Dramatis Personae, The Coronation, by Boris Akunin
A list of the characters for those who, like me, get a little confused with all the names.
The Coronation
by
Boris Akunin
by
Boris Akunin
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Housemaster Afanasii Stepanovich ZIUKIN, the book's narrator, butler to the Green Court. [If interested in his title, see note on translation of court ranks, below.]
Her Majesty Alexandra Feodorovna, the tsar's wife, the "tsarina".
His Highness the Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich, an uncle of the tsar and Admiral General of the Russian Fleet. His household is known as the Georgieviches, or the Green Court.
Her Highness the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Isannovna GEORGIEVICH, wife of Georgii Alexandrovich.
Her Highness Xenia Georgievna, only daughter of Georgii Alexandrovich.
His Highness Pavel GEORGIEVICH, eldest son of Georgii Alexandrovich.
His Highness Mikhail GEORGIEVICH, youngest son of Georgii Alexandrovich.
His Highness the Grand Duke Kirill Alexandrovich, an uncle of the tsar and commander of the Imperial Guard. His household is known as the Kirilloviches, or the Blue Court.
His Highnesss the Grand Duke Simeon Alexandrovich, an uncle of the tsar and governor-general of Moscow. He is homosexual. He dislikes Fandorin.
Foma Anikeevich SAVOSTIANOV, butler to Simeon Alexandrovich. He is held in very high esteem by Ziukin.
Luka Emelyanovich, butler to Kirill Alexandrovich.
Prince GLINSKY, adjutant to the governor-general of Moscow
Liza, Xenia's maid.
Mademoiselle DECLIQUE, French governess of Mikhail Georgievich.
Privy Counsellor VON BORN, manager of the court office.
Gentleman of the Bedchamber Lieutenant (naval) Filipp Nikolaevich ENDLUNG, or "Filya", official companion and mentor to Pavel Georgievich.
Baroness STROGANOV, a lady in waiting to Xenia Georgievna
LIPPS, a junior footman of the Green Court
Kornei Selifanovich SOMOV, a Moscow servant appointed to serve as Ziukin's assistant in Moscow.
Lord BANVILLE, an English friend of Georgii Alexandrovich that he met in Nice.
Mr CARR, an intimate friend of Lord Banville.
Mr FREYBY, butler to Lord Banville.
Mr SMILEY, former butler to Lord Banville.
Colonel LASOVSKY, head of the Moscow police
Colonel KARNOVICH, head of the imperial court's police
Doctor LIND, a criminal genius
Lech "Blizna" PENDERETSKI, a Polish criminal leader in Moscow
"Stump", a criminal in Moscow with an amputated stump in place of one of his arms.
Izabella Felitsianovna SNEZHNEVSKAYA, a pretty ballerina and friend of the Imperial family.
Note on translation of court ranks:
I have given the court ranks as they were given in the translation that I read. For those who are interested, the rank given in the translation as "housemaster" appears to correspond to the German-Russian court title hoffurir (Гоффурьер). "Furir" means the official in charge of preparing accommodation, so this translates as something like "house(hold) official responsible for accommodation" or "house(hold) quartermaster". Hoffurir was of the ninth rank in the imperial table of ranks, making it (as the book makes clear) equivalent to Endlung's rank of naval lieutenant. This context shows clearly that the book's rank of "housemaster" is not intended to correspond to the more senior rank of hofmeister (Гофмейстер), even though this would be the obvious court rank to translate as "housemaster". Hofmeister was of the third rank - equivalent to a vice-admiral, a privy councillor and a lieutenant-general.
Later in the text, the court rank "master of the chamber" is used. This is problematic as it appears to correspond to kamerfurir (Ка́мер-фурье́р), which translates as something like "chamber official responsible for accommodation" or "chamber quartermaster", and is of the sixth rank in the imperial hierarchy. However, this rank seems to have ceased to exist in 1884, and the book is set in 1896. No other rank in the table of ranks at this time would seem to fit "master of the chamber", except perhaps for Oberkammerherr (Обер-камергер), or "over-chamberlain", but this would be an odd translation and in any case seems far too senior for the context, being of the second rank. In the context of the story, perhaps "master of the chamber" is best taken as an exceptional revival of the dormant rank of "kamerfurir" to honour the individual concerned.
I have given the court ranks as they were given in the translation that I read. For those who are interested, the rank given in the translation as "housemaster" appears to correspond to the German-Russian court title hoffurir (Гоффурьер). "Furir" means the official in charge of preparing accommodation, so this translates as something like "house(hold) official responsible for accommodation" or "house(hold) quartermaster". Hoffurir was of the ninth rank in the imperial table of ranks, making it (as the book makes clear) equivalent to Endlung's rank of naval lieutenant. This context shows clearly that the book's rank of "housemaster" is not intended to correspond to the more senior rank of hofmeister (Гофмейстер), even though this would be the obvious court rank to translate as "housemaster". Hofmeister was of the third rank - equivalent to a vice-admiral, a privy councillor and a lieutenant-general.
Later in the text, the court rank "master of the chamber" is used. This is problematic as it appears to correspond to kamerfurir (Ка́мер-фурье́р), which translates as something like "chamber official responsible for accommodation" or "chamber quartermaster", and is of the sixth rank in the imperial hierarchy. However, this rank seems to have ceased to exist in 1884, and the book is set in 1896. No other rank in the table of ranks at this time would seem to fit "master of the chamber", except perhaps for Oberkammerherr (Обер-камергер), or "over-chamberlain", but this would be an odd translation and in any case seems far too senior for the context, being of the second rank. In the context of the story, perhaps "master of the chamber" is best taken as an exceptional revival of the dormant rank of "kamerfurir" to honour the individual concerned.
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