underlying conditions that impact your nails isn’t always possible, Dr. Poblete-Lopez says, but you can care for your nails by staying hydrated and eating a well-balanced diet. Be sure you’re consuming enough Vitamin B and zinc because those nutrients greatly strengthen your nails.

In many cases, she says, changes to your nails can be normal and don’t point to any undiagnosed health changes. But, if you have a question, consulting your doctor is always best.

“Some nails may not appear smooth or they might have
longitudinal strips or ridges. As long as whatever you see is consistent
throughout the distribution of the nail, it’s likely OK,” she says. “If there’s
something out of the ordinary, though, it’s reasonable to see a dermatologist. ”

90,000 So that’s why our nail polish chips

Is there a better feeling than achieving the perfect manicure? Whether you do it yourself or do it in the salon, you know about the manicure we’re talking about: an evenly distributed color without dents, chips or bubbles. It’s even better when it lasts a long time and this is one of the reasons why we love gel manicure. They have lightning dry times, last much longer than traditional manicures, and the shiny, glossy color doesn’t budge.

It sounds too good to be true, and, well, sort of. Gel manicures can be prone to cracking or splitting, especially when the color starts to come off your natural nail. A writer at Bustle decided to find out why this is happening and came across useful information from Nails Magazine, an industry magazine dedicated to nails aimed at industry professionals such as manicurists and painters. Nails magazine spoke to Melissa Hansen, an instructor at Akzentz, a brand of products for professional technicians, who talked about why your expensive gel manicure can sometimes break.

There are 3 main reasons why this happens:

Structure and placement

Overfeed

Gel type Polish

Some of this information may also apply to regular nail polish manicure. If you apply the varnish too thick, it will mostly suffocate and fail to dry properly. This can cause bubbles and / or nail polish to remain sticky, which basically means you will have a messy, dented manicure in the future.

Manicure can also break when applied to a greasy nail bed. Our hands and fingers contain natural oils that can get on our nail beds, and when you apply polish directly to it, it won’t adhere properly. To avoid this, wash your hands with soap and water before painting your nails. After you dry them, use a nail primer like Deborah Lippmann’s 2nd Nail Primer to remove any residue from the nail bed. This is not the same step as the base coat.

How to use nail foil

Not all girls are able to correctly design nails during a manicure, which is why many 90,021 turn to the salon for this, so that the master carefully processed the nails and applied
decorative coating on them.

There are now quite a few design options that suit everyday life, and
also for special occasions. One of these options to diversify the classic
manicure is the use of foil.The material is versatile, but before gluing the
foil to your nails, make sure of its quality, as poor quality paper can not neatly adhere
to the nail plate.

What is nail foil and its types

The foil, which is used for manicure, is a loose shiny foil paper,
which is fixed on the gel polish and is additionally fixed on top with it.
material is used to create unusual patterns on the nails, since its pattern is completely
imprinted on the nail plate.

Before using foil for nails, you should study its features, since there are
quite a lot of varieties of decorative material.

6 types of paper are used in salons as standard:

1. Sheet. Sold as small sheets that do not have a self-adhesive
   base. The master cuts out the fragments from the sheets that are needed for the design, and then glue
   onto special glue.
2. Translated.It looks like rolls that are stored in small jars as standard. The foil has a large number of varieties and patterns. It is easy to use,
   because when applied to the marigold, its pattern is completely imprinted on it.
3. Embossed. A voluminous film that is most often combined with other
   designs and decorative nail coatings.
4. Thermal film. A laborious but effective way to design a manicure. For this,
   thermal film is preheated in an ultraviolet lamp, and then
   is transferred to the nail bed.
5. Ribbon. Double-layer stripes are common in nail art, especially with 90,021 home use, because they make it easy to create geometry on 90,021 plates.
6. Reaped. The foil is completely folded into a tight ball and stored in a small container.

This crumpled effect ensures the shine of the nails in the sun and the transfusion of flowers.
Types of film can be combined, which contributes to the creation of an unusual design, which does not need to be complemented by other decorative elements – rhinestones, sparkles, color gradients.

Be careful when combining different shades of material, as its overflow and gloss can make the result sloppy.

Be careful – first make sure of the high quality of the material, because otherwise
there is a risk of changing its shade after applying the top. It becomes less saturated, 90,021 gloss may subside.

Application methods

You can use most types of foil on your own, since the material
is quite easy to use and creates a spectacular manicure.But keep in mind that
the complexity of its use depends on the features of a particular species.

There are 4 main ways to fix the foil that will produce the same neat
results when done correctly.

Method 1. On a sticky layer.

Many gel polishes have a sticky layer, so they are always covered with a top on top. However, this
feature can be used to create unusual designs.

To do this, the next layer of colored varnish must be dried, but not completely, so that the top layer
remains a little sticky. Be careful – at this moment, 90,021 fibers or other debris should not get on the nail bed.

After the foil is printed on the nail, it is finally dried in a lamp, and then
topcoat is applied on top.

Method 2. Manicure glue.

A special adhesive can be used, which is applied to the back of the foil,
which is then applied to the fully cured decorative coating. Be careful with
– a large amount of glue can leave marks on your nails.

The convenience of the glue lies in the fact that you yourself can adjust the location of the fragment,
as much as you need, since the glue hardens in the lamp.

Method 3. On a wet top.

You can complete the registration at the end of the procedure. To do this, apply a top layer
to the nails, fix its state for 5-7 seconds in the lamp so that it does not stack, and then
fix the fragments prepared in advance. After fixing them, place your hands back
in the lamp.

In addition, cover the work with a layer of top on top to prevent a gradual change in the
quality of the foil and the overall result of the manicure.

Method 4. Without separation.

The most unusual option for attaching the material, since it is
pre-cutting the foil into pieces of different sizes and then transferring them to the nail plate
.

After fixing the foil paper, the manicure is fixed on top with a top.

Nail foil: how to use

It is possible to use the methods of fixing the foil listed above on practically any kind of foil
.However, keep in mind that each type of material has features that must be taken into account when performing the technology.

Embossed

The volumetric version of the foil is in the form of thin sheets rolled into a roll. It is quite simple to use them
– just apply them with the front side to the nails covered with decorative
dye, and then fix with a finishing coat.

Most often, the type of embossed material is used to completely transfer the ornament to
nails, therefore it is recommended to use it on one or two fingers of each hand so that the
result looks neat and harmonious.

On sheets

First you need to prepare the fragment that you plan to fix on the nail. To do this,
carefully cut it out with nail scissors and try it on temporarily.

After applying the main shade of gel polish to the coating, process the back of the foil
with glue and fix it on the nail. After the glue has set (it usually takes 1-1.5 minutes)
, apply the top and fix the result in the lamp.

Translated

The version has a self-adhesive base, so you first need to cut out a fragment of the desired
shape, and then peel off the protective part and fix it on the nail bed.

The pattern of tracing paper is completely transferred to the nail when it is applied to the surface. On top of the 90,021 manicure results are also fixed with a transparent gel polish.

Foil liquid

It is a uniform gel-like consistency that is applied to the basecoat
and cured in a UV or LED lamp.

This look is recommended to be applied in one coat as it is thick enough and
can look unnatural if spread too thick.

Conclusions

Nail Foil is an effective way to transform classic manicure by adding
glossy shine. However, keep in mind that there are quite a lot of types and methods of 90,021 nail design, so think about the design that you want to embody on them in advance. You can use it even at home, if you correctly follow the step-by-step
instructions for attaching it.

90,000 what does nail problems mean for your health?

Most of us don’t think about our nails, except how often to trim them or what color to paint.But beyond protecting your fingertips or showing off your beauty, your nails say a lot more about your body than you think.

You could

13 reasons why you do not understand that you are damaging your hair

“The matrix of the nail, the place where the nail grows, which is hidden a few millimeters under the cuticle, depends on the general health of each person.” says Jessica Weiser, MD, a dermatologist with the New York Dermatology Group. “Illness, fever, surgery, injury, life stressors and nutritional deficiencies all affect nails and nail growth in different ways.”

To give you everything your nails can tell you about your body, from the minor to the more serious, consider these nine things.

1. Brown stripes

Possible cause: melanoma. Just as you regularly check your skin for moles, you should also watch out for strange changes in nail color. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, can appear on often bare nails and go unnoticed. Any asymmetric pigmentation can be a sign of skin cancer, but melanoma on the nails (called subungual melanoma) usually appears as a pigmented vertical stripe extending upward from the cuticle.Subungual melanoma: a review of current treatments. Cochran A.M., Buchanan P.J., Bueno, RA. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, October 2014; 134 (2): 1529-4242. & Rdquo; data-widget = & rdquo; linkref If a brownish streak on your nail bed suddenly appears or changes appearance, see a dermatologist as soon as possible, Weiser says. “If pigmented streaks appear on multiple nails, this may be a sign of normal variation, but you should still see your doctor to be sure.”

Lionel Richie hello wiki

2. White Lines

Possible Cause: Nutrient Deficiency The horizontal white stripes covering the nail are called Murke lines. Probable cause: protein or zinc deficiency. Nutrition and nail disease. Cashman M.V., Sloan S.B. Dermatology Clinics, October 2010; 28 (4): 1879-1131. & Rdquo; data-widget = & rdquo; linkref & ldquo; These lines signal that a segment of the nail has been interrupted during growth and has not received all the necessary nutrients or blood flow, & rdquo; says Niket Sonpal, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Touro College, New York.Check your document to make sure you are getting the correct daily dose. Your daily protein intake depends on your weight and activity level (here you can calculate how much you need). For zinc, the recommended daily intake is 11 grams for women and 8 grams for men. In rarer cases, Murke lines can signal more serious problems, including kidney disease or liver problems.

3. Vertical ridges

Possible cause: age.If you notice vertical ridges and bumps on your nails that were not there a few years ago, this is probably nothing more than a side effect of aging. & ldquo; They are similar to the appearance of wrinkles on the skin & rdquo; Sonpal adds that we usually don’t notice them until about 50 years old. If ridges appear especially severe or appear unexpectedly, check with your doctor to make sure they are not something else. …

4. Spoon-shaped concave nails.

Possible Cause: Iron Deficiency or Anemia This nail deformity is not subtle and is definitely odd enough to get your attention.Koilonychia, known as “false nails,” is most commonly caused by iron deficiency. images in emergency medicine. Koilonychia, or spoon-shaped nails, is commonly associated with iron deficiency anemia. Kumar G., Vaidyanathan L., Stead L. G. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2007, February; 49 (2): 1097-6760. & Rdquo; data-widget = & rdquo; linkref In this case, the nail becomes so thin that it actually becomes concave (as if it could hold a drop of water). If you notice this, do some lab work to determine if the problem is anemia.- says Weiser. If you are iron deficient, your doctor will likely recommend an iron supplement. Other reasons include handling petroleum-based products or injury. In very rare cases, koilonychia can be associated with thyroid disease and heart disease.

5. Brittle or dry nails.

Possible Cause: External Factors: Cracked, dry and brittle nails that break easily are not uncommon – and this is probably the main reason so many people stock up on nail strengthening supplements such as biotin.Brittle nails are normal from time to time, Sonpal said. If you visit a nail salon regularly or constantly work with water or cleaning products, dry, cracking nails are not that uncommon. But if brittle nails are becoming common, talk to your primary healthcare provider and ask for a thyroid check, as chronically brittle nails can be a sign of hypothyroidism.

6. Huge crescents

Possible cause: kidney failure or liver disease.All have small white crescents at the base of their nails, but their size can indicate serious health problems. If they occupy more than half of the nail bed, it could be a signal of kidney failure, which usually occurs in people with diabetes or high blood pressure. If the moons come out on two-thirds of the nail bed, they are called Terry. nails and you have another problem. “Terry’s nails are classically associated with liver failure,” says Jennifer Chen, MD, an assistant professor at the Stanford School of Medicine.Liver failure is a fairly serious condition and treatment depends on the underlying cause. Some liver problems can be easily corrected with lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol or losing weight, while others may require medication or surgery. In any case, it is important to see a doctor.

7. Red Stripes

Possible Cause: Heart Condition Bloody stripes on the nail bed are abnormal (unless you bump your finger against the car door). Small longitudinal blood lines – especially on the half of the nail closest to the body – are called splinter hemorrhages. They may indicate a heart infection affecting the valves or the inner lining of the heart, Chen said. Heart infection or endocarditis is usually caused by a bacterial infection, and the risk is higher in people with implanted heart devices, congenital heart defects, etc., have a history of drug use or heart attacks. This can be accompanied by flu-like symptoms, weight loss, muscle pain, coughing, and more.Treatment usually includes antibiotics. Bottom line: if you notice little red lines, see the stat doc.

8. Pitted nails.

Possible cause: psoriasis. Small dents and craters in the nails are known as “pitting”. and is often a symptom of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that causes an itchy, scaly rash. But in the future, this particular symptom can mean even more complications. & ldquo; When you see psoriasis on your nails, it is associated with higher levels of arthritis in the future ” Chen says. Typically, pits occur in about half of people with psoriasis and 80 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis, she adds. Bruised nails can also be a sign of alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that leads to hair loss, Weiser said. If you’re not already getting treatment for psoriasis, look at the dermis to find out what’s going on.

9. Rounded or “clubs”. Edges

Possible Cause: Lung problems. If your nail looks curved and rounded (like an inverted spoon) and your fingertips look swollen, this could indicate a problem called clubbing.& ldquo; Clubbing is usually the result of a wide range of lung diseases that cause lower-than-normal oxygen levels in the blood. ” – says Weiser. Lung cancer is the most common cause, but it can also be associated with an overactive thyroid gland or liver disease. Just remember: clubbing is not normal and should always be evaluated by a doctor to determine the root cause.

PART 4. For the Russian land. Century XIII

Dubravka has grown, grown plump, entered the summer. Stately, tall, with a flexible body and regal movements of a blossoming body that had already experienced motherhood – for there, in exile, Princess Aglaya had a baby – Dubravka now evoked involuntary praise even from Princess Vassa.

– What a beauty you have become, Aglaya! – in the presence of Alexander, who is often a tenor] “came to them, to the female half, once exclaimed Princess Passa, affectionately stroking the elastic body of her daughter-in-law. – What a heifer of the Lord! .. Where are you widowed, widowed – and that’s enough !…. Sasha, – she turned to her husband, – is it true, we will not let her go to Danil Romanovich, but will we give her in marriage here? I found her and a groom …

Yaroslavich grinned hard. It seemed unpleasant to Yaroslavich, alien to his princess, so characteristic of other boyars, touching someone else’s marriage life, other people’s marriages and marriages: “This does not suit her! ..”

– I did not think that my nun, even in the saints, Princess Vassa, could be a matchmaker, and even good! – said Nevsky.

Princess Vassa Bryachislavna was extremely resentful:

– Well, even among my family I can’t afford a joke? Or am I not a man like everyone else?

– Well, that’s enough! – Alexander began to persuade her. – Sorry. I was joking … So for whom did you decide to give our Dubrava? – Yaroslavich asked in a completely different way.

– Gleb is her fiancé, Vasilkovich! – said, having ceased to be angry, Princess Vassa. – Why should we give such a beauty, our child, to a foreign family? When Gleb comes back from the Great Horde, from the Kanevichs, we will get married.He is your faithful assistant. You love him. They will live with Dubravka in their Beloozero, and we will live in Vladimir. We will go to each other. And how good it will be!

– What is this Gleb? – Dubravka was amazed. – That young man who went to our wedding with a candle?

Princess Vassa smiled:

– So are you the only one who grew up? For seven years now, it’s scary to think how they brought you to us, to Vladimir. You are twenty-three, and about that to Gleb….

Nevsky intervened.

“No, mother,” he said mockingly. – You unlucky matchmaker! .. I told Glebushka in the Horde to marry, when everything goes well with him …

– In the Horde ?! At the nasty ones? On a Tatar woman? – exclaimed Princess Vassa.

Alexander shrugged his shoulders.

– What’s wrong with that? They are good, princesses of theirs! It is clear that we will baptize ahead. And they don’t mind it. Mengu himself had a late queen, a Christian, Orthodox.If Glebushka marries in the Horde, then we will only introduce a new young woman into the flock of Christ … No, apparently, you will look after another groom for her! He finished condescendingly. And then, having examined Dubravka from head to toe, shook his head in thought and said: – Eh, time, time … flies – and we don’t see! Seven years! .. And indeed, how it has grown! .. But your braids have not grown, Dubravka, – he joked and slightly touched Dubravka’s golden braids, which were whisked under the gold of a boat with a muslin headboard.

