The Big Green Tent

* When they were teenagers, the writers and activists Alexander Herzen (Sasha) (1812–1870) and Nikolay Ogarev (Nick) (1813–1877) famously took an oath on the Sparrow Hills, vowing to dedicate their lives to fighting tyranny.

* Julian calendar (so-called Old Style date). Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918, but many religious holidays were still celebrated according to their Old Style dates.

* A game in which players toss a round, heavy piece of metal (called a bita) at a stack of coins, in order to hit or knock it over, and then take turns using the bita to try to flip the coins over. If you flip a coin, it’s yours to keep. —Trans.

* The title of an eponymous story by Ivan Bunin.

* Trans. Mary Barnard, 1962.

* “The Sparrow. From Catullus” by Francis Fawkes (1761).

* Trans. Waclaw Lednicki, 1955.

* At Russian wedding parties, it is customary for guests to cry out “It’s bitter!” when they drink. This is a cue for the bride and groom to kiss and make the wine sweet, a call-and-response ritual repeated throughout the wedding party. —Trans.

* Baikal–Amur Railroad.

* See the full translation of Voloshin’s poem in the Translator’s Note on here.