we humans have our humanity

The Tsaritsa’s name almost follows the typical Russian naming format, except our usual order is Surname – First Name – Patronymic, whereas in the Tsaritsa’s case, the order is slightly swapped: First Name – Patronymic – Surname. A patronymic is essentially a name derived from the father. So, Feodorovna means "daughter of Feodor." The name "Feodorovna" is a patronymic traditionally bestowed upon foreign-born women who married into the Russian imperial family and converted to Orthodoxy. It derives from the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, a revered religious image. Additionally, the patronymic connects to Tsar Michael I, the first ruler of Russia from the Romanov dynasty, who also carried the patronymic "Feodorovich" (the masculine form).

By the way, in the Russian localization, she isn’t Feodorovna, but Fyodorovna. There’s a high probability her name and image refer to Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, the daughter of Nicholas II. I think you’ve probably heard of her from the Anastasia movie, and generally, as far as I know, her image is quite popular, as is the myth that she was the sole survivor after the execution of the royal family. Also, don’t be surprised if you see the Slavic community referring to her as Nastya, Nastyushka, Nastyuha, or other nicknames—those are all just diminutives of the name Anastasia.

2. Vodyanitsa

The root of her name contains the word "voda" (water). In Slavic mythology, a Vodyanitsa is usually considered a female spirit dwelling in the water. Most often they are seen as the wives of the Vodyanoy (male water spirits), but they can be independent spirits too. It’s a kind of equivalent to a mermaid... though it’s important to clarify that a Vodyanitsa is more of a "drowned maiden" from the baptized, meaning a specific type of rusalka (mermaid). It's believed that Vodyanitsas love deep pools but often settle under mill wheels: they ride them, damage the millstones, muddy the water, wash out pits, and tear fishing nets.

3. Odette

Odette is primarily associated with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. In the ballet, she appears as an enchanted princess, a human under a spell. As far as I know, the name Odette itself has Germanic origins.

4. Alyosha

The name Alyosha is a colloquial, affectionate diminutive of Alexei/Alexey. You might also come across the versions Lyosha, Alyoshka/Lyoshka, or Lyokha. It’s a very common male Slavic name, but I’d guess (not stating for a fact!) that Alyosha is a reference to Aleksei Grigoryevich Samarin, a Nanai sniper (the Nanai are an indigenous people of the Far East) and Hero of the Soviet Union.

5. Danica

I’ve never met anyone with this name in my life, so I had to Google it and found out that Danica is a common female name in South Slavic countries, especially Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro (Off-topic, but oh my god, you have no idea how much I want to visit those countries...). The name Danica itself translates as "given (by God)," "gifted," or "present," but for Serbs and Croats, it means the Morning Star. In folk songs, the Danica star is addressed as the sister of the Sun and the Moon; she symbolizes beauty, light, and the beginning of a new day. Interesting....

6. Vesna

Literally translates as "Spring." As a name, it’s not common in Russian, and at least in Russia, you’d have to try really hard to find someone with that name. The name itself again refers to South Slavic languages (primarily Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Macedonian).

7. Valeriy

A very common male name in Russian! You might also see the variant Valera. The name itself goes back to the Roman family name Valerius, which literally translates as "strong," "healthy," or "strong in spirit and body." It came into Slavic culture (specifically Russian) along with Christianity through the calendar of saints, and although it’s not Slavic by root, it has been "Russified" so thoroughly for so long that it’s perceived as entirely ours. Actually, considering the meaning of the name, it’s quite logical that they made his design sturdy, like a bear. And well, we are perfectly aware of the stereotypes about Slavs (Russians in particular) riding bears (yes, yes, it’s the absolute truth hahah).

8. Mitya

The name Mitya is a classic diminutive of Dmitry. It’s also a very common name in Slavic culture. You might also see the variant Dima or Dimon, ahaha. Or other softer, cuter forms like Mitenka or Mityusha. Besides the fact that many noticed his resemblance to Misha from HSR, I have two guesses as to who his design might actually be referencing. The first is Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev—you know him well from the Mendeleev Periodic Table. He fits the archetypal image of a "Russian genius": a bit disheveled, deep in thought, making world-class breakthroughs. The second candidate for the reference is Dmitry Dmitrievich Ivanenko. He was a Soviet theoretical physicist who, in 1932 (independently of Heisenberg), proposed the proton-neutron model of the atomic nucleus. This is the foundation of all modern nuclear physics. If you look closely at the elements of Mitya's clothing, both options seem pretty reasonable. There’s also Dmitry Bakhintsev, who led the project for the first nuclear power plant. But Mendeleev and Ivanenko are, of course, more internationally recognizable.

9. Noy

The most interesting fellow, because the name is kinda unrecognizable to Russian speakers (it’s not common here), but a joke has appeared among Russian speakers because of it. The word "noy" (ной) is a verb in the imperative mood and literally means "whine" or "complain." So there’s a meme going around like "Don't noy," which literally translates as "don't whine" xD. Anyway, seriously, the name Noy (Noah) is of Biblical (Ancient Hebrew) origin. It’s not Slavic, Germanic, or Romance. Its roots are in Hebrew, meaning "rest," "comfort," or "repose." In the Book of Genesis (Genesis 5:29), it says at Noah's birth: "He will comfort us in the labors and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground" (I might be wrong with the translation or precision here, please forgive me and correct me if I translated or stated something inaccurately). I also googled it and found out that Noy is the Armenian form of the biblical name Noah (alongside the classic Noah). According to the Book of Genesis, it was the mountains of Ararat where Noah's Ark landed after the Flood. Mount Ararat is a symbol of Armenia, its sacred center. In Armenian tradition, Noy is not just a biblical patriarch, but the progenitor of the Armenians and the founder of their civilization. He descended from the mountain and repopulated the land. It’ll be very interesting to see what they eventually do with this character, given all this etymology and cultural layers!!