Dubravka was embarrassed. Vassa intervened:

– Sasha, leave her alone, drove her into the paint! ..

From the shrewd, although constantly downcast, gaze of Princess Vassa, the joy that flashed in Alexander’s eyes did not escape, when, returning in the evening from Novgorod to his Gorodishche and entering half of the princess, he saw that Dubravka was sitting at her place, although the arrival Princess Aglaya was not a surprise to him.

Nevsky knew and learned in good time, that is, soon after he returned to Pereslavl from Sartak, that brother Andrey and Dubravka had escaped from the Tatars, that they fled first to Novgorod, then to Pskov, then to Revel, to the Danes, then to Riga, to Master Poppa von Ostern; I learned that they had split up there: Dubravka, taking advantage of the stay of her father’s embassy with the knights of Maria, departed with this embassy to Galich, and Prince Andrew – to Sweden [45].Then, when Alexander procured forgiveness for Andrei and both of them, the prince and the princess, returned through Livonia, and here, under very vague circumstances, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich was killed in a battle between the German knights and a detachment of Estonians . ..

“After all, they killed my brother,” thought princess Vassa, observing her husband’s face at the first meeting with Dubravka, “I didn’t have time to ask her about anything else, but on his face there is only joy that he sees her! , you can’t hide it! Therefore, it was true that they informed me then !.. ”

And then some secret well-wishers informed Princess Vassa, who remained in Novgorod, that her husband was supposedly just living in his Berendeev, that his daughter-in-law and her husband were visiting him there, and that the elder Yaroslavich liked the Galician very much, and that good people were already they say that there would not be anything bad between the Yaroslavich brothers, as between Vladimir and Yaropolk because of the wife of Yaropolkova, a Greek woman [46] …

And then a lot of lonely nights, at the window above Volkhov, Nevsky’s wife cried! And when they met, she could not hide from her Sasha neither these tears, nor her sufferings, nor the fact that she had already decided to ask him for tonsure in order to go to the monastery.

– Enough, dove! – Alexander told her then. – You never know what evil people will weave? They would only sow discord between husband and wife, and throw an extra lump of dirt at me!

As for the princess’s thoughts about leaving for a monastery, he joked then, moving his hand to her bedchamber, illuminated by the light of the lamps:

– Why go from a monastery to a monastery?

… And here again the stubborn thought of monasticism, of tonsure – a thought that arose on the pillows soaked with tears, began to dominate the princess more and more soon after Dubravka’s return from abroad.

And Princess Vassa decided to seek blessings from Metropolitan Kirill.

“Here, Vladyka saint, then I came to you,” said the wife of Nevsky at the end of her conversation with Vladyka. – From my youth I had an idea for a haircut, not only now! And now what am I? After all, don’t I see – he is a great sovereign … he has no equal in sovereigns! And I … No, he doesn’t need such a wife! .. No, I’m not the Empress … ”she whispered, as if shaking her head condemningly at herself…

Vladyka listened to her in silence.

– And did I turn out to be a kind mother to my sons? – continued the princess. – And she could not bring up obedient sons for him! .. The boy still, and he bit his father’s heart! She exclaimed mournfully.

And Metropolitan Kirill understood that she was talking about Prince Vasily, who at that time was detained in Pskov while trying to escape to Yuryev, to the knights, in order to hide there from his father’s wrath.

– And then, Vladyka saint, – the princess finished her word, lowering her head even lower and squeezing the rosary, – after all, I am as if in spirit… he loves her, Princess Aglaya …

Kirill was silent for a long time.

Then he sighed and looked intently at Nevsky’s wife.

– Princess! My daughter is in Christ! – he said earnestly and sternly. – It is not for me to drive away from the door one of the lambs of the Lord’s flock, seeking to hide from the troubles of this vain and short-lived age in the shelter of God! .. I bless your intentions. But, however, if the wife of a commoner came to me to ask me what you ask for, then even to her I would say: “Bring me first the absolution from your husband for this tonsure, and without this even I, Metropolitan of all Russia, I can do nothing !.. ” And what about the prince? He agrees? He asked sharply and directly.

Princess Vassa did not answer him for a long time. She, poor thing, tried to wait until the unbearable pain that stopped her breathing, the fierce pain from the knife, which now turned the Metropolitan into her heart with its question, subsided.

“I … I want to fall at his feet with a plea, and he … will not reject …” the princess said quietly.

And just at the same time, Princess Dubravka, exhausted in her soul and throwing away her broken pride, sank down at Alexander’s feet and, sobbing, hugged his knees.

They were alone with him. Just before that Dubravka was explaining to her brother-in-law a new secret, which she brought from her parent, and the two of them, bending over a large table, head on head, dismantled, not without difficulty, the letter of Daniil Romanovich and his loving letter to Nevsky. Then the princess began to tell her brother-in-law about what she had seen and heard enough there, in her wanderings – both in Sweden, and with the Danes, and with the master – and Alexander again marveled at her sovereign intelligence and ability to see in foreign countries and in the presence of foreign royal courtyards are exactly what ambassadors are sent for.

– How everyone hates you there, Sasha, how they fear, how they all yearn for your death! – burst out from her among the story.

“Well, that’s enough,” Nevsky objected in some embarrassment. – And who among them honors my person in such a way?

– Who? – Aglaya exclaimed and, stopping in front of him, named, counted on her fingers all who longed for the death of Nevsky. – The Finnish bishop is abysmal, and the duke himself (as they called Birger), and Andre Felfen, the one who once visited you, and von Ostern…How they wanted your brother, and my husband, to call them to you … to take away the throne of Vladimir! .. Do you know what the knight Depancier said to me at the banquet at the bishop of Riga? “We are waiting,” he said, “we cannot wait for your bofre? R, this one, in his pride who dared to oppose the dictates of the Roman apostolic throne and the oriflamme of St. Mary, King Alexander will receive from the hands of the Tatar queen the same cup as he received when his father! ” God! – Dubravka cried out. – Yes, I almost spilled wine from my cup in his face.Sasha, my beloved, dear! Never go to the Horde again! .. My God, how we insulted you then – me and Andrey for disobeying you! How I swear to myself! .. After all, I understood everything when I lived there, among them, among these wolves in robes, shells, robes! .. No, in your hand to be … to obey without looking back … your knees to die! .. After all, for the sake of just seeing your face again, I came back here so that you would forgive me! ..

Like mad, she clung to his knee, bursting into tears…

Carefully and affectionately, Alexander removed Dubravka’s head from his knees, got up from the chair and lifted her by the elbows.

They were now so close that his palms, as if by themselves, fell behind her shoulders. The pumping pounding of his heart shook both of them … It was just like then, on of their lake, near of their birches! ..

He, slowly and resisting the irresistible temptation, bent to her sprayed lips. Another moment – and merciless, like death, sinful marriage would unite them…

The scent of precious aromas that wafted from her clothes, face and hair entered his nostrils, widening them, forcing him to inhale.

And suddenly this sweet-fragrant smell evoked in his memory that sweetish smell of corpse decay, which was applied to him then, on the terrible day of his return after Nevryu, there, near a birch tree, by a blue lake … , with a noise, allows the bushes to close, as soon as he saw the disfigured, and reviled, and already touched by decay body of an elderly woman, killed by the Tatars, a commoner, in a torn thin skirt…

… Alexander silently recoiled from Dubravka …

And this was their last meeting.

To the Carpathians, to his father, Dubravka was accompanied by Andrey-Dvorsky and his retinue. He himself volunteered to accompany the daughter of his sovereign to Galicia. And Andrei Ivanovich had more than one reason for this!

Firstly, the fact that the Suzdal entourage of Yaroslavich, with hostility, growing more and more, looked at the newcomer, the Galician, and even from the simple, who stood so close to their prince.”He died of his own, local good-hearted boyars!” – Alexander’s courtiers from Suzdal grumbled.

Another reason was the riots that never ceased all year and the executions in Novgorod that cruelly smitten the rebels.

“The sovereign is strong, Oleksandr Yaroslavich is strong and the great wise,” Andrey Ivanovich reflected alone with himself. – Well, but only my Danilo Romanovich is duller to people! And that may be! ” – he decided, recalling the circumstance, which is still bitter for him, that at the trial, and in the chambers of Vladyka, where the fate of Rogovich and the fate of other leaders of the rebellion was decided, – at this court there are only three voices – his, and even Novgorodian Pineshchinich, and even a new mayor, Mikhail Fedorovich, – and they sounded for pardon, all the rest were filed for execution, including the voice of Vladyka Cyril, and Archbishop Dalmat, and, finally, the voice of Alexander Yaroslavich himself.

Dvorsky, expecting the prince’s formidable mouth to open up over the guilty man, after everyone had spoken in favor of execution, gazed at Alexander with bated breath at that advice.

“Well, well,” said Nevsky mournfully and dully, “and I am applying my voice.

Yaroslavich’s eyes were still dim and his eyelashes were not rising into his full eye, but it was already noticeable that the abundant bloodletting from the cubital vein cleared his consciousness. Dr. Abraham was not afraid of a more fatal outcome.

Alexander’s head rested on a high foot of snow-white pillows. He rested and from time to time entered into leisurely conversation with his doctor.

– There is one thing I don’t understand, Dr. Abraham, how is the same blood, and which our life and soul, how can it become destructive and disease, so that you, doctors, have to dump it? – Alexander asked.

The elder shook his head:

– Following Hippocrates of Kos, I also believe, sir, that the soul is not in the blood, not in the brain.I don’t always bury to dump blood. But you were at risk of brain inflammation. The blonds wearing the tserebrum were overflowing with overheated blood …

– Empty! And it just slipped through me! – interrupted doctor Alexander. – The place here is such that there is no day without wind. Here is Volkhov, here is Ilmen …

They still talked about this and that, and suddenly Abraham said:

– Sovereign! Forgive me for not starting my conversation at any other time… But after all, as soon as we raise you up, we won’t see you: you will rush away! .. And I will not be able to follow you, as before … I will dare to remind you of your promise: to let me go to rest when I become decrepit and mournful with senile ailments …

– Do you – a doctor from doctors – say that?

– Sovereign! Medicine is powerful, but not yet omnipotent! – answered Doctor Abraham with a sad smile. – Every day, waking up, I begin with the fact that with cold fingers I feel the pulse on my withered hand.And he tells me to hurry up, old Abraham. My flesh is dilapidated. And I can no longer be your physician, sir.

Alexander shook his head disapprovingly.

– On whom do you, I would like to know, leave me and my family, Dr. Abraham?

The old doctor’s face showed deep sorrow. He put his hand to his chest and from the very depths of his heart said:

– Sovereign, your reproach is tearing my soul apart !…. Or will I forget someday that you saved my life in Lithuania? But Dr. Berthold from Marburg asked for you. This is a learned man and a kind and careful healer … And you said to me, sir: “I will think about it.”

Nevsky smiled.

“I thought it,” he answered. – And he ordered Dr. Berthold to refuse this: I have too much unfinished work for me to decide to entrust my life and health to a foreigner! ..

Abraham laughed.

– How glad I am to hear your decision, sir! Then with all my heart, with all my conscience and the oath of a doctor, I will lay down before you for that healer, in whom you will find not only a wise healer, but also your blood one, in other words, Russian blood, who will turn his heart into powder if he finds out that with this powder Brings healing to you, my sovereign !…. He is still young, but I, old doctor Abraham, have nothing to reveal to him from the secrets of our school. He is a born healer! ..

– My God! – exclaimed, even raising his throat on the pillows, Alexander. – So is it really Nastasin? .. You deigned to joke, Doctor Abraham!

The old man shook his head.

– No! – he answered. “You were unconscious, sir, and you don’t know … But a stream of your precious blood, under the edge, sprinkled into this silver vessel today!”… I no longer dared to entrust this to my decrepit hand. He, my doctor Gregory, also put a bandage on your arm. I also ordered him to make a healing drink on red wine …

– Yes-ah, wonderful?, Wonderful ?! – said Nevsky. – Grinka Nastas’in, the one with a bruised nose gundel in front of me on the bridge … and suddenly – a doctor …

– So, sir! – confirmed Abraham. – The ax of time cuts the roots of some, while for others it only takes away the wild-growing branches! But if you are in any doubt, sir, then I will arrange a colloquium for him and invite, with your permission, Dr. Franz from the German courtyard, and Dr. Tatenau from the Gotian… And we will give him, Nastasin, a diploma, and seal it with our seals … By the way, I can hear his steps …

Nastas’in entered. In the hands of the young man was a gilded bowl, covered with white on top. Nevsky looked at him curiously through lowered eyelashes.

Gregory, thinking that the prince was asleep, immediately got up on tiptoe in order to step more inaudibly; he bit his lip, his face stretched out …

Nevsky broke down and laughed. The bowl of wine trembled in the youth’s hand.His ruddy, round, clear-eyed face of a Vladimir boy and a fair-haired wide brace above his forehead did not really fit in with the black, strict attire of a doctor’s student.

Gregory hastened to put the bowl down.

– Well, Dr. Gregorius, Alexander joked, – why did you drain so much blood from your prince, and at one time? The Germans, perhaps, did not take so much from me for all the battles! ..

Gregory looked around in dismay at his teacher. He kept an impenetrable calm.

– The prince, maybe the hand is worried? .. Did I bandage badly? – asked the young man, all flushed, and knelt down to examine the bandage.

– No, I tied it up wonderfully! – Alexander objected to him and moved his hand.

The young man clung reverently to the hand of Nevsky.

– Oh, you … Nastasin … – Alexander said with emotion, ruffling his bright bangs.

Armenian merchants with the spices of Syria and the Levant, with brocade and blades, oil and horses, with cotton and mercury, carpets and silk, wines and fruits from Georgia, gracious and adopted by the sun, these merchants are omnipresent not once or twice during the summer visited the prince of Novgorod in his favorite country abode [47], that on Gorodishchensky island, between Volkhov, Volkhovets and Zhilotug.And this dwelling was favorite because for every Novgorod prince, because here it is not like in the Yaroslavl courtyard: the prince here was spared from the picky and annoying vigilance on the part of the Novgorodians.

Here any ship with goods – if only the prince did not decide to resell them later in the city through dummies – any ship could stop at the prince’s own Gorodishchensk pier, and then either he himself, at the invitation of guests, visited their ship with his retinue and chose what he needed – for himself, for the princess, for the court and for the servants, or the merchants invited by him brought samples and gifts to his house.

That is why none of the Novgorod spies would have been surprised that in the twilight of one summer evening, ringing with mosquitoes, three horsemen, in cloaks and high shaggy hats, proceeded to the Gorodishche. The last of the riders was followed by a reins attached to his saddle, a stocky pack horse with wine skins.

Novgorodians looked closely at both Georgian and Armenian merchants and they know: a Novgorodian does not have a roll in a sack, and a Georgian merchant will not move on a journey without wine in a wineskin: as if they are afraid to dilute their blood with hot water.

But the spy would have been surprised if he would soon see these merchants, already in light, feasting vestments, woven with gold, with bowls in their hands, sitting at the chosen meal together with Nevsky and Vladyka Kirill in the prince’s secret palace. And already princes call them both the Metropolitan of All Russia and the Grand Duke Alexander.

And indeed – princes! ..

Not simple ambassadors were sent to the northern knight and the sovereign – the stronghold of Orthodoxy and its hope – by both Georgian tsars – both the elder, David, and the younger.The eldest, David, the son of Georgy Lasha, the one who is called Ulu-David among the Tatars, – he sent not someone else, but the prince himself Jakeli, the very one that is in his rocky nest and with only eight thousand Georgians – the Kartvelians – defended a good third of the country from the Mongol hordes that were constantly rolling on it; defended – both from Subedei, and from Berke, and now also from the Iranian Ilkhan Hulagu.

There, at the very tip of the mountains, with their backs pressed against the rocks of Svaneti, facing the enemies, stood the last knights of Kartalinia, Dzhakeli stood, and with him – his aliaurs, and tenants, and shepherds.

