Николай Гоголь. Жизнь и творчество

Сервантес, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616), Spanish writer of the Renaissance, author of the novel Galatea, a book of short stories (Novelas Ejemplares), the tragedy Numancia, etc. It is Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote that made him world famous.

плевать (coll.), here: to treat with contempt, to disregard.

аплодисмент, at present this word is used only in the plural: аплодисменты (applause).

вотще (arch.), in vain, for nothing.

Бремен, Оснабрюк, Дюссельдорф, Ахен, Кельн,

Майнц, Франкфурт-на-Майне, Баден-Баден, Bremen, Osnabruck, Dusseldorf, Aachen, Cologne, Mainz, Frankfort on the Main, Baden-Baden (towns in Germany).

Балабина, Maria Petrovna Balabina (1820–1901; married nаmе Vagner), Gogoi’s pupil. The Balabin family took a keen interest in both art and science, and treated Gogol with unfailing friendliness.

Репнина, Varvara Nikolayevna Repnina (1808–1891), maid of honour, a relative of the Balabins. It was through them that Gogol met her at Baden-Baden in 1836.

летопись (hist.), annual chronicle of historical events that took place in a country, a town, etc. Неге, used metaphorically to mean a detailed, thorough description.

меценат, a munificent patron of the arts or sciences (from Maecenas, a statesman of ancient Rome who supported writers).

Генуя, Флоренция, Рим, Genoa, Florence, Rome— Italian cities. In Gogol’s time, Rome was still the capital of the Papal States.

виа (//. via), Street.

Пантеон, the Pantheon, a monument of Ancient Rome: temple dedicated to all the gods.

Крепость Святого ангела, a Roman monument; initially a mausoleum, the Castle of S. Angelo sheltered the Popes in the Middle Ages in times of trouble or enemy invasion.

Собор Святого Петра, St. Peter’s Cathedra 1, one of Rome's finest cathedrals, consecrated in 1626.

Турин, Turin, city in Northern Italy.

страда Ut. strada), Street.

Иванов, Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov (1806–1858), Russian artist who lived in Italy from 1831 to 1858. His main work is the monumental Christ Appearing to the People.

Толстой, Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817–1875), Russian writer and poet, author of the popular historical novel Prince Serebryany, the trilogy The Death of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor loannovich, Tsar Boris, etc.

Волконская, Zinaida Alexandrovna Volkonskaya (1792–1862), Russian writer, composer and singer. She ieft Russta to hve in Italy in 1829.

Микеланджело Буонарроти, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the Renaissance. He painted the vault frescoes in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgement composition in the same chapel, and sculpted the monumental statues David, Moses, etc. He also supervised the building of St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Бернини, Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), Italian architect and sculptor of the Baroque. He designed the colonnade of St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Гольдони, Carlo Goldoni (1707–1793), Italian dramatist who founded the Italian national comedy. Among his comedies are 11 Servitore di Due Padroni (The Servant of Two Masters), La Vedova Sceltra (The Clever Widow), La Locandora (The Mistress of the Inn).

Белли, Gioacchino Giuseppe Belli (1791–1873), Italian poet who left more than 2000 sonnets.

Карамзин, Andrei Nikolayevich Karamzin (1814–1854), son of Nikolai Karamzin; a military officer, retired as colonel of the Guards; he lived abroad during 1836-37.

Карамзин, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1766–1826), Russian writer, historian and journalist. Leading Sentimentalist writer, famous for such works as Letters of a Russian Traveller, Poor Liza, and Bornholm Island. His main historical research is the twelve-volumed History of the Russian State.

Тургенев, Alexander Ivanovich Turgenev (1784–1845), Russian man of letters, student of literary monuments and public figure, who spent many years living abroad.

Тургенев, Nikolai Ivanovich Turgenev (1789–1871). Russian statesman and public figure; for his part in the Decembrist movement he was given the death sentence in his absence, and thus became a political exile.

эспаньолка (hist.), the imperial, a pointed beard growing below the lower lip.

Торжок, an old town in Tver Province (now Kalinin Region, Russian Federation).

Пожарские котлеты, chicken rissoles.

половой (arch.), servant in an inn.

осьмушка (восьмушка) (arch.), octavo (8 vo.; one-eighth of a paper sheet).

А що се таке у вас, пане? (Ukr.) What’s that you have, sir?

Зимний дворец, winter residence of the Russian tsars in St. Petersburg. Zhukovsky iived in the Winter Palace as tutor of the Crown prince.