The Romanov Rescue

Glossary

Arshin: AKA “Russian Cubit.” An obsolete Russian linear measure, set by Tsar Peter the Great at exactly twenty-eight English inches.

Chetvert: An obsolete Russian liquid measure of a bit over a liter and a half. There was also a dry measure called the same thing, but differing vastly in value.

Desyantina: Obsolete Russian unit of measurement, for area. Roughly one hundred and seventeen thousand square feet. A bit over an hectare

Dolya: Obsolete unit of Russian measure, roughly a sixth of a gram

Draniki: A savory potato pancake

Ersatz: A German word meaning substitute or replacement, but with strong connotations of being an inferior product

Euxine: Old name for the Black Sea

First floor/Ground floor: Americans are unusual in considering the ground floor of a building to be the first floor. In most of the world, the first floor is the first rise above the ground floor.

Funt: Obsolete Russian measure, a bit under a pound

Furazhka: Visored, peaked caps

Gulaschkanone: A mobile field kitchen, generally pulled by horse, capable of making both stew and hot drinks. It’s called a “Kanone” because of the stovepipe.

Gymnasium: In European terms, a gymnasium is a school for those of higher intelligence and greater scholastic achievement, to prepare them for university. Boston Latin, in the United States, is a Gymnasium.

Hauptmann: German for Captain

Jagdstaffel: Fighter Squadron

Kapitaenleutnant: A German naval rank roughly equivalent to naval Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander. If in command of a ship, he is still the captain.

Kasha: One or another variant on porridge

Kolbasa: Russian for Sausage

Kontrabandisty: Russian for smugglers

Kremlin: Russian word for fortress or fortress inside a city

Kubanka: Also Papakha. A usually rather large, usually cylindrical, but sometimes hemispherical fur hat, with one open end.

Kulak: Russian, a prosperous peasant farmer. A kulak owns more than eight acres.

Lewis Gun: An American-designed, British- or American-built light machine gun.

Lot: Obsolete unit of Russian measure, twelve and four-fifths grams

Mikhailovsy: A large theater in Saint Petersburg

MP18: A German submachine gun or, in their parlance, machine pistol

Mudak: Russian for shithead

Nemetskiy: Russian word for German

Nemka: The German woman, a none-too-flattering term for Alexandra, the tsarina

Obermaschinistenmaat: Senior Machinist’s Mate

Oberst: German, Colonel

Oberstleutnant: German, Lieutenant Colonel, though called “Oberst” out of politeness

Pelmeni: Russian dumplings, much like Polish pierogi but with a thinner shell and never sweet

Peezda: Russian for cunt

Pevach: First run of Samogon, q.v.

Pood: Russian measure of weight, 16.38 kilograms

Portyanki: Foot wrappings. They serve in lieu of socks and are not without their advantages, though using them is something of an art.

Prostul doarme; bate în cap: Romanian for “beat his head in.”

Rodina: Russian, Motherland or Homeland

Salo: Unrendered pork fat, usually salt or brine cured, sometimes smoked or spiced, eaten cooked or uncooked.

Samogon: Self-distillate, hooch, rotgut, moonshine. It might be pretty good or pretty awful or downright dangerous.

Sapogi: Russian for boots

Skufia: A soft-sided cap worn by Orthodox clergy

Solyanka: A thick, spicy and sour Russian soup

Soviet: Russian for council

Sterlet: A smallish sturgeon

Syrniki: A kind of dumpling made with cottage cheese

Taiga: Sometimes swampy coniferous forest of the northern latitudes

Te rog nu mă ucide: Romanian for “please don’t kill me.”

TNT: Trinitrotoluene, a high explosive (Yeah, yeah, we know, but somebody isn’t going to know that.)

Tsaritsyn: Volgograd, AKA Stalingrad

Tsar: Emperor

Tsarina: Empress

Tsarevich: Crown Prince

Ulitsa: Russian for street

Ushanka: A Russian fur cap with folding flaps for ears and neck.

Vedro: Obsolete Russian unit of measure, about three and a quarter U.S. gallons

Vozok: A kind of enclosed sleigh with very small windows and sometimes some means of heating it

Yekaterinoslav: Dnipr, AKA Dnepropetrovsk