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Re: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
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Hello, Mike!
Sure, I remember about Ivan Nabokov, VN's grand-uncle, who is mentioned in
"Speak, Memory." It seems that he was as good-natured as Van's maternal
grandfather, General Ivan Durmanov, Commander of Yukon Fortress. But I don't
know if general Durmanov's capricious wife, Dolly, resembles in any way the
wife of general Nabokov (who was married to the sister of Pushkin's friend
Pushchin). Probably she doesn't.
Alexey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 12:38 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> Yes, Shakespeare's birthday is just traditionally presumed to be April 23;
> all we have to support the presumption is a record of his baptism on April
> 26, 1564. Nabokov's birthday is, as you know, strictly speaking April 22,
> New Style (cf. Speak, Memory)... and VN was probably amused by the way
April
> 23, still St. George's Day in England despite calendar adjustments, was a
> "fictional" birthday for both him and Shakespeare. Is VN's recurring
> interest in St. George's Day just a secretly embedded signature, sort of
> like "Vivian Darkbloom"? Another self-referential joke?
>
> As for Dostoevsky, Alexey, I believe that late in the day of the feast of
> St. George, 1849, Dostoevsky was transferred from the Third Section
> headquarters to the Peter and Paul Fortress--which was, of course,
commanded
> by one I.A. Nabokov...
>
> mike donohue
>
>
>
> >From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> >Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> >Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 07:17:45 -0800
> >
> >According to the Russian church calendar, the so-called
> "svyatsy," St.
> >George's Day is celebrated on May 6 (by the new style). It corresponds
> to
> >April 23 by the Julian calendar that was used in Russia up to 1917.
> >In the fourth paragraph of ADA, we learn that Aqua Veen married Walter
> D.
> >Veen "on April 23, 1869, in drizzly and warm, gauzy and green
> Kaluga." Note
> >the time (the 19th century) and the place (the Russian town name).
> >In the novel's third chapter the date is referred to as St. George's
> Day:
> >"...in April (my favorite month), 1869 (by no means a mirabilic
> year), on
> >St. George's Day (according to Mlle Lariviere's maudlin memoirs) Demon
> Veen
> >married Aqua Veen - out of spite and pity, a not unusual blend."
> >Demon certainly marries Aqua on the Russian Yur'ev den' -- which means
> that
> >the date (April 23) is by the old style here and so doesn't coincide
> with
> >Nabokov's birthday. Yur'ev den' was the day on which serfs could
change
> >their lords (and vice versa) in the ancient Russia. It was abolished
by
> >Boris Godunov (its abolishment is usually considered as the beginning
of
> >serfdom in Russia). The famous Russian saying: "Vot tebe,
babushka,
> i Yur'ev
> >den'!" (roughly, "here's a fine how-d'ye-do!")
originates
> in those days. It
> >is famously used in Pushkin's drama "Boris Godunov" (the
scene
> "Korchma na
> >litovskoy granitse," the aparte words of Grigoriy Otrepiev).
> >When Van contemplates suicide (2.11, end of the novel's Part Two), he
> >remembers that his father Demon has once played Boris Godunov "in
> an amateur
> >parody" [of Pushkin's drama]. Van wants to shoot himself, but his
> attempt at
> >suicide fails. Or, rather, that attempt proves a parody of suicide
when
> he
> >appears to hold a comb, instead of a pistol, in his hand. Wwe are made
> to
> >think, though, that it is Aqua's spirit that has somehow saved his
life.
> >However that may be, I'm quite sure that Aqua loses her freedom on
> Yur'ev
> >den'. Yur'ev den' played also a fateful role in Dostoevsky's life (he
> was
> >arrested on that day in 1849). I won't discuss Dostoevsky at length
> here,
> >just allow me to add that the last words of poor mad Mar'ya Lebyadkin
in
> >Dostoevsky's novel Besy ("The Devils") that Mar'ya's husband
> Stavrogin hears
> >her shouting after him are: "Grishka Otrepiev is anathema!"
> She accurses him
> >(her husband) that way, and, at the end of the novel (when Mar'ya is
> already
> >dead) Stavrogin commits suicide.
> >
> >Alexey
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> >To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 7:43 AM
> >Subject: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> >
> >
> > > I may have missed earlier posts... I assume someone already
noted
> that St.
> > > George's Day is Nabokov's (passport) birthday.
