An expert weighs in on Dramamine, ginger and more

Internal MedicineJuly 30, 2021

(SACRAMENTO)

Pent-up desires to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to summer surges among vacation hot spots, hotels and airports. Since vaccines rolled out nationally this spring, many airlines have reported increased demand and that trend is only expected to continue. 
Studies show that motion sickness will affect most people at some point in their lives.

Travel seems to be on most of our minds. What may also come to mind is motion sickness for those who suffer from it, which is almost everybody at some point. 

“A study conducted in 2019 found that almost everyone has experienced or will experience motion sickness at some point in their lifetime,” said Natascha Tuznik, an infectious disease doctor with the UC Davis Health Traveler’s Clinic. 

Tuznik answers some common questions about motion sickness and ways to prevent or treat it.  

Where is motion sickness most likely to happen?

This depends upon specific conditions encountered. Seasickness is the most common form. A fun fact is that the word nausea is derived from the Greek word “naus” which means ship. Nausea literally means “ship-sickness.” But it can happen to people traveling by car, bus and plane, too.

In one survey of roughly 3,200 bus passengers, 28% felt ill, 13% reported nausea and 2% vomited. Another study highlighted motion sickness experienced by passengers on commercial airline flights, finding that 24% felt ill or nauseated.   

Who’s most likely to get motion sickness?

Women are more susceptible than men. Children under the age of 2 are typically resistant to motion sickness, while those around the age of 9 are more prone. Other factors that tend to lead to motion sickness include a history of migraines, hormonal changes (pregnant women, for example), genetics and even mindset. Often, those who expect to get sick are the ones who do.  

Does Dramamine work for motion sickness?

Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is a popular go-to remedy. It is somewhat effective at reducing motion sickness symptoms, but it is an antihistamine. Like all antihistamines, it may cause drowsiness, dizziness and decreased mental alertness. Some people may experience the exact opposite effects, including insomnia, excitability and restlessness. Unfortunately, not much can be done to mitigate the side effects. If you’ve taken it before, you should expect similar side effects each time. 

Who should not take Dramamine?

Natascha Tuznik is an infectious disease physician with UC Davis Health’s Traveler’s Clinic.

Patients with a history of glaucoma, liver impairment, asthma, seizures, prostate enlargements or urinary blockage, thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease should proceed with caution and speak with their physician first. 

Does it help to take the medicine before you start traveling?

If you have a history of severe motion sickness symptoms, it’s best to take medication one hour before your trip.  

What other medication options are there?

Bonine (meclizine) is another option. In comparison to Dramamine, Bonine touts “less drowsy” formulations. This is mainly because Bonine is taken once a day and Dramamine is taken every four to six hours as needed. That said, many studies show that as a whole, Dramamine is more effective at preventing motion sickness, though it is less convenient given the dosing. 

Another option is scopolamine, which is commonly known as the round patch placed behind one’s ear.

Non-sedative antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra do not appear to be effective for motion sickness.  

What about kids with motion sickness?

As noted, children under 2 typically do not experience motion sickness, while the incidence appears to peak at age 9. Generally, the same advice applies to children as it does for adults. If you need to use medication for your child, always speak with your pediatrician first. Almost all pediatric medications are weight-based, and some may have age restrictions, as well. Please never guess a dose without seeking medical advice for your child first. 

What about pets with motion sickness?

There are many pre-emptive strategies that exist for dogs and cats to prevent motion sickness. A medication for motion sickness in dogs called Cerenia (maropitant), is available, and is prescription-only from a licensed veterinarian. Dramamine may also be used, however as with pediatric patients, it is weight-based. Speak with your veterinarian first. 

Are there ways to prevent motion sickness?

Yes. Prevention is always the best option, when possible. Some options include: 

• Use your environment: Try looking at the horizon, if you’re at sea, or another stationary object or fixture. 
• Avoid reading. 
• Where you sit matters. If you’re on a boat, avoid the upper levels. If you’re in a car, try to sit in the front. If you’re on a plane, look for a seat over the front edge of the wing.
• Alternative methods like hard ginger candy, P6 acupressure and motion sickness & travel wristbands (one brand is Sea-Bands) can work well.  

