Notes from A Gentleman in Moscow 1922 – 1954 Tale over 32 years
CHARACTERS:
Count Alexander Rostov born 1889 – 1954 (65 years old at end of book)
33 years old when imprisoned; 6’3” sentenced June 21, 1922
Sasha = nick name of Count given by Mishka his childhood friend
Fyodor = fruit seller
Pavel = doorman
Pasha = bellhop
Andrey = maitre d’ who is French
Marina = seamstress
Vasily = concierge and mailman
Yuri = room service guy who delivers a letter for the C
Konstantin Konstantinovich = Greek who delivers 3 letters for the C
Duke Demidov – Count’s Godfather and owner of “the desk”,
The Lobby Cat = aka Field Marshall Kutuzov
Helena = the Count’s beloved sister
Emile = chef
Yaroslav = barber for weekly appointment (cuts off mustache)
Fatima = florist
Audrius = bartender
Nina Kulikova = 9 year old girl in yellow
Halecki = hotel manager
Arkady = desk captain
Tarakovsky = new occupant of Room 317, senior member of the Party
Mikahil Mindich or Miska = I know him like a brother; roommates at the University, sharing a cobbler’s shop
The Bishop – wine steward who made bad recommendations
Nikolai Petrov – violinist
Anna Urbanova – willowy beauty, movie star
Mayakovsky – a poet who presents at RAPP mtg.
Zelinsky – fellow poet, orders bread in the bar
Leo marries Nina
Katerina Litvinova- poet on the RAPP committee with Mishka
Shukhov = handymann
Soslovsky = commissar who argues about Lenin
Bishop = employee friend of hotel manager; later becomes Hotel manager who doesn’t like the Count
Lt. Puonov = C shoots him because of what he did to his sister
Osip Glebnikov = colonel of Red Army; watches the Count, they meet to have C. teach him French & English (becomes Counts friend)
Mr. Lyons = an American that C meets in the bar, plays the piano
Sofia – daughter of Nina and Leo, Count becomes Uncle Sasha
Anton Chekhov = Mishka’s brother who has moved to Germany
Shalamov = editor of Chekhov’s works, tells M. to strike passages
that are critical of Russia
Richard Vanderwhile = American General Aide
Viktor Stephanovich = orchestra conductor who admires Sofia’s talent
Matej Sirovich, professor Leningrad University
Comrade Frinovsky – comes to hotel to investigate Sofia
Comrade Nachevko – friend of Anna, high ranking Russian official, she uses his name to pull rank to save Sofia
FOOD:
filet of sole, soups,
Boyarsky restaurant
Piazza – 2nd dining room
Shalyapin = the bar
REFERENCES TO THE CLASSICS:
Montaigne, War & Peace, The Brothers Karamazov,
BOOK ONE: 1922
5 The Crime = Poem of 1913: “Where Is It Now? “It has been attributed to me.” says the Count. Sentence: The poem possesses a threat to the very ideals of the country. Sentenced to the Hotel Metropol 1922
10 His old Room used to be 317. Soldiers show him to his “new” room in the servants quarters
11-12 C asks the guards & bellhops to move his books, some clothes, pair of scissors, a twice-tolling clock; and his Godfather’s desk to room 317
14 C had lived in the hotel 4 years before arrest having come from Paris after encouraging his grandmother to flee the country after the Tsar’s
execution, he was her only heir; C then closed up his former estate and moved into the Metropol
18 “A desk to be reckoned with”. Belonged to his Godfather. Found the catch on the right front leg, a seamless door opened revealing a velvet-lines hollow was stacked with pieces of gold”
18 “…that adversity presents itself in many forms; and that if a man does not master his circumstances thence is bound to be mastered by them
21 C sends Yuri to Konstantin
24 C gives Konstantin a gold coin to deliver 3 notes (commemoration of Catherine the Great’s coronation…very valuable) = agreed to see each other in 3 months
40 Meets 9 year old child, daughter of widowedUkrainian bureaucrat,
Nina Kulikova
55 Q But for the virtuous who have lost their way, the Fates often provide a guide. For the C it was Nina
57-58 After 4 years in the Metropol…Nina gives the C tours of the building, along with a Passkey for the Hotel
62-63 C discovers a hidden room accessed through the closet; the count decorates the room and seals it off; accessed through sleeves of his jackets; C makes it his study
65-67 Nina and C spy on assemblies of Bolsheviks; the First Congress of the Moscow Branch of all Russian Rail-way workers
71 C spits his pants while spying on the assembly; takes pants to Marina, the seamstress for repair
74-75 Hotel Manager, Helecki – (after 5 years in the hotel) the manager says that the staff can no longer call the Count “Your Excellency”, times have changed
79 Arkady tells the C that a man entered the Count’s old suite and insisted to be let into room 317; he said he is a Party member
79-80 Mikhail Mindich, Mishka, appears at the hotel, C said he knows him like his brother, former roommate at University, lived above a cobblers store,
82-83 1908…Describes visits to Counts’s family estate with his friend Mishka …located near St. Petersburg then into the countryside, lifestyle described, the Count was a student with erratic studies and carefree ways
84 Mishka, C and Grand Duke raised a glass to C’s departed parents
84-86 Mishka in Moscow to help plan RAPP congress of writers; Mishka excited about new kind of poetry;
86-87 Quote about finding yourself at the right place at the right time.
