Note on Pronunciation of Russian Names
The spelling of Russian names in Latin letters in a work of this kind, presents great difficulties. To begin with, we have as yet (though it is much needed) no accepted method of transliteration from Russian into English; and though it is not difficult for any one to frame or select his own system of transliteration—as I have done for my translations—this does not entirely meet the case when one has to deal with the names of people, many of whom have adopted a spelling of their own.
On the one hand, a man has a right to decide how he will have his own name spelt; but on the other hand, the inclusion of a dozen different systems of transliteration in one book, is apt to create confusion.
I have had to do the best I could under the circumstances. To pronounce the names correctly, in accord with the system of transliteration I have adopted, the reader should note the following:
I. Lay stress on the syllable marked with an accent.
II. Vowel sounds are broad and open:
a as in father.
e as a in fate.
But e initial and unaccented is pronounced ye.
i as ee in meet.
o as in loch.
u as you.
In diphthongs the broad sounds are retained:
ou as oo in boot.
ya as in yard.
ye as in yes.
yo as in yore.
ay as eye.
ey as in they.
oy as in boy.
III. y with a vowel forms a diphthong; y at the end of a word, after a consonant, sounds something like ie in hygiene.
IV. Consonants:
G is hard, as in go.
Zh is like z in azure.
R is sounded strongly, as in rough, barren.
S is sharp, as in seat, pass.
Where I know of a spelling deliberately adopted by the owner of a name, I have felt bound to follow it. For instance, the name which under my system of transliteration I should have spelt ‘Suhotín,’ appears in the book as Soohoteén, but in such cases, on the first occasion on which the name occurs, I have given my usual transliteration in square brackets.
I hope the day is not distant when some system will be generally agreed upon in this matter. Any system would be better than the present anarchy.