LITMIR.BIZ

25

Rick must have been as impressed by the ballet as the drama critic Clive Barnes once was when he saw the triumphal performance by Maris Liepa in London, which prompted him to say: ‘His mind is dancing and body thinks!’

26

Rick decided to combine his trip to Riga with the Lāčplēsis Day celebrated as a symbol for independence struggle of Latvia. He reckoned not to go at the same time that Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second was in Riga. Her Majesty participated in opening the monument to George Armistead on the 18 October 2006. By the way, Armistead was granted a title of Baron by the Russian Tsar due to his diligence in developing the city of Riga. But as soon as Latvia separated from Russia his daughters were in a hurry to return back to Scotland.

27

In Ancient Greece the nymphs took part in the drunken orgies of Dionysus, but they only gave their love to the heroes and the beautiful youths as they drove them to frenzied inspiration.

28

‘Look at these children abandoned by their fathers!’ thought Rick as fear pierced him and he wondered if they could have been his.

29

As he hugged it he estimated the shape to be an assertive C.

30

She is not some woman of the East who is used to carrying boxes and baskets on her head. He couldn’t have known that in the years that passed she managed to travel a lot with her show. Not only had she been to Riga but to just about all the hot countries where the nymphs are particularly highly valued.

31

The pose was reminiscent of the Vera Mukhina’s (a born and raised Rigan) sculpture ‘Worker and the Kolkhoz Woman’ created for the Soviet pavilion for the Parisian International Exhibition in 1937.

32

A weekly journal ‘OutArbat’. Arbat is referred to The Arbat Street, one of the oldest streets (now pedestrianized) in the historical centre of Moscow. ‘Ah, Arbat, my Arbat’ are the chorus words of a popular Russian song by Bulat Okudzhava written in 1959.

33

When Richard Blockhead was shown a photo of a gilded doll on the Arbat fountain, so that he could determine the extent of her fountaniety, he exclaimed: ‘What kind of fountain can she possibly be?!’ ‘Не верю!’ – ‘I do not believe!’ he uttered clearly in Russian without excessive ceremonies, according to the Stanislavski method. Stanislavski (1863–1938) is a famous Russian actor and theatre director, a founder of the ‘method acting’ – a pervasive method based on the verisimilitude of acting. He was known for criticizing the actors’ performance by saying: ‘I don’t believe you!’

34

To declare one’s official address is conveyed by the Russian word ‘прописываться’. This word can also be a derivative from the verb ‘to pee’ (писать). So the author alludes to his character abundantly peeing on the Arbat Street, which sounds like his declaration of address.

35

The best psychologists and somnologists struggle with the task of stopping such form of paedophilia. And the juvenile fakers deserve a special concern.

36

The Russian word ‘написание’ can be translated as ‘writing’ or as ‘peeing’. This pun is also reflected in the Russian word ‘чистописание’, which stands for accurate writing but may also sound as ‘accurate peeing.’

37

Obviously, some amateurs did that job.

38

Dick could not have known then that his name, Dick – an affectionate derivative of his name in English coincided with the derogatory meaning hidden in his calligraphic art.

39

The picture shows concealed Russian letters Х, У and Й, which is a popular pejorative word for penis in the Russian language discourse. According to the author’s interpretation this may also coincide with ‘Храм Умного Йорика’ or, in translation the ‘Temple of Clever Yorik’.

40

The result bulletin of the Eurovision contest: ‘The Russian heart of the Norwegian Oslo’. The author uses an alliteration of the Norwegian capitol’s name ‘Oslo’ with the Russian word ‘Осeл’ — a donkey.

41

The music herald: ‘Drammo per musica’.

42

Bilingual Latvian-Russian journal for children ‘Ne’ssy!’ bears an amazing similarity to the Loch Ness fairy (Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster). See Part 2, page 88. Ne’ssy looks like the name of the Loch Ness Monster and pronounces the same, but if applied a Russian meaning it reads: ‘Don’t piss your pants!’ or ‘Don’t be a chicken!’

43

The author uses Russian abbreviation OMOH, which stands for ‘Отряд мобильный особого назначения’, a system of special units of Police force within the Russian Federation, which translates as a Special Purpose Mobile Unit. But he deciphers the abbreviation as ‘отдел Министерства образования и науки’ or ‘Department of the Ministry of Education and Science’ in English. Some people still have fearful memories of OMOH. But this depends on the viewpoint. Consider it as one of the puzzles for the intellectuals. If you read it in Russian, Special Purpose Mobile Unit really comes to mind, but you can also read it the way it was intended, namely, the other way around! And then the humane attitude of the special purpose is revealed: HOMO. It is simple! You just have to define and choose your way of reading and your life position.

44

Freak is a self-expressive individual whose other personality (alter ego) is shown externally. Their motto is: ‘Do not fear seeming clownish!!!’

45

In the Latvian language the word café is ‘kafejnica’, so the author uses ‘факейница’ that, on one hand rhymes perfectly with kafejnica, on the other is similar to the scandalous f-word.

46

Department of Health and Wellbeing Booklet ‘Fight Alcohol!’

47

The typical chav is young lower-class person who displays intentionally brash and loutish behaviour.

48

But more frequently they join a regular beach (beach or beachcomber) at his table, who reminisces about his childhood in a pioneer camp where he was a drummer. It was his blueprints that later influenced the making of these hammers. The word beachcomber was once used to describe beach’s regular potheads. But the author offers an alternative interpretation. In Russian beach is spelled бич, which he deciphers as a бывший интеллигентный человек or a former intelligent person in English.

49

Computer Journal ‘Knights of the Virtual Freedom’.

50

Riga Bathroom Guide.

51

Customer rights’ herald: ‘Be damned!’

52

This line comes from Alexander Pushkin’s 1830 poem ‘The Hero’ where the two characters debate the value of the truths and lies in relation to the human being.

53

It will only take the readers to have one look at the Riga Colosus erected on the Daugava

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