The Horde rushed into the deaf stone cheeks of the cliffs and retreated. And again she pushed and rolled back in a murmur and in blood …

Just as the air squeezed in a cup overturned under the water can resist the whole ocean, so Sarkis Jakeli with his people resisted the onslaught of the Horde hordes in the wilds and rocks of Svaneti and Khevsureti. Such was the man who was sent to Nevsky, with his secret word, the eldest of the kings of Georgia, Ulu-David.

Jakeli was no longer young – about sixty years old. Slightly younger was the second companion – the ambassador of David Jr. – Bedian Dzhuansheridze.

Both Georgian ambassadors, both in the appearance of their clothes, and in the strict comb of their long, with gray hair, curling at the ends of their hair, and in their proud bearing, reminded of our noblest boyars – the closest of all Novgorod boyars, but after Byzantium, the habits of the court of Angels and Komna were visible in everyone their movement. The restrained pathos of speech, the flowery and welcoming eloquence, without which, like a meal without salt, a noble Georgian is inconceivable, and the fusion and pride of gestures – everything spoke of their noble origin.

Their faces were dark. And that is why magnificent teeth sparkled even more, bared even in a slow smile under a thick, gray mustache.

Mountains, on which for thousands of years the beaked eagle of Zeus bites and torments the Promethean liver; the mountains, on which, for thousands of years, all kinds of predators have been pecking out and tearing the very heart of the great people of Georgia: from the eagles of Rome to the gray gyrfalcon – Genghis Khan, these formidable mountains seem to have left their imprint in the sharpness of the outlines of the faces of both Georgians.

The elder, Dzhakeli, had a more formidable and, perhaps, more coarse face and bore traces of saber blows. His mustache, drooping from top to bottom, then curved, was thick, reminiscent of turkey horns. Chin – shaved.

His companion – Bedian Dzhuansheridze – looked incomparably more graceful and thinner – both in face, and in shape, and in speech. And it is not surprising: from his youthful nails he was a philosopher, a rhetorician, and a lawyer. Even during the life of Queen Rusudan – this insignificant daughter of the great mother [48] – Prince Bedian brilliantly completed his education in Constantinople and returned to his homeland, to Sakartvelo, believing that he was bringing invaluable treasures to his people, that he would become an assistant to the kings in the struggle against covetousness, and injustice, and the intricacies of laws and customary law.

But upon his arrival in Georgia, it turned out that there was no one for the young man to test his eloquence, or the art of flowing the folds of his toga, or his own, in front of the mirror of the elaborated hand movements of the court intercessor and the orator!

Hordes of Subedei, passing through Khorezm and Iran, smashed Sakartvelo. Tartar-centaur – a people who have grown together with a horse, completely covered the blessed, sun-blessed hills of Georgia. Breathing with robbery and murder, the Mongols flowed through the country, destroying not only everything breathing, but also everything green.

After the first defeat of the Georgian troops, led by the Supreme Atabek Ivane, a puffy science fiction writer who at one time conceived of stopping the Tatars with the help of a religious procession, horror and despair seized both the ordinary nobility of Georgia and the Eristavs of the principalities and regions, and first of all the unfortunate woman herself. Queen Rusudan.

She rushed between Tbilisi and Kutaisi until she took refuge in Svaneti. The Tatars, as in any country that did not immediately submit, began to destroy the rebellious Georgian nobility, the military class, to enslave and rob the vineyard and cattle-breeder, and to take artisans into captivity.

The people without exception took up arms. Kartli, Imereti, Mingrelia, Guria, Svaneti and Abkhazia rebelled unanimously. And then Jakeli stood at the head of the hastily assembled Aznaur squads.

His troops were overgrown with the militia of the people, who, hearing the call of the abusive trumpet, wave after wave, poured out of its eternal rocky citadel – the Svaneti Mountains – onto the native hills and valleys they had abandoned and rushed to the Tatars.

The armies of Subedei, making their way with incredible efforts through the stone gills of the gills [49], having the wall of the Caucasian ridge right in front of them, rushing to the expanses of the southern Russian steppes, suddenly received a sudden bloody backdrop from the Georgians, whom Subedei, who had not known defeats, had considered for a long time either exterminated or who tilted their proud necks under a wooden multi-pound shoulder-pad collar.

In an effort to escape from the echoing stone wineskin, where the Terek already has chikla Tatar blood, the enraged khan ordered to pile, heap into the abyss and gorges everything that could lift the wheels of the Mongolian a? Rob at least one inch. The Chinese prisoners of engineers tried to drill the rocks in order to blow them up with the gunpowder laid in the wells, but soon Subedei canceled his order when he saw that the death of the army would come before the engineers had time to achieve anything.

He ordered to throw boulders, stones, trees and brushwood into the gorges; at last they unloaded into the abyss, riding on horses, thousands of slaves persecuted in front of them and crowds of the captured population around them, without even taking the trouble to first kill the people put into those dams: why? – will die and so, when thousands of horse hooves pass through these rubble.

To the bottom of the last rapids, right before the very ridge, it was ordered to throw tents, wagons, bales of stolen cloth and carpets! In vain: the immortal hierarchy of snow giants still stood in the unattainable height. It seemed that they were very close, but for another week they crawled, for another week they laid a bloody furrow along the ravines and talus of the Tatars, clambering up to these immortally shining snow giants, and they remained just as unattainably close …

The Mongols of Subedei there, in front, were threatened with starvation, behind – Dzhakeli.

And if a handful of traitorous fugitives, accidentally captured by the Tatars, had not led the army of Subedei to the right – on the path of the Caspian gates – then … there would not have been a battle on Kalka …

The news of the first victory over the Tatars was carried by the sound of a long copper pipe and pillars of smoky fires from top to top. And this news reached Rome itself, to the ears of Pope Gregory.

Supreme Council, didebula Georgia, together with Queen Rusudan, appealed to the “viceroy of Christ” for urgent help, to order the knights who lay in Constantinople, who arranged the Duchy of Athens and the warehouses of goods in the Parthenon, who seized half of the Balkans, to move crusade against the Mongol hordes.

The Pope did not give an answer to Rusudan’s letter, in which she informed the Roman high priest about the victory over the Tatars, about their hasty departure to the southern Russian steppes. However, the legates – overt and secret – extorted from the people and rulers of Georgia apostasy from Orthodoxy, the rejection of the alliance with Laskaris, the emperor of the Greeks, and demanded that the Georgians recognize papal dominion.

The papal response bull was finally sent to Queen Rusudan … with a twenty-year delay , when the yoke of Asia had already laid on the Russian Land.

Baskak Batu was already sitting in Tbilisi – desecrated, filthy, deserted. For a short time the Georgian unity was enough, which raised to death, to feat: violent bickering and stabbing of the nobles; two kings in one Georgia; begging for khans’ labels; denunciations and political tripping to each other in the Horde … For the people, it is a hairy lasso of taxes and taxes, which has already lost the score. People fled from the villages to the mountains.

But an even more terrible tribute – tribute with the blood of Georgian youths – military service to the Horde – weighed heavily on the people of Sakartvelo: one fighter from nine households – ninety thousand fighters from all over the Georgians went to any of the khan’s campaigns.

In Egypt – and for what it is unknown – Georgian blood was shed. The Georgians were driven against the Russians, the Russians were going to drive against the Georgians …

… Bedian Dzhuansheridze, in the face of Tatar tribute collectors, did not really use his legal knowledge, his subtle oratorical gestures with a scroll of parchment, the grace and beauty of his hands with almond-shaped turned nails painted in pink, and knowledge of tax laws and chicanery. The fiscal practice of the Mongols was extremely simple.

Once upon a time, warriors invaded a long-siege city

Jagatai. There was a massacre. One old woman, trying to postpone her death at least to some extent, shouted to the Mongol commander that she had swallowed a precious diamond, let them not kill her. Noyon ordered not to kill, but ordered to rip her stomach open and search her entrails. And so it was done. The stone was found. Following this, it was ordered to rip open the stomachs of all the corpses that had not yet had time to be buried …

While staying with Nevsky at a feast, Prince Dzhuansheridze, unnoticed by Alexander Yaroslavich, managed to intercept his gaze fixed on his nails – a glance as if shuddering from a sudden feeling of pity.

How many times had he, Dzhuansheridze, noticed this look in people who saw him for the first time!

After waiting some time for conversation, wine and mutual toasts, Prince Dzhuansheridze said, choosing the moment when it came in handy:

– I drink to your health, sir, may you be blessed in generations and generations – you and your sacred family, and your house, and all your deeds! .. Shall I hear praise about myself from your lips? So many glorious people of my people laid down their lives for the fatherland.I donated what? Unless … with your nails! – he finished, looking at his handful, pitted nails on his left hand, or rather, the roots from them …

The translator of both ambassadors – their third companion – immediately translated these words of Dzhuansheridze into Russian.

Prince Jakeli frowned reproachfully.

– Ay, Prince Bedian! He said and shook his head. “Sovereign,” he turned to Nevsky, “you don’t have to believe him in this! .. Each of his nails that he lost, we, Georgians, should be set in the golden reliquary, as the Catholics did with the nail of St. Peter !….

Dzhuansheridze was embarrassed and indignantly said something to his comrade in Georgian, obviously forbidding him to tell. However, his comrade neglected this. His story was simple and terrible.

When in Georgia the struggle against the Mongols was replaced by tributary, Dzhuansheridze, during feasts and feasts, began from time to time to make incendiary speeches, in which, under the guise of transparent allegories, he reproached the Georgian nobility for betraying their homeland with their strife, self-interest and carelessness.He urged to follow the example of Dzhakeli, who went to the mountains, accumulated people there and hung fear over the khan’s roads, exterminating noyons, tax collectors and even entire Tatar garrisons.

And then he, the Georgian sovereign prince Dzhuansheridze, who also had the title of Byzantine patrician, was seized as a simple shepherd and presented before the bloody eyes of the supreme Baskak of Georgia – Khan Argun.

They demanded from Bedian that he betray all those who turned out to be responsive to his rebellious reproaches.Dzhuansheridze laughed in the Baskaku’s face.

Then he was subjected to the beloved torture of the Horde: they began to take their time, and from time to time resuming interrogation, to drive needles under the nails, right down to the nail bed.

The prince endured all these tortures, and not a single foreign name escaped his lips. He lost consciousness many times and was finally thrown not far from the sakli, for he was considered dead.

People raised him and barely brought him back to life. He was taken to the mountains – to the lion’s den of Jakeli… For a long time it was believed that he had lost his mind forever. However, the reason, the divine light of thought, who gives his life for it, is not taken away from the homeland, but from the traitors!

Instead of nails, ugly horny lumps-humps grew at Prince Bedian …

… This was the second ambassador of the kings of Georgia – the ambassador of David the Younger.

The Georgian ambassadors drank slowly and little by little. However, the chased feet and cups did not dry out. The conversation grew warmer and more intimate.The hosts and guests liked each other. Soon, after the very first glances in the eyes and the first greetings and toasts, they ceased to be afraid: Russians – Georgians, Georgians – Russians, hosts – guests, and guests – hosts … They stopped sneaking up words to each other, as always happens in such ambassadorial meetings. You had to trust each other! And without that, if it reaches Berke what kind of merchants from the country of Georgians, that is, Georgians, came to Alexander and what they talked about with the Grand Duke of Vladimir and with the “main priest” of the Russians, then both, perhaps, you will have to make an inevitable choice between a poisoned bowl from the hands of some khansha Berke and a bowstring around the neck.

But it was time to start. It was time to wave finally with the northern and southern wings of the gigantic uprising against the Horde, which Yaroslavich was planning in his north, and both kings of Sakartvelo in the south.

And the Metropolitan said:

– Byzantium – both you and us – have a common mother. Although there is some difference between our churches, is it great?

– Not thicker than an onion husk! – confirmed Dzhuansheridze.

“Truly,” the metropolitan agreed.

Jakeli put down his huge goblet weightily on the table and in a slightly raised voice, as if someone were challenging him, persistently said:

– And it would be even less, this is the difference between our churches, if not for the Greeks. I swear by my mustache! With this mustache! ..

He grabbed and stroked his powerful mustache, twisting his arm slightly.

Their conversation quickly flew half the world. Great Khan Kublai and Pope Alexander; Mindaugas and the Caliph of Egypt; the emperor of the Latin Empire, Henry, and Laskaris, expelled by the crusaders; Duke Birger and Khan Berke; Plano Carpini and the plenipotentiary Basque of the Emperor of Mongolia and China – Ulavchiy, who came to calculate the Russian Land; the ambassador of Louis of France to the Mongols – Rünsbrock, and the British – Templar John, originally from London, called Pat the Tatars [50], who, after his shameful defeat and capture in Bohemia, was dismissed from leading the Tatar armies and now, together with the German Stumpenhausen, was listed at court of Berke as an advisor for Western and Russian affairs.

They remembered the turmoil and national strife in Teutonia that still lasted after the death of Hohenstaufen; remembered the bloody interregnum in Denmark.

From the merchants of Novgorod, who went to trade in Hamburg, Nevsky received reliable news: the German bollards no longer felled, as before, in raids on the Pskov region, they prefer to plunder on their roads, in Germany.

– Yeah, – grumbled Nevsky, – if this miles gegmanicus – a German warrior – starts to rob, then the Tatar won’t keep up with him !….

– You’re right, sir! – Jakeli confirmed, tapping with a mug, as if ready to rush into battle for the truth of these words, which no one thought to dispute. – They defiled and robbed St. Sophia of Constantinople, the Germans! ..

Alexander bowed his head.

– We got to our … to Novgorod Sofia, – he said. – It just didn’t work out! ..

Vladyka Cyril sternly uttered:

– Corrupted are right… Copper what is being done in Denmark? .. The king is poisoned with the sacrament! .. It’s scary to think!

They remembered the fratricide – the Danish prince Abel.

Dzhuansheridze joked gloomily:

– It can be seen, indeed, the last times: Abel kills Cain! ..

Cyril widely overshadowed himself with the banner of the cross. Both Georgian ambassadors crossed themselves after him.

The conversation lasted … Alexander explained to the Georgian ambassadors the complexity of the foreign policy tasks facing him.

“We will defeat both the German and the Tatar separately,” he said. – The rope from the Tatar battering ram must be pulled out of the hands of the Pope … so as not to incite the Tatars against us! collide head to head! .. We got used to hiding behind lakes of Russian blood! .. It would be enough for our people to hold a shield over all other Christianity!

Sophistically and wholeheartedly, they scattered one side of the other with praise – both to the people, and to the sovereigns, and to the clergy.

Alexander Yaroslavich bitterly complained about the differences of opinion and disobedience of the princes.

“It’s the same with us,” said Jakeli gloomily.

– I know – and yours is no better, – Alexander confirmed. – Any atabek – to his own escape! .. However, I am sure: the Kartvels will stand up for themselves! They overcame the Rymlyans, overcame the Persians … the Arabs … did not succumb to the Greeks … The Turks were repelled …

Metropolitan Kirill joined the prince’s words.

– Tsarina Tamar, – he said, – not only wore a royal crown, but was also girded with a sword!

And again Nevsky:

– Yes, and we are not strangers! My uncle, Yuri Andreevich, was married to your queen Tamara [51]! He bowed slightly to the ambassadors.Smiling, I remembered: – The Knight was kind. Only too hot. Yes, and beyond the third spell, he stepped far … Aphrodite and Bacchus served beyond measure. But he was driven away by her, Tamara …

He paused and, slyly exchanging glances with Prince Bedian, added:

– Maybe he also sinned in something … I was a ndrav in my parent, in Andrei Yurich: autocratic! ..

Bor is like a dungeon: cheese and dark. The sunbeam, coming through the pine roof, seemed green.Deaf! Even the horse stupa is muffled. Copper sets of bridles clink. The horse will hit the root with its hoof, the black woodpecker will hit the tree with its beak, and again everything will subside. Soars like in a bath. It’s hard for the horses. The riders now and then brush the side of their hands from their foreheads with large sweat.

But Alexander Yaroslavich does not allow removing either the helmet or the armor.

“The wildest wilderness,” he said. – And the ax did not go here. Places of Perunya. Be ready!

And indeed, was it not Perun, was it not Chernobog or the goddess Mokosh that they moved their demands here, being expelled from the cities? Where does this oak among the pines come from? Where are these scarlet ribbons tied to the branches from? We looked into a large hollow, and there a large and already dying candle glowed with yellow wax…

– Mordovian! They pray to their gods! – explained Yaroslavich.

