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290.16 '''A Soviet intelligence officer named Tchitcherine'''<br>
Explaining the sources for the name, Weisenburger cites Theodore von Kármán (''The Wind and Beyond''. Boston: Little, 1967), and David Seed ("Pynchon's Two Tchitcherines", ''Pynchon Notes'' 5:11-12). Kármán writes the following: <blockquote>"Frank Tchitcherine was of Russian origin, and in fact had been related to the first minister of education in the Kerensky government. This Tchitcherine helped convince the Germans to disclose their hiding place for literally tons on research documents pertaining to the rocket and supersonic flight." </blockquote> It seems Von Kármán was wrong about both the date and the function. There was only one Chicherin on the Russian political scene at that time. Kerensky's minister of education was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Manuilov A. A. Manuilov], who was in no position to convince the Germans about anything as the two nations were at war while the Kerensky government was in office. (In fact, German rocket research began in earnest only after 1929, when Hermann Oberth published ''Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen''.) On the other hand, Georgy Chicherin, an aristocrat by birth and a lover of German culture, was an ideal diplomatic partner for German foreign ministers Von Brockdorff-Rantzau, Rathenau, and Stresemann.
"Vaslav" is obviously taken from Nijinsky's first name. There is no such Russian name as Vaslav. Originally it was Vatslav but the affricate [ts] was smoothed to [s], perhaps because it was easier for the French to pronounce.
It's likely that the following Frank W. Tchitcherine — the subject of the above biographical sketch — is the source of the character's surname. The Tchitcherines were active in Westport CT social circles. It's quite possible that Pynchon was aware of him. The following is from [http://www.achilles.org/ftp/annual/2005.pdf http://www.achilles.org/ftp/annual/2005.pdf]
<blockquote>
Frank Wirtheim Tchitcherine was born in Paris in 1907. His father, F.H. Wirtheim, had been a lion tamer, and it is tempting to conjecture that he was not entirely successful in his profession, for Frank’s mother, Clementine de Vere, a ‘performer’ subsequently remarried Prince Vladimir Titcherine. Having been duly adopted by his royal stepfather, Frank was educated at Brighton College, before studying at Corpus, Cambridge, from 1927 to 1929. As well as winning the 440y in the Varsity Match of 1929, he had also competed in the same event in 1928. He competed for Achilles in several major athletics meetings in the UK and Europe in 1929, and was part of the combined Oxford and Cambridge team which travelled to America that summer for matches against Harvard & Yale (he placed 2nd in the 440y on 13.7.1929) Princeton & Cornell, and Canadian universities. His best performance ever was 49.4 (or perhaps 49 4/5) seconds for 440y, winning for Achilles v Berliner and Deutsche Sports Clubs at Stamford Bridge on 20 May 1929 (see photo – Roger Leigh Wood was 2nd). Achilles lost track of Frank Tchitcherine, but we learn that he was based in Paris till about 1937, married an Englishwoman from Wimbledon, Sheila Ballingal, served with the US Army during the 2nd World War, described himself as a ‘self-employed consultant’ and died in Connecticut in 1984. [http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=226303&forum=220]</blockquote>
[[File:Tchitcherine.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]In October 2013, a book formerly owned both by Frank W. Tchitcherine and Hermann Goering — ''Combustion Flames & Explosions of Gases'' by Lewis & von Elbe — was offered for sale on eBay.
290.21 '''Schattensaft'''<br />
