person
Vorontsov
Vorontsov (Veve)
also: Воронцов, Веве, Veve, Veve
A visitor arriving at the Lintvaryovs' Sumy estate as others depart, sketched by Chekhov as a 'demigod' -- a self-importantly clever, politico-economic figure with a Hippocratic countenance, perpetually silent and brooding on the salvation of Russia (§10). Not otherwise identified in the surviving correspondence. Later nicknamed "Veve" by the household; described as oppressed by dry intellectuality but kind and unhappy, loosening up socially (even dancing a waltz), with Pleshcheyev suspecting he meant to entangle the Lintvaryovs through the journal "Epokha" -- a suspicion Chekhov dismisses.
Reading notes
- To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 28 June 1888. Sumy. §10 the demigod Vorontsov
A new arrival at the Lintvaryovs' as others depart, sketched ironically as a self-importantly clever, taciturn political-economy type; not otherwise identified in the corpus.
- To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 5–6 July 1888. Sumy. §8 Vorontsov
Referent-tracking note for translators: throughout section 8, every subsequent pronoun ("he," "his," "him") refers to Vorontsov, the third party under discussion -- his temperament, his social loosening-up, and his supposed matchmaking scheme involving the Lintvaryovs and the journal "Epokha" -- and NOT to Pleshcheyev, the letter's addressee, who is spoken of separately in the same section only as the source of a "guess" ("Ваше предположение" / "Your guess") about Vorontsov's intentions. Kept distinct in translation to avoid misattributing Vorontsov's traits (oppressed by dry intellectuality, kind, unhappy, pure in intentions) to Pleshcheyev himself.
- To K. S. Barantsevich, 22 April 1889. Moscow. §3 The political economist Vorontsov
"Политико-эконом Воронцов" -- the same figure sketched at length as a visitor to the Lintvaryovs' Sumy estate in, \S10 (there nicknamed "Veve," i.e. "V.V."), described there too as a politico-economic type. Probable, not certain, identification with Vasily Pavlovich Vorontsov, the noted narodnik economist who published under the pen-name "V.V." -- consistent with both the profession Chekhov gives him here and the household's "Veve" nickname in, but not confirmed by any fuller identification in this corpus.
- To I. P. Chekhov, May 1889. Sumy. §5 V. P. Vorontsov
Very likely Vasily Pavlovich Vorontsov, the narodnik economist (published under the initials "V.V."), per the same identification made for "the political economist Vorontsov" in, written only days later from the same household. Treated as probable but not certain, per that letter's apparatus.