Part 10: Warsaw Railyard
Episode 10: Warsaw Railyard: Youtube, Polsy
Gymer posted:
Are you a different soldier for every mission of the Russian campaign? The last mission your briefing was addressed to Junior Sergeant Alexei Ivanovich and this time it is addressed to Junior Sergeant Voronin.
CommissarMega posted:
As far as I know, Russian names usually come in three parts; '-vich' names are usually in the middle, and are usually used in common conversations, as opposed to simply using the first name in the West (so you'd greet an old friend with "Hello, Alexei Ivanovich!" instead of just Alexei. It's not beyond comprehension that your character's full name is Alexei Ivanovich Voronin.
The Casualty posted:
Russians have three names, typically. A first name, a patronymic (basically a name derived from the father's first name) and a surname. Our Russian protagonist is, in all likelihood, Alexei Ivanovich Voronin. To friends and acquaintances, he would be called either Alexei or Alexei Ivanovich. In formal settings he would be addressed by his surname, Voronin. The tone of the letter that calls him Alexei Ivanovich is much more casual, and probably came from a superior officer that knew him personally. The later letter, calling him Voronin, is probably from someone he's never met, since he's being transferred to a new theatre and unit.
edit: Obviously this isn't a western convention. It's pretty maddening the first time you read a Russian novel and don't know any of this
