Who were they, the famous lovers? Heroes of the bright literary works, or real people? Now it doesn’t matter at all! For they strive to be like them, their names are taken as pseudonyms, and, following their example, they perform genuine actions. Ten immortal stories about love - only on the eve of the most romantic holiday in the world!

THE STORY OF ROMEO AND JULIET

This couple, with the light hand of William Shakespeare, simply became synonymous with the word “love”. Even though they true story incredibly tragic. Two loving teenagers managed to find the strength to oppose their feelings to the world, society, and mortally hostile relatives. Little Verona became the backdrop for an epoch-making event. In its very center, in the fertile soil of two young hearts, a small seed of love at first sight was thrown. Soon it sprouted and turned into a beautiful flower of passionate feeling. And for the sake of such incredible love I just had to die! The only regrettable thing is that death in this case was not a pathetic promise, but a tragic reality. However, the love and death of young Romeo and Juliet was able to melt the hearts of warring relatives and reconcile them. Perhaps it is precisely thanks to such an incredibly tragic ending that Shakespeare’s plot leaves a deep mark on the hearts and souls of many generations!

THE STORY OF CLEOPATRA AND MARC ANTONY

The intriguing love story of Antony and Cleopatra is still heard today. They fell in love at first sight, and became victims of tragic circumstances. Their relationship created a powerful foundation for Egypt's statehood and economy. And it was this fact that became the cause of unrest in the great and powerful power called Rome. Despite all the threats and prohibitions, Cleopatra and Mark Antony got married. Their wedding was the beginning great war between Rome and Egypt. In the midst of one of the great battles, Antony was brought false news that Cleopatra had died. The glorious warrior, accustomed to always defeating even the most powerful enemy, could not survive the news of the death of his beloved. Heartbroken, he fell on his own sword. When Cleopatra learned of the death of Mark Antony, she also committed suicide. Truly, great love requires very great sacrifices.

THE STORY OF LANCELOT AND GUINEVE

This time, a tragic love story took place in good old England, between one of the bravest knights of the Round Table of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and the king’s wife, Queen Guinevere. It so happened that the marriage of Arthur and Guinevere was only a mutually beneficial contract for their families. But you can’t tell your heart! And it was her heart that once brought the noble knight, Sir Lancelot, to her window. At first he called her his Lady of the Heart and dedicated his victories in knightly tournaments and real battles to her. Guinevere accepted all romantic attentions, but nevertheless, tried to keep Lancelot at a distance. But soon her heart could not resist and a deep feeling flared up in it. Lancelot and Guinevere began to meet secretly. One of these dates became a trap for them. Lancelot managed to escape, and Guinevere was sentenced to be burned at the stake for adultery. However, Lancelot did not leave his beloved. He saved her, pulled her right out of the “paws” of the fire. The further history of the lovers is not known for certain. But they say that Guinevere became a nun in one of the remote monasteries of England, and Lancelot wandered around the world for the rest of his life.

THE HISTORY OF TRISTAN AND IZOLDA

Another, no less tragic story about great love with English roots. Middle Ages. England. The reign of King Arthur. Isolde was the daughter of the ruler of Ireland, and she was soon to be married to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his nephew Tristan to Ireland to accompany Isolde to Cornwall. But it so happened that during the trip the young people fell in love with each other. Although, following a duty of honor, she did marry Mark. Soon the king learned about the feelings of his nephew and wife. A scandal broke out. Having pulled himself together, Mark forgave Isolde, and drove Tristan out of Cornwall forever.

THE HISTORY OF PARIS AND HELENA

Homer's Iliad made these two lovers famous throughout the world. However, many scientists consider the existence of Helen the Beautiful to be more of a fiction, a beautiful ancient Greek legend, than a real fact. Nevertheless, the story of great love, which became the beginning of the Trojan War, continues to inspire romantics, writers and directors to create new magnificent masterpieces of art.

Helen was the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. Paris is the son of the Trojan king Priam. A young man once saw Elena, a woman unearthly beauty, fell in love. Burned by feeling from within, he kidnapped the Spartan queen and brought her home to Troy. Menelaus did not forgive such humiliation and betrayal, gathered a huge army and destroyed Troy to the ground. Helen was returned to Sparta. Menelaus, who sincerely loved her, forgave the traitor. The fate of Paris is not known for certain.