The wind blew close to sunset. They whispered among themselves, as if plotting something unkind, large shaggy ate, as if hung with a tow. More and more, more and more, they begin to ripple in circles, outlining the sky, the tops of gigantic trees. And now, like a veche, the whole forest became agitated, the whole forest began to rustle …

It got even darker.

– I can’t identify myself, prince, I’m sorry, they must have gotten lost, – said the old warrior, dismounting from his horse.

Alexander shook his head disapprovingly. He glanced at Mikhail Pineschinich, with whom he was riding stirrup to stirrup.

The brown-bearded, dark-skinned Novgorodian cursed the old man in an undertone and immediately turned to Nevsky:

– Let’s pull it while our horses are heavy! And there we will spend the night, – he answered. – It’s safer than driving. You go in a small squad, prince. And the land here is deaf, devil! The people in the forests are scared away from the Tatars. Wild. Watagami goes astray. The merchants of the passers-by are beaten.Hear, some kind of extinguisher is operating here. Beast! Tatars and those are afraid of him – they do not go in less than a hundred.

– Oh, I’m afraid, I’m afraid, like an aspen leaf! – Alexander joked.

– Yes, I really mean that you are afraid, prince, but that you drive without fear! ..

– You can’t travel with big people, you yourself know! We will lay a wide footprint! – said Nevsky.

This trip of Yaroslavich with only half a dozen of selected bodyguards, and even with Mikhail Pineschinich, who has secret powers from the Novgorod mayor – this trip was just one of those purely secret northern trips of the prince, during which Nevsky, without announcing to the people, checked the combat readiness of his hidden squads and detachments, which he had been planting for ten whole years throughout the north, both in Vladimir and in Novgorod possessions.

In his family, princes Gleb and Boris Vasilkovichi helped him in this matter, and in Novgorod – mayor Mikhail, and even the veche tycoon Pineshchinich, in whom the Novgorodians doted, despite the fact that he was devoted to Yaroslavich and did not hide it from his fellow citizens. …

Yaroslavich did not allow anyone else from the princes, from the boyars to approach that secret affair.

Alexander had a bad time with his secret squads after the unfortunate uprising of Prince Andrey and after the punitive invasion of Nevryu, Ukitia and Alabuga.The Tatars sniffed out everything. Baskaks sat down everywhere. I had to dodge. Passing from Vladimir to Novgorod, from Novgorod to Vladimir Nevsky, every time he made a large arc to the north and managed to hide, shove his squads and detachments into the deaf northern ostrozhki and villages.

They were trained there in military affairs under the guise of fishing, hunting parties, under the guise of mead brewers and smologons. Nevsky planted them on lakes and rivers, so that when the hour came, they could quickly move south – to the Vladimir and Volga cities.

There were twelve such nesting sites: on the lakes – Onega, White, Kubenskoye and on Lake Lacha; on the rivers – Mologa, Onega, Chagodoshcha, on the City, Sukhona, on the Dvina and on the Yug river. In the city of Veliky Ustyug there was the main of the prince’s secret provinces [52].

It happened that Baskaks dropped into these nesting sites. “Who you are?” – “We catch fish for the prince: sturgeon princes”. – “And you?” – “And we – keep the princely side and cook honey for the princely court.” – “Okay. And you?” “And we are looking for a sable and an ermine.Accept, khan, from us – in reverence, in health! .. “And so – and standing honey, they treat the Tartar, and the sturgeons, that the logs, frozen whole carts the Baskak takes away with him, and – a sable to his heart! ..

With this the Tatar Baskaks drove off.

Nevsky strictly demanded from his squads, planted in the wilderness, that they not only go through military affairs, learn to wield weapons, understand Tatar cunning, but also really stand – each squad in its field. The mob is a trapper, the mob is animal, and those are smologons, and those are mead brewers.

– I would only be stranded x , wandered, dry for the time being to keep it! .. And there is what to wander about! .. – Alexander used to say, talk to those few whom he kept near his heart.

And it is unlikely that among the prince’s nobles and among his vigilantes is anyone closer to Alexander’s heart than the new life-doctor who replaced Doctor Abraham, Grigory Nastasin!

The young man now accompanied Nevsky.

– Yes, Nastasin, it’s time, friend, it’s time! The time has come to strike at the khans! – said Nevsky to his young companion, slightly pulling the reins and moving the horse to a step.His companion did the same.

The forest path was getting tighter and tighter, so that (from time to time, one of the riders rattled against the stirrup of the other.

The former Grinka Nastas’in would be difficult to recognize now to someone who saw him as a boy on the bridge over the Klyazma. How mature and prettier the guy is! He was a stately, handsome young man. Delicate fluff of pervosya shaded his lips, proud and courageous. Only now the blush on the strong apples of her cheeks was already very transparent-scarlet, like a girl’s…

They rode side by side, horse 6 horse. The young man listened to the prince with trepidation of his heart. It has been a long time since Yaroslavich has been so joyful, bright, it has not been a long time since Nastasin enjoyed the high flight of his shrewd mind, full of courage!

– Yes, Nastasin! – said Alexander. – Finally, the same thing began in the Horde that ruined us too: a brother puts a knife between his ribs! How many years, have been visiting Batu and this gnat, Berke, I am greedy – oh, how greedy! – peered: where to find that crevice, in which to lay a good crowbar, in order to loosen with this crowbar, quickly ruin their sovereign structure, their wild nomadic kingdom! And now he has come, this hour! Soon, one of these days, ha and Berke will move all his regiments to his brother, to Hulegu [53].And he already sent me ambassadors: he asks for help on the Volga brother. Well, I’ll help. I will not hesitate. Let him not doubt! .. – And Alexander Yaroslavich laughed meaningfully. – Beat a Tatar with a Tartar! He added.

He had no secrets from Nastas’in.

Gregory also laughed. His chest breathed deeply, he proudly straightened his shoulders.

– But just let me put your Russian hand, sir! – he pleaded half-jokingly to Yaroslavich. – Even on that, on Chagan, my hand was on fire!

– Well, you were really a hero – Ilya Muromets – at that time! As now, I remember you then.Oh time, time!

Nevsky plunged into thought.

We drove in silence for some time. The spruce forest – damp, dark, with clumps of green moss on the trees – was like a cellar …

Horses were snoring. Dull clatter of hooves. Tinkling harness …

And Nevsky spoke again:

– No, Grisha, your battle is not a sword battle! Your battle is with death. You are a doctor, a healer. Where can I find such? No, I’ll take care of you!

He squinted slyly at the young man and spoke not without a hint, imitating a child’s voice:

– I want with you!

…Alexander with Nastasyin and four bodyguards rode in single file – one after the other. Suddenly, from somewhere from a tree, a well-thrown noose came down with a noise, and in the next instant one of the soldiers, which she had torn from the saddle, was already lying on his back.

A robber whistle sounded in the forest.

Nastas’in drew his sword. The guards instantly aimed arrows at someone’s leg in a bast shoe, which was visible on a bitch.

Only Yaroslavich remained calm. He didn’t even take his hand off the rein.He only looked through the trees with the glance of an angry owner, and here his thunderous voice, drowning out the storm of battles and the noise of the Novgorod veche, rolled loudly through the forest:

– Hey! Who is there to mischief ?!

Everything was silent for a moment. And then a mighty gray-haired bearded man with a rumpled Tatar helmet went out onto the road. With a strong hand, bare to the elbow, he grabbed the prince’s horse by the bridle.

– But, but! .. – Alexander snapped warningly at him.

He let go of the rein, looked into the rider’s face and wanted to fall to his knees.Nevsky held him back.

– Condemnator! Oleksandr Yaroslavich? Sorry! – said the old man.

Here Alexander also recognized the leader of the forest dwellers.

– Isn’t that Miron? Miron Fedorovich? He exclaimed in amazement.

Miron answered with some kind of solemn sorrow:

– And they called and dignified – and Miron and Fedorovich! And now they call him Gasila. Now it was Extinguishing, just as the Tatars of the damned began to extinguish the damned by this! We simply call this weapon extinguisher, in a peasant way.

On the right hand of Myron, a heavy iron ball with spikes hung on a rawhide belt.

– Kisten, – said Nevsky, – a good thing in battle! But after all, I knew you as a good plowman in the old years. It can be seen that a great misfortune has struck you, if from the ground, and your arable land has been torn down?

– Oh, prince, don’t tell me! – muffled and as if through a sob broke out from the old man.

Here, in the forest peasant camp, there were no robber dugouts, but there were kindly felled huts, even if they were small.Dust even and shelters for cows and horses, covered in summer.

– Why dig it, a dugout? It will be more expensive! – said Gasilo to Nevsky. – Yes, and the people in the hut will yearn. And so – as if we live in a repair, and a small one … Only there is no tug, but everything is there!

Indeed, even in the morning he called Prince Miron to the bathhouse.

– He dared, ordered the bathhouse to be heated … take a steam bath, Oleksandr Yaroslavich.

After the bath, they talked on the heap of the hut.

– And if the Tatars come here too, then what? – asked Nevsky.

Miron Fedorovich answered calmly:

– Let’s go deeper. That’s all. And again we will begin to do our own thing: to destroy them, you bitch of the field! .. We will make a raid – and to our home: to plow. But what about, Oleksandr

Yaroslavich, after all, all the land lies in vain, not a plowman, not harrowed! .. In a bad time I leave half of the people with their wives at home, and take half into an ambush. To plow and harrow – not to drop a day!…. I plow in the spring – I have no time for sleep! ..

– How are you fighting? – asked Nevsky.

– And some with a spear, some with a sword, some with a hatchet, some with a spear, in a word, who with what. Others own a bow. And I prefer extinguishing …

Nevsky admired the mighty old man and was perplexed: Miron Fyodorovich was already seven dozen, and he seemed to be even stronger than the first time they met in a deaf place.

Yes, and here he had the same catch. Every now and then the authoritative, economic shouts of the old man were heard:

– Do it wisely! Not in time? But you have to go to bed with the chickens, get up with the roosters!… Then you will have time! .. And you go to cut the sod! – he ordered, naming a dozen people.

And all obeyed him without a murmur.

I ran into a smithy, covered with turf, hastened the forging of a ploughshare, wheel rims, spears and arrowheads.

A young woman came across to him. The old man attacked her:

– And where did you fly, fly! Your little robin out-shouted himself! Who will suck a robin for you? Am I?

And when the woman, in a hurry, walked to the unsteady, suspended on a branch, Gasilo proudly nodded in her direction and said to the prince:

– The other day, as they went into an ambush, she overwhelmed three Tatars with a backbone !…. She hates them – ooh! – squeaks his teeth when he sees the Tatar face! ..

And then Nevsky asked him where his younger daughter-in-law – Nastya.

The old man darkened.

“She’s not alive, Oleksandr Yaroslavich,” he replied. – God rest her sweet darling! .. And she left with us … And no worse than this one (he nodded at the woman who was feeding the child) she destroyed the filthy … The Tartar will not beg for mercy from her! did not spare … I was dying hard: an arrow broke her lung… take it out – where is it here! .. She suffered a lot … But to what you have sunk in her memory – your affection! – on the deathbed and then about your gift, about those earrings, I remembered. She herself, with her little hand, through force, took them off, held them in the palm of her hand, and gives them to me! “You, he says, darling, maybe you will also see him when, – give him these earrings. Say: I tried not to be thin, so that they would not fade on me. I remembered who I was wearing from … And how, he says, I told him then that only with the dead they would wash me off, that’s how it is !.. ”

The old man, turning away, unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, ripped open the canvas amulet in which he wore earrings on Nastya’s chest, and gave them to the prince.

From the story of Miron Fyodorovich, Nevsky learned the following: the Tatars of Nevryu had also died before the capture of Miron. The old man himself and the eldest son Timofey and his wife were at home at that time. The youngest, Olyosha, worked with Nastya on distant arable land.

When they began to plunder, Miron Fedorovich, do not get away, stood up for his good.He was struck from the saddle with a pig-lash on the head and his skull fractured. The old man fell down dead.

Then Timothy rushed to the Tatars with a shaft. Two of them smashed the skulls, knocked them off the horse. For a long time he did not let me near him. But he was overpowered and twisted with a hair rope. They abused and killed me afloat. Then they took up Timothy again.

– They began to tie him to a birch … And he looked over his shoulder that way, – the neighbors told afterwards, – and the rope is shameful, dirty… He was squeamish to me to the point of uncleanness! .. He knocked it down with a shoulder, a rope, and said to them: “And, he says, Russian, you damned bastards, you Polev animals! Do you knit? Ali, am I scared of death? .. Yes, I look at her like that, at the little creature like that! .. ”

And just looked over them: “Shoot! ..”

They, damned, have worked out their bows – have set their sights.

Here the eldest of theirs … the batyr … said in their language, in Tatar, well, in a word, he forbade killing at once, ordered other arrows, stupid, to impose: torture so that he would take more… But my Timofey Mironych, God rest his darling, he did not rush from his place, and with his falcon’s eye in front of the nasty – from their arrows – did not flinch, did not blink an eyelash! .. They shot them all … The last arrow in the throat .. Choked on his blood … Then he was gone …

We sat in silence for a long time …

Finally, Yaroslavich sighed and from the depths of his soul, sadly and lovingly, looked into the mournful eyes of his father.

– From the good king, a good industry !…. – he said.

… Before going to sleep, Gasilo came to the hut where Alexander Yaroslavich was located. He came to warn the prince so that he would not be alarmed at night if he heard for a short time the screams and the clang of weapons near their forest dwelling.

– The filthy ones want to go by this forest with the plundered Russian goods – Tatar Baskaks. Our fellows have scouted … So, we want to meet the villains! – said the old man.

– Good hour! – answered Alexander. – And my dream is strong: do not worry, old man.

However, the news brought by Miron alarmed Grisha Nastasin. He shared his concern with the chief of the guard, and then, just in case, he strengthened the guard and ordered to keep the horses under the saddle.

Gregory lay down that night in clothes and with weapons. And when, through a sensitive drowsiness, distant cries and the clang of weapons came to his ears, Gregory, careful not to wake the prince, went out of the hut. From the porch, the light of birch-bark torches could be seen through the trees.Nastasin mounted his horse. The commander of the guard sent one of the soldiers with him.

It did not take long to drive. A dense, dense forest blocked the way for the riders. They dismounted, tied their horses and walked straight into the light. It smelled of bitter smoke. The clanging and clanging of weapons and the screams of a battle were heard quite close.

But when Nastas’in and the warrior accompanying him made their way at last through the forest thicket and ran out into the clearing illuminated with crimson light, then everything was over.The resistance of the Tatar detachment ceased. The captured punishers huddled, surrounded by men, and looked like a flock of frightened sheep.

Their leader alone looked at the Russians proudly and angrily. He was a young, haughty Tatar with a fat, sleek face in luxurious clothes. But the weapon had already been taken away from him and was lying in a common heap at a price. Reed lay piles of goods plundered by the Tatars.

Several people from the Tatar detachment were killed.And of the attacking Gasilovites, one tall and mighty guy was lying on his back, arms outstretched, and unconscious. A dark bruise was visible on his head through light brown curls.

Nastas’in, as soon as he looked around the place of the battle, immediately walked with a brisk step to the defeated warrior and knelt down beside him.

Old man Gasilo silently looked at the prince’s doctor and then imperiously ordered:

– Give the fire closer … to the boyar!

One of the forest fighters immediately ran up with a flaming torch and began to shine for Nastasin.Gregory took the lifeless, powerful hand of the young warrior and felt for a pulse.

“Alive,” he said. – Only hurt. We need to bleed, otherwise it will be bad.

With these words he got to his feet and went to his horse. Here he opened his leather satchel bags and took out a narrow knife in a leather case.

Bent over the unconscious body of the warrior again. That already bloody foam began to appear on the lips. His chest heaved with hoarse and heavy breathing…

Now everyone who stood in the clearing, even the captive Tatars, looked at Gregory.

Nastas’in bared the warrior’s powerful arm above the elbow and pulled it with a braid – the blue blood veins swelled on his arm.

