C. Kunin quotes "Andrey's brother Christopher Vinelander is a namesake of Columbus (whose name means "Christ-bearer") and adds: "Perhaps so, but Columbus (the pigeon) is now most likely believed to have been an exile from the Inquisition in Naples, fleeing from the frying pan into the fires of Spain. It worked and he escaped not only the Inquisition but discovered a Terra Nova. Forgot to mention that he is believed to have been of 'Marrano' extraction, i.e., Jewish."

JM: An interesting quote...One needs to pay attention to realize that it's Andrey's brother who is the a "namesake of Columbus" because both are named Christopher, i.e, "Christ-bearers" whereas, as Carolyn Kunin rightfully points out, Columbus indicates "pigeon." This reference to the Vinelanders (and early discoverers) also reports a slip related to names (Za tvoyo zdorovie, Grigoriy Akimovich.’/ ‘Arkadievich,’ said Greg, who had let it pass once but now mechanically corrected Van./‘Ach yes! Stupid slip of the slovenly tongue. How is Arkadiy Grigorievich?’") Was Columbus indirectly mentioned by the choice of the name"Chirstopher"?

Thanks, Carolym, for the ellucidation about both Francis (St.Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier) and the new Pope's choice of a name.

I think that John Francis Shade's and Charles Xavier Kinbote's middle names may suggest a split personality as you maintain. Not only the two names appear together in history ("Francis-Xavier was one of Loyola's first followers, hence an early Jesuit"), but also in the fictional character's, from Marvel Comics, Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, the superhero that is known as the leader and founder of the X-Men.(however, I believe that Professor X was created after PF was published) There is also a book about "La révolution russe" written by another François-Xavier (François-Xavier Coquin).

btw: There was a dr. Ivan Botkine whose name came in associated to Rasputin's, at least according to a chance find by googling: "I knew full well that she understood that once Kokovtsov obtained evidence too many people would be implicated, and perhaps a public trial might result. Both she and Rasputin, no doubt,realised that it would be unwise to allow a member of the Okhrana as Botkine had been to be arrested, for fear of the scandal public revelations would cause.
William Le Queux - The Minister of Evil - The Secret History of Rasputin's Betrayal of Russia.