THE STORY OF ODYSSEY AND PENELOPE

Odysseus and Penelope are an example of rare sacrifice in the name of love and the ability to wait. Immediately after the wedding, Odysseus was forced to leave his young wife and go to war. Penelope waited for his return for twenty long years. During this time, she rejected the proposals of 108 men who sought to replace her husband. Odysseus also remained faithful and chaste along the way. One day he met a beautiful witch who offered him eternal youth in exchange for his love for her. Refusing such an offer, Odysseus underwent many trials and wanderings. But after 20 years, he finally returned home to Penelope and his son.

THE LOVE STORY OF SCARLETT OHARA AND RHETT BUTLER

“Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell is one of the few truly immortal literary works about love. All generations read it. At the same time, girls strive to be like the explosive and passionate Scarlett. The girls are looking for their Butlers among the crowds of fans. They are looking for it because the love of the main characters was great, stormy, passionate. She was born in the midst of the Civil War and was like a daily civil war that brought so much pain, loss, suffering and disappointment to both of them.

THE LOVE STORY OF SALEEM AND ANARKALI

The son of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, Salim, fell in love with the beautiful courtesan Anarkali. But the emperor could not forgive his heir for his love for a fallen woman; he considered it a disgrace for himself and for the state. A real war began between father and son. Salim was defeated in a battle with the powerful army of the emperor and was sentenced to death. On the day of the execution, Anarkali appeared in the square, threw herself at the emperor’s feet and said that she was ready to die if only Salim would live. Akbar accepted such a sacrifice. In front of her lover's eyes, the girl was walled up alive in a brick wall.

THE LOVE STORY OF POCAHONTAS AND JOHN SMITH

This love story is a famous legend from American history. Pocahontas was the daughter of an Indian chief of the Algonquin Indian tribe. In May 1607, the girl saw the English for the first time. And among them is John Smith, who seemed very attractive to her. However, Pocahontes and Smith met in the midst of a war between ethnic tribes and conquerors. The Indians subjected the British prisoners to terrible torture. Pocahontas saved John, and a romance began between them. Because of her love, the girl converted to Christianity. She was baptized with the name Rebecca.

THE STORY OF QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT

A love story of crowned heads. Victoria was a lively, cheerful girl, in love with painting and the world around us. She ascended to the English throne in 1837, after the death of her uncle, King William IV. In 1840 she married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. At first, Victoria's choice was not approved by the people. But then Albert earned the deep trust and respect of people with his honesty, hard work and devotion to his family. Albert and Victoria had nine children. Queen in all government affairs I listened to my husband's opinion. When Albert died (1861), Victoria observed strict mourning and did not appear in public for three years. Three years later, back to performing government duties, she continued to mourn for her beloved husband. She didn’t take off black for 40 years, until her death. Dikmi: All the famous lovers of the world were different. Just as different were their ways of life, meetings, happiness and tragedy. But we have a lot to learn from them. Learn loyalty, devotion, courage and sacrifice. However, our time also raises its heroes. And who knows, maybe in 100 years, we will be describing your Love on the pages of publications! And we will admire actions for the glory of her name and devotion in her honor! And let the wise thoughts of famous connoisseurs of true feelings inspire you to great deeds!

Love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous. Love is not boastful and vain, rude and selfish, it does not take offense and does not offend!

Mark Antony (83 - 30 BC) and Cleopatra (63 - 30 BC)

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra became famous as a skilled seductress. Even the great Julius Caesar became a victim of her spell, taking Cleopatra’s side in her conflict with her brother and returning the throne to her. But the most famous story is her relationship with the Roman commander Mark Antony. For the sake of the beautiful Egyptian queen Anthony left his wife and quarreled with Emperor Octavian Augustus. Antony and Cleopatra stood together against Augustus, challenging his right to rule over Rome after the death of Caesar, but lost. After the defeat, Antony threw himself on the sword, and Cleopatra committed suicide 12 days later. According to one legend, she put it to her breast poisonous snake, according to another, she lowered her hand into a basket with a snake.

