The 20th-Century Russian Novel: Revolution, Terror, Resistance

Sofia Petrovna 74-80

Pg. 74 — Harpies
A half bird half woman monster originating from Greek mythology. In Ancient Greek, their name means "snatcher."

Pg. 75 — Kazakhstan
The 2nd biggest former Soviet state behind only Russia. It is known for it's immense supply of oil and is 16th in the world for most produced by year. It is home to the worlds first and largest space complex. It is also the home country of the popular fictional character, Borat. It's capital is Nur-Sultan (formerly known as Astana).

Pg. 76 — Prosecutor Tsvetkov
The prosecutor in Kolya's case. He is described as hunchbacked and ape-like. The use of many unflattering adjectives to describe Tsvetkov may reflect the anger women felt during The Great Purge towards members law enforcement and their associates. You get a small sense of dehumanisation going on with Tsvetkov which could be indicative of the disconnect between citizens and those locking up their relatives due tto lack of information and transparency.

Pg. 77 — Stenographer
A stenographer is the job title of someone who transcribes in short hand for others for a living.

Pg. 77 — The great Stalin constitution
The great Stalin constitution refers to the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union as it legally cemented the totalitarian control that Stalin sought.

Pg. 78 — NKVD
The NKVD was the internal ministry of the Soviet Union and was responsible for regular police work as well as running the country's prison and labour camps. It was disbanded in 1930 only to be reinstated in 1934 right before the Great Purge.

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