Posted on 11/29/2017 10:02:42 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
every one of them has a minimum of six different names.
A quick start...
How Russian Names Work
Russian names seem to change all the time. Just when you thought you’d gotten used to Ivan Ivanovich, you suddenly run across Vanya Ivanov, who seems to resemble Ivan. He could be the same person.
Here’s a quick and very basic guide to Russian names. Each Russian has three names: a first name, a patronymic, and a last name/surname. For example: Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov. 1. First NamesThe problem with first names in Russian is that people use endless diminutive forms: Ivanbecomes Vanya, Vanyusha, Vanka...Aleksandr becomes Sasha, Sanya, Shurik, Shura, Aleksandrushka...Dmitrii becomes Dima, Mitya, Dimulya...Nataliya becomes Natasha, Nata, Talia, Natulia, Tashenka...Elena becomes Lena, Lenulia, Lenusia...
Even more confusing, some diminutives are used for more than one personal name. One of the most common diminutives, Sasha, could refer to Aleksandr, a man, or Aleksandra, a woman. What is to be done? I don’t know. But I will say this: most diminutives are derived from syllables of the full personal names, as I’ve shown above in bold. So my best advice is to look carefully at the diminutives and first names to see if you can determine what they might have in common. More often than not, full Russian first names (i.e. not diminutive forms) that end in –a are women’s names. Of course, there are notable exceptions, like Nikita and Kuzma.
2. PatronymicsPatronymics are derived from a person’s father’s name. So Ivan Ivanovich is Ivan SonofIvan. His sister Nataliya would be Nataliya Ivanovna. This part is easy: -Male patronymics end in –ovich or –evich -Female patronymics end in –ovna or –evna Patronymics are generally used together with given names, especially in formal situations: “Ivan Ivanovich, do you want some tea?” But some Russians call each other by their patronymics, though usually only if they know each other well: “Ivanovich, want tea?”
3. SurnamesSurnames can be confusing because some are classically Russian-sounding – like Ivanov – but I’ve run across Russians with names like Blyukher or Melville. Here are the most typical types of Russian last names: -ending in –ov, like Ivanov. A woman would be Ivanova -ending in –in, like Pushkin. A woman would be Pushkina -ending in –oi (or oy), like Tolstoi. A woman would be Tolstaia -ending in ii, like Dostoevskii. A woman would be Dostoevskaia. (A caveat: transliteration can change the spellings a lot... Dostoevsky is the same guy as Dostoevskii.) In general, surnames that end in –enko are Ukrainian. 4. And...One other thing. Many Russians in 19th-century literature also use foreign (usually French) names, so Elena may end up as Helen, and Elizaveta may call herself Elisabeth or, heaven forbid, Betsy.
In the end, my advice on names is: Don’t stress out about it. If a writer is good, the characters will be well enough developed that you’ll eventually know who’s who by the ways they act and speak. I have problems when writers – in English and in Russian – introduce a lot of characters and information all at once, so this isn’t a problem unique to Russian literature.
The cops need some range time to remember to shoot center of mass.
A memorable bit of history about men of honor, taking it over the top.
NOTICE THAT THE NAMES ARE DIFFERENT, YET IT IS THE SAME EVENT, same people.
Freeper Conan the Librarian recommended “Travels in Siberia”, a while back; a good read.
From TV and HS comes a recommendation of Ian Frazier’s diary of a Russian road trip: “Travels in Siberia”
I think this passage, written while Frazier was in Irkutsk, best encapsulates the tragic romanticism of the Russia we fall in love with:
Alexei Novosiltsov and Konstantin Chernov were brother officers and friends. Novosiltsov came from a high-ranking and wealthy family, while Chernov’s family was poor. Chernov had a beautiful sister, whom he introduced to Novosiltsov. The two fell in love. Novosiltsov told the sister he would marry her, and then went away with her, and they lived as man and wife. Soon after, he informed his mother of his decision to marry Mlle. Chernova. The mother, appalled at the match, said no. Thus brought to heel, Novosiltsov suddenly became unavailable to his one-time intended….Chernov, having no other choice, challenged him to a duel. Each man fired to kill; each mortally wounded the other. Afterward, from their deathbeds, each man sent a message forgiving the other and declaring friendship. The young woman entered a convent. The mother of Novosiltsov mourned her only son by building two churches, one on the site of the duel and another on her estate.