Mark Antony Cleopatra

Pierre Abelard (1079 - 1142) and Heloise (about 1100 - 1163)

Tragic story The love of the famous medieval philosopher Pierre Abelard and a girl named Heloise has survived to this day thanks to Abelard’s autobiography “The History of My Disasters,” as well as the works of numerous poets and writers. 40-year-old Abelard took his young lover from the house of her uncle, Canon Fulbert, to Brittany. There, Eloise gave birth to a son, and the couple got married in secret. However, the girl did not want to interfere with her husband’s academic career, because the rules of that time required that the scientist not be married. She went to live in a Benedictine monastery. Fulbert blamed Abelard for this and, with the help of servants, castrated him, thereby forever closing his path to high positions. Soon Abelard entered the monastery, and after him Heloise took monastic vows. Until the end of my life ex-spouses corresponded, and after death they were buried nearby in the Parisian cemetery of Père Lachaise.

Pierre Abelard Heloise

Henry II (1519 - 1559) and Diana de Poitiers (1499 - 1566)

Diane de Poitiers, the official mistress of the French King Henry II, was 20 years older than her lover. However, this did not prevent her from maintaining her influence on the king throughout his life. In fact, the beautiful Diana was the rightful ruler of France, and a real queen and the wife of Henry II, Catherine de Medici, was in the background. It is believed that even in old age, Diana de Poitiers amazed with her extraordinary freshness, beauty and lively mind. Even in her sixth decade, she remained the first lady in the heart of the king, who wore her colors and generously bestowed her with titles and privileges. In 1559, Henry II was wounded at a tournament and soon died from his wounds, and Diana de Poitiers left the court, leaving all her jewelry to the dowager queen. The former ruler of France spent the last years of her life in her own castle.

Diane de Poitiers Henry II

Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805) and Lady Emma Hamilton (1761 or 1765 - 1815)

Englishwoman Emma Hamilton went from a saleswoman to the wife of the British ambassador in Naples. There, in Naples, she met the famous Admiral Nelson and became his mistress. This affair lasted 7 years, from 1798 to 1805. Newspapers wrote about the admiral’s scandalous affair with another man’s wife, but public censure did not change Nelson’s feelings for Lady Hamilton. In 1801 their daughter, Horatia, was born. On October 21, 1805, Admiral Nelson was mortally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar. After his death, Emma found herself in a difficult position: although Nelson asked the government to take care of her in the event of his death, about his mistress national hero completely forgotten. Lady Hamilton spent the rest of her life in poverty.

Admiral Horatio Nelson Lady Emma Hamilton

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier in the film Lady Hamilton. 1941

Alexander Kolchak (1886-1920) and Anna Timireva (1893-1975))

Anna and Alexander met in 1915 in Helsingfors. Anna was 22, Kolchak was 41.

There are five years between their first meeting and the last. Most of this time they lived separately, each with their own family. We haven't seen each other for months and even years. Finally deciding to unite with Kolchak. In August 1918, by decree of the Vladivostok Consistory, she was officially divorced from her husband and after that considered herself Kolchak’s wife. They stayed together from the summer of 1918 to January 1920. At that time, Kolchak headed armed struggle with Bolshevism, was the supreme ruler. Until the very end, they addressed each other as “you” and by their first and patronymic names.

In the surviving letters - there are only 53 of them - only once does she break out - “Sasha”: “It’s very bad, Sashenka, my dear, Lord, when you first return, I’m cold, sad and so lonely without you.”
Loving the admiral endlessly, Timireva herself went under arrest in January 1920. “I was arrested on Admiral Kolchak’s train and with him. I was 26 years old then, I loved him, and was close to him, and could not leave him in recent years his life. That, in essence, is all,” Anna Vasilievna wrote in her applications for rehabilitation.

A few hours before the execution, Kolchak wrote a note to Anna Vasilievna, which never reached her: “My dear dove, I received your note, thank you for your affection and concern for me... don’t worry about me. I feel better, my colds are going away. I think that transfer to another cell is impossible. I think only about you and your fate... I don’t worry about myself - everything is known in advance. My every move is being watched, and it is very difficult for me to write... ish me. Your notes are the only joy I can have. I pray for you and bow to your sacrifice. My dear, my beloved, don’t worry about me and take care of yourself... oh goodbye, I kiss your hands.”

