Teffi, Kolchak and his cutlass

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

In Odessa, in early 1919, Teffi meets an old friend, a White officer she refers to simply as "Michel".  He has just completeda dangerous journey across Siberia, as an envoy from Kolchak.

His account of his life during the previous 2 years includes this:
— Оттуда попал на Волгу. До чего смешно! Флотом командовал. Ничего сражались. Помните, мне лет пять тому назад гадалка сказала, что незадолго до смерти буду служить во флоте. И все надо мной смеялись: большой, толстый, и наденет шапочку с ленточками. Вот и исполнилось. Теперь еду в Париж, а потом через Америку во Владивосток, обратно к Колчаку. Отвезу ему его адмиральский кортик, который он бросил в воду. Матросы его выловили и посылают с приветом.

I would like to know whether the words about the "kortik" refer to some generally known incident.  Also, is this a jokey way of saying that he dropped this cutlass into the water?  Or did he, as some kind of gesture, truly throw it into the water?

“Next it was the Volga.  It’s absurd! (??)  I was in command of a fleet.  We fought quite well.  Remember what a fortune teller said to me about five years ago?  How not long before my death I’d be serving in the navy?  And everyone made jokes about me growing stout and wearing a hat with little ribbons.  Well, the fortune teller was right.  Now I’m on my way to Paris and then back to Kolchak, via America and Vladivostok.  I’ll return his admiral’s cutlass to him, the one he dropped in the water.  The sailors fished it out and said I must take it back to him, with their compliments.”    

All the best,

Robert

Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD





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