Famous Norwegians. Great athletes of Norway Cellular communications and Internet

Residents of any country want to know how their country is perceived abroad. This is especially true for those countries that not everyone can find on a map. But in some countries it can turn into an obsession and one of such countries is Norway. For four centuries it was under the rule of Denmark and Sweden, and now many Norwegians are trying to determine exactly what their own culture is and what they would like to be famous for. Some Norwegians believe that they cannot do anything right, while others believe that Norwegians do everything right. Because of this, there is a constant war of commentators in national news feeds.

The crisis of Norwegian identity and uncertainty is evident every time Norway is mentioned in the international media. This leads to some kind of painful exaggeration. For example, when the Norwegian swimmer Alexander Dale Oen died a few years ago, the national media rushed to tell the whole world about how much the swimmer meant to the world, to the development of swimming and to Norway in particular, although only a few people in the world had heard about him.

2. The main national problem is not cold, but dampness

When you think of Norway, you think of winter. Yes, in some areas of the country it is really very cold. But in coastal Norway, where most of the population lives, temperatures rarely reach extremely low levels. In Oslo it rarely drops below -10 degrees, which is no colder than other cities at the same latitude, such as Anchorage, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The interior and North are, of course, a different story. During the summer it is usually quite pleasant to travel throughout the country. The most inconvenient thing about Norwegian weather is quite predictable - it is constantly humid, and one might say damp.

The city of Bergen is particularly famous for its rainfall (almost 500mm of rain in January 2015), but other parts of the country see long periods of grey, wet landscapes that leave people in the same state of melancholy as the dark winters. The cold is annoying and the humidity is depressing.

3. Most Norwegians have accumulated a lot of debt

Norway's oil treasures gave its people confidence in prosperity. Because of this confidence in a bright future, rental rates in the country are among the highest in the world. Yes, most Norwegians have a huge combined income and access to well-paid jobs, and in this situation you might think that all financial problems are behind you. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. Oil prices remained high throughout the previous financial crisis, meaning Norwegian consumers were unlikely to feel the impact and therefore continued to buy houses and borrow money. In the country as a whole, housing prices have increased by more than 50% since 2008, and in Oslo by almost two-thirds. Rent arrears have become one of the highest in Europe. It is therefore not surprising that the TV show “Luksusfellen” appeared, where a couple of experts give financial advice to families on how to get rid of unnecessary habits and items and try to help them get out of debt. Until now, the high incomes of Norwegians helped them, but at some point the desire to earn and invest money played a cruel joke on the Norwegians. And with current oil prices, it seems that the problem is becoming more acute every day. And modern reality is increasingly spoiling the mood of the residents of this country, driving them into the harsh jungle of national melancholy.

4. Foreigners do all the dirty work for Norwegians

There has always been a lot of controversy in the country about the Protestant work ethic. It was considered the basis of the economic success of the Scandinavian countries, Germany and even the United States. It turns out that you can easily forget about it after easy money appears. For more than a decade, the majority of low-prestige service jobs in most parts of Norway have been occupied by Swedes. Meanwhile, carpentry, painting, plumbing and many other jobs are carried out by workers from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Why is this happening? Simply because fewer and fewer Norwegians are willing to take on this work. Norwegians work hard, they just prefer to do it in the office without getting their hands dirty. Everyone knows this can't last forever.

5. Norway has a big drug problem...

It is not surprising that the country with the most high level mortality from drug overdose is in Eastern Europe to be precise - this is Estonia. Guess who's in second place? Norway. Oslo used to have a very large community of drug addicts, it still exists, they've just been driven off the main streets. Lots of ports and trade relations allow drug dealers to bring dangerous drugs into the country without much difficulty and, like most Western countries, when this problem appeared in the 1970s, Norwegians simply began to look away. Now most European countries have decided to fight the problem, but Norway still does not pay attention to it.

6. ...and problems with alcohol.

Unfortunately, this problem is common to all Scandinavian countries. It used to be the norm that you were either a total teetotaler or only got drunk on the weekends. Since then, traditions have changed a lot, in particular, the state monopoly on the sale of alcohol began to instill continental drinking habits. Norwegians now drink several glasses of wine with dinner throughout the week... in addition to continuing to get drunk on the weekends. Alcohol is in many ways the only thing that makes Norwegians sociable, because Norwegians are introverts by nature. Alcohol has also become a vital concept and part of national culture. In Norway, it seems that not a single meeting takes place without drinking alcohol. In the long term, this is harmful to health, but even in the short term, weekly alcoholic get-togethers affect the health of both Norwegians themselves and society as a whole. According to recent reports, Norwegians are increasingly doing stupid, dangerous or illegal things and always under the influence of alcohol.