After his execution in 1920, she lived for another half a century, spending a total of about thirty years in prisons, camps and exile. In the intervals between arrests, she worked as a librarian, archivist, painter, theater prop maker, and draftsman. Rehabilitated in March 1960. She died in 1975.

Alexander Kolchak Anna Timireva

Incredible facts

Do you believe in true love? What about love at first sight? Do you believe that love can last forever? Perhaps the love stories below will help you strengthen your faith in this feeling or renew your faith in it. These are the most famous love stories, they are immortal.

1. Romeo and Juliet

These are probably the most famous lovers in the whole world. This couple has become synonymous with love itself. "Romeo and Juliet" is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The story of two teenagers from two warring families who fall in love at first sight, then get married, and later risk everything for their love. Willingness to give your life for your husband or wife is a sign of real feeling. Their premature departure brought the feuding families together.

2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony

The true love story of Mark Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most memorable and intriguing. The story of these two historical characters was subsequently recreated on the pages of William Shakespeare's work, and filmed by famous directors more than once. The relationship between Mark Antony and Cleopatra is a true test of love. They fell in love at first sight.

The relationship between these two powerful men put Egypt in a very advantageous position. But their romance extremely outraged the Romans, who feared that as a result of it the influence of the Egyptians would significantly increase. Despite all the threats, Mark Antony and Cleopatra got married. It is said that while in battle against the Romans, Mark received false news of Cleopatra's death. Feeling empty, he committed suicide. When Cleopatra learned of Antony's death, she was shocked and then also committed suicide. Great love requires great sacrifices.

3. Lancelot and Guinevere

The tragic love story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is probably one of the most famous of the Arthurian legends. Lancelot falls in love with Queen Guinevere, wife of King Arthur. Their love grew very slowly, since Guinevere did not let Lancelot close to her. In the end, however, passion and love overcame her, and they became lovers. One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur's nephew, who led a group of 12 knights, burst into the queen's room, where they found the lovers. Taken by surprise, they tried to escape, however, only Lancelot succeeded. The queen was captured and sentenced to death for adultery. However, a few days later Lancelot returned to save his beloved. This whole sad story divided the Knights of the Round Table into two groups, thereby weakening Arthur's kingdom significantly. As a result, poor Lancelot ended his days as a humble hermit, and Guinevere became a nun, and remained so for the rest of her life.

4. Tristan and Isolde

The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde has been retold and rewritten numerous times. The action took place in the Middle Ages during the reign of King Arthur. Isolde was the daughter of the King of Ireland, and had just become engaged to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his nephew Tristan to Ireland to escort his bride Isolde to Cornwall. During the journey, Tristan and Isolde fall in love with each other. Isolde still marries Mark, but the love affair continues after her marriage. When Mark finally learned of the betrayal, he forgave Isolde, but exiled Tristan from Cornwall forever.

Tristan went to Brittany. There he met Isolde of Brittany. He was drawn to her because she looked like his true love. He married her, but the marriage did not turn out to be genuine because of his true love to another woman. After he fell ill, he sent for his beloved in the hope that she would come and be able to cure him. There was an agreement with the captain of the ship he sent that if she agreed to come, then the sails of the ship upon return would be white, if not, then black. Tristan's wife, seeing the white sails, told him that the sails were black. He died of grief before his love could reach him, and soon after Isolde also died of a broken heart.

5. Paris and Helen

Told in Homer's Iliad, the story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan War is a Greek heroic legend that is half fiction. Helen of Troy is considered one of the most beautiful women in all literature. She married Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, fell in love with Helen and kidnapped her, taking her to Troy. The Greeks gathered a huge army led by Menelaus' brother, Agamemnon, to bring Helen back. Troy was destroyed, Helen returned safely to Sparta, where she lived happily with Menelaus throughout her life.

6. Orpheus and Eurydice

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is an ancient Greek myth about desperate love. Orpheus fell very much in love and married Eurydice, a beautiful nymph. They loved each other very much and were happy. Aristeas, greek god land and agriculture, became interested in Eurydice and actively pursued her. Fleeing from Aristeas, Eurydice fell into a nest of snakes, one of which fatally bit her on the leg. The distraught Orpheus played such sad music and sang so sadly that all the nymphs and gods cried. On their advice, he went to the underworld, and his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person, who dared to take such a step), who agreed to the return of Eurydice to the earth, but on one condition: upon reaching the earth, Orpheus should not look back and look at her. Being extremely alarmed, the lover did not fulfill the conditions, turned around to look at Eurydice, and she disappeared a second time, now forever.

