Kolomna

Kolomna is a district in Petersburg that appears in the Dreamer's elaborate fantasy during his confession to Nastenka on the second night. It represents a specific, idealized vision of domestic happiness and romantic fulfillment, standing in stark contrast to the Dreamer's actual solitary life in his grimy room. The mention of Kolomna is brief but significant, as it is one of the many vivid, borrowed images from literature and history that populate his inner world, revealing the depth of his longing for a real, shared life.

Place in the Dreamer's Fantasy

In the midst of his passionate description of the dreamer's life, the Dreamer lists a series of fantastical scenes and characters that populate his imagination. Among these, he includes "a little house in Kolomna" . This image is part of a rapid, almost breathless catalogue that also features the poet crowned with laurels, friendship with Hoffmann, St. Bartholomew's Night, and the heroism of Ivan Vassilyevitch at Kazan. The "little house in Kolomna" is immediately followed by the vision of "a little home of one's own and beside one a dear creature who listens to one on a winter's evening, opening her little mouth and eyes as you are listening to me now, my angel" . This sequence shows that Kolomna, for the Dreamer, is not a real place he knows intimately but a symbolic location—a modest, cozy, and private domestic space where love and companionship are possible. It is a dream of a simple, warm life, sharply opposed to the cold, impersonal Petersburg he actually inhabits.

Contrast with the Dreamer's Actual Life

The Dreamer's real life is defined by isolation and a lack of genuine human connection. He lives in a remote part of Petersburg, in a room with grimy green walls and a spider's web that Matrona has "successfully encouraged" . He has no friends and spends his days wandering the streets, personifying the houses and feeling abandoned when the city empties for the summer . His only interactions are with the silent Matrona and the familiar faces of strangers. The fantasy of a "little house in Kolomna" with a beloved companion is the antithesis of this reality. It represents everything he lacks: a home, intimacy, and a life shared with another person. The very specificity of the location—Kolomna, a real but peripheral district—grounds the fantasy in a plausible Petersburg geography, making the dream feel almost attainable, yet its placement in a list of literary and historical fantasies underscores its unreality.

Narrative Significance

Kolomna functions as a key element in the Dreamer's self-portrait as a "type"—the dreamer who lives entirely in a world of fantasy . By including this specific, homely image among grand historical and literary scenes, the Dreamer reveals that his deepest desire is not for adventure or fame, but for the simple, quiet happiness of a shared life. This confession is made to Nastenka, and it is part of his attempt to make her understand his inner world. The mention of Kolomna, therefore, is not just a decorative detail; it is a crucial piece of evidence in his case for who he is and what he yearns for. It also foreshadows the brief, intense happiness he experiences when, for a few hours on the fourth night, he believes that Nastenka might choose him, and they plan a future together—a future that includes a shared home, grandmother, and even the servants Matrona and Fyokla (E00358-E00363). The fantasy of Kolomna, though never realized, encapsulates the Dreamer's entire emotional trajectory: a longing for a love that is, in the end, as insubstantial as the dreams he describes.