More in book on pages 269-270.
https://novossiltzeff.com/home/novossiltzev-how-many/
Countess Ekaterina Vladimirovna Orlova, married to Dmitri Alexandrovitch Novossiltsev, retired general..Due to the arrogance and stuborness of the Countess, the couple suffered the loss of their younger son Vladimir Dmitrievich in a duel, which is considered as one of the most famous of that century.The duel took place in Saint- Petersburgh on September 1825 between Vladimir Dmitrievich and Konstantin Pakhomovich Tchernov.
Vladimir_Dmitriewitch_Novossiltzoff
Vladimir Dmitrievich Novossiltsev
The reason, at first sight, was purely personal. Novossiltzev happened to meet his friend’s sister Ekaterina Pakhomovna Tchernova, and fell in love with her. For some time, he paid his court to her, after what he made a formal proposition, which was joyfully accepted. Novossiltzev — a brilliant, though slightly scatter-brained, second lieutenant, treated Ekaterina as his fiancée, taking her around to shopping for the marriage. Meanwhile, Novossiltzev’s mother, Ekaterina Vladimirovna, born Orlova (daughter of V.G. Orlov, younger brother of “those ones Orlovs”), refused to hear a single word about this engagement. Novossiltzev went away, hoping to receive his parents’ blessing, — with no result. Time ran by, there were no news from the fiancé.
Finally, Konstantin Pakhomovitch Tchernov, lieutenant at the Semenovski battalion, acting as the abused fiancée’s brother, asked Novossiltzev for explanations. At that time, the situation notably deteriorated because of various rumors and gossips running in the society, as well as uncareful statements by those involved, carried from one side to the other by numerous “good-natured helpers”. In the end, the dialogue and supposed explanations (which lasted all that time) turned into a conflict and a challenge to duel. The duel took place in one of the parks in Saint-Petersburg (where a monument and two stones figuring the duelist’s positions are still today to be seen). The conditions of the combat were drastic: the protagonists meant no joking. As a result, both were mortally wounded, and died a few days after the encounter.
Duel
In memory of her son, Ekaterina Vladimirovna had, at her own expenses, a church built, dedicated to Saint Vladimir.
Eglise Saint VladimirThis church was completed in May 1834 and consecrated for religious service in 1838. It is said that it was erected on the location of a billiard parlor where Novossiltsev was brought and where he died. It is said that duellists to be used to come there to pray before their fight. The church was desacreted in March 1932, and dynamited the same year.
Ryleev exploited every opportunity for the benefit of the Society,
even the funeral of liis eousiu and close friend, Constantine Cher-
nov, an army officer and member of the Northern Society, avIio,
while fighting a duel to clear the honor of his sister, was killed by
another officer, Novosiltsov. This inspired Ryleev to write the fiery
poem “On the Death of Chernov” and gave him the opportunity
to transform the funeral into a political event, an imposing demon-
stration in which all the Society members and sympathizers and
all those in revolt against the existing conditions were brought
together ” Both men were killed, but popular sympathy was on the
side of Chernov. Novosiltsov was a descendant of the powerful,
wealthy noble family of the Orlovs ; Chernov, though belonging to
the nobility, came from a humble, obscure family, and this social
distinction was used by the Society in protest against the ariatoc-
racy, or, as one contemporary writes, “to express in a silent pro-
cession the sympathy with the one who repr&ented the idea of the
protection of the weak against the strong, the virtuous against the
Ryleev, 271 ; Grecli, Zapishi o moei Zhimnif 517 j lAUra-
tumpe ^alm^ i Kru^hM^ 142-143.
1, aSM37; OHhchesivennye VvUheniia v RossU, I,
£33-^7,. 410.
Developments in the North 131
^ile writes another contemporary, “the sworn foe of
the aristocracy, began to fan the fire and ended with the challenge
of Chernov to Novosiltsov.^’”^ The first was true ; as for the second,
that Ryleev was responsible for the duel, it is doubtful, for Chernov
voluntarily chose to die in order to destroy his enemy so that he
could serve “as an example to the base snobs that gold and noble
birth could not disdain innocence and gentility of the souL”“
NB: The above clearly demonstrates why the Russians will NEVER rule the world!
Every Russian appears to have at a mininum 17 different unpronounceable difficult to remember names!
Once they move it, kill the engine and lock the doors. They make for interesting youtube viewing.
The Bait Car TV series was quite entertaining.
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