Gregory took out a narrow knife from the cover and in one imperceptible movement pierced the swollen vein. Blood splattered … He placed a bronze cup under the trickle of blood. Some of the warriors were surprised at this.

– What is it? Why go into the cup? – he said drawlingly, in a disapproving voice.- The earth will take everything!

Old man Miron shouted at him severely:

– We are not Tatars – to spill peasant blood on the ground! The young boyar is doing the right thing! Clever!

Gregory heard this, at first he wanted to correct Miron, to say that he was not a boyar, but the same peasant son, like all of them, but then decided that it was useless and kept silent.

The defeated warrior, meanwhile, opened his eyes. Grigory Nastasin immediately took the blood away from him with the help of a clean rag and applied a bandage.

The wounded man smiled and, leaning his good hand on a tree, was about to get up. Nastasin strictly forbade him.

– No, no, – he said, – wait a minute to get up! – And then, turning to Miron, he ordered: – Take him home on the canopy!

– So it will be alive? He asked Gregory.

– He will live, – the young doctor answered confidently.

– This is good! He will remember you all his life! – said the old man approvingly.- Big, young man, science is in your hands: read, resurrected the dead! And that one over there zvezdanov on the head, Tartar bovine! – almost gritting his teeth with anger and anger, added Gasilo and pointed at the leader of the Tatars.

Nastasin looked at the Tatar and suddenly recognized him: it was Tsarevich Chagan – the one who burst into the wedding feast of Dubravka and Andrey with such impudence.

Gasilo led his hand over the piles of plundered Russian goods taken from the Tatars.

– Look, how much you plundered, raw food eaters! – Gasilo grumbled. – Furs … Silver bowls … Books … Gold clasps – you see, they have been ripped off from books … Gold embroidery … Again a book: forged silver covers! .. Oh, damned!

And, becoming more and more furious, the old man ordered to bring the leader of the Tatars to him. But Chagan was already eager to explain himself with Miron. The Tatar was beside himself with anger. It was evident that this fat-faced young Tatar nobleman was used to commanding.When he was put in front of Gasila with his hands tied behind him, he shouted at the old man as if he were his slave or servant.

Chagan shouted that he was the bone of the king and the blood of the king, and that for every hair that fell from his head, the guilty would suffer severe torture and execution. He demanded that the peasants immediately release him and his guards, return everything that had been taken away, and themselves, at the tail of the Tatar horses, would follow to Suzdal to the formidable trial of the supreme Baskak Khan Kitat.

– I am his nephew! I’m a prince! He shouted in an angry and haughty voice.

Kashilo sullenly listened to his threats and only squinted angrily.

– So … so … well, what else will the king’s bone command us? He asked, barely containing his anger.

– We saw this prince, how he stabbed a Russian boy with his own hands! We saw this prince, how he ordered to burn living people in the huts! – shouted, peering into the face of the Tatar, the men.

Old Man Gasilo turned purple with anger.

– Here’s what: it’s enough for you to blather, the tsar’s bone! He yelled.- Here, in the forest, our truth, our court! You are a beast, a predator, and your beastly fate! What is your king to us ?! The time will come – we will get to your king. And you’re enough, you have been magnified!

And stepping towards the Tatar leader, Gasilo struck him in the head with all his might with a flail. Chagan fell …

Breathing heavily, his eyes glittering terribly from under his gray shaggy eyebrows, Miron said, addressing Nastas’in:

– Your strength, the healer, will not lift this: the hero’s hand does not beat twice!

…In the morning, talking with Nevsky, Miron Gasilo praised Nastas’in’s medical skill in front of him.

– Yeah … – he said with a sigh. – We would have such a doctor in our forest camp. And after all, Alexander Having glorified, you yourself know what kind of plowmen we are here: when you plow with a plow, and when you use a spear, when you use an ax, and when you use a sword!

… The horse was brought to Nevsky. Olesha, the youngest son of Gasila, was released to accompany the prince so that they would not get lost in the forest.

Already grasping the horse’s mane with his left hand, but still standing facing the old man Miron, Alexander was ready to say his farewell to the owner and sit in the saddle.The old man fell to his knees in front of him. Gasila’s white beard stretched out on the mosses. So he raised his eyes and called out, as if in sobs:

– Condemnator! Oleksandr Yaroslavich! .. We cannot do anything alone. We will perish without you … I pray from all the Earth: lift your banner over us! ..

Midday spurs of Polesie. Lazy, full-flowing, unhurriedly flowing rivers on low banks. Blue bowls of lakes in the malachite green of mossy swamps. Mast pine forests, in which the rider feels like an ant, crawling in the hot green canopy of the hemp stands…

White cuts of dazzling and, as it were, a gigantic sieve of sifted sands – mirror-light in the sultry haze flowing above them. Country roads overgrown with curly grass. Whitish rolling gloss, shine and rustle of agitated fields … Volhynia! ..

And a true Volhynian – both in face and in clothes – slowly drags along astride a strong brown horse along one of these country roads, going into the interstices, to the death of a large full-flowing lake, which stands on a level with its green frame, stands still, as if it were afraid to roll out of it.

The Volhynian is not young by age – rather old; a gray narrow beard with a hoe, not very tall; in a white sermyag, in an old felt hat – the rider, you see, is not one of the rich, and therefore, apparently, he is not afraid to travel in such places … jungle, with a sudden blow from the regiments of Prince Daniel, the surviving shreds of the Tatar army of Khan Mauchi, which was defeated at Vozvyagl, were choked up.

Here they settled, imposing tax and tribute on the surrounding population.First, they expected the proceeds from Khan Burundai, sent by Berke himself. Burun was given the new commander-in-chief of all the southwestern armies of the Tatars. He has just replaced Khan Kuremsu – a careless and weak-minded, who, having been defeated by Daniel, threw his army to the mercy of his enemies and fled to the Volga, to the capital of the Golden Horde. There they filled a quiver with dung, dressed him in a woman’s dress and, after a day of mockery in the market square of the Saray, strangled him with a bowstring …

Burunday did not come to the rescue of the troops driven into Polesie.And now the remnants of Khan Mauchi’s troops — the Russians called him Mighty — were slowly seeping eastward.

A rider in a white scroll safely passed two Tatar outposts. What could you take from him? True, they pounced, dragged from the horse, threatened to kill. We climbed into the cross-over sitting bags. They were filled to the brim with clay lark whistles.

The Tatars grabbed each one at first, one at a time, then, whistling and pleasing their hearing, again launched their hand and grabbed each as many toys as he needed for all his children from all his wives.Then, giving the man in the white scroll a strong cuff in the back, they let him go …

And he, when he drove away from them a fair distance, crossed himself, taking off his hat, and said, shaking his head:

– Well, one more time has passed! And to what extent he fell on their darling with these whistles! .. Here Danilo Romanovich will laugh! .. Oh, horde, oh, horde! .. In one word – varnas.

The rider in the white scroll, apparently, wanted to have some fun with the whistle himself.He stood up on the stirrups, looked around vigilantly, and then, taking out an earthen lark, began to whistle loudly into it, now pinching the holes-frets, then releasing it again.

A rustle was heard in the bush that had grown from under a huge gray boulder lying at a distance from the road. The teenager’s blonde head emerged from behind the stone and hid again. The squeak of a black woodpecker was heard. The rider looked around again, turned off the road and, having approached the boulder itself, dismounted. Without tying or holding his meek horse, he sat down with his back to the stone and began to scribble angular letters on the clay whistle with the knife he had taken out from behind the bootleg.It was evident that an illiterate was working: he loudly whispered a word that he scratched out on a toy, wrinkled his eyebrows and counted each letter inscribed with the finger of his left hand. Finally, in a childish, skewed charter, he brought out only one word:

SUCCESS

Without looking back, he put his hand with the clay lark behind him, by the side of the boulder, and at once the tenacious small hand grabbed the toy. Having released it from his hand, the man in the white scroll managed to gently ruffle the head of the little boy hiding in the bush.

– To the Prince himself, Danil Romanovich … or either to Lev Danilovich. Do you hear? – he said quietly and without turning around.

– I hear …

The man in the white scroll got up and, without even looking back at the bush, jumped into the saddle. Already someone who, and he was Andrei-Dvorsky, the governor of Prince Galitsky, knew the Tatars and all their habits well! Perhaps somewhere behind another boulder, but not – so a Tatar spy lurked on a pine tree! And he, Andrei-Dvorovsky, had not yet completed the business he had taken upon himself before the prince: to drive through, to sew up and down the entire, ten-mile across, strip along which the remnants of Mauchi’s army seeped to the east.It was necessary to urgently determine both the number and the ability to fight of these units. Daniil Romanovich, who quickly rushed to Kiev, as soon as the news came from Nevsky that he was starting , – Daniil Romanovich had to urgently decide whether to send an army to intercept the fleeing Tatars of Khan Mauchi or put up a small barrier against them and continue the offensive to Kiev, as if these did not exist at all?

… At the third outpost, Andrei Ivanovich was again dragged from his horse.Again they shook him by the collar, raised fists and knives over his head; interrogated in Russian and Tatar, climbed into the changing bags.

Again he meekly admonished the attackers, threw up his hands and complained about his plight.

– What are you, what are you, princes? – he exclaimed, turning first in one direction, then in the other. – Kill? But how long does it take to kill a man? You are military people! .. And I – what kind of adversary are you?… If you don’t tell me to go here, I can turn aside. Just tell me where you can drive, where I won’t bother you? .. But I don’t care … Take the whole comrade for yourself – then I don’t need to go to Melniki …

Lark whistles, dispersed from the batyrs’ hands, whistled in different voices, uttering extraordinary trills. The Tatars laughed and were mischievous, like teenagers, trying to whistle one another, to extract sounds from the clay bird as strong and as extraordinary as possible.

They wiped off the profusely salted tip of the whistle with the sleeve of their robe and again began to play the pipe.

Nobody even thought of paying him for the snatched goods with at least one coin.

However, this was not what worried the courtier, what worried him that at this outpost there was still a man among the Tatars who was not drawn to his painted clay birds.

Apparently, the eldest among them – perhaps the centurion – a burly Tatar, about forty years old, without interfering in anything, stubbornly peered at the court.

“The Lord would have carried it!” Thought Andrey Ivanovich. And just at that time the Tatar centurion arrogantly beckoned him to him with his finger. Dvorsky hastily approached, took off his hat, bowed.

With a mysterious smile, the Tatar asked in mutilated Russian:

– Did you recognize ours?

– No, sir … no, bah? Tyr, I just can’t admit, – replied the court. Yes, he really could not remember where and when he saw this Tatar.You never know he has seen them in recent years! “All for one fool! As if from one die hedgehog! ” – he liked to talk about the Tatars.

The Tatar centurion tore off the cap from his shaved head and thrust it almost into the very face of the courtier.

– Find out this! He yelled. – You gave! ..

The hat, trimmed with sable, was badly worn: the velvet crown was shiny with dirt, the fur was worn out.

But he recognized, recognized this cap of the court – the governor of Prince Galitsky! I recognized this haughty bastard and realized that before him was death.

Instantly he saw, with his inner eye, everything that was connected both with this hat and with this man.

… On the steps of the high princely porch stands a young impudent Tatar messenger in dusty clothes and, tingling paizu, shouts and breaks into the mansion. Dvorsky upsets and shames him: it will be a reproach for the prince, for Daniil Romanovich, if the khan’s messenger appears in front of his bright eyes, without changing clothes from the road! change your shoes and take a hat and a caftan as a gift !….

Dvorsky recognized this cap.

“After all, here is the fate where to die!” – thought the court.

The Tartar hit him first with a hat in the face, then with all his might with his fist.

Dvorsky covered himself with his hands and fell bleeding. When he got up, staggering, a whole crowd of Tatars was already standing around him.

Ba? Tyr gave a sign, and several people rushed at Andrey-Dvorovsky, threw him to the ground and began to rip off his clothes and boots.Others began to whistle clay whistles over him.

The centurion ordered not only to search the clothes of the courtier, but also to rip open his boots, cut off and stratify the soles. They were looking for secret letters …

Not found. They began to torture … And who was tortured? A thin, ribbed chest of an old man with gray bushes of hair, with dried blood on them, rose impulsively through a bloody, torn shirt …

The courtier was breathing hard. And I began to see badly.But still everything that was shouted to him, he understood.

The centurion demanded from him to indicate where Prince Danilo and his army were, in order to bring them there …

– After all, you yourself are a military man! The old man answered with difficulty. – And how can they take you prisoner – and so they will demand from you … such a shameful, shameful case? And you, go, say: “Better kill me.” And I’m Russian! ..

The Tartar became mad at these words of the court.He began to whip him with a whip on the head, in the face, trying to whip out his eyes; began to kick in the head and face with the toe of his boot.

And now the court wanted only one thing from them: to be killed as soon as possible. For this, he shouted in the face of the Tatar some of the most insulting Tatar words, once recognized by him in the Horde.

The Tatar drew out a knife with curses, knelt down, grabbed the old man by the throat and tore an already torn shirt on his chest.

Seeing a knife raised above him, the court man realized what would happen in a moment.

– And at least they took their heart to the knife, – Andrei Ivanovich said with the last of his strength. – You will see the Russian heart!

And they took his heart to the knife …

6th grade open class on “Habits, good and bad”

Your task is to cross out the duplicate letters.Add and read the word from the remaining letters. (Slide 2)

Homeroom teacher: What word did you get? (children’s answers)

Have you already guessed what our lesson will be devoted to today?

Today we will talk about habits, try to understand the habits that each of us has and their effect on our health.

The topic of today’s class hour is “Human habits”.

– What do you think is a habit?

A habit is a feature of a person, getting used to some actions or sensations (Slide3)

– What habits are there? (Good and bad, bad and healthy)

– What good habits do you guys know? (Brushing your teeth, doing exercises, playing sports, music, dancing …)

– What habits are bad for a person? (smoking, drunkenness, drug addiction, gambling addiction …)

– How do you understand the proverb: “Poverty – from laziness, and disease – from intemperance”? (If a person is not used to work, he will be poor.And if a person is not used to fighting his bad habits, then he will get sick) (Slide 4)

So, guys, we found out that bad habits arise from a person’s inability to restrain himself.

Today we will talk about how to become healthy and happy, how to fight bad habits.

2. Mini-lecture “In slavery with bad habits”

Guys, you know that thousands of years ago there were slaveholding states on earth.These states waged constant wars, conquered neighboring lands, and the people of these lands were made slaves. Slaves built roads, palaces, pyramids … The life of a slave was worthless: he could be humiliated, sold, killed. Escaping an intolerable life, slaves often revolted, the most famous of which was the uprising led by Spartacus.

Centuries have passed, and mankind got rid of slavery, but today voluntary slavery remains. It includes people of different nationalities, men and women, old people and children.All of them voluntarily become slaves of bad habits.

Home Teacher: What would you guys do if you met a dragon with six scary heads? (children’s answers).

But imagine that there are people who themselves climb into the dragon’s jaws, and only the crunch is worth of how a terrible monster grinds human lives. Some think that they will be able to jump out of the dragon’s mouth, but it turns out that they overestimated their strength and they will die.And here is a portrait of this monster. Each head has its own name. (Slide5)

Homeroom teacher : Guys, what other bad habits would you add?

Every head is a bad habit that turns into a deadly disease. I ask the guys to tell us about these bad habits.

3. Information block “All about bad habits.”

Alcoholism. (Slide 6)

This bad habit is drunkenness.Drunkenness very quickly develops into mania – alcoholism. Alcohol is the most common drug, killing hundreds of people every year. This is also a poison, it disrupts the work of all internal organs. A drunken person is a repulsive sight. But an alcoholic is indifferent to the opinions of others, he loses his human appearance and becomes a slave to his bad habit. Not only the drunkards themselves suffer from alcoholism, but also people close to them: mothers, wives, children. A huge number of crimes are committed on the basis of drunkenness, many families are destroyed, destinies are broken.

Smoking. (Slide 8)

Smoking is an addiction to a drug called nicotine. In terms of its toxicity, nicotine is equal to hydrocyanic acid – a deadly poison. Smokers have poor memory, poor physical health, unstable psyche, they think slowly, they hear poorly. Even outwardly, smokers differ from nonsmokers: their skin fades faster, their voices grow hoarse, and their teeth turn yellow. Non-smokers suffer from smoking. Half of the harmful substances that are in a cigarette, the smoker exhales, poisoning the air.This air is forced to breathe around, who become passive smokers.