> > >
> > >
> > > &
> >
> >----- End forwarded message -----
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to
> get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
----- End forwarded message -----
Sure, I remember about Ivan Nabokov, VN's grand-uncle, who is mentioned in
"Speak, Memory." It seems that he was as good-natured as Van's maternal
grandfather, General Ivan Durmanov, Commander of Yukon Fortress. But I don't
know if general Durmanov's capricious wife, Dolly, resembles in any way the
wife of general Nabokov (who was married to the sister of Pushkin's friend
Pushchin). Probably she doesn't.
Alexey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 12:38 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> Yes, Shakespeare's birthday is just traditionally presumed to be April 23;
> all we have to support the presumption is a record of his baptism on April
> 26, 1564. Nabokov's birthday is, as you know, strictly speaking April 22,
> New Style (cf. Speak, Memory)... and VN was probably amused by the way
April
> 23, still St. George's Day in England despite calendar adjustments, was a
> "fictional" birthday for both him and Shakespeare. Is VN's recurring
> interest in St. George's Day just a secretly embedded signature, sort of
> like "Vivian Darkbloom"? Another self-referential joke?
>
> As for Dostoevsky, Alexey, I believe that late in the day of the feast of
> St. George, 1849, Dostoevsky was transferred from the Third Section
> headquarters to the Peter and Paul Fortress--which was, of course,
commanded
> by one I.A. Nabokov...
>
> mike donohue
>
>
>
> >From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> >Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> >Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 07:17:45 -0800
> >
> >According to the Russian church calendar, the so-called
> "svyatsy," St.
> >George's Day is celebrated on May 6 (by the new style). It corresponds
> to
> >April 23 by the Julian calendar that was used in Russia up to 1917.
> >In the fourth paragraph of ADA, we learn that Aqua Veen married Walter
> D.
> >Veen "on April 23, 1869, in drizzly and warm, gauzy and green
> Kaluga." Note
> >the time (the 19th century) and the place (the Russian town name).
> >In the novel's third chapter the date is referred to as St. George's
> Day:
> >"...in April (my favorite month), 1869 (by no means a mirabilic
> year), on
> >St. George's Day (according to Mlle Lariviere's maudlin memoirs) Demon
> Veen
> >married Aqua Veen - out of spite and pity, a not unusual blend."
> >Demon certainly marries Aqua on the Russian Yur'ev den' -- which means
> that
> >the date (April 23) is by the old style here and so doesn't coincide
> with
> >Nabokov's birthday. Yur'ev den' was the day on which serfs could
change
> >their lords (and vice versa) in the ancient Russia. It was abolished
by
> >Boris Godunov (its abolishment is usually considered as the beginning
of
> >serfdom in Russia). The famous Russian saying: "Vot tebe,
babushka,
> i Yur'ev
> >den'!" (roughly, "here's a fine how-d'ye-do!")
originates
> in those days. It
> >is famously used in Pushkin's drama "Boris Godunov" (the
scene
> "Korchma na
> >litovskoy granitse," the aparte words of Grigoriy Otrepiev).
> >When Van contemplates suicide (2.11, end of the novel's Part Two), he
> >remembers that his father Demon has once played Boris Godunov "in
> an amateur
> >parody" [of Pushkin's drama]. Van wants to shoot himself, but his
> attempt at
> >suicide fails. Or, rather, that attempt proves a parody of suicide
when
> he
> >appears to hold a comb, instead of a pistol, in his hand. Wwe are made
> to
> >think, though, that it is Aqua's spirit that has somehow saved his
life.
> >However that may be, I'm quite sure that Aqua loses her freedom on
> Yur'ev
> >den'. Yur'ev den' played also a fateful role in Dostoevsky's life (he
> was
> >arrested on that day in 1849). I won't discuss Dostoevsky at length
> here,
> >just allow me to add that the last words of poor mad Mar'ya Lebyadkin
in
> >Dostoevsky's novel Besy ("The Devils") that Mar'ya's husband
> Stavrogin hears
> >her shouting after him are: "Grishka Otrepiev is anathema!"
> She accurses him
> >(her husband) that way, and, at the end of the novel (when Mar'ya is
> already
> >dead) Stavrogin commits suicide.
> >
> >Alexey
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> >To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 7:43 AM
> >Subject: Fwd: RE: Saint George's Day in VN
> >
> >
> > > I may have missed earlier posts... I assume someone already
noted
> that St.
> > > George's Day is Nabokov's (passport) birthday.
> > >
> > >
> > > &
> >
> >----- End forwarded message -----
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to
> get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
----- End forwarded message -----