Translators’ Note
Stiepanovich and Stepanich are two forms of the same name, meaning—“son of Stephen.” The abbreviated form is the more intimate and familiar.
The Russian dishes mentioned in “A Tedious Story” have no exact equivalents. Sossoulki are a kind of little dumplings eaten in soup; schi is a soup made of sour cabbage; and kasha is a kind of porridge.