Rachel Sinex

pg. 180 – Saint George 
Saint George is a Christian saint and is also accepted in the Islamic faith. He is known for being a soldier and was made a saint for his martyrdom. Saint George was also considered to be a dragon slayer, and therefore was thought of as brave and strong. This is important in its relationship to how it is referenced in Between Dog and Wolf. The mention of Saint George is a possible parody of the "brave" acts Ilya and possibly some of the other men in the book perform, and as such pokes fun at them. 

pg. 183 – Albatrosov 
This is a character in Between Dog and Wolf. Ilya addresses this character in chapter 14. All we seem to know about this character is that he is a sailor. It is important to note that this character's name comes from the word "albatross," a seabird, which in mythology is considered to be bad luck if killed or harmed in any way. 

pg. 183 – chrysanthemums 
A flowering plant from East Asia and Northern Europe. It is referenced on this page as a paraphrase of the chorus from the 1910 romance "Ottsveli khrizantemy."

pg. 186 – Murom 
Murom is a city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia (Western side of the country). 

pg. 187 – Volapuke
Volapük is a language invented in 1879 by a Gernan priest named Johnathan Schleyer. The narrator distorts the spelling because he is discussing drinking and the new spelling reminds him of being drunk. 

pg. 188 – skylarks 
A type of bird found across Europe and Asia, as well as the northeast mountains of Africa. 

pg. 190 – Pavel 
A character mentioned in chapter 14. Ilya discusses interacting with Pavel, but the reader does not find out much about Pavel. 

pg. 190 – wolf spider 
A wolf spider is a type of spider known for its agility and eyesight. They are excellent hunters and live mostly in solitude. These spiders to not spin webs. 

pg. 192 – sodomite 
A sodomite is someone that has committed some form of taboo sexual act. Sometimes this refers to bestiality, but, used pejoratively, it can also refer to homosexuality or anal sex. 

pg. 193 – jerboas 
Jerboas are long-tailed desert rodents found throughout Arabia, Northern Africa and Asia. These rodents hop and tend to live in deserts. When preyed upon, they can run up to 24 kilometers per hour.