Sergei Gerardovich Dunchil

Sergei Gerardovich Dunchil appears exclusively within the dream of Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy, the chairman of the tenants' association at No. 302-bis on Sadovaya Street. In this dream, which is a nightmarish theatrical performance orchestrated by the demonic forces that have entangled Nikanor Ivanovich, Dunchil serves as a cautionary example of the futility of concealing currency from the state. He is a fine-looking but rather unkempt man of about fifty, and his role in the dream sequence reveals the mechanisms of public shaming and psychological coercion that the Soviet authorities—here grotesquely parodied—employ to extract hidden wealth.

Identity and Role in the Dream

Theatre

Dunchil is introduced as a currency dealer who has been sitting in the theatre for a month and a half, stubbornly refusing to turn over the currency he still possesses. The master of ceremonies, a smooth-talking artiste, addresses him directly, pointing out that the country needs the money and that Dunchil has no use for it whatsoever. Dunchil calmly replies that he has no more currency, a claim the artiste immediately challenges. When asked about diamonds, Dunchil denies having any. The artiste then claps his hands, and a middle-aged lady, fashionably dressed in a collarless coat and a tiny hat, emerges from the wings. This lady is Dunchil's wife, and she nervously confirms that her husband turned over all his currency the other time. The artiste, seemingly satisfied, makes a regal gesture and tells Dunchil he may leave the theatre.

The Public Exposure and Humiliation

Just as Dunchil turns to leave with dignity, the master of ceremonies stops him, promising one more number from the programme. The black backdrop parts, and a young beauty in a ball gown appears, holding a golden tray. On the tray lie a fat wad tied with candy-box ribbon and a diamond necklace from which blue, yellow, and red fire leap in all directions. Dunchil takes a step back, his face going pale. The artiste solemnly announces that the tray contains eighteen thousand dollars and a necklace worth forty thousand in gold, kept by Dunchil in the city of Kharkov, in the apartment of his mistress, Ida Herkulanovna Vors. The mistress, who has so kindly helped in discovering these treasures, is presented on stage. The artiste denounces Dunchil as a greedy spider and an astonishing bamboozler and liar, who wore everyone out with his dull obstinacy. He is sent home with the curse that the hell his wife sets up for him will be his punishment. Dunchil sways and seems about to fall, but is held up by sympathetic hands.

Thematic Significance

Dunchil's exposure in the dream mirrors the broader themes of the novel concerning the corruption of the Soviet system and the power of fear and surveillance. The dream sequence, which Nikanor Ivanovich experiences after being arrested for currency speculation, is a grotesque parody of a show trial, where the accused is publicly shamed and forced to confess. Dunchil's fate—his hidden wealth revealed, his mistress exposed, his dignity stripped away—serves as a warning to the other currency dealers in the dream audience. The scene underscores the novel's critique of a society where private life is subject to public scrutiny and where the state employs theatrical humiliation as a tool of control. Dunchil's story, though brief, encapsulates the terror and absurdity of living under a regime that demands total transparency and punishes any attempt at concealment.