Kolyma: Dzhankhar: Shalamov and Platonov

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert Chandler wrote:

> Shalamov's story 'Zaklinatel' zmei' has a hero called Andrey Platonov; this
> Platonov clearly has something, at least, in common with the real Platonov.
> There is also mention of a mine called 'Dzhankhar'. This could be an
> allusion to Platonov's DZHAN. I should like to know whether there really
> was a mine (priisk) by the name of Dzhankhar. Can anyone help me?

A search on the GEOnet Names Server maintained by the US NIMA
<http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/index.html> (requires cookies) produced no
exact hits. The nearest are:

Dzhankhan (stream)      68° 44' 17" N, 126° 02' 41" E

Dzhankha (populated
        place)          60° 14' 00" N, 120° 48' 00" E

The information in this database is reasonably current, so if the place
has been renamed, it might not show up.

A search on Яndex produced the same text in three different locations,
and it was not helpful:

> Мы сидели на поваленной бурей огромной лиственнице. Деревья в краю
> вечной мерзлоты едва держатся за неуютную землю, и буря легко
> вырывает их с корнями и валит на землю. Платонов рассказывал мне
> историю своей здешней жизни - второй нашей жизни на этом свете.
> Я нахмурился при упоминании прииска "Джанхара". Я сам побывал в
> местах дурных и трудных, но страшная слава "Джанхары" гремела
> везде.
>
> - И долго вы были на "Джанхаре"?
>
> ...

Look familiar? :-)

I have forwarded your query to a colleague who did many years of
linguistic research in the Kolyma area; if she doesn't know, it's
probably made up.

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                  http://home.attbi.com/~lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------