person
The Istomin family
the Istomins
also: Истомины, Istomins
A family to whom Chekhov advises Kiseleva not to give her stories gratis, calling them "Herods" with their "towheaded children" -- a private, uncomplimentary nickname (not an ethnic or religious slur; "Herod" here trades on the biblical tyrant's proverbial cruelty/rapacity as a stock Russian term of abuse) whose occasion is not otherwise recovered in the corpus as currently built.
Reading notes
- To M. V. Kiseleva, 21 March 1887. Moscow. §8 Herods like the Istomins with their towheaded children
Chekhov calls the Istomin family "Herods" (\emph{irodam}), invoking the biblical King Herod's proverbial cruelty and rapacity as a stock Russian term of abuse for someone grasping or merciless -- here apparently in the context of extracting free literary work or favors from Kiseleva. This is a private, personal insult directed at a specific family, not an ethnic or religious slur: "Herod" functions in Russian idiom purely as a byword for a tyrant or exploiter, unconnected to the Istomins' own background, which is not otherwise identified in the corpus as currently built. It is distinct in kind from this same letter's antisemitic remark in section 3 (see the note there); the two should not be conflated, and this one is left as in the original without further flag beyond this identification.
- To M. V. Kiseleva, 7–8 July 1887. Babkino. §2 Istomin
The same running reference to the Istomin family found elsewhere in Chekhov's letters to Kiseleva, there associated with underpaying or exploiting her literary work; here Chekhov jokes that Istomin's supposed offer to help would only be useful if he were "a rich bride" rather than the editor of a minor journal.
- To M. V. Kiseleva, 7 November 1887. Moscow. §9 Istomin's
The Istomin family, elsewhere the target of Chekhov's advice to Kiseleva not to give away her stories for free; here their name stands in as a byword for a stingy or minimal fee, which Chekhov promises to better on Kiseleva's behalf.
- To M. V. Kiseleva, 3 February 1888. Moscow. §5 Istomins
Recurs from as Chekhov's stock example of an editor/family to whom a writer should not give away work cheaply or for free; grouped here with the Sysoikhas as figures who profit from underpaid literary labor.