For people with mild motion sickness history (which typically means that it does not interfere with your ability to function), the recommendations are for environmental modifications and complementary and alternative treatments mentioned above. Medications are typically not recommended, given that side effects will typically outweigh the benefits. 

Dimenhydrinate Dosage Guide + Max Dose, Adjustments

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Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 27, 2023.

Applies to the following strengths: 50 mg/mL; 50 mg; 12.5 mg/5 mL; 12.5 mg/4 mL; 25 mg

Usual Adult Dose for:

• Motion Sickness
• Vertigo
• Nausea/Vomiting

Usual Pediatric Dose for:

• Motion Sickness
• Vertigo
• Nausea/Vomiting

Additional dosage information:

• Renal Dose Adjustments
• Liver Dose Adjustments
• Dose Adjustments
• Dialysis
• Other Comments

Usual Adult Dose for Motion Sickness

INJECTABLE: 50 to 100 mg IM or IV every 4 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

ORAL:

• Immediate Release: 50 to 100 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.
• Extended Release: 100 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 300 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL: 50 to 100 mg every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Usual Adult Dose for Vertigo

INJECTABLE: 50 to 100 mg IM or IV every 4 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

ORAL:

• Immediate Release: 50 to 100 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.
• Extended Release: 100 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 300 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL: 50 to 100 mg every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Usual Adult Dose for Nausea/Vomiting

INJECTABLE: 50 to 100 mg IM or IV every 4 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

ORAL:

• Immediate Release: 50 to 100 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.
• Extended Release: 100 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 300 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL: 50 to 100 mg every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Motion Sickness

INJECTABLE:

• Neonate: Contraindicated.
• Older Than Neonate: 1.25 mg/kg OR 37.5 mg/m2 IM 4 times a day; Maximum Dose: 300 mg per day.

ORAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Not recommended.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 75 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 6 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 150 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 to 100 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Contraindicated.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg once; do not repeat dose except on the advice of a physician.
• Age 6 to 7 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 8 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Vertigo

INJECTABLE:

• Neonate: Contraindicated.
• Older Than Neonate: 1.25 mg/kg OR 37.5 mg/m2 IM 4 times a day; Maximum Dose: 300 mg per day.

ORAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Not recommended.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 75 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 6 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 150 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 to 100 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Contraindicated.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg once; do not repeat dose except on the advice of a physician.
• Age 6 to 7 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 8 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Nausea/Vomiting

INJECTABLE:

• Neonate: Contraindicated.
• Older Than Neonate: 1.25 mg/kg OR 37.5 mg/m2 IM 4 times a day; Maximum Dose: 300 mg per day.

ORAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Not recommended.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 75 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 6 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg orally every 6 to 8 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 150 mg within 24 hours.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 to 100 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours as needed; Maximum Dose: 400 mg within 24 hours.

RECTAL:

• Under Age 2 Years: Contraindicated.
• Age 2 to 5 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg once; do not repeat dose except on the advice of a physician.
• Age 6 to 7 Years: 12.5 to 25 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 8 to 11 Years: 25 to 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.
• Age 12 Years and Over: 50 mg every 8 to 12 hours as needed.

Use: Prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or vertigo associated with motion sickness.

Renal Dose Adjustments

Data not available.

Liver Dose Adjustments

Patients with Hepatic Impairment: Use with caution.

Dose Adjustments

Pediatric Patients: Discontinue use if paradoxical excitation (restlessness, nervousness, hallucinations, delirium, and/or seizures) occurs.

Dialysis

Data not available.

Other Comments

Administration Advice:

• INJECTABLE: Dilute before IV administration; consult the manufacturer product information for dilution instructions.
• INJECTABLE: For IV administration, administer the drug slowly over 2 minutes.
• INJECTABLE: Do not administer intra-arterially.
• INJECTABLE: Inspect the drug visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration.
• ORAL: To prevent motion sickness, the first dose should be taken at least 30 minutes to 1 to 2 hours before starting activity.
• RECTAL: For ease and comfort, smooth any edges prior to use.