Drug addiction. (Slide 7)

Drugs are an even more serious poison, it is designed for simpletons who, having got used to them, will not be able to live without them and will pay big money in order to die as soon as possible. Drug addiction acts with its poisons strongly and quickly – literally from the first time a person can become a drug addict! A drug addict is ready to commit any crime.Drug addicts have three paths: prison, mental hospital, death.

Homeroom teacher: now let’s play the game.

Task: representatives from different teams are invited (one from each). We are conducting research on your knowledge. Let’s conduct it in the form of a test: if you answer my question “yes” – you take a step forward, if you answer “no” – you remain standing still.

Questions:

1. Most smokers would like to quit smoking.

2. A few drops of pure nicotine kill a person.

3. Smoking is responsible for every fifth death from cardiovascular disease.

4. Most young people start smoking between the ages of 12 and 18.

5. Smoke inhaled during smoking contains at least 4000 different chemicals.

6. Low tar content cigarettes are not harmful to health.

7. More people die from diseases caused by smoking than from accidents on the roads.

8. Living under the same roof as a smoker, you inhale as much smoke per year as if you yourself had smoked 60 – 150 cigarettes.

All are true except 6. As exaggerated, sensational, frightening or overly categorical as they may seem, they all nevertheless accurately reflect the dangers of smoking.

Training: Imitation cigarettes made of paper and glued with adhesive tape are distributed. Participants introduce themselves as smokers. Then they unfold them and read the name of the disease that they “got” from this cigarette (chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, vitamin deficiency, allergies, unhealthy offspring, bladder cancer, heart attack, stroke, poor memory, decreased intelligence, gangrene, general dystrophy)

Substance abuse. (Slide 9)

These are not just bad, but also very dangerous habits. “Mania” is a mental illness when a person constantly thinks about one thing. A toxicomaniac constantly thinks about poison. “Substance abuse” – “mania for poison.” These poisons enter the human body by inhalation of poisonous vapors and cause severe poisoning. Addictiveness appears very quickly, changes occur in the psyche, but the main thing is that human health is destroyed, since poisons gradually accumulate in the body.

Gambling addiction. (Slide 10)

This bad habit begins harmlessly – slot machines, computer games, cards, roulette. Or it may end with the destruction of the psyche, a crime. Even suicide. Gambling addiction spares neither children nor adults. Even sensible old women become gambling addicts and end their lives in hunger and poverty.

Foul language. (Slide 11)

Today you can often meet people who no longer swear, but speak foul language.Meanwhile, this bad habit – foul language – is very dangerous for human health. Moreover, it is harmful not only to speak, but also to listen to obscene words.

Scientists conducted such an experiment: for a long time they uttered obscene words near the seeds of the Arabidopsis plant. As a result, almost all plants died, and those that survived became genetic monsters. Scientists have compared the influence of swear words with radioactive exposure of thousands of roentgens. Scientists have found that obscene words affect a person’s genes, destroying his children and grandchildren.That is, mate is a program for the self-destruction of all the offspring of this person.

Shopping mania, i.e. obsessive desire to make purchases. Some experts call shopping mania a psychological disorder, others a disease, and still others a type of drug addiction. Shopping addiction is no less serious than tobacco and alcoholism. It cannot be underestimated. There have been cases where people have committed suicide due to inability to stop shopping and the growth of debt.(Slide 12)

Computer mania is a time bomb. Psychologists classify this addiction as a kind of emotional “addiction” caused by technical means. (Slide 13)

Homeroom teacher: “Soon there will be only two groups of people left: those who control computers, and those who control computers. Try to get into the first one. ” Lewis D. Eigen (American management specialist)

Homeroom teacher : These are the eight heads of the dragon.One is scarier than the other.

(Slide 14)

-Let’s remember what bad habit can appear literally the first time? (addiction).

-What bad habit carries the program of self-destruction of all descendants of a person? (foul language).

-What bad habit causes 25 diseases? (smoking).

-What bad habits poison a person, destroy his body? (substance abuse, drug addiction, smoking, alcoholism).

-What bad habits begin with innocent fun, and end with poverty, illness, death? (substance abuse, drug addiction, smoking, alcoholism, gambling addiction).

4. Conversation “What pushes people into the dragon’s mouth?”

Homeroom teacher:

Both a hundred and a thousand years ago there were people who were captured by bad habits. And disappeared without a trace into the mouth of a terrible dragon. But fabulous times are long gone. Outside the window is the XXI century and so many interesting things around: sports, cinema, music, nature, books, loyal and good friends.

But an eight-headed monster is sitting somewhere on a dirty, overgrown weed wasteland and is waiting for the next victim.

Why do you think people fall into the mouth of this dragon? Why do they become slaves to bad habits? But why, so attracts people to this dark kingdom? (children’s answers).

(Slide 15)

Yes, scientists have named the following reasons for introducing people to bad habits:

– curiosity;

– the influence of parents;

– stress relief;

– weak character;

– the desire to seem like an adult.

– the desire to imitate the beautiful heroes of advertising, film and television (for example: “Don’t let yourself dry up!” Or “You need to try everything in life”, “In a virtual game, you can become a winner in an instant!”, “Everyone is trying it, support the company, you will have so many new friends! “;

– the pressure exerted by” teasers “and nicknames:” Come on, don’t be a mama’s boy! ” “,” You are no longer our friend, weakling! “

5.Test “Can you resist?”

(Slide 16)

Class teacher : And now we will look at the results of the test “Can you resist?” (Slide 17)

This test cannot be called serious and scientific, but it can show who needs to work on their character, strengthen their will, and learn independence. Otherwise, you can easily become a victim of bad habits.

6. Game “Good and bad habits”

Cl. leader: I will speak habits, if I name a bad habit, then you need to squat. If I call it useful, stand still. Whoever performs the task incorrectly leaves the game.

Doing homework, talking loudly in class, cheating, playing sports, telling the truth, not observing the daily routine, observing hygiene, observing the daily routine, reading books, using foul language, playing with the phone in class, tempering, talking, looking around , attend clubs, do exercises in the morning, skip homework, skip lessons, play in the fresh air, brush your teeth, respect elders, fight, conflict, disrespect elders, take care of flowers, shout out in class, get up without the teacher’s permission , say kind words, do not write down your homework, bite your nails.

7. Exercise game “Weeds and Roses”

(Slide 18)

On cards with a flower, write down good habits, on pictures with weeds – bad ones.

Discussion:

A person “grows” all useful and bad habits in himself. Only good habits require constant care – this is not easy, you need to work day after day to get results, and bad habits take root very easily, like weeds. But on the other hand, good habits will make a person out of their master.And so we will now remove the weeds, eradicate them, and leave only the roses.

8. Travel to the Kingdom of good habits.

Homeroom teacher : It’s good that we have good habits next to us – the kingdom of good habits. It’s not easy to get into this kingdom: you need to work, work on yourself, force yourself to constantly train. But as a reward, you will receive good health, good mood, successful work, and respect from your friends.

In this kingdom, cities have such wonderful names for work, sports, music, reading, hygiene.

Good habits are a pass to these cities.

And now I propose to listen to the advertisements of these cities!

Key words for cards:

1. Group 1 . City of Labor (slide number 5)

Roads, bridges, houses, clothes, love to work, do not sit idle, find something to do, a city of craftsmen, sew, build, bake, treat, knit, embroider.

2. Group 2. City of Sports (slide number 6)

Can’t stay without movement, stadiums, sports grounds, bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, morning exercises, get hardened, drenched in water, forget about illness, exercise and sports, give health.

3. Group 3. City of Books (slide number 7)

Used to read, cannot imagine life without a book, quietly, comfortably, poetry, fairy tales, detective stories, novels, political news , business, sports, art, you can talk about everything, an interesting person.

4. Group 4. City of Music (slide number 8)

Make music, violin, drum, ballet, choir, wonderful music, life will become richer, become famous.

5. Group 5. City of nature. (slide number 9)

Drowned in greenery, flowers, fountains, birds, hares, squirrels, deer, the air is clean and fresh, communicate with nature, a breath of fresh air, birdsong, the noise of foliage, the splash of the river waves, gives joy, happiness, peace of mind.

6. Group 6. City of Hygiene . (slide number 10)

Dazzling cleanliness, neat, tidy, used to take care of themselves, hairstyles, clothes, no one gets sick, wash hands, wash vegetables and fruits, dazzling smiles, watch your teeth.

Group 3. City of Books Those who are used to reading, who cannot imagine life without a book, can visit our City, the city of books. It is always quiet in this city, in the library, in the classroom and at home, children read.Poems, fairy tales, detective stories, novels, news of politics, sports and art. It’s a pleasure to talk to every person! If you find yourself in this City, they will also say about you that you are an interesting person and you can talk about anything!

Group 4. City of Music And in this City of Music, on the contrary, it is always noisy. But this noise is not annoying, because it is not a simple noise, but a musical one. Every inhabitant here loves to play music. If you find yourself in this City, you will get into the habit of making music and your life will become more interesting and richer.Or maybe you will even become a famous singer, musician or dancer like us.

Group 5. City of Nature

This City is surrounded by greenery, flowers and flowerbeds all around. Of course, there are no cars here, the air is clean and fresh. People who are used to communicating with nature live here. They cannot live without a breath of fresh air, without the singing of birds, without the noise of foliage under the window, without the splash of a river wave. The habit of communicating with nature gives them joy, happiness, spiritual harmony.

Group 6.City of Hygiene

Visit the City of Hygiene. This city is dazzlingly clean, people are neat and tidy. Since childhood, they are accustomed to taking care of themselves. Everyone has neat hairstyles, beautiful, clean clothes. No one goes out in dusty shoes or rumpled dress. People in this city rarely get sick, because they are always accustomed to washing their hands, vegetables and fruits. And everyone has dazzling smiles, because everyone is used to watching their teeth.

Group 1. City of Labor

Everyone who is accustomed to working is invited to the City of Labor.This City has very good children, a clean, comfortable classroom, comfortable furniture, beautiful handicrafts, because all residents here love to work. They don’t sit idle for a minute. They always find something to do with their own hands: this is a city of true masters. They love to work in the school area, help their native school, take care of flowers, keep the classroom clean: clean the classroom, fix furniture, dust and wipe the blackboard. They like to draw and do handicrafts here: glue, cut, weave and make wonderful crafts.Be sure to visit this City!

(Children show their crafts and drawings).

And now I ask the guys to tell about their good habit.

Homeroom Teacher : So we heard an advertisement for many good habits. It’s good if we can learn them. Then we will be able to live in harmony with ourselves, with people, with the world around us.

9. Summing up

Homeroom teacher:

Do you think we needed to talk about our habits?

In what moments of class did you feel confident and comfortable?

When were you bored or, on the contrary, fun?

Bad habits that stick, attract, stick to young people, subsequently become the cause of many misunderstandings, ailments, and troubles.

Love yourself: your Brain, your Liver, your Heart – they are alive, they suffer, get sick, suffocate !!! Let’s not be slaves to bad habits! : And now we will all read the contract of our class together.

Collective agreement

We are 6 “B” students, we make a responsible decision to “wear” the honorary title of “Good Habit Class” and commit ourselves not to violate this agreement. We want us to be healthy children, and only healthy parents can have healthy children! We want to be healthy, successful and happy !!!

Cl.leader : And now I offer you “9 commandments of health”

• a clear daily routine;

• fresh air;

• more laughter;

• physical activity;

• correct nutrition;

• personal hygiene;

• love for yourself and others;

• activities to your liking.

Cl.leader: “If you want to be happy – be it!” All the best dear guys !!! (Slide 43)

Test “Can you resist?”

Will you be able to resist these bad habits or will you not resist their onslaught? Now we will conduct a test that will help you assess your strength. There are blank sheets of paper on the desks. You will need to answer 10 questions. Write the numbers from 1 to 10 from top to bottom. Each question must be answered “yes” or “no”.You must answer honestly, otherwise you will not know anything about yourself.

1. Do you like to watch TV?

2. Have you wanted to play computer games for more than three hours every day?

3. Would you like to try to smoke?

4. Can you sit in front of the TV all day off, leaving all your business behind?

5. Have you tried alcoholic beverages?

6. Do you like physical education lessons?

7. If your friends ask you to escape from school, would you agree?

8.Do you know how not to repeat your mistakes?

9. If a stranger offered you a box of chocolates right on the street, would you take it?

10. Friends are calling you to play slot machines, and you haven’t done your homework yet. Can you refuse?

Class teacher. Now, count the number of times you said yes and write down the number.

You said “yes” no more than 3 times – here is your result:

You know how to manage your desires.You have a strong will and a strong character. You know how to refuse pleasures, if it can harm, interfere with your plans, your relationship with your parents, teachers.

You said “yes” 4 to 8 times – your result is worse:

You do not always manage to control your desires. Lack of willpower. Because of this, you can become addicted to bad habits.

You said “yes” 9 to 10 times – it’s time to think about it.

It is very difficult for you to cope with your desires.You are irresistibly drawn to momentary pleasures. You need to learn to say no to yourself.

Psychological Library

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Many books have been written on psychology, by various authors, on various topics. To make it easy to navigate this endless sea of ​​psychological information, we have created our electronic psychological library.
We try to collect in this psychological library the best books on psychology and self-development, achieving success in business and personal life, building quality relationships and developing public speaking skills. The Psychological Library is a storehouse of psychological ideas and discoveries, reflections and research. Each book of the psychological library, like a grain of wisdom, reveals a small piece of mystery called Life.
We add new books to our psychological library every week, so stop by and enjoy reading.
Some of the books can be read directly from the site, all can be downloaded as an archive (they are marked with the icon). To read some books, you may need special programs.

New arrivals

January 14, 2016

Atkinson V.V “The Law of Attraction and the Power of Thought”

This is one of the first books (published in 1906) about the Great Law of Attraction governing human life.

As you know, what we desire or fear is attracted to us.Now is the time to master this power of attraction and make it serve you for your own good.

Most likely this is a new edition of the book “The Power of Thought”, presented in our library.

December 17, 2015

Stone Robert “How to get whatever you want”

Scientists recently discovered that fantasizing in a relaxed state activates the right hemisphere of the brain.

This is the hemisphere of creativity, ingenious solutions, overcoming the limitations of time and space, the miraculous manifestation of the “figments of the imagination.”

The right hemisphere of the brain manages to do wonderful things, and how it does it Robert Stone very simply explains everything in the language of myths and fairy tales.

November 12, 2015

Canfield Jack “Think and Grow Rich”

The author does not promise manna from heaven and a villa in the Canary Islands in addition: you will have to make some efforts, for example, slightly correct your behavioral tactics and put into practice special secrets found in the pages of this book.

But maybe this is why the “rules of success” work even when many other strategies for achieving the desired are powerless. Because in this case, the game starts to go according to your rules …

October 15, 2015

Solyanov Fedor “10 steps from a rented apartment to his own in 1 year”

A working strategy for refusing to rent an apartment and moving to your own

Many of us have long wanted to buy our own apartment, and you think you know what needs to be done for this.

But …

You are trying to save money and then some kind of situation arises and all the money is spent it is not clear where … it does not work …

And so you have been living for 3 and 5 and 7 years.

So, just for those who want to achieve their goal – a book of 10 specific steps that will help you get your own apartment.

September 17, 2015

Lothar Seivert “Your time is in your hands”

“And where did my time go?” – groans another leader under the burden of work and stress.We all know this problem. More and more people find themselves in time trouble. But it is not so much work overload as inability to plan their time that forces many managers to spend 60 hours a week at their desks (or maybe more?).

August 13, 2015

Richard Koch “Living 80-20”

80% of results come from just 20% of causes – a principle reminiscent of the saying “Less is more.”

The book will teach you how to choose and use the most effective actions and methods, the number of which is relatively small, so that the achievements perfectly match your goals, intentions, dreams.

July 16, 2015

Frank Bettger “Loser Yesterday – Successful Today”

As an autobiography and a practical guide to action, the book is fun and rich in factual material, tells how to succeed, provides instructive examples and provides detailed instructions. how to develop the style, spirit and technique of a first-class merchant.

The book is useful to everyone who wants to learn how to work most fruitfully in any field of activity and become a person, communication with whom brings people joy.