And toast to poetry.
92 Nina – growing up and will start school. The C says it will be good for her
94 C gives Nina binoculars that belonged to his grandmother, “I shall treasure them to my dying day”
100-102 C meets a violinist names Prince Nikolai Petrov who he admires, and they agree to meet for a drink in a few days; arrested because his Latin book had a photo of the Tsar Nicholas II – possession of a photo is a crime, taken to prison then shipped off to Siberia; barred from all major cities in Russia CLUE The Prince will have great bearing on the outcome of this tale
104 Nina gifts the hotel pass key to the C
BOOK TWO – 1923
111 Beautiful writing …dogs chasing a cat in the hotel
112-113 The C meets Anna with her out-of-control dogs, great writing,
willowy beauty
115 Mishka tells about RAPP declaring solidarity with working classes,
M is all excited; tells about friend Zelinsky who gets group to go to a basement cafe and have bread
117-122 Count receives a note from Anna, she invites him to her room 208“Please allow me a second chance at a first impression in suite 208”
Dine and she kisses the Count” “To e a step ahead in matters of romance requires constant vigilance” He stays the night
129-130 Anna was angry that the Count had hung up her blouse…so she throws her clothes out the window…later recovers them
138 Count is the master of seating arrangements
142 10,000 cases of wine w/o labels privilege of nobility
160-161 The Counts story. 1913 Attending birthday 21st birthday party of Princess Novobaczky, her date, a lieutenant drinks too much and becomes sick, the Princess falls into the arms of the Count; the lieutenant courts the Counts sister and she falls for him. He did it for revenge.The lieutenant attacks his sister’s handmaiden.
162-163 The Count shoots the lieutenant (he is trying to run the Count does with his horse) and wounds him. His father filed an official complaint and his grandmother sent the Count to Paris. The Lieutenant died in battle and Helena, his sister, died of scarlet fever.
165 Count almost commits suicide
BOOK THREE:
176 The Count becomes part of the Hotel staff and wares a white dinner jacket
187 Nina is growing up as an idealist
187 C learns to sew
1990 7 years later Anna meets in suite 311
192-193 Anna an actress, goes from popular to unpopular, rich to having to work very hard; talking pictures come out,
19198 Affair between Anna and C every jew maths for 1.5 years; she becomes star once again with her husky voice
205-206 single table for 2 with guard at the door; Osip Glebnikov; colonel Red Army; his job is to keep track of the Count; wants to meet to learn French & English
213-214 The International Press met regularly in the bar at the hotel, the waitresses would report conversations to the KGB, sometimes the Press would plant fake stories to throw off the Russians
216 The Count meets an American, Mr. Lyon, who plays the piano and hangs out in the Bar
219 They smuggle in absinthe a cordial for a recipe (got it from the Communist Party store)
221 Emile the chef threatens The Bishop with a knife (really a celery stick)
The Triumvirate burst into laughter
232 Nina tells Count she’s married ; her husband Leo is arrested, Lubyanka five years corrective labor; Sofia is their child and she gives daughter to the Count until she returns; Count becomes Uncle Sasha at 48 years old
248 Marina the seamstress helps take care of Sofia
258 C and Osip dine once a month for years
264 Mishka shows C a letter from his brother, Chekov about life in Germany being better than Russian life; Mishka is advised to strike out any mention of life in Germany before his brothers works are published;
268 The Count is worried about Mishka; worried about Nina; worried about Sofia – a child will be noticed before long
270 Mishka gets mad at the editor and criticizes literature restrictions of Russia; within a wee he is sent to Siberia
271 Nina never returns, disappears in Russian East
271 Sofia is rumored to be illegitimate child of Anna and a Politburo member (that saves her from being arrested)
