The Master and Margarita

6 Dead Souls: The only novel by the ‘father of Russian prose’ Nikolai Gogol (1809-52). Its influence on The Master and Margarita is pervasive. Bulgakov made an adaptation of Dead Souls for the Moscow Art Theatre in the thirties, while at work on his own novel.

7 Melpomene, Polyhymnia and Thalia: Three of the nine Greek muses, of tragedy, lyric poetry and comedy respectively.

8 The Inspector General: A comedy by Nikolai Gogol, one of the masterpieces of the Russian theatre.

9 Evgeny Onegin: Koroviev’s comically slighting reference is to Pushkin’s poem, not to Tchaikovsky’s opera.

10 Sofya Pavlovna: The citizeness happens to have the same name as the heroine of Griboedov’s Woe From Wit. It may have been this connection that landed her such a desirable job.

11 Panaev: Two Panaevs made a brief appearance in Russian literature: V. I. Panaev (1792-1859) was a writer of sentimental poetry, I. I. Panaev (1812- 62), on the contrary, was a liberal prose-writer and for a time an editor of the influential journal, The Contemporary.

12 Skabichevsky: A. M. Skabichevsky (1838-1912) was a liberal critic and journalist.

13 balyk: A special dorsal section of flesh running the entire length of a salmon or sturgeon, which was removed in one piece and either salted or smoked. Highly prized in Russia.

Chapter 29: The Fate of the Master and Margarita is Decided

1 Resting his sharp chin on his fist ... Woland stand fixedly: Woland seems almost consciously to adopt the pose of Rodin’s famous sculpture known as the Thinker, actually the central figure over his Gates of Hell.

2 to Timiriazev: That is, to the statue of the botanist and founder of the Russian school of plant physiology, Kliment Arkadyevich Timiriazev (1843 - 1910), on Tverskoy Boulevard near the Nikitsky Gates.

Chapter 30: It’s Time! It’s Time!

1 Peace be unto you: Bulgakov playfully gives this common Hebrew greeting (a translation of Shalom aleichem) to his demon. It was spoken by the risen Christ to his disciples (Luke 24:36, John 20:26) and is repeated in every liturgy or mass.

Chapter 31: On Sparrow Hills

1 Sparrow Hills: Hills on the south-west bank of the Moscow River, renamed ‘Lenin Hills’ in the Soviet period.

2 Devichy Convent: Actually the Novodevichy Convent, founded by Basil III in 15 24, on the spot where, according to legend, maidens (devitsy) were gathered to be sent as tribute to the Mongols. Nikolai Gogol’s remains were transferred there in the 1930s, and many members of the Moscow Art Theatre are also buried there, including Bulgakov himself.

Epilogue

1 the festal spring full moon: The first full moon after the vernal equinox, which determines the date of the feast of Passover and thus of Easter.