beggingwolf

The short story writer and memoirist Tobias Wolff describes how, when writing a long work, ‘a kind of anxious wonder sets in as to whether or not you’ll really finish it, whether it will be any good, whether all this time will have been wasted—and we all hate to waste our time.’ Wolff feels this way every time; completing one successful work doesn’t mean he has more courage or conviction when he writes the next. ‘Everything I’ve written... has seemed to me, at one point or another, something I probably ought to abandon. Even the best things I’ve written have seemed to me at some point very unlikely to be worth the effort I had already put into them. But I know I have to push through.’ Wolff completes every work he begins: ‘For me, it’s more important to keep the discipline of finishing things than to be assured at every moment that it’s worth doing.’”

So I have spent an inordinate amount of time investigating Geno’s necklaces for the good of the fandom, and today I come to you with information. My guesswork is based primarily on this image (as well as some others I’ve seen), which I captured from a gif created by @maljic:

From what I can tell, Geno wears two necklaces–a gold chain and a black leather or possibly cotton cord–with a total of four charms. Three of the four charms are on the gold chain, and the fourth is on the black cord. Here’s the breakdown:

Cross 1: on the gold chain; definitely Orthodox-style cross, with rounded edges; possibly a cross of St. Vladimir; could also be a cross of St. Olga

Cross 2: on the gold chain; square shape (all arms are equal length), looks similar to a Maltese cross (popular with crusaders); possibly a Nicene cross

Medallion 1: on the gold chain; probably a Mother of God medallion

Medallion 2: on the black cord; possibly a St. Nicholas medallion (though of a slightly different style than linked here) ETA: this might actually be a St. Basil medallion

Got nothing else, sorry.

Hockey star Evgeny Malkin says the agent of his Pittsburgh Penguins partner, Sidney Crosby, has already contacted the Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s administration about him joining the KHL side.

Большой секрет — знает весь свет.    Big secret—the whole world knows.

Борода не делает философом.  A beard doesn’t make a philosopher.

В темноте все кошки серы.  All cats are gray in the dark.

В Ту́лу со свои́м самова́ром не е́здят. No one brings a samovar to Tula. (Tula is famous as the city where samovars were manufactured. This is the equivalent of “Don’t bring coal to Newcastle.”)

Волко́в боя́ться — в лес не ходи́ть. If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go to the woods.

Говорить правду — потерять дружбу.  Tell the truth—lose friends.

Доверя́й, но проверя́й.  Trust, but verify.

Долг платежо́м кра́сен.  Debt is beautiful once it’s repaid.

Доно́счику — пе́рвый кнут. The informer is whipped first.

Друг познаётся в беде́.  You get to know your friend in trouble. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)

Дру́жба дру́жбой, а де́нежкам счёт.  Friendship is friendship, but count money.

Знать всё — значит не знать ничего. To know everything is to know nothing.

И у стен бывают уши. And even walls have ears.

Когда́ де́ньги говоря́т, тогда́ пра́вда молчи́т.  When money talks, truth shuts up.

На чужо́м го́ре сча́стья не постро́ишь. One can’t build happiness upon another’s grief.

Назва́лся гру́здем — полеза́й в ку́зов. If you called yourself a mushroom—get in the basket. (Sort of like, “don’t just talk the talk—walk the walk.”)

Не ошиба́ется тот, кто ничего́ не де́лает. He that does nothing makes no mistakes.