A Gentleman in Moscow: Book 5, 1954, Applause and Acclaim Summary & Analysis

Andrey and Emile are in the kitchen, in disbelief that in six months, on June 21, Sofia will be in Paris. The narrator explains that Russians who had seen Paris prior to the Revolution thought that they would never see it again. The Count enters the kitchen and explains that the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries has arranged it.

Andrey, Emile, and the Count are wondering whether Paris has changed, when the newest member of their daily meeting, the Bishop, enters. The Bishop edits Emile’s menu, provides seating instructions to Andrey, and determines that the real flower arrangements should be replaced with silk flowers.  The meeting concludes.

When the others leave to complete their tasks for the evening, the Count surreptitiously returns to the reservation book to scan for large events. He notes with particular interest a dinner on June 11 for the Presidium and the Council of Ministers. He starts to formulate a plan, as he had resolved to escape the hotel following Katerina’s visit. This resolve turned to action at the news of the Conservatory’s concert tour.

That evening, the Count accepts a flute of champagne from Audrius in the Shalyapin as congratulations for Sofia’s tour. But as he raises his glass, he is interrupted by Viktor Stepanovich. Stepanovich, who is very concerned, tells him that Sofia has declined the invitation to travel with the Conservatory’s orchestra. The Count tells the man that he had no idea she had done so. He worries that she is nervous to play for such large venues, but assures Stepanovich that he will convince her to change her mind.

One hour later, Sofia and the Count are dining in the Boyarsky. Instead of playing Zut, the Count opts to tell her a story (even though she has already heard it a few times). As a boy, he had an aptitude for marksmanship, and was the favorite to win in the archery competition at school.  He became so nervous leading up to the event that his hands began to shake and his eyes watered. He considered inventing an illness to avoid the competition entirely. But just as he took aim during the competition, he noticed a professor trip and fall into a pile of manure. He became so amused that he released the bow, and his arrow landed in the center target.

The Count tries to expand the moral to imply that Sofia should not feel nervous at the idea of performing, but she stops him and assures him that she is not afraid. She tells him that she simply does not want to go, and that she wants to stay in the hotel with him.

The Count then tells another story about the Christmas that he celebrated with Nina in 1922. He tells Sofia about her mother’s argument that if one wished to broaden one’s horizons, one should travel beyond the horizon. He worries that he will do Sofia a disservice by keeping her unintentionally confined to the hotel. He tells her that the most important thing in life is to have the courage to venture out into the world despite the uncertainty of acclaim. She tells him that if she plays in Paris, she would want him to hear her. He assures her that he would hear every chord even if she played on the moon.