The controversial Body Worlds creator Gunther von Hagens opens his latest anatomical exhibition at the Neunkirchen Zoo in the state of Saarland, Germany. The 'anatomical safari' contains over 100 animals in various degrees of dissection showing von Hagen's famed plastination process. Presented as a holistic and sculptural anatomical menagerie, the display features the most revered species in the animal kingdom: among them a long-lashed, freckled tall blonde—a giraffe; and two regal, husky, graceful, behemoth elephants.The animal revue posed immense technical challenges for Dr. von Hagens and his plastination team...

The USSR or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also called the Soviet union, emerged from the Russian Empire in 1922 after the revolution of 1917 and Russian civil war of 1918-1921. The USSR was a union of several Soviet republics that from 1945 to 1991 were involved in what has been called The Cold War with the United States, another super-power during these years.
In 1991, despite several years of Perestroika (restructuring) and a policy of Glastnost (transparency) by Mikhail Gorbachev the USSR disolved, bringing an end to the cold war at the same time. The following 45 historical pictures and photographs were mostly taken during the 1970’s and are available under a creative commons license from Pixdaus. With the collapse came abolishment of censorship, total freedom of expression and freedom to criticise the government...

Johan Huibers is the 50-year-old builder of the Dutch ark. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy. On the uncovered top deck is a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel. The ark is one-fifth the size of the Biblical original. Visitors on the first day were stunned. Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years...

The Ice Labyrinth in Buffalo. The largest ice labyrinth in the world was built for the winter festival in Buffalo, USA. The world's largest ice maze which measures 12,855.68 square foot with total weight about 600,000 pounds, has been recorded in the book of Guinness World Records.
The old world record holder Pontiac Ice Maze, which measured 8,280 square foot, was set in 2005 in Toronto.
The City authorities are now worried about the possibility of a flood if this labyrinth begins to melt. Due to this reason, they have built few powerful water pumps surrounding the world's largest ice labyrinth...

This is a collection of most barbaric medieval instruments of torture that we found in St. Petersburg museum. The idea of mechanized torture was born in Germany and its seams that the Nuremberg maiden was the first. It got its name because of the external similarities with the Bavarian woman, but also because first prototype was created and used in a secret dungeon at Nuremberg. The accused was placed in the sarcophagus where the body suffers injury from sharp spines that where located inside but located so that no vital organs to bee hurt, for a long time agony. Iron maiden was the punishment in special for fraud and they have to stay inside for three days...