Storage Requirements:

• Consult the manufacturer product information.

IV Compatibility:

• Consult the manufacturer product information.

General:

• Some formulations of this drug may be available only as special order products compounded at pharmacies with patient-specific dosing.
• Parenteral therapy is indicated when oral or rectal therapy is inappropriate.
• OVERDOSAGE: There is no specific antidote; consult the manufacturer product information for possible treatment options.

Patient Advice:

• If using this drug regularly, take a missed dose as soon as possible; however, skip the missed dose if it is almost time for the next dose.

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“They went to Yerevan as if they were abroad – it turned out that they were all around”: why young Russians came to Armenia

It suddenly turned out that in the wonderful country of Armenia it is not customary to scold Russia. Here you can be offended, hate – no, it is not accepted. Here it is customary to love. And it’s not just about hospitality. Armenians outwardly do not look like Slavs and more often than about the “Russian world”, they remember the worldwide “Armenian diaspora”. There is no common border – but so much in common. Maybe it’s the breadth of the soul. Or maybe in the properties of memory?

My route is from end to end of Armenia: from Yerevan to Gyumri and Tsaghkadzor, and to the distant mountainous Kapan.

It seemed to me an instructive journey.

Last summer it turned out that among all the possible foreign countries in our time for three hot months, Armenia is in first place among Russian air passengers with children – a quarter of tickets sold. Why did it happen? We must also keep in mind: since the beginning of March, an invasion began here – a direct connection from Yerevan with two dozen Russian cities. All young people. From Moscow now fly four hours, instead of two and a half, as before. The plane winds around for safety purposes: they are shooting below, there is a special operation, the issue of war and the future of peace is being decided. And so: and this youth here – what for?

After Pushkin, Russian poets and writers liked to “travel to Arzrum”. They wrote about Armenia and confessed their love to her, but they thought all the time about Russia. About their pressing Russian issues. Akhmatova was terribly pleased that the Mandelstams, after Yerevan, no longer called her Anna, but Anush.

…But Pushkin came here for the war. And Griboyedov too. What did today’s young Russians come here with?

Photo: Maria Mamonova

Who’s there?

It is difficult to walk around Yerevan in the very heat – the sun is scorching. But everyone is running around, honking, selling figs and peaches two fists in size from boxes in the street. The rest drink, of course, coffee. Do you drink Armenian coffee? It’s thick like chocolate, no sugar. Do not love? You just don’t know how to cook.

There are drinking fountains in the stone pedestals – and the fact that the local water is the second largest in the world is not a secret (the first one who remembers is in San Francisco). In the evening, the city turns into a big carousel. Noah, when the waters of the great flood subsided, exclaimed from the mountain: “Yereva andes!” It meant: something is visible there. I don’t know what Noah would have said, but there are so many Russian faces here now. Along Mashtots Street rolls Russian speech with Armenian mixed. A familiar name appears in the old word Erivan: ErIvan-city is buzzing!

Who is with a backpack, and who is in heels. Some with cats and some with dogs. Some have three.

Here we are. But no, no one here says that.

We are walking with a friend, he was called to the English park. A cheerful man at the same time shakes my hand. Knowing where I’m from, cools down. This is Raffi, they explained to me later: how the USSR collapsed, became the first Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is generally an American, the opposition now.

An old man plays the duduk near the wall. Time, like air, curled up.

How did Pushkin meet Armenia? What was he thinking then – in his 30s?

A poster of the Stanislavsky Russian Drama Theater promises an early premiere of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. From the poster of the National Drama Theater Gabriel Sundukyan, the faces of moth-eaten KVN members cheerfully invite to the show “Once Upon a Time in Russia”: they will joke. And at Hrazdan they are waiting for Christina Aguilera. And the owl screams, and the samovar hums, and you can bulge out.

A friend advised me to look into the Internet: it has its own life and strange scandals.