7. Norwegians are still puritans at heart

Despite all the above problems, Norwegians still have a high sense of morality. Norwegians are still a little skeptical about people not working during the week, especially if they drink more than wine, which is a sign of high culture in the country. Many are also quite skeptical of anyone who uses drugs to enjoy life, after all, alcohol has been a part of society for almost two millennia, so why experiment and go against the norm? For all the talk about Scandinavian countries being the most socially liberal on the planet, look at how the country treats divorced mothers, sexual minorities or people with darker skin than usual once you leave the city. Fortunately, there are few places left that are openly hostile (mainly in the southwestern regions of the country).

Conclusion: Norwegian social liberalism is superficial and as superficial as it is convenient for Norwegian society at the moment.

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The country of fabulous trolls and fantastic fjords will not leave even the most experienced tourist indifferent. Here penguins can command people, snow is collected and stored in special hangars so that it does not melt longer, and film shows are on high cliffs and concerts in caves are quite common.

We are in website committed unforgettable journey in Norway and have collected for you the most amazing facts about this mysterious northern country.

1. Penguin at the head of the royal guard

Perhaps this can only happen in Norway. The animal here easily outshines politicians and royalty in popularity. Sir Nils Olav is the most famous penguin in the world and is the honorary commander and mascot of the Norwegian Royal Guard. He was knighted in 2008 and promoted to brigadier general in 2016.

2. Equal rights

3. Reward from the state

The state highly appreciates any help from its citizens here. For example, you, on your own initiative, helped put out a fire in the forest together with your neighbors. This act will not go unnoticed by local authorities, and they will gratefully compensate you for your time. It can be several thousand Norwegian kroner (several hundred dollars).

Even if you live in a small village and suddenly bad weather leaves you without electricity for several hours, the utility services will not only promptly fix the breakdowns, but will also pay you compensation for the inconvenience caused.

4. Dream schools

5. Pay for purchases in bottles

In many Norwegian stores you can see machines for accepting plastic, glass bottles and aluminum cans. In exchange for the container, they will give you a receipt with the amount for the returned bottles, which you can use instead of money to pay at the store checkout.

In Norway, there is so much snow in winter that small wooden houses can easily disappear under its thickness. However, the Norwegians collect all this snow and store it in huge hangars all summer, so that in October they can use it to create ski slopes when the weather is still warm, but everyone really wants to ride.

7. Sunbathing the Norwegian way

Since the ski season begins in October and lasts almost until May, sometimes in warm weather you can see hot Norwegians combining their favorite sport with sunbathing.

8. Subdue the sun

The sun is in northern Norway, especially in winter period, is a rare pleasure, and in some settlements, due to the specifics of the landscape, it may not appear at all. So, from September to March, the town of Rjukan is in the shadow of the surrounding mountains, completely covering it from the sun. To illuminate the city in 2013, 3 giant mirrors worth NOK 5 million were installed on the mountain ridge, reflecting sunlight onto the central square.

9. Clean Energy

If you're in Norway, pay attention to bus stops. They can be very comfortably furnished. But tourists are more amazed not by the decoration, but by the fact that no one takes all this decor home. In addition, no one will steal your phone if you accidentally leave it on a bench in front of a store in a small Norwegian town, as the author of the article learned from his own experience. In small towns it is not customary to lock cars, and guests can safely put the keys to the house in the mailbox without worrying that someone else will take them.

11. Everything is built on trust

Norwegians are so confident in each other’s decency that in small villages you can see the following picture: next to the farm there may be a “self-service” table with potatoes packaged in bags and a sign with the price. And next to it there will be a box for paying for purchases - and no seller or hidden cameras. None of the locals would even think that food or money could be stolen.

12. Norwegians love to party

To see the world's largest bonfire, you can visit the Norwegian city of Ålesund, where it takes several days to build a 40-meter tower from wooden pallets, which is then burned. In this original way, Norwegians celebrate midsummer (June 24).

Photo : Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Greatest singles skater XX century. Her main achievement was winning gold medals at 3 Olympics (1928, 1932, 1936). So far, none of the single skaters have been able to even repeat this result.

Innovative athlete: contributed to figure skating elements of choreography, being inspired by the ballet of Anna Pavlova. She had the highest level of skating technique. It seems to me that her double axel in those distant years was equivalent to a modern men's 4-revolution jump. It goes without saying that she was a multiple world and European champion.