June 24, 2015

Hollis James “Dreaming of Eden: In Search of a Good Wizard”

In the so-called Middle Ages, the collective fantasy of paradise was essentially a compensation for those harsh and sometimes inhuman conditions in which people had to constantly doing hard work just to survive. If life was so unbearable “here”, then it must have become better “out there”. Living conditions in the Western world today are relatively comfortable compared to those difficult times.Although we didn’t reach a “working paradise”, we nevertheless ended up much closer to it than our ancestors could have imagined. However, with all this prosperity and even abundance, having the opportunity to travel the world, receive any information, buy any things and products in the store, instead of constantly fighting for our existence, why are we still unhappy? Is the idea of ​​happiness itself an illusion?

June 18, 2015

Lupan Cecile “Believe in your child”

The problems of accelerated development and education of children at an early age are considered.

The main idea of ​​the author: children do not require care-attention, but attention-interest, which only their parents can give them. They are the best educators for kids.

May 14, 2015

Ecker T. Harv “Think Like a Millionaire”

Each of us at least once in our life thought about why some are bathed in luxury, while others are destined to struggle with financial problems all their lives. When we think about the reasons for this state of affairs, we think about education, intelligence, skills, planning ability, working methods, business connections, luck, etc.p.

Maybe that’s not the point at all? After reading the book, you will be introduced to the original point of view. The author believes that each of us has a personal financial program that predetermines the level of financial well-being, and gives practical advice on how to change it if necessary.

April 16, 2015

Kalashnikov A.I. “The Science of Winning” Greetings, dear reader. Please give me your hand, and I will lead you into the world of decisions, results, effective combat methods of dealing with conflicts, as well as competent and skillful methods of managing people and developing leadership qualities.

February 26, 2015

Alipatova Lyudmila “Femininity in the rhythm of the city”

The book was written by a woman exclusively for women and about a Woman.

Questions are raised about contemporary problems and options for their solutions. Because in the modern rhythm of life, it is becoming more and more difficult to remain a Woman with a capital letter of this word. And what is dangerous – the very essence remains covered with oblivion, the basis of the feminine principle – her feelings, desires, the power of love. And a huge number of beautiful inhabitants of the planet are beating like a fish on the ice, in search of their place under the sun, torn between the spiritual and the material, between the process and the result, feelings and duty.

This book will be relevant precisely for those who want to understand, first of all, in themselves, to understand, accept, realize how to find harmony. And, as a result, to be feminine and desirable.

February 12, 2015

Badboy Daniel “Virtuoso”

“We all know how important the INTERNAL GAME is, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself what the INTERNAL GAME really is? This is when I just memorized the material very well, or maybe when I improved the clarity of my voice?

In fact, the Inner Game is based on confidence, beliefs and a general attitude towards life.Whether you realize it or not, your focus is constantly on the women you are talking to. If you have a strong, persistent and positive attitude towards life, women will naturally be attracted to you. As it happens with most straight people.

They develop these three aspects of their identity: confidence, belief and attitude towards life. When this happens, they start to feel more confident and start acting like a prize, which is definitely ATTRACTIVE to the WOMAN. ”

January 29, 2015

Allen David “Ready for anything. 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life ”

The following principles, commentaries and essays form a framework that is more than just tips and tricks. Whether or not people have fully implemented the method described in Dealing with Business or not, there have always been things that everyone could do better and better that could improve their productivity and overall well-being. You will find that these elements are reaffirmed and reinforced in these principles and essays.

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90,000 Prose: Historical Prose: Chapter 29: Sergei Zaitsev: read online

Chapter 29

When Milodora entered number two, Karnizov stood half-turned to the window and looked rather sullen. At the appearance of Milodora, his gaze brightened somewhat. The soldier, apparently afraid of the lieutenant, hesitated behind Milodora’s back.Karnizov looked at the soldier almost affectionately: – Get out, my dear.

Andreisha went out and quietly closed the door behind him.

Cornices, with their boots creaking as usual, walked back and forth in front of Milodora.

“And I really thought that you would not come … that you do not want to see me,” his remark sounded with open sarcasm.

—Does anything depend on the humiliated prisoner? – Milodor expressed surprise.

The lieutenant barely suppressed a laugh:

– “The Humiliated Prisoner”… This is completely in the spirit of your novel. Not surprisingly, when I read, I heard your voice … And you are too romantic – so romantic that it interferes with your life. But it seems to you that, on the contrary, it helps. Isn’t that so? … You, perhaps, imagine yourself as the heroine of your next opus – a kind of beautiful mysterious prisoner like the impostor Tarakanova … It is also amazing that you believe everything you write! …

“But you believe what you have written,” Milodora nodded at a stack of papers folded on the table.

Karnizov’s voice became harsh:

— In what I have written, least of all romanticism. And if there are delusions in what I have written, then – only yours and those like Mr. Osterode … – the lieutenant glanced irritably at Milodora, in his red eyes the flames seemed to dance. – But let’s leave that … Sit down, madam. You must answer the main questions today. And do not forget that your fate depends entirely on the answers, since fate is decided not in heaven, but in the mouth of the speaker…

Milodora sat down on the chair opposite.

She suddenly felt deadly tired. It was as if something had broken in her – and now it was absolutely all the same where her fate was being decided – whether in Heaven, in her mouth, or in the mouth of Osterode who spoke to her … Milodora, of course, was not yet in that state when a person is looking for death, but has already reached the point where a person does not particularly resist death and is not at all afraid of it.

“Well, sir …” Karnizov opened his papers and dipped his pen into an inkwell.- Where were you brought up?

“You seem to be trying to find the roots …” A faint smile lurked in the corners of Milodora’s mouth. – However, I do not make a secret out of this. Where can a girl from an impoverished noble family who lost her breadwinner early be brought up? …

– Where is it? – the lieutenant’s face was concentrated and even stern.

– Houses. By the window on a blank brick wall. In the market behind the counter … My mother was selling greens, and I, of course, helped.

The lieutenant nervously compressed his lips, and they turned white:

— The greengrocers usually do not write novels.You got your education somewhere, honey.

Milodora smiled again, but she smiled at the memory:

— The house where we lived had thin bulkheads instead of walls. And I, fortunately, heard the loud voice of the tutor.

— Are you saying that that tutor put some … uh … ideas in you? – Eaves dipped his pen into the inkwell again. – Don’t you remember his name? Of the Poles, who must be sleeping and dreaming to destroy the empire?

– From the Poles? No.He was French.

The lieutenant frowned:

– Horseradish radish is not sweeter. There is no better Russian person in the world … And the name, of course, has been forgotten.

— The name won’t give you anything. This person has long been gone from Russia.

“From all the French, sheer sedition …” The lieutenant’s eyes flashed viciously, like a wolf. – So what ideas did he put in you – this Voltairean? – insisted Karnizov.

Milodora shook her head:

— With his help, I learned the basics of science.And he put ideas rather into my mother. He then took her to France … along with ideas.

Eaves widened his eyes in surprise.

Milodora continued:

—But that was much later: when I was already married. The last letter that I received from her was from Paris … – Milodora glanced at Karnizov. – What surprises you? My mother has always been very pretty. I wonder why they didn’t take her even further. Many are not averse to improving their blood at the expense of Russian beauties… And the ideas … – Milodora was glad to disappoint the lieutenant. – Ideas belong to me. I drew something from books. Fyodor Lukich, my spouse, has a fairly extensive library, if you paid attention. But you will not, in fact, arrest books. Or will you dig out and place Fyodor Lukich in the casemate? …

Cornices, letting this jab past his ears, made a dash in a box.

— Surely you didn’t borrow a free way of thinking from anyone?

— As any adult independent person, I am free to think.Is it forbidden to think with us?

Cornice smiled caustically:

“But not to the same extent …” And then his gaze seemed to be filled with weight. – And what influence, madam, did the count have on you?

—What count? – Milodora was on the alert.

— Are you playing a comedy? – Karnizov grinned angrily.

— I have many familiar graphs.

The lieutenant drilled her with his eyes:

— That count is old. You perfectly understand who I mean.

Milodora shrugged:

—He was more and more silent. He is an old man, as you may have noticed. And he must have been bored with my readings. He preferred to take a nap on them.

Curtain rods leaned back in the chair:

— It is so impolite of him not to express his opinion to a lady. And this despite the fact that the lady was looking forward to his assessment – a respected, intelligent, influential person in the world. Don’t you think there is some kind of discrepancy here? Your words seem unconvincing to me.

Milodora did not answer.

The lieutenant, in order to approach Milodora, lay down on the table with his chest:

— Give me your hand.

—In what sense?

— Stretch out your hand, madam.

Milodora put her hand uncertainly on the table. The lieutenant folded Milodora’s gentle fingers into a fist and tightly squeezed her nail phalanges; he hurt Milodora so unexpectedly that the blood rushed to her face.

Eaves hissed:

— Your count is a Freemason.And he had an impact on all of you. And he is behind you and your ideas. Isn’t it? …

– I am in pain …

—He urged you to influence public opinion in every possible way – to undermine the foundations of the state. He showed dissatisfaction with the class division of society. He spoke nasty things to the august family … So? Should I write this down in my papers? Speak …

Milodora has now turned pale:

– It hurts me a lot … Let go …

Karnizov’s face has completely changed; Karnizov was now even impossible to recognize.

The beast watched from Karnizov:

— Like the foreigners who flooded Russia, who everywhere want to occupy high places and profit from it, he is shaking the empire. And you think that he is an intelligent person? … Have you ever objected to him? Or have you always agreed? …

Milodora recoiled from this terrible face and began to cry.

The lieutenant let go of her hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and now looked like the old Karnizov.

– Sorry… But there is no strength …

A minute later, he asked in a calm, even voice:

“Wouldn’t you consider it difficult to compile a list of books that you have read in the last two or three years? … And which had an influence on you? … Or maybe you read someone else’s manuscripts? …

Milodora wiped her tears with the edge of the tablecloth:

— I haven’t read it.

– And you haven’t read from Mr. Romanov?

— Something from Virgil, as if. But this is also read by the royal children…

After another sleepless night, which Apollo spent in fruitless attempts to figure out how to help Milodora, he felt very bad. Closing his eyelids and suffering from a headache, he sat in a chair by the window. With an inflamed temple, in which blood was throbbing painfully, Apollo leaned against the cold wall and felt relief from this contact.

There was a knock on the door. It was Ustisha who came. She looked, perhaps, also not the best way. The girl said that some soldier was waiting for Apollo below.

In full confidence that Karnizov would again deign to be summoned for interrogation, Apollo cursed and left his room.

But he was wrong; from the very first glance at the soldier it became clear to Apollo that this man had not come from the lieutenant … Why Apollo thought so, he himself did not know. But that the soldier had come with news of Milodore, Apollo had no doubts for a second.

With an anxious heart, Apollo fled down the stairs.

– Are you Mr. Romanov? The soldier asked quietly, looking around at the stairs Ustisha was descending.

—Yes, it’s me.

“They asked me to tell you …” and the guard-soldier quickly thrust a crumpled piece of paper into Apollo’s hand.

Apollo unrolled this piece and, seeing the familiar handwriting of Milodora, hid the note in his pocket. At the same time, the soldier nodded approvingly and headed towards the exit …

But Apollo held him by the shoulder and asked the maid:

– Ustisha, treat a person with some liqueur …

However, the soldier refused.

Then Apollo handed him the money:

— Take this at least.

– What are you! Am I because of this! … – and the soldier quickly went out into the street.

He must have taken a great risk that he was in such a hurry to leave the house.

Returning to the room, Apollo quickly locked himself, took out a note – a very tiny piece of paper – and carefully spread it on the table. Apollo’s heart sank longingly when he read:

“Dear, dear Apollo Danilovich! Please do something, take me out of here. Get the highest audience… “

Apollo knew that Milodora is a strong person who can endure many difficulties and not utter a word of complaint. But if Milodora writes “take me away from here,” then it is unbearably difficult for her.

Apollo felt stuffy, and he unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and opened the window. At that moment he thought that even such a trifle was not allowed to Milodora – to open the window; and she, no doubt, is a hundred times more stuffy than him. My heart sank.

“Lord! Lord! … “

Apollo knew the address of the department where requests for the highest name were considered and, if necessary, the highest audience was appointed.But in this department, of course, there will be delays for at least six months … It seemed much easier for Apollo to achieve a meeting with the sovereign, resorting to an old means, which desperate people resorted to – to stand on the square in front of the palace and stand as a pillar until then. until the sovereign notices you and deigns to ask his courtiers what this man needs …

Still, reason told me to start with the department. For a Russian person always has the hope that among responsible officials he will meet a decent, conscientious official and, if, nevertheless, a bribe-taker, then a moderate one… Writing several petitions at different levels is not very burdensome, although, most likely, it is futile …

Apollo quickly got dressed, hid the note behind the lining of his coat and left the house.

… Milodora dreamed that at night the clock struck twice in the corridor, that she seemed to be tormented by thirst and she drank from a tin mug on which was crookedly scratched “A. R.”. Milodora held the mug tenderly, clasping it in her palms. Milodora loved this rumpled soldier’s mug just because the initials of Apollo were scrawled on the mug.In this darkness, the memory of Apollo was the only light for Milodora. But Apollo never dreamed, as Milodora wanted it …

She dreamed of a clock striking behind a heavy door, and then it was as if the key rattled in the lock and as if someone was quietly entering the room. But this did not frighten Milodora, because she was sure that everything happens in a dream. And she was so exhausted that she did not have the strength to wake up: It was not Apollo who came – Milodora did not doubt this, since the one who came did not bring light into her sleep.And Apollo was light …

The one who came was darkness. He was invisible in the dark. He could only be heard. And Milodora heard this man walk towards her from the door, and stop near the bed, and stood motionless for a long time, as if waiting for Milodora to turn around. But Milodora did not turn around. She knew it was just a dream – one of those bad dreams that tormented her here in the ravelin, barely able to fall asleep. Even Milodora knew that even if she turned around, she would still not see this person, since he is darkness.But in the depths of her soul, Milodora was afraid that this was not a dream after all …

The newcomer breathed quickly, excitedly, like a lover breathes, who has long sought intimacy with his beloved and finally made his dream a reality – all that remains is to take, “taste the longed-for fruit” …

Milodora distinctly heard in her dream how this breath came nearer to her. In this breath, in a strange way, two smells were mixed: the smell of coffee and the smell of a soldier’s barracks … Milodora could not remember where she had already heard such a smell.And the man-darkness, without waiting for her to turn, whispered to Milodora in her very ear:

—I love you, madam. From the very moment I first saw it. I want to look at you endlessly, I want to become your shadow, the echo of your voice. I want to feel your warmth in my hands … And you are cold … And pretend that you do not understand me. You torment me, you force me to leave the image, which is natural to me, which is beyond my power. Therefore, I have to step over a lot in order to take what is mine…

Milodora lay motionless. She wondered if you could recognize a voice from a whisper. No, you won’t.

And the man-darkness continued:

—What are you doing to me, madam? … You are driving me crazy. You have taken possession of me. I myself do not know what crazy act I will commit tomorrow … And today … today your lips do not give me rest. I want to scratch them until you bleed. And it will turn me on …

It was definitely a very bad dream. Why scratch her lips until bloody is unclear…

And the man-darkness explained, first in one ear, then in the other, he whispered to Milodora that a small flaw on the face of virtue worries him more than a shining pearl on the breast of vice. Therefore, he asked for a flaw: – Bite your lips, madam … Milodora remembered where she had heard this smell … In her house – in the hall where Lieutenant Karnizov lived. Milodora was still surprised: why did it suddenly smell like barracks in her house? … And now the rough paw of an unknown monster grabbed Milodora by the heart: nowhere, even in a dream, it was impossible to hide from Karnizov.The cursed Cornice was everywhere …

Mentally Milodora tried to get rid of him – from this obsession. But nothing came of it. Karnizov relentlessly followed her … He looked into the windows when Milodora walked around in her thoughts the rooms of her house; his face was reflected in the polished copper coffee pot when Ustisha brought her morning coffee; he also peeped out the attic window when Milodora hugged Apollo with a joyful heart … Karnizov’s face peeped out from behind the curbstone in the street when Milodora and Apollo got into the carriage and drove somewhere; and when they walked in the Summer Garden, this vile face peeped out from behind the even trellises of bushes; Karnizov put his ear to the dormer when Apollo and Milodora spoke quietly about love… God! Everywhere there was this Cornice, wherever you looked: he was hiding behind a stone tombstone in the cemetery and behind the altar in the church, he sat under the counter in the market and peeped from under the bed of the newlyweds, and even the weak old people who went to the cold bed must have felt the sticky look of this person; the outlines of his figure were guessed in the darkness under the bridge, and Milodora was afraid to cross the bridge; Karnizov’s silhouette was visible in the semi-dark hall, and Milodora was afraid to enter her own house …

The man-darkness breathed hotly down the back of her head:

– Just one word of yours, madam, and everything that happened will remain a miserable dream.You will regain your freedom and return to your home. We will punish all who have badly influenced you and who have slandered you, and I will become the happiest of mortals. Everything that testifies against you, we will burn with a light heart in the stove … Say just one word or give a sign that I have hope … that I will be satisfied …

Milodora slept; she really wanted to wake up, but to wake up now was beyond human strength. The dream tormented her, the man-darkness mocked her and the holy feeling that there is love.And more … How can Satan talk about a light soul – about God’s priceless gift to man?