That “St. Petersburg activist and stand-up comedian is sounding the alarm: the Yerevan police threw her friends into the dungeon. They will be extradited, they will face “prison or death for jokes about Putin and an anti-war position.” they were interviewed as witnesses of some kind of fight. “The hands of the Kremlin” were not seen, they laugh about “extradition”

Word of mouth is working. For the time being, mostly Russians are gathering. But there is hope: they will soon acquire Armenian acquaintances. Photo: Maria Mamonova

There was another scandal. A couple of visitors posted an extreme video about themselves. Among the ruins of the ancient fortress in the museum-reserve “Erebuni” they did such 18 +++ that the respected director of the museum was ready to resign. The couple was arrested. The hero-lover from the video mumbled: they didn’t understand that they “offended feelings” and that “the fortress is a sacred object.”

It is necessary to explain: 70 years ago Soviet archaeologists, the Armenian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin. Cultural layers lead to the 8th century BC, to the ancient country of Urartu. The restoration and reconstruction of the monumental paintings from Erebuni is still being carried out by Moscow and Yerevan scientists.

It seemed to the director of the museum that behind this incident “the intrigues of certain forces.” I do not presume to judge. Probably, someone without scandals is bored. But not only “activists” and ideological “stand-up artists” came to Yerevan – they are said to be no more than 10 percent. There are many people – people are different. They are called: “relocants”. Not emigration, but simply a change of place.

How many are there? Not specifically considered. In the first quarter there were 140 thousand, but they parted ways: to Tbilisi and Istanbul. Less than half left.

Interviewed: 45 percent of those who arrived are IT specialists, a quarter are from cultural spheres. Next come office collars and bloggers. What do they live on? On “savings”.

Rent an apartment: one apartment per month – $800. Cheaper somewhere far from Yerevan. In May, the record for transfers of Russians to Armenia was broken – $266 million. For the whole year before last, Armenians transferred $824 million from Russia – a fifth of their state budget.

There are less than three million inhabitants in the country. IT specialists are needed – 4 thousand vacancies. For “relocants” they collect trainings: “how to settle down.” Political scientists have perspectives: “We will become a hub, a bridge, we will connect the East and the West.” But for those who come with children, the issues of kindergartens and schools, work…

Photo: Maria Mamonova

Why did you leave? All explanations are like a blueprint: they were afraid, everyone was driving and we went, we don’t see growth prospects, sanctions will break business and will not allow traveling … Armenians can talk for hours about the feeling of the Motherland, and about the “gravity of the mountain”. Guests can talk for a long time about a world where there are no borders – such a sense of self. Even here, though, it’s different.

Interviewed: 45 percent of those who arrived – IT specialists, a quarter – from the cultural spheres

What will they do next? It will be seen, life will tell. Or let’s not talk, so as not to jinx it. In social networks, they self-organized into groups by profession: photographers, stylists, hairdressers. They exchange jobs. Finally: more than a thousand small companies and individual entrepreneurs have already been opened.

Tuf-Tuf-Tuf-Tyshch

I was told that this is a successful business for the guys who opened the Tuf club in the center of the capital, aka Tuf Club. Advanced, trendy place.

Looked in – here you should not focus on me, this can be found in Moscow, and many people like it. Life is an eternal underground. New Decadence. “Tuff” flows from the inside: a hall – a courtyard – and there they will open a staircase to the second floor. The owners – Alexandra and Vadim – ask: “Tuff-tuff-tuff-thousand” – is this the name? No, they say it’s a cool slogan. And the word “tuff” is Armenian and warm, like a stone baked by the sun.

The poster of the Russian Drama Theater promises an early premiere of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. Photo: Maria Mamonova

Sasha from Yekaterinburg, in Moscow, had his own shop of musical instruments, was the sound producer of the group. Vadim from Novgorod also had his own shops. Victor in their Tuff Bar is the owner of the tea shop. Seraphim is a finisher and cook from St. Petersburg. There is no point in asking why they broke.

While we were puzzling over what to do, we looked closely at the car wash – we realized that they would not pull on the money. We rented this modest corner in the center. We decided to do “something familiar, familiar, that we saw in Moscow.” Here is a niche, there is a backyard. Boards here, concrete or sand there.