275-277 Lenin dies, Stalin (Soso) stays in Russia and Hitler retreats w/o taking Moscow
280 3 geese are set loose in the hotel; (Sofia now 13 years old did it); the Bishop (manager) questions the Count about who did it; he will “get to the bottom of this and punish who ever did it_
287-291 Mishka returns to Hotel after being in prison in Siberia 8 years,Gulag, he borrowed a passport to get to Moscow to see the Count; they discuss he self-destruction of the country; Mishka is working on another poem
295-296 Osip and the Count discuss philosophy of Russia to destroy itself
304 Sofia falls, is injured and needs to go for medical attention; the Count leaves the hospital and takes her for help;
310 Osip shows up at the hospital, helps the count escape and return to the hotel; Osip arranges for Marina to stay with Sofia; Count asks Osip…how can I repay you; 15 years of training is enough
313 Richard Vanderwhile, American, leaves a phonograph and sack of records as a gift for the Count
BOOK FOUR:
321 1950 Sofia is now 17 years old (Count has been in Metropol for 28 years
323=325 Sofia is with orchestra conductor, Viktor Stephanovich; Count yanks Viktor off loveseat where his fingers are intertwined with Sofia; he directs the band in the Hotel as well conducts the orchestra; he becomes Sofia’s piano teacher; she plays Chopin beautifully with mood because she thinks of her mother when she plays
333 Richard (American) listens to Sofia play the piano; he and the Count chat then Richard is called away (he has an appointment in the morning)
338-341 Anna, now successful actress returns to the Metropol for months at a time; dines with the Count; the Count plays a game of Zut with Sofia
341-2 Professor Matej Sirovich of Leningrad U., revered professor of literature wants to meet with the C
343 Sofia surprises C letting him know that she and Anna have been friends for years
345 – 348 C is asked to meet with professor in his old suite that he hadn’t occupied for over 25 years; who’s really there is Richard Vanderwhile (American) to speak with C in private; ask the C to relay information about who’s coming to power in the Russian govt.; Count says, “You’re not asking me to spy on my country?; Count declines and they agree to not speak of this again…and remain friends
348-350 Stalin is dead and there is a power struggle in Russian and no one knows who will replace him…Khrushchev
351 Anna tells the C she would like to live in America
352 Count is now 63 years old
356 The Bishop suspects discrepancies in food ordered and served
358 “She won” Sofia wins Grand Hall competition. Sofia and “Aunt”
Anna tell the Count about the competition
361 Anna, Sofia, Emile, Vasily & Andrey know about the hidden closet entrance
362-365 Vasily lets C know the hotel manager, the Bishop, is on his way up to his room with Comrade Frinovsky, here to question your daughter, Sofia (turning point) and he orders Sofia to report to Stalingrad to be part of the orchestra; Anna pulls rank and mentions her friend comrade Nachevko (high ranking official) and Anna says Nachevko wants Sofia to stay in Moscow
366 Now the Bishop knows about the Count’s closet office; Sofia toasts the Count as her guardian angel, my father and my friend; she has no intention of leaving the Metropol
367-368 a woman waits to speak with the Count – Mishka’s friend Katrina, the poet whom Mishka had lived with years before; Mishka is dead;
“the poem” Where Is It Now was written by Mishka but published under the Count’s name
375 Katrina’s comment to the Count was…where are you going….”What does it matter”.
BOOK FIVE:
379 Sofia is going to Paris in 6 months, perform with artists around the world, on June 21st
382 June 11th meeting of Russian leaders competing for power will dine at the hotel; the Count makes a plan; Katrerina’s visit “Does it matter where I go?”
383 Viktor Stepanovich confronts the Count because Sofia withdrew her name to go to Paris with the tour
383 Quote – I assure you, my friend that I had no idea. In fact, I agree with you hares, hounds and horses that the brightness of her future DEPENDS on her performing on that tour.
