Sonechka 26-31
A rural town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.
pg. 27 – "the under water part of the cultural iceberg"
Judaism was not widely accepted in the Soviet Union. The Kremlin often shut down synagogues, forbade the publication of religious texts, and used other methods to suppress Judaism. Repression of Judaism was particularly prevalent after World War II, as a backlash against the revival of Jewish faith in response to the end of WWII and the Holocaust.
pg. 27 – Pullman luxury
Pullman luxury train cars were a type of particularly beautiful internally decorated private train car. Some elements that were often included in these cars were intricately carved wood, gold plated lamps, and other extravagance.
pg. 28 – Gaudi
Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), a Catalan architect, was one of the greatest modernist architects. Gaudí also underwent a personal transformation during his life: when he was young, he loved social gatherings and events, but in the later part of his life, he increasingly isolated himself and moved more towards religion. This may be why Robert did not get along with him.