Armenian acquaintances looked at them with suspicion: well, leave everything like that, but when do the finishing work, and tidy up the interior? They didn’t understand: how is everything ready? Yes, we will darken, highlight, it will be stylish and comfortable. For the interior, we looked at something at a flea market. Bamboo sticks. Art objects.

And they began to hold “events” and film screenings, master classes for children. There was a rumor, stand-ups, “brunches from our friends”, a jazz concert, a DJ auto-party. A stonecutter will work here. There is art therapy. Skateboarders here, Chinese tea there. There will also be a tattoo parlor. It can be said that they have already opened the first independent record label in Armenia.

There was a concert – SBHR, “The Biggest Simple Number”: this is a St. Petersburg journalist, poet and musician Kirill Ivanov with the electronic duet “Christmas Toys”. He sings with verses, followed by two people turning the handles of mysterious devices: something crackles there, electronic ligature is intertwined with wind instruments. Poems are vague, with a hint. “Pangling dramatism” and “ambient”, they feel good, okay.

The owners of the Tuf bar say that word of mouth is working. And the connection is very fast. So far, for the most part, the same Russians who have arrived are gathering. But there is hope: they will soon acquire Armenian acquaintances.

Photo: Maria Mamonova

Previously, they would have been called “intelligent”. What warmed them in Yerevan? They say: “Everyone is so open-hearted.” They were shocked: children are so loved! Strangers rush to help. “This is such a flashback from childhood for us”…

…And I stumbled on this flashback of theirs. So many serious conversations – and on you: memories from childhood. They, as it turned out, are, they are sitting inside them, not everything is still in the basket.

It seemed to me that this is the most important thing. I remembered: this is pure Bitov.

Bitov’s Lessons

Remember – “Lessons of Armenia” by Andrey Bitov. Huge chunks of psychedelic text are just about that. How do they love children in Armenia – and how in Russia? “The difference, apparently, is fundamental: our influence and power over children are arranged in descending order with age, with them – in increasing order. ” With age, “in our families, children are finally out of obedience, and parents are becoming more and more dependent.” In Armenia, the opposite is true.

And Bitov is shocked by his discovery. He suddenly found out that for any Armenian, a son is tantamount to a fulfilled life duty – “biological, national and personal”: “You need to be cut out with a crooked knife for thousands of years so that you understand: here is your son, he will live on your land and speak your language.” language, he will preserve the land, language, faith, homeland and clan.

From this point in Beat’s “Lessons” a whole chain of reasoning unfolded. Here he is in the “crowd of intellectuals.” He is one of them. All of them crowd determine the vectors of public mentality. At the same time, everyone thinks: he is not like everyone else, he is the chosen one. “Everyone considers himself not subject to the laws of the crowd,” “the only bearer of true motives in a senseless crowd.”

At the same time, no matter what he thinks to himself, “all together still make up a crowd” – and “obey the laws of the crowd. ”

With these thoughts, Bitov enters an unfamiliar Yerevan courtyard. And there – “people who love me ran out of all the doors – great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers, great-grandchildren and great-granddaughters … Future and past people hugged me and lined up in a silent line, affectionately lamenting, and nodding, and pitying me, while I walked past them and cried from grief and happiness…”

What did he come to? To the fact that “truly national existence” is inseparable from “the concepts of homeland and clan, tradition and heritage.”

Why does he care? He “found with pain that in Russia this is often forgotten.” He wrote lovingly about Armenia – and she led him to love for Russia, which “my mind will not win.”

Maybe it was hot, or maybe it was a mood, but this chain of Bitov led from a discussion about raising children to Onegin’s self-awareness: “To be bored or to be known as Melmoth, / Or to flaunt another mask, / Once he woke up as a patriot / Rainy boring times. ”

Well, this is an old thing. Bitov wrote his “Lessons” – more than fifty years old. And if suddenly now someone in the Tuf bar is worried about the attitude of Armenians to the issue of raising children – so what? Who could have guessed what the young men who left would come to from this discovery, under this “tuff-tuff-tuff-thousand”? “Crowd of intellectuals”? Bitov outdated?

What if?

