* Presumably a Russian translation of the bestselling American book The Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides.
† Presumably, a Russian translation of the 1971 book The Art of Masturbation by Preston Harriman.
* Russian slang for “semen.”
* Russian slang for “testicles.”
* The Russian equivalent of the English New International Version.
* Popular Russian brand of vodka.
* Stage name for Russian singer Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachov.
* Derogatory term for a girl. Literally means “young cow.”
* An excerpt from a Des Moines Times review: “Nu, Pogodi! (Russian: Ну, погоди! [Well, Just You Wait!]) is a Soviet/Russian animated series produced by Soyuzmultfilm. The series was created in 1969 and became a popular cartoon of the Soviet Union. The latest episode was produced in 2006. The original film language is Russian, but very little speech is used (usually interjections or at most several sentences per episode).”
* A popular Russian dessert made from soft dough and raw eggs, molded into short delicate sticks that look like vermicelli or marbles, which are then deep-fried and placed in a pile before hot honey is poured over them, and then left to harden.
* Translates as Poor Nastya, a popular Russian telenovela based on nineteenth-century imperial life.
* “Lesbians at dusk.”
† The Russian translation of the Dr. Seuss book Horton Hatches the Egg.
* The English translation for the Russian agency otherwise known as the KGB.
* Literally translated as “Pancake!” but the connotation is “Shit!”
* Russian slang for a common thief.
* A much more prestigious position in Russian criminal parlance, equivalent to a mob boss.
* In Ivan’s original writing, he attempted to phonetically spell the English lyrics associated with this song, which ultimately made the lyrics indecipherable. We replaced his well-meant attempt with the actual song lyrics after deciding that it would be true to the intention of the passage.
* What the fuck?
† Cunt.
‡ This is fucked up.
* Belarusian for “The day I fell in love.”
* “Your come, please?”
* Two popular Slavic nut-and-syrup-based desserts.
* “Good-Bye, Yellow Brick Road.” Presumably, the 1973 song by Elton John.
* My love.
* Roughly a thousand U.S. dollars.
* Translated from Russian as “Twice.”
* Translated from Russian as “The Clerk.”
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko Page 25