7. Napoleon and Josephine

Having married her for convenience at the age of 26, Napoleon clearly knew who he was taking as his wife. Josephine was older than him, a rich and prominent woman. However, over time, he fell deeply in love with her, and she with him, however, this did not stop both of them from cheating. But mutual respect kept them together, the passion that burned everything in its path did not fade away and was genuine. However, in the end they parted because Josephine could not give him what he wanted so much - an heir. Unfortunately, their paths diverged, however, throughout their lives they kept love and passion for each other in their hearts.

8. Odysseus and Penelope

Few couples understand the essence of sacrifice in a relationship, however, this Greek couple understood it best. After they were separated, 20 long years passed before their reunion. Shortly after marrying Penelope, war required that Odysseus leave his new wife. Although she had little hope of his return, Penelope still resisted the 108 suitors who sought to replace her husband. Odysseus also loved his wife very much and refused the sorceress who offered him eternal love and eternal youth. Thus, he was able to return home to his wife and son. So believe Homer, who said that true love worth the wait.

9. Paolo and Francesca

Paolo and Francesca are the heroes of Dante's famous masterpiece "The Divine Comedy". This true story: Francesca was married to terrible person Gianciotto Malatesta. However, his brother, Paolo, was the complete opposite, Francesca fell in love with him and they became lovers. The love between them became even stronger when (according to Dante) they read the story of Lancelot and Guinevere together. When their affair was discovered, Francesca's husband killed them both.

10. Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler

"Gone with the Wind" is one of the immortal literary works. Margaret Mitchell's famous creation is permeated with love and hate in the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett Butler. Proving that timing is everything, Scarlett and Rhett never seemed to stop "fighting" each other. Throughout this epic story, this violent fickle passion and their stormy marriage took place against the backdrop of events civil war. Flirty, fickle and constantly pursued by fans, Scarlett cannot decide among the numerous contenders for her attention. When she finally decides to settle on Rhett, her fickle nature pushes him away from her. Hope finally dies when their romance is never rekindled, and Scarlett says at the end: “Tomorrow is a new day.”

11. Jane Eyre and Rochester

In Charlotte Brontë's famous novel, loneliness is cured by being alone and having each other's company. Jane is an orphan who takes a job as a governess in the house of the very rich Edward Rochester. The couple quickly became close, as Rochester had a rough appearance turned out to be a tender heart. However, he does not reveal his penchant for polygamy, and on their wedding day Jane discovers that he is already married. Heartbroken, Jane flees, but then returns after a fire destroys Rochester's home, killing his wife and leaving him blind. Love triumphs, lovers are reunited and live out their days in each other's company.

12. Leili and Majnun

Renowned classic of Persian poetry and one of the most famous poets of the medieval East, who complemented Persian epic poetry colloquial speech and realistic style, Nizami of Ganja became famous after he wrote his romantic poem “Leyli and Majnun”. Inspired by an Arabian legend, Layli and Majnun is a tragic tale of unattainable love. For many centuries it was told and retold, and the main characters were depicted on ceramics and written about in manuscripts. Leili and Kays fell in love while studying at school. Having noticed their love, they were forbidden to communicate and see each other. Qais then decides to go into the desert to live among animals. He often goes undernourished and becomes very emaciated. Due to his eccentric behavior, he becomes known as Majnun (madman). In the desert, he meets an elderly Bedouin who promises him to win back his Leili.

The plan fails, and Leili's father continues to refuse to let the lovers be together because of Majnun's insane behavior. Soon he marries her to someone else. After the death of Leili's husband, the old Bedouin facilitates her meeting with Majnun, however, they were never able to completely get on the same page and understand each other. After death they were buried next to each other. The story is often interpreted as an allegory of the soul's desire to connect with the divine.