Someone from Yerevan tugs at his sleeve: his daughter left for Tbilisi to look for a job and her creative self. Is it just a waste of time?

But I have already gone to the covered market – in the center of Yerevan. Once I went into this aquarium of coolness and noisy sellers. I go – and instead of the market there is a supermarket. He is technological. He is like everyone else.

Photo: Maria Mamonova

I walked along Mashtots Street – there was a bookstore of another friend of mine. But I approach, but there is no store. Inside, where there were marvelous carved wooden cabinets, tiles are laid. I called a friend – three months since the store sold. One loss.

* * *

How did Pushkin meet Armenia? What was he thinking then – in his 30s?

He had a difficult year. Everyone was dissatisfied with the poet. The authorities saw sedition in his “Andre Chenier”. The Metropolitan was outraged by the debauchery of the Gavriiliada. Friends attacked Pushkin for flattering the autocrat. All at once, in one year. He was put under surveillance. And in the future, the routine and inevitability were seen. What’s next?

There is only one desire – to leave. Yes, anywhere. From yourself? Without permission, he went to the Caucasus, to Paskevich, to the Russian-Persian front.

He was driving from Tiflis to Erivan – already in Armenia two oxen, a cart and several Georgians met him. “Where are you from?” I asked them. “From Tehran”. – “What are you carrying?” – “Mushroom”. It was the body of the murdered Griboedov, which was escorted to Tiflis.

The story is well-known. In the Armenian villages, Nikita Muravyov, who commanded the Erivan garrison, assured, they seriously mourned Griboedov’s death. Not only because he had a medal “For the capture of Erivan”, which he participated in the work on the Turkmanchay peace treaty with the Persians, and, most importantly, thanks to him, 40,000 driven Armenians were able to return to their native lands.

But Pushkin is going to Erivan, and he has a tormenting question: what made Griboyedov, in his youth, suddenly take up and give up everything. To go to the Caucasus for eight whole years. To say goodbye “to St. Petersburg and to idle absent-mindedness”, “comb your youth and turn your life around”. Why did he leave?

And he – as Pushkin reasoned – had a “stupid, unbearable smile.” In the party of selected connoisseurs of beauty, he was nobody: he did not print a single line in the Moscow Telegraph, prestigious for progressive people. He was a young man, entangled in “networks of petty needs and obscurity”, and “people believe only in glory. ”

Left only because “his ambition was equal to his gifts”?

There is no answer, but Pushkin would like to hear. He sighs: it’s a pity that Griboyedov didn’t explain anything. Didn’t leave any notes. It is a pity that “we are lazy and incurious.”

After all, this is what is interesting: Griboedov worked tirelessly in Georgia, found his love and wrote “Woe from Wit” there. He returned – and now there has already been a “revolution in his fate and uninterrupted successes.” Recognized as a “man of state”, “put along with our first poets.” He even gave his life, as a Russian officer and diplomat, heroically. And Pushkin thinks: such a death is envy.

So why did Griboyedov leave? Why Pushkin? What if he didn’t leave?

It is foolish, of course, to compare or look for parallels here with today’s day and today’s young men.

It just happens differently.

Literally

What does the President of Russia think about the young people who left for Armenia?

At the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin replied: “We welcome everything that will benefit Russian business. let them work. Armenia is not a foreign country to us, everything is nearby, you can work in Yerevan, but live in Moscow. Many have already returned, they realized that nothing so terrible is happening here, even taking into account the sanctions aggression of some countries against Russia. Everything works, everything functions. If someone likes to work in Armenia, please…”

What about Russian science fiction? The creators of the movie were asked – The City

In mid-June, the fantastic thriller Through Time, a large-scale Russian project with a large amount of graphics, was released in cinemas. At the end of July, the film will also appear on online platforms. Thriller director Alexander Boguslavsky discussed Russian science fiction with Yegor Koreshkov, one of the main characters. Film critic Alexander Shebanov and special effects specialist for cinema Denis Yeldyshov, who worked with James Cameron on Avatar, helped to understand the topic.

