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*St. Petersburg. Russian city built by Peter the Great in which the poem’s entire narrative is set. Czar Peter moved his capital to St. Petersburg in 1703 after capturing the formerly Swedish territory. His intent, in addition to claiming the conquered territory, was to create a “window to the West” and modernize Russia by providing her with a western port. Russia at that time was a deeply tradition-bound country, suspicious of western influences. Peter’s iron will clashed with entrenched societal forces such as the church, landed gentry, and peasants. Those opposing Peter the Great bristled at his total disregard for tradition and his vaunting pride—even to the point of blasphemy. A theme in Russian literature is that St. Petersburg is a cursed city. The legend is that Peter the Great established the city, rashly built on a marsh and at such a northern latitude, solely to impose his will on the Russian people. In his overweening pride, he rebelled against God and nature, and the city and its inhabitants must suffer as a result. As proof of this “curse,” the city is said to be built on the bones of the 100,000 men who died during its construction. The city is considered “cold” in comparison to Moscow, center of old Russia. Additionally, the city floods at the whim of the Neva River, showing that although Peter could build a city, it is still subject to forces superior to any human.

*Simbirsk (sihm-BEERSK). Russian town (later renamed Ulyanovsk) on the Volga River 485 miles east of Moscow. In one of Simbirsk’s surrounding rural regions, Piotr’s father received a plot of land, probably after his career of military service. The town’s distance from the civilized cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg serves to show that his military service was, although honest, perhaps less than brilliant. This is also suggested when he reads in the “Court Calendar” that his peers are now high-ranking general officers. In a Simbirsk tavern, the young Piotr loses one-hundred rubles in a drunken gambling bout at the first stop en route to his military assignment. Through this experience, Piotr breaks free of his parents’ control and takes his first steps toward independence.