13. Heloise and Abelard

This is the story of a monk and a nun whose love letters become world famous. Around 1100, Pierre Abelard went to Paris to study at Notre Dame School. There he gained a reputation as an outstanding philosopher. Fulbert, high-ranking official, hired Abelard as a tutor for his niece Heloise. Abelard and Heloise fell in love, conceived a child, and married secretly. However, Fulbert was furious, so Abelard hid Heloise in a safe place in the monastery. Believing that Abelard had decided to abandon Heloise, Fulbert had him castrated while he slept. Heartbroken, Eloise became a nun. Despite all the troubles and adversities, the couple continued to love each other. Their passionate love letters were published.

14. Pyramus and Thisbe

Very touching love story, which will not leave anyone indifferent who reads it. Their love was selfless, and they were sure that even in death they would be together. Pyramus was a very handsome man and from childhood he was friends with Thisbe, a beautiful maiden from Babylonia. They lived in neighboring houses and fell in love with each other as they grew older. However, their parents were strongly against their marriage. One night, just before dawn, while everyone was sleeping, they decided to sneak out of the house and meet in a nearby field near a mulberry tree. Thisbe came first. While she was waiting under the tree, she saw a lion approaching the spring located near the tree to quench his thirst, his jaw covered in blood.

Seeing this terrifying sight, Thisbe rushed to run to hide in the depths of the forest from the lion, but on the way she dropped her scarf. The lion followed her and came across a handkerchief, which he decided to taste. At this time, Pyramus approached the place, and seeing a lion with bloody jaws and with the scarf of his beloved, he lost the meaning of life. At that moment he stabs himself with his own sword. Unaware of what had just happened, Thisbe continued to hide. After some time, she came out of hiding and discovered what Pyramus had done to himself. Realizing that she has nothing to live for, she takes her lover’s sword and also kills herself.

15. Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy

In fact, Jane Austen embodied two attributes of human nature, pride and prejudice, in her heroes Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy belongs to high society, he is a typical educated representative of the aristocracy. On the other hand, Elizabeth is the second daughter of a gentleman of very limited means. Mr. Bennett is the father of five daughters who received the right to grow up the way they want, who did not receive school education and were not raised by a governess.

Elizabeth's very indulgent mother and irresponsible father never thought about the future of their daughters, believing that it was self-evident that they would be fine. “Everything is fine” in the understanding of the girls’ mother meant marrying a rich and prosperous man. For a person like that social status which Mr. Darcy possessed, the shortcomings of Elizabeth's family were very serious, and absolutely unacceptable to his polished and refined mind. He falls in love with Elizabeth, but she turns him down, but later she realizes that she cannot love anyone but Darcy. The story of their unification and the birth of love is very interesting.

16. Salim and Anarkali

Every lover knows the story of Salim and Anarkali. The son of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, Salim, fell in love with an ordinary but very beautiful courtesan Anarkali. He was captivated by her beauty, so it was love at first sight. However, the emperor could not come to terms with the fact that his son fell in love with a courtesan. He began to put pressure on Anarkali, using all sorts of tactics to make her fall in the eyes of the loving prince. When Salim found out about this, he declared war on his father. But he failed to defeat his father’s gigantic army; Salim was defeated, captured and sentenced to death. At this moment, Anarkali intervenes and gives up her love in order to save her beloved from the clutches of death. She was buried alive in a brick wall in front of Salim.

17. Pocahontas and John Smith

This love story is a famous legend in American history. Pocahontas, an Indian princess, was the daughter of Powhatan, who was the leader of the Powhatan Indian tribe, who lived in what is now the state of Virginia. The princess first saw Europeans in May 1607. Among everyone, she paid attention to John Smith, she liked him. However, Smith was captured by members of her tribe and tortured. It was Pocahontas who saved him from being torn to pieces by the Indians; later the tribe accepted him as one of their own. This incident helped Smith and Pocahontas become friends. After this incident, the princess often visited Jamestown, conveying messages from her father.

John Smith, seriously injured after an accidental gunpowder explosion, returned to England. After another visit, she was told that Smith was dead. Some time later, Pocahontas was captured by Sir Samuel Argall, who hoped to use her as a link between him and her father so that the latter would free the English prisoners. During her captivity, she decides to become a Christian and, taking the name Rebecca, is baptized. A year later she married John Rolfe. Having gone to London after a certain time, she and her husband met his old friend John Smith, after 8 long years. This was their last meeting.

18. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

In 1612, teenage girl Arjumand Banu married 15-year-old Shah Jahan, ruler of the Mughal Empire. Then she changed her name to Mumtaz Mahal, bore Shah Jahan 14 children and became his beloved wife. After Mumtaz died in 1629, the grieving emperor decided to create a worthy monument in her honor. It took 20,000 workers, 1,000 elephants and almost 20 years of work to complete the construction of this monument - the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan never completed the construction of a black marble mausoleum for himself. Overthrown by his own son, he was imprisoned in the Red Fort in Agra, where he spent lonely hours looking across the Yamuna River at the monument of his beloved. He was subsequently buried next to her at the Taj Mahal.

19. Marie and Pierre Curie

This is a story about partnership in love and science. Unable to continue her studies in Poland because the universities did not accept women, Marie Skłodowska-Curie came to Paris in 1891 to enroll at the Sorbonne. Marie, as the French began to call her, spent every free minute in the library or laboratory. The hardworking student one day caught the eye of Pierre Curie, the director of one of the laboratories in which Maria worked. Pierre actively courted Maria and proposed to her several times to marry him. Finally, in 1895, they got married and began working together. In 1898, the couple discovered polonium and radium.

Curie and the scientist Henri Becquerel received Nobel Prize in 1903 for the discovery of radioactivity. When Pierre died in 1904, Marie promised herself to continue their work. She took his place at the Sorbonne, becoming the school's first female teacher. In 1911, she became the first person to win a second Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry. She continued to experiment and teach until her death from leukemia in 1934, driven by the memory of the man she loved.

20. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

This is the love story of an English queen who mourned her dead husband for 40 years. Victoria was a lively, cheerful girl who was interested in drawing and painting. She ascended to the English throne in 1837 after the death of her uncle King William IV. In 1840 she married her cousin Prince Albert. Although Prince Albert was initially disliked in some circles for being German, he later came to be admired for his honesty, hard work and devotion to his family. The couple had 9 children, Victoria loved her husband very deeply. She often used his advice in state affairs, especially regarding diplomatic negotiations.

When Albert died in 1861, Victoria was devastated. She did not appear in public for three years. Her prolonged seclusion drew public criticism. There were several attempts on the queen's life. However, under the influence of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Victoria returned to public life, opening the session of Parliament in 1866. However, she never stopped mourning her beloved husband, wearing black robes until her death in 1901. During her reign, which was the longest in English history, Britain has become a world power on which “the sun never sets.”

“What Russian heart does not tremble, does not perk up, listening to Tchaikovsky’s romance “Among the Noisy Ball”?”

Vladimir Stasov.

In the midst of a noisy ball, by chance, In the anxiety of worldly vanity, I saw You, but Your mystery covered my features.

Many people remember these poems by Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817-1875) and the melody of Tchaikovsky’s romance that merges with them. But not everyone knows that behind the poem there are living events: the beginning of extraordinary romantic love.

They first met at a masquerade ball in the winter of 1850-51 in St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater. He accompanied the heir to the throne, the future Tsar Alexander II, there. From childhood, he was chosen as a playmate for the Tsarevich and, secretly burdened by this, regularly bore the burden of being chosen. She appeared at the masquerade because, after breaking up with her husband, Horse Guardsman Miller, she was looking for an opportunity to forget and disperse. For some reason, in the secular crowd, he immediately noticed her. The mask hid her face. But the gray eyes looked intently and sadly. Beautiful ash hair crowned the head. She was slender and graceful, with a very thin waist. Her voice was mesmerizing - a thick contralto.

They did not speak for long: the bustle of the colorful masquerade ball separated them. But she managed to amaze him with the accuracy and wit of her fleeting judgments. She, of course, recognized him. In vain he asked her to open her face, to remove the mask... But he business card she accepted, making a sly promise not to forget him. But what would have happened to him, and to both of them, if she had not come to that ball then? Perhaps it was on that January night in 1851, when he was returning home, that the first lines of this poem formed in his mind: In the midst of a noisy ball, by chance, In the anxiety of worldly bustle, I saw You, but Your mystery covered my features...