Gifted people often manifest their talent in other areas of their activity. Leaving amateur sport, Sonya Henie got into the “ice business” - she was the frontwoman in a skating revue. She gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood star, starring in several films. The “crown” of them can be considered the cheerful film “Sun Valley Serenade”.

Being an exceptionally strong-willed person, Sonya Henie was able to overcome alcoholic depression caused by financial troubles. At the end of her life, she (together with her husband) bequeathed to the city of Oslo the Art Center they had built. Art exhibits from their collection are kept there.

For the first time in 50 years, Norway took part in the program figure skating at the Olympics in Sochi. The honor of the country was defended by the sweet and charming Anne-Line Jersem. I followed her performance, which Irina Slutskaya commented on with great warmth. Having made it to the finals, Anne-Line did not finish very well high place in the fight against highly technical contenders. But trouble has begun. And most importantly: Sonya Henie’s business and passion for sports will live on!

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Photo : Tor Atle Kleven, Wikimedia Commons, License CC 2.0

We say “Björndalen” - we mean biathlon! If you list the awards and titles of an athlete, the PC keyboard will get tired. Therefore, I will only say that “The Great and Terrible” (one of the Norwegian’s nicknames received from his rivals) has only 13 Olympic medals, of which 8 are gold!!!

Ole Einar was born on January 27, 1974 in the wonderful town of Drammen, where, by the way, the main office of the Norwegian Biathlon Federation is located.

Since childhood, participating in various sports, the young man discovered his natural endurance and perseverance, which determined his choice. Already in 1998, our hero won the first gold medal at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan. And in the American Salt Lake City (2002), the athlete stunned everyone with an outstanding result - he became the absolute Olympic champion in biathlon, winning (precisely winning, not winning) 4 gold medals out of 4 possible.

In the future there was a long, difficult and beautiful path with its victories. The champion was helped by a real Nordic character. Björndalen performed very convincingly (even without taking into account his 40-year-old age) at the Olympics in Sochi, and he was entrusted with carrying the flag of his country at the closing of the competition. According to sports journalists, the Norwegian biathlete was the best male athlete at these Olympic Games. Almost immediately, he “made a request” to the sports community about his desire to “drive and shoot” at the World Championships in Oslo (2016).

What else do I know about him? A person with “iron” principles, who knows how to achieve a goal and has an analytical mind. He does not hesitate to study the “know-how” of his rivals and, if possible, tries to train with them, adopting their experience.

Ole Einar has a small weakness. He is a big fan of car rides, the models of which he changes every year. This extraordinary biathlete is extremely modest and is not a fan of social gatherings or annoying journalists. If he is reproached for this, he replies: “I don’t care what they say about me.” This is Björndalen, an outstanding athlete of the fjord country. He, like the North Star, shines on the biathlon horizon.

Magnus Carlsen

Photo : Autopilot, Wikimedia Commons, License CC 3.0

At the age of 22, he became the next world chess champion, having been achieving this title since the age of five.

Before his triumph, the Norwegian prodigy took master classes with G. Kasparov in 2009. In 2012, the student surpassed the teacher in the FIDE rating - ELO.

The final World Cup tournament took place in November 2013 (India). His native walls did not help V. Anand defend his title. The challenger from Norway defeated the Indian, ending the competition ahead of schedule.

Now Magnus Carlsen has 2872 points - the highest achievement, respectively, 1st place in the ranking; V. Anand has 2773 points - 8th place. According to many grandmasters, the technical level of the Norwegian chess player is one of the highest. The young world champion's playing style is reminiscent of Bobby Fischer, perhaps the best chess player XX century. Magnus can beat his opponent using his steely nerves and pressure.

What is he like outside of chess? A strong guy, he doesn’t mind warming up with football, playing tennis or basketball. Nothing human is alien to him. He works in a Dutch company as a model, in the same place where Liv Tyler “works part-time.”

Fun fact: the well-known Bill Gates was checkmated on the 9th move by world champion Magnus Carlsen. From the very beginning of the game, Magnus aggressively, in the best sense of the word, attacked B. Gates' positions and achieved quick success. This small blitz tournament took place on the TV channel NRK

What's next? V. Anand, who won the Candidates Tournament in March 2014 (Khanty-Mansiysk), will play a rematch for the world championship with Magnus Carlsen in November of this year and, possibly, in the same Khanty-Mansiysk. I wish success to the chess king of Norway!

Norway can be proud of many of its compatriots who have done and are doing everything possible and impossible to be worthy of their beautiful homeland.

