person
Zilbergrosh
also: Зильбергрош
A person (surname Zilbergrosh) whom Chekhov is sending to call on Shavrova, in the accusative ("Посылаю Вам Зильбергроша" -- "I am sending you Zilbergrosh"); Chekhov recalls eating an excellent rassolnik with giblets at "his lady's" (his wife's or hostess's) house. Distinct from the fictional Madame Zilbergrosh, the title character of Shavrova's own story-in-progress discussed in -- presumably the coincidence of name is Chekhov's own joke, but the two are not the same figure.
Reading notes
- To Ye. M. Shavrova, 22 February 1892. Moscow. §5 I am sending you Zilbergrosh
"Посылаю Вам Зильбергроша" -- the accusative case (Зильбергроша, not the nominative Зильбергрош) marks Zilbergrosh as the direct object of "sending," i.e. a person being sent to call on Shavrova, not an object being mailed. This Zilbergrosh is otherwise unidentified in the surviving correspondence, and is distinct from the fictional Madame Zilbergrosh, the title character of Shavrova's own story-in-progress "Zilbergrosh" (discussed in) -- the shared name appears to be Chekhov's own joke rather than a reference to the same figure.
- To Ye. M. Shavrova, 22 February 1892. Moscow. §5 at his lady's, I ate excellent rassolnik with giblets
"у его барыни" -- at Zilbergrosh's wife's or lady-of-the-house's home; "рассольник с потрохами" is a traditional Russian soup made with pickled cucumber brine and, here, giblets (potroha). A characteristically concrete, food-centered aside typical of Chekhov's letters.