Satan had a hot – hellish – breath; and the breath of this now smelled not of coffee, but of sulfur:

– Is it really not clear that I can no longer live without you … that for your sake I am capable of a crime? …

An intelligent woman is unlikely to believe in the existence of love, for the sake of which lovers are capable of crimes; for the sake of love, only sublime deeds are performed. And Milodora was an intelligent woman.

That night she was completely tormented by a bad dream – a long sleep, until the very morning.

She woke up broken, with aching pain in the back of her head.

A guard soldier walked slowly outside the door. From somewhere behind the curtains, a drumbeat could hardly be heard, abrupt commands given in a sonorous voice were heard …

Milodora lay motionless. She did not move even when the bolts clicked and the soldier entered. She knew it was food brought; she knew that a gray-haired, sullen lame man had brought the food.She even knew what exactly he brought. Stale moldy rusk, a bowl of muddy rotten cabbage soup and a mug of boiling water called tea. During the time that Milodora was here, she had already managed to study some orders.

When the lame man left, Milodora nevertheless opened her eyes. On the table lay a stale biscuit, a crumpled bowl and a mug with the letters “A. R”.

Milodora sighed.

Half an hour later, the bolts rattled again. Gray-whiskered said from the doorway:

– Veleno – on the way out.

Milodora obediently got up and, wrapping herself in a tablecloth, went to the exit – weightless as a shadow. Milodora was somewhat surprised when she saw that Lieutenant Karnizov was waiting for her in the corridor near the soldier.

The lieutenant, putting his hands behind his back, swayed slightly from heel to toe and looked at Milodora with affection.

He said:

– Today I myself will accompany you. I walked along the corridor and remembered that we were on the way … Let’s go …

Milodora resignedly followed Karnizov.The bad dream wore her down completely. The strength almost left Milodora, and indifference came.

The lieutenant, before reaching room number two, opened the door to room number three. He made an inviting gesture to Milodora and entered the room only after her.

A wide table was laid here.

There were bottles of Madeira with high necks, filled with sealing wax, fruit stood in crystal vases, ruddy pies, a roasted piglet, fish with horseradish, fried chicken flaunted on silver dishes; in a deep bowl – rice with prunes; here – salads; there – sliced ​​sausages; in an oak bucket, as usual, – kvass, and in crystal jugs – honey and sbitni…

Milodora looked at all this fragrant unexpected splendor with amazement, not believing her eyes.

Pictures were hung on the walls of the room – | entirely gastronomic stories. Outside the clean-washed window, a cozy well-groomed small garden was visible – several young trees and bushes. There were soft pink silk chairs around the table, and a large mahogany-framed mirror hung by the tiled stove.

Tormented by doubt whether she sees all this in reality, Milodora looked back at Karnizov.He gave his face an expression of surprise and even some confusion.

Milodora was about to rush to the mirror, but the lieutenant grabbed her by the elbow (perhaps it is good that Milodora did not have time to reach the mirror and see her reflection; what she would have seen – what she had become – would not have added her mood and cheerfulness ).

Cornices said:

– I seem to be mistaken, madam. You and I entered the wrong number … Our boss has a name day, you see …

And he led Milodora out into the corridor.And her head was spinning, and Milodora was pale, shadows lay around her eyes – this was especially noticeable in the semi-dark corridor. Not far off, a soldier with a drawn saber was walking along the corridor. It was the one – gray-haired, gloomy …

Milodora’s ears suddenly began to rustle, and weakness almost knocked her legs. Milodora put her hand on the wall.

– Are you feeling sick, madam? – the lieutenant was opening the door of the second room at this time. – Nothing! It happens sometimes with our … uh … guests… Now, now …

The lieutenant was so kind that he supported Milodora.

In the room he sat her down on a chair, and he took his usual place. And instantly transformed: the courtesy disappeared without a trace …

Now a bird of prey was looking at Milodora.

– I hope you understand, madam, that I was not mistaken just now with the number. I just showed how hospitable I could be with you, if you went to meet me … I could allow you regular walks, at least in this square, – he looked back at the window, – or you and I would take a walk in the Summer Garden – there are such fountains now, such wonderful paths sprinkled with sand !., could invite you from time to time a priest for sublime conversations, could even take you to the opera, so beloved by you …

– I understand … – Milodora barely moved her pale lips.

“You don’t understand the devil,” Cornizov narrowed his eyes. “You don’t bet your life for a penny. And in the meantime, another month or two – and you will be taken out of here to the cemetery.

Milodora closed her eyes, as if trying to cope with tears:

– My life has somehow failed from the very beginning…

“It’s time to reverse the unsuccessful,” the lieutenant remarked with a significant air.

– Oh, if it were in my power, and not in the power of God!

– It is within your power, madam. You should only make a frank confession. Call black black … And we return to number three, where you will have the opportunity to finally feast, taste delicious dishes, enjoy the bitter grape-honey flavor of Madeira? What a miracle this wine !… With every drop of it, strength comes to you … And life is short, you know, and there is so little pleasant in it … Why else should you shorten it, why deny yourself simple pleasures? For what? …

This question hung in the air for a long time, since Milodora chose not to answer.

Cornice again took out his leaves from the table.

– You don’t even have to say much. Everything has already been said, for all those who were in your secret society have been taken into custody. All confessed, and many repentant were even released… – the lieutenant looked at Milodora encouragingly. – Come on! … Make up your mind, finally … To complete the picture, only your confessions are not enough. Believe me, my dear, recognition is more in your interests than in mine as a person serving in this place …

– If you know everything, then I do not understand what you want from me … – Milodora was ill, she felt a chill. – You have already been shown to black …

Karnizov flashed his eyes in irritation; he understood that their conversation was again going in the old circle.But the endurance of an experienced detective business master prevailed.

– Something requires clarification, clarification. It is always wiser to look at a case from several sides – for example, through the eyes of more than one person.

Milodora nodded.

The lieutenant considered this a good sign and was noticeably inspired.

– So … My papers contain a lot of information about Count N. In particular, one of yours … stated that the Count was essentially the inspirer of this secret society, and not you at all.Wouldn’t it be just that the count should stay in the dungeons instead of you?

Milodora listened attentively and was silent.

Without waiting for an answer, Karnizov continued:

– You were only … how can I put it more accurately … a pleasant frame of this society; if you want, a bait for officers like Osterode, for gentlemen like Ostronegin … You are a soft pillow for a head that considers itself reasonable, but very harmful for Russia, believe me.In a moment of danger, where is this clever head? Where is the pillow? Trampled into the mud …

– What do you want from me? – persisted | Milodora.

– The fact is that you were close to the count like no other woman after the death of his wife. And he probably initiated you into some of his thoughts, dreams … I could not help but initiate – you should have been talking about something. I want you, in turn, to initiate these thoughts into me. That’s all … Are you really not offended that you are here – an expensive pillow in the mud – and he is there – flaunting in salons and conducting conversations with other ladies ?… And, perhaps, looking for a replacement for you.

Milodora wearily closed her eyes:

– What were we talking about? Happened about literature …

– Well, well … – the lieutenant, perked up, began to write.

– But the main thing is that the count introduced me to the light … Many people seem to be offended by this …

– Go on, go on … Did he introduce you to someone? – Karnizov’s pen creaked godlessly.

– Yes, of course.

– With whom?

– I am infinitely grateful to the count for introducing me to the sovereign.

The lieutenant slowly put down his pen.

Milodora continued, closing her eyes, mentally looking into the past:

– His Majesty immediately struck me as an interesting conversationalist. And in general: he gives the impression of a filled person …

Karnizov’s eyes were filled with lead.

– You, vile lorette, favorite of the elders … Mocking me?

Milodora shuddered, opened her eyes:

– Not at all. You asked, I answered.Why resort to insults?

– Insults are nothing; it’s still sugar. You were not in the last room … That’s when I start with passion and really, then you will quickly sing … Instead of singing, we will throw a rough hemp rope on this delicate neck and kick it out from under the white legs to the drumbeat a chair … Or maybe you don’t need a rope … With your hands! … With your hands! …

The lieutenant’s hands really came off the table and reached out to Milodora.

Milodora gritted her teeth and turned away.But his teeth chattered treacherously from chills.

And Karnizov noticed this.

– Scary? Anyone would be scared … – there were sympathetic notes in his voice. – Look at yourself. You are a beauty! … Why is it so stupid to ruin your life? … Look, what a wonderful hand you have. It is necessary to sculpt it … But, however, they will soon put on shackles … And fingers! These gentle fingers, which should be kissed, which should be humiliated with rings. These fingers seem to be created in order to love them… – here Karnizov’s tone became menacingly insinuating. – Well, how to pinch them by the door! …

Milodora wiped a tear from her cheek. And she was speechless. Milodora seemed to hide behind her silence – the only thing for which she could still hide from this terrible person.

Cornice got up from his chair and slowly and thoughtfully paced the room. Then, stopping behind Milodora’s back, he spoke:

– Are you hoping for something, perhaps? And this hope sustains you?.. I assure you, madam, in your position all hopes are in vain … The count disowned you as soon as he learned that you were escorted to the fortress. Remember how Peter denied Jesus? – the lieutenant bent over Milodora’s shoulder and looked into her face; close-close; the tip of his nose was covered with tiny beads of sweat, and devilish mocking lights flickered in his eyes. – But Jesus was there! And here is just a cocotte … The count is too cunning a person to risk his head in this position. He would rather compromise the so-called decency.What is decency? An empty sound – zilch! … The count will never be hostage to ideals. Or am I wrong? Why, then, has your patron still not intervened in the course of events? Where is he at all? …

A clock struck in the hallway.

Without waiting for at least some kind of response – Milodora seemed to be in a numbness, – the lieutenant continued:

– Probably, you are hoping for the help of Mr. Romanov? A? So answer!

Milodora, wiping away her tears, shrugged her shoulders.

Karnizov walked around her again.

– Your chosen one seems to you to be a wonderful knight, perhaps? This is completely in vain. He is not worthy of your feelings, believe me. I spoke with him … in hot pursuit, so to speak. He was completely frightened. Wish you saw him. Mr. Romanov was ready to incriminate you, just to emphasize his loyal feelings and innocence, innocence … You, as always, made the wrong choice …

“I don’t believe you,” Milodora whispered.

– What, excuse me? … – the lieutenant bowed his head.

“I don’t believe you,” Milodora repeated more firmly.

Karnizov chuckled:

– She doesn’t believe me! … But she believes Osterode … Yes, as much as you like! … I’m not a fortune teller, and I don’t care much if you believe me or not … For that matter, I am you generally spared until now, without telling the whole truth … I thought, taking advantage of the circumstances, to protect … not to let the spirit break …

Milodora looked at him questioningly.

Karnizov returned to his table.

– Mr. Romanov has already committed suicide for three days … – the lieutenant said this as if he had whipped Milodor with a whip. – And note: not from despair that I lost you, but from the fear that you will end up in a dungeon …

– What do you mean “done”? – the floor suddenly swayed under Milodora’s feet, and the walls suddenly twisted and were about to collapse.

– The same as always, – Karnizov triumphed quietly. – This is a very accurate word and is interpreted in only one sense… You gave Apollo Danilovich a bad room. There is a hook in the ceiling. Who, if not you, knows the history of this hook? …

– Hook? – poor Milodora refused to believe the rumor.

– Yes, that one. But don’t worry anymore. I ordered this unfortunate hook to be cut down, in the end … As for Mr. Romanov, who all this time, which he knew you, tried to preserve his dignity and nobility, when he was removed from the hook, he looked very miserable.He was barefoot and had some kind of gnarled hands … And his face …

– Enough …

Milodora lowered her head, her eyes extinguished. The lieutenant’s mention of the hook convinced her that the lieutenant was not lying … How could Karnizov know about that hook? Milodora did not even think that talkative Ustisha could tell the lieutenant about the hook on which the governess once hanged herself …

“But Apollo, Lord! To lay hands on yourself! … “

Milodora least expected this from Apollo.The news of the death of Apollo completely undermined in her any will to resist, to fight. She did not care: the fate of Count N., Baron von Osterode, other members of society, and first of all, her own fate was now of little concern to her; Perhaps, only now Milodora realized what Apollo had become for her in a short time, how much space he took in her heart, and felt how empty her soul was when Apollo was gone …

– Master … – Milodora coughed, – Lieutenant… Bring me back to the room …

– Why! We still have to talk about the graph.

—I feel bad. There is no strength … Then …

The lieutenant interpreted her words in his own way – as a promise.

– Well! Then – so later. We have nowhere to hurry with you. Let’s find an hour to discuss serious things, – and he rang the bell; As the gray-haired soldier entered, he dismissively said: – Take her away, my dear …

Milodora’s chest ached more and more.A cough choked her. It was unlikely that it was a nervous cough – from the news of the death of Apollo. Otherwise she wouldn’t have had a chill.

Milodora wrapped herself in a thin tablecloth, but this did not in the least warm her and did not save her from dampness. Milodora dreamed … Then it seemed to her that her mother would sit down on the edge of the bed and say some nonsense in French – about ribbons, frills and ruffles – she said that she wanted to see her daughter as a seamstress and then she would be proud of her; it was as if old husband Fyodor Lukich Schmidt was sitting on a chair in the corner, who had become completely depraved before his death; Fyodor Lukich smiled sweetly, winked and with obscene movements made Milodora understand that she should take off this stupid tablecloth and all the clothes that were, and demonstrate her beautiful nakedness…

“I’m cold,” complained Milodora. – Light the stove …

– Not allowed, – old Schmidt smiled to the full extent of his toothless mouth.

– Then give me some clothes.

– Not ordered.

– But the earth pulls with dampness, – Milodora never asked this harmful old man for anything.

And Apollo was not …

Milodora coughed and cried from chest pain. She saw that young soldier who agreed to give Apollo a note.The soldier gave her boiling water to drink. The boiling water smelled like tree buds or bark.

Milodora also complained to him:

– I’m cold. Light the stove, soldier …

– Not allowed … – the soldier answered quietly and with a look around.

– But I will die of the cold.

– No, boiling water will warm you up. Drink …

She drank, burning her lips.

Mother kept sharing her impressions of Paris, the old husband in the corner kept making obscene signs.The soldier was holding a mug with the scratched letters “A. R.”. Only Apollo was missing.

– And Apollo? – Milodora’s eyes lit up. “Did you give him a note, soldier?”

– Hush, hush … – the soldier looked around in fright.

Milodora looked at him reproachfully:

– You are deceiving me. You didn’t send the note. He died.

– Who died? – the soldier did not understand. – I passed … Be quiet!

And he again moved her a mug of boiling water.And she drank and coughed.

– Lord! I’ll die soon … You didn’t tell me, soldier … I’m all alone …

There was no mother, no old spouse, no soldier in the room. And there were no other visions. Only – cold.

– Light the stove … – Milodora moaned and tossed about in the heat.

Two voices conferred outside the door. One insisted that the lieutenant should be reported and sent to the Obukhov hospital. Another answered that everything would be all right, that “women who are tenacious are bitches,” “but you know yours; the bosses do not like it when they poke their nose into their affairs ”.