Norway is famous for its numerous travelers. The most famous of them, who made the greatest contribution to geographical and other sciences, are Eric the Red, Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Thor Heyerdahl and others.

Eric the Red (950-1003) - navigator and discoverer who founded the first settlement in Greenland. He received the nickname “redhead” for the color of his hair and beard. Father of Leif and Thorvald Eriksson, discoverers of America.

Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) - polar explorer, zoologist, founder of the new science of physical oceanography, politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 1922.

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) - polar traveler and explorer. First man to reach the South Pole (December 14, 1911). The first explorer to make a sea crossing through both the North-Eastern (along the coast of Siberia) and the North-Western sea route (along the straits of the Canadian archipelago). He died in 1928 during the search for the expedition of Umberto Nobile.

Bjornstjerne Bjornson (1832-1910). Poet and politician. Author of Norwegian national anthem and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1903).

Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). His sculptures are expressive and monumental. In 1924, the city of Oslo commissioned the artist to design a park with an area of ​​32 hectares. Now there are 650 sculptures there to the delight of lovers of beauty, and the park itself has become a landmark of the capital.

Knut Hamsun (1859-1952). Norwegian writer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1920). In his works he created a hymn to untouched nature and patriarchal life, and tirelessly castigated capitalism. He was convicted of collaborating with the Germans during World War II.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). Romantic composer, pianist and conductor. The author of classical music, who has developed his own style, which is marked by melancholy and the charm of folk melodies. He embodied in music all the magic of Ibsen's famous play "Peer Gynt".

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906). Poet and playwright. Misunderstood in his native country, he settled in his youth first in Italy and then in Germany. Having set himself the majestic goal of showing a new path of development for his people, he weaves social and political theories, as well as philosophical reflections, into his plays. The most famous plays are "Peer Gynt", "Nora", "Hedda Gabler".

Edvard Munch (1863-1944). The most famous Norwegian painter and graphic artist. He stood at the origins of expressionism. His paintings are considered to be among the most expensive works of art of the 20th century. Creativity is marked by melancholy, loneliness, jealousy and obsession with death. The most famous works are "The Scream" and "Madonna".

Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930). Naturalist, traveler and politician. He became famous for two travels unprecedented for his time. In 1888, he was the first to cross Greenland on skis with five companions. Then in 1893-1896. drifted in the high Arctic latitudes on the ship "Fram" and from 83 ° 24 "N latitude made a daring attempt, together with a companion, to reach the North Pole on skis and sleighs (1895-1896). His contribution to the development of world oceanography was enormous. After During the First World War, Nansen played a significant role in organizing humanitarian aid, including for the famine-stricken in Russia. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1922).

Sondra Norheim. Born in the Telemark region. Considered the ancestor skiing. Invented the principle of rigid fastening (c. 1870) and much more, which made all subsequent achievements in this sport possible.

Liv Ullman (b. 1938). Actress. She made her debut in the film "Anne Frank" (1957). She repeatedly played leading roles in films by Ingmar Bergman, whose wife she was (Persona, A Married Life, Autumn Sonata). She wrote a magnificent autobiographical novel, “Becoming.” IN Lately She herself shot, already as a director, two films: “Sophie” (1992) and “Christine, daughter of Lavrans” (1994) based on the book by Sigrid Undset.

Sigrid Undset (1882-1949). Writer, Nobel Prize winner in literature (1928). The most famous book is the trilogy "Christine, daughter of Lavrans". All her life she took an irreconcilable position in relation to the feminist movement, which she considered decadent.

Thor Heyerdahl (1915-2002). Ethnographer and zoologist, known for his scientific expeditions on the Kon-Tiki raft and the papyrus ship Ra. He described his travels in popular books.

Sonya Henie. An outstanding figure skater who won 10 world championships and three Olympic gold medals. A Hollywood star who invented a new type of show - ice ballet. Built a large one on the outskirts of Oslo Cultural Center with a museum. Russians remember her from the film “Sun Valley Serenade.”

1. Edvard Grieg, composer. June 15, 1843 - September 4, 1907.
The only great composer who was Norwegian. He composed a huge number of works from which it is difficult to single out just one. He actively participated in political life, being a symbol of the Norwegians in the struggle for independence from Sweden. Once he gave one critic a heart attack (and rightly so for these critics!) =)) And he also put the king’s order in... how can I put it mildly... “in the back pocket of his tailcoat,” which is why gossip began to swirl that he stuck the order in... And the king himself, learning about this, was furious. =)

2. Edvard Munch, artist. December 12, 1863 - January 23, 1944.
He worked in the style of expressionism. Unlike Grieg, it is easy to single out a pearl from his works - this is, naturally, the world-famous painting "The Scream". After the theft of this painting by robbers in 2002, who were soon caught, an irremovable stain remained on the painting, which scientists hope to remove in the future when appropriate technologies are invented.

