Faith

pg. 12 — Munich  
Capital in the city of Bavaria where Stroop resides. Bavaria is, as of today, the second  most populace city in Germany. During the time which Stroop would have lived, Munich was becoming a right winged city where people like Adolf Hitler were and Nazism rose to prominence. One of Hitler's infamous art exhibitions, The Degenerate Art Exhibition, was held here. 

pg. 12 — Foulard
A thin material of silk or cotton.

pg. 12 — Stroop -
Stroop is a well off, educated, English Russian adult male. He is like a mentor to young Vanya and encourages Vanya to explore the beauty of languages, love and the world. 

pg. 12 — The Volga 
The longest river in Europe that traverses through Russia. It is commonly viewed as Russia's national river.

pg. 12 — Sestroretsk 
A town in St. Petersburg, Russia where Vanya is staying with his extended family. 

pg. 13 — Antediluvian
The time referring to before the biblical great flood.

pg. 14 — Chevaux de Frise
A defense consisting typically of a timber or an iron barrel covered with projecting spikes and often strung with barbed wire. It was specifically used  for anti-calvary but it often stays up after times of battle and can become a part of the general landscape of community towns.

pg. 15 — Fontanka
The Fontanka is the left branch of the river Neva, flows through the whole of Central Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is acknowedlged by Vanya when he is traveling past it from the Summer Garden to Gutuyevsky Island.

pg. 15 — Parapet
A defensive mini-wall made of earth or stone that was built to protect soldiers on the roof of a fort or a castle. Now it indicates any low wall along the roof of a building, the edge of a balcony, the side of a bridge, or similar structure.

pg. 16 — Ivan Petrovich
Ivan Petrovich is Vanya's Greek teacher and mentor.