Tyler Hicks

pg. 68 — tzimmes
Traditional Jewish dish served year-round. However it is a special treat during Rosh Hashanah. This is because sweet foods are typically eaten during Rosh Hashanah to bring about a sweet year. Tzimmes is a sweet root vegetable stew (typically carrots and sweet potatoes) which contains dried fruits (raisins, plums, prunes, etc) and sometimes meat (brisket).

pg. 69 — Carus Sterne
Dr. Ernst Krause's writing under a pen-name. Dr. Krause was a famous German biologist who was best known for his work surrounding Darwinism within Germany. Also was known for discussing the relationship between evolution and natural history. 

pg. 73 — kirza
A type of artificial leather produced mainly in the Soviet Union and Russia. This specific material is used in the production of much of the Soviet military gear, particularly the boots of the Soviet soldiers. It is also utilized to create the belts for factory machines, another symbol of Soviet rule. 

pg. 74 — bandura
An instrument of Ukrainian heritage. This particular instrument is a stringed folk instrument, with a cross somewhere in between a lute and a zither. This instrument is a very stereotypical Eastern European instrument, which eventually made its way into the far reaches of Russia.

pg. 74 — chastushkas
Derived from the Russian word "часто" meaning frequently, a chastushka is a Russian or Ukrainian folk song of comedic background. Typically, a chastushka consists of four lined couplets of complete irony and humor. Chastushkas became popular culture within the Soviet Union around the 1920s, whereupon the rhyme scheme was widely adopted.

pg. 76 — Kandalaksha
Town located in north-eastern Russia, almost near Finland

pg. 76 — Bruderschaft
Word from German roots "brüder" meaning brothers and "schaft" meaning hood. Can either mean the state of considering one another brotherly, or the drink that is shared between one another to commemorate the start of a friendship and brotherhood. Interestingly enough, the sharing of said drink is marked by a linguistic change in Russian from the Вы formal pronoun to the ты informal pronoun. 

pg. 77 — droshky
Reference to a type of carriage in 20th century Russia, on which passengers would ride sideways or directly behind the driver of the carriage.





pg. 83 — Cahors
A typical southern French commune famous for its rich wine and excellent cuisine