3. Fridtjof Nansen, traveler and explorer, scientist, politician. October 10, 1861 - May 13, 1930.
He is famous for his crossing of Greenland, which was so harsh that the idea of ​​eating ski wax arose, and for drifting in the ice of the Arctic Ocean, during which he ate Knorr concentrates and Cadbury chocolate (yes, yes, those same ones). =) ) He proved that there are powerful currents in this ocean, and founded the science of physical oceanography. He traveled extensively throughout Russia and, with the rank of High Commissioner of the League of Nations, was involved in the repatriation of prisoners of war from Russia. On behalf of the Red Cross, he saved the starving people of the Volga region. He was ambassador to Great Britain and the USA. Nobel Prize winner. After his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

4. Roald Amundsen, traveler and explorer. July 16, 1872 - June 18, 1928.
The first person to visit the South Pole and the first person to visit both poles of the Earth. With great joy, I left the medical faculty of the university without studying there. After a trip to Alaska, he looked 59-75 years old, although he was only 33. He ate his dogs during the expedition, for which animal rights activists did not like him. Died in the Barents Sea during rescue operation. Said about the poles:
“Oh, if you ever had a chance to see with your own eyes how wonderful it is there, I would like to die there.”

5. Henrik Ibsen, playwright. March 20, 1828 - May 23, 1906.
He often accompanied Grieg in his views on Norwegian independence. He began his career as a poet and writer and ended as a playwright. In Russia, his plays are almost as popular as in his homeland, Norway. The most famous in our country is “A Doll’s House,” in which Ibsen denounces philistinism.

6. Niels Henrik Abel, mathematician. August 5, 1802 - April 6, 1829.
Unfortunately, such a short life did not allow man to reveal his full potential, but even in his 26 years he left a very large legacy to science. The gifted young man spent his entire life in poverty and could not even afford to get married. Nowadays in Norway, mathematicians are awarded the Abel Prize, an analogue of the Nobel Prize, which, as is known, is not given to mathematicians.

7. Gustav Vigeland, sculptor. April 11, 1869 - March 12, 1943.
One of the representatives of the “golden age” of Norwegian culture, along with Ibson, Munch, Grieg. He studied in Rodin's workshop and admired the Renaissance. Interesting fact: The city authorities ordered his house to be demolished. After much wrangling, they agreed to give him another one in return, but on the condition that all subsequent works he created would belong to the state.

8. Thor Heyerdahl, traveler and scientist. October 6, 1914 - April 18, 2002.
He is known for overcoming water barriers on papyrus boats and trying to find evidence of the maritime communication of ancient countries and the origin of people on them. I was also involved in “land” archeology, having studied many mysterious places on the ground. Official science refuted him, but, nevertheless, he raised interest in archeology in broad masses. He took an active position in life, speaking out against the conflicts occurring in the world. Despite his seafaring merits, he was afraid of water. Named the most popular Norwegian of the 20th century.

9. Queen Maud (Maud Charlotte Maria Victoria) November 26, 1869 - November 20, 1938.
She is English by nationality, but her name is strongly associated with Norway. Daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark. Cousin of Nicholas II. Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. As a child, she was a very broken girl - a “tomboy”, which is why she was given a nickname in the form male name Harry. She married her cousin Charles, who became the first king of Norway. The whole world is now known for the fact that a vast land area in Antarctica is named after her - Queen Maud Land, which in area is approximately equal to 1.5 Iran, 4 France or 7 Norway. This Land is famous for the fact that in 1938 a Nazi expedition landed there and organized the German colony “New Swabia”, where, according to rumors, thousands of concentration camp prisoners, as well as leading scientists, were transported. After the construction of a secret laboratory and an underground bunker, experiments were conducted there to create new weapons.
It was there that they allegedly developed aircrafts shaped like a UFO. They said that Hitler and some of his associates had taken refuge in New Swabia. The Americans sent their fleet there, but everything was shrouded in such a veil of secrecy that various rumors arose: some said that the fleet had been destroyed, others that the Americans had entered into some kind of alliance with the colony. Until now, in the region of New Swabia, satellites have been recording strange, difficult-to-explain phenomena.