387 Sofia doesn’t want to leave the Count, “I like it here with you”
388 Quote: What matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainly of acclaim”
389 The Count pens a one sentence note and leaves it with the bell captain to be delivered – barber leaves quickly to meet with the hotel manager = The Bishop
392 Count hires Viktor to help Sofia rehearse and commissioned Marina to fashion a new dress for the concert
393 The Count goes through lost and found department and found two guide books for the city of Paris and takes them; then the Count once again pens a one sentence letter and has it delivered; he goes to the barber and waits for it to arrive
394 The Count steals black hair dye from the barber’s supply and steels one of the barbers razors
394 The Count uses razor to remove a map of Paris; and he takes copy of Montaigne’s Essays and removes 200 pages of text
396 The Count enters a guests room and steals a man’s pants and a shirt but forgets to get a cap
397 The eminent professor enters the Hotel (he’s the one that covered for the Count when he had a private meeting with the John W.) and meets with an American
398 Count asks the American to deliver a letter to John W. for him in Paris
399 Count breaks into Room 428
404 Count is now 64 years old; gives Sofia a sapphire pendant choker to wear
407 The Bishop cancels the Counts plan to help serve the dinner for the Council Ministers (important for his plan); The Count asks Andrey (who the Bishop assigns to the job) to not work that night
408-412 Andrey tells the Bishop that Comrade Propp wanted the Count to oversee the important dinner; the Bishop goes along and assigns the Count; no seating arrangement; 8 men of status to replace Stalin; Krushchev was one of them; the Count overhears all the important conversations about who’s in power in the govt.
418 – 420 The Count and Sofia are served a special dinner before she leaves on her tour; the Count includes a map of Paris in her suitcase; The Count gives Sofia the only photo he has of himself with Mishka
420-421 Quote – People who plan an essential role at every turn.
Life needed met be in a particular place at a particular time, and that was when you mother brought you to the lobby of the Metropol. And I would not accept…
422 Count writes 5 letters (includes gold coins to thank his friends)
425-426 Count watches Casablanca with his “friend” Osip….re escaping
429 The Count steals a Finnish man’s passport and 150 Finnish marks;
he returns to his room to find the Bishop waiting for him; The Count takes the short cuts he and Sofia knew so well and meets the Bishop in his office with 2 pistols in his hand
434-436 The Bishop threatens the Count “You will be held to account”; the Count had now lived half of his life in the Hotel; The Count retrieves dating files from The Bishop against his friends and burns them in the hotel furnace; asks the Bishop for a guide book to Finland; then locks him in the basement
439 June 21st…the Count visits friends, borrows the raincoat and fedora of the American journalist, Salisbury; packs 3 changes of clothes, Mishka’s project; prepares to leave the hotel
439-441 Sofia performs on the stage of Salle Pleyel in Paris; Sofia dresses like a man, and takes the scissors the Count gave her and cut her hair; dyes the white streak in her hair black; kept the necklace; leaves the theatre in her barefoot; takes out map that is in her cap and sets out to the American Embassy; the Count told her she would be stepping into a bold new life that she had been meant to lead all along
442 Sofia arrives at embassy where Richard resides; seeking asylum; the Count had told Richard she was coming, not when or how,
444 Sofia gives Richard a large book; Montaigne’s Essays; with empty center containing 8 stacks of gold coins; cutting the seam; tightly rolled piece of paper; showing 46 names from the Minister’s dinner and who sat where and the social nuances; Khrushchev’s position shown in seating arrangement; the man of the future; Malyshev on K’s side; with note on how to confirm that Sofia had arrived safely including long sequence of 7 digit numbers; Richard gets more staff members to place calls to the Hotel simulateously
447 Every phone on the first floor of the Hotel rang; 30 phones ringing; in the midst of the confusion, the Count donned his journalist’s hat and coat, picked up his rucksack and walked out the the Hotel
AFTERWARD
451 Viktor Skadovsky, orchestra leader, is part of the “get away”; he feels a sense of loyalty to the Count; and a fantasy that Sofia can do what he wasn’t able to do with his talent;
425 Viktor and the Count meet up in a Cafe in Moscow
453 2 KGB agents come to the Hotel; find that the Count and the Bishop are missing
454 The envelopes with gold coins are delivered to 5 best friends at the Hotel
456-457 KGB – evidence points to the Count having left the hotel in a stolen hat and coat headed to Helsinki; left the hat and coat in washroom at Vyborg with travel guide to Finland; speculated the Count entered Finland on foot
458 It is Viktor Stepanovich, the orchestra leader, who takes the jounalists’ hat and coat and his guide in his pocket to Vyborg border and left them in the station’s washroom then returned to Moscow
459 Quote “The smallest of one’s actions one can restore some sense of order to the world”
460 A tall man in his 60’s, 1954, hiking in Nizhny Novgorod Province; speaks with a boy and girl 7 or 8 years old; lead the man to where the mansion had burned to the ground decade before
461 quotes about revisiting the past
462 Man goes to an inn at the edge of a local village …in the corner table was the willowy woman with hair tinged with gray