This poem will become one of the best in Russian love lyrics. Nothing was invented in it, everything is as it was. It is full of real signs, documentary, like a report. Only this is a “report” that poured out from the poet’s heart and therefore became a lyrical masterpiece. And added another immortal portrait to the gallery of “muses of Russian romances.” The future was hidden from him. He didn’t even know if he would see her again... Soon after that meeting at the masquerade ball, he received an invitation from her. “You won’t escape me this time!” - said Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, entering the living room of Sofia Andreevna Miller.

Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, who combined kindness, tenderness, delicacy and vulnerability of the soul with truly masculine beauty, heroic height and physique and enormous physical strength, was a pure, chaste, straightforward nature. This is how he was in love - a monogamous man who did not bow to his mother’s imperious reluctance to acknowledge this love, who waited twelve years until Sofya Andreevna received a divorce in order to finally unite his life with her forever. In 1878, three years after the death of Alexei Tolstoy, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote music for the poems “Among the Noisy 6al”, music as pure, gentle and chaste as the poems.

Sung by G. Ots, M. Magomaev, Yu. Gulyaev Material used from the page of St. Petersburg singer Sergei Rusanov.

Love is a great feeling that can work miracles: change the world and people, heal heart wounds and inflict new ones, shake society and give peace. Beautiful and unimaginable interesting stories about love can be found not only in film novels and books, but also real life, especially if you pay attention to celebrities. We have selected the most mind-blowing love stories that were talked about on every corner.

This love story is not a scandal, but simply the collapse of all seemingly iron-clad English traditions. The thing is that the chosen one of the representative of the monarchy, Edward, who became the first and only king in the entire long history England, she became an ordinary, not even very attractive, divorced (twice!) American woman. It was because of her that he abdicated the throne.

Their romance began when Mrs. Wallis lived in London with her new husband, successful and wealthy businessman Ernest Simpson. Their first fateful meeting took place in 1930 at a dinner party. At first sight, the woman fell into the heart of the Prince of Wales, and then everyone wondered why, because she was not a beauty. Although it is worth noting her charm and magical charm.

The couple began to have their affair in front of everyone, not even embarrassed by their position (Wallis is behind her husband, and Edward is a representative of the monarchy). They attended social events together, dined in restaurants, and walked the streets. The royal family thought that this was a frivolous, non-long-term hobby for the prince, which would soon fizzle out. But how wrong they were! As soon as Edward took the throne after the death of King George V, the American woman filed for divorce. The couple decided to get married, but then someone intervened royal family, who set a condition for Edward: either the throne or a flighty woman from another country.

The result was the king's most famous speech, in which he abdicated the throne because of love. The couple lived for a very long time. They did everything together: wrote memoirs, traveled, gave interviews. True, they did not have children. Happiness ended in 1972, when Edward died of cancer.

In whose relationship passion was seething, it was between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Their romance of the century lasted a long time, experienced ups and downs.

Their love story can be easily used as the basis of the plot and a beautiful and exciting film can be made. It would have everything: passionate kisses, quarrels and separations, fights and reconciliation, divorce and wedding (even twice). Not only did they star in films together that brought fame and awards, but they also destroyed numbers together while they fought furiously.

Their meeting took place on the set of the film “Cleopatra” in 1962. He was successfully married to actress Wallace Sybil, and she was also not free, she was married to the singer. The passion that flared up on the set overwhelmed Richard and Elizabeth so much that they continued to kiss even after the romantic scene was filmed. They behaved depravedly, without being embarrassed by anyone, they made love wherever they had to. The paparazzi were constantly hunting for them. Even the Vatican officially recognized this relationship as sinful, but the couple continued to meet. They eventually divorced their spouses and got married. Later they separated, but they were constantly drawn to each other.

Yes, the romances of the Golden Age of Hollywood cannot be compared to modern adultery. But there is a couple whose love has passed many tests and is one of the most beautiful.

To the novel by Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones for a long time They were skeptical, saying “he’ll play and quit.” But that was not the case!

The successful actor, who managed to win several Oscars, simply fell in love at first sight with the young aspiring but already famous actress at the premiere of her film “The Mask of Zorro.” Michael, who had been married for 23 years at that time, simply could not allow Katherine to remain in the role of mistress. He sought her as best he could, a little old-fashioned, but selflessly. Five months later, the actress’s fortress fell, and the lovers set off on a trip around the world.