Egor Koreshkov

actor

About my experience in science fiction

Probably the first was something short, I don’t remember now. Well, the first full-fledged project is “Star Mind”. And then another movie that hasn’t been released yet.

Any fantasy project is a big risk. But I had, for example, the film “Bitter”. There were a lot of author’s films, series, there were awards, there was a commercial success. I can afford to experiment.

I love this genre, science fiction. Since childhood I have read H. G. Wells, Kurt Vonnegut, I like to dive into these worlds. And King loved to read. All this fascinated and attracted me.

Why the viewer does not trust Russian science fiction

Russian comedies, sitcoms, sports dramas are also not particularly trusted, just a certain number of people love them. Plus budgets: good money began to be allocated for science fiction only in the last few years. The same “Attraction” is a large-scale, successful project. Great graphics, solid storyline. But in simpler projects, it often happens that the viewer does not have time to figure out the lines, to tighten them up.

About common problems of Russian cinema

In fact, any project in our country is about survival. Whatever it is, everyone is trying to come up with something in a limited story with time, budget, personnel, and everyone wants to do something good. From what I know from the inside, I understand that what comes out is cool.

How our science fiction can stand out

I will say this: most foreign projects are commercial based on simple plots and drama. There are also super-original things, but their minimum number. Russian science fiction needs to adopt our deep, hidden meanings. Some spiritual things, social. There are a lot of examples when Hollywood studios outbid our and European stories because of their originality, and that’s where we can go now.

Alexander Shebanov

film critic

About the history of Russian science fiction

The development of this genre is directly related to the development of science. The peak of contact between these industries came in the 1930s. Vasily Zhuravlev’s “Space Flight” is considered the first film. This is the Interstellar of the time. With the start of the space race came other films. For example, Amphibian Man. But after George Lucas and Star Wars, we couldn’t keep up with the US.

What is the main problem of our science fiction now

We have good producers, but we have problems with authors. Bulychev, Efremov, Belyaev, Strugatsky were in the USSR. We don’t have enough writers like that right now.

About the best Sci-fi come from the USSR – Russia

I’ll start with animation, remember at least “Contact” or cartoon “Polygon”. If we talk about modern Russian science fiction, then the film “Sputnik”. It certainly has problems like any other film. But with all this, he also has an obvious advantage: he is very atmospheric and holds tension very well, which is what a thriller should do. I would also recommend paying attention to the film “Target”, this is a complex movie, an art house. Cinema is not for everyone.

Denis Yeldyshov

film special effects specialist

About the main milestones in the history of science fiction

Do you remember the movie Battleship Potemkin? There, the flag is also painted red – this, one might say, is a prototype of graphics. Then there was 1940 and Gone with the Wind, where some first backgrounds were repainted. Well, then Disney came along and took animation to the next level. Then came Cameron and of course the second “Terminator” in 1991.

About freedom of action on Hollywood projects

I had a lot of freedom on The Lord of the Rings and I liked it. I was given a task: to make an explosion, crash, fall, and I myself selected references and did it. If we take on such large projects as Avatar, then there I did not have the opportunity to take a step to the left, a step to the right. But this is also a plus – you do not need to search.

About incidents in Hollywood projects

In The Lord of the Rings series we did a scene where the hero fell from a horse and the thing is that it is very difficult to repeat the animation of an animal, especially a falling one. And we came up with the idea that we would replace the real horse with a digital one at the last moment. And we worked on collisions of a falling horse with branches, mud for several months, until the last day of the project.

The second moment, we were working on “Avatar” and I was doing the scene, drawing water, textures, foam. The scene was approved, but they asked to add a few frames, and because of these frames, the scene was then considered on the computer for three days, and in the film it is only 10 seconds.

And later I worked on the Avatar world trailer and there one boat makes a steep dive and we drew for a long time, selected foam simulation, how beautiful it would look, went through all the approval levels, everyone said “super, cool” and it was already included to the trailer. But at the end, James Cameron says no, the boat is too well made, the foam takes too much attention, so we remove it.

About three films that I didn’t work on, but really wanted to

The first one is my favorite film “Interstellar” by Christopher Nolan.