i think, we just hugely underestimate the meaning of names in 'goncharov'. like the majority of the lead characters come from other culture. of course their names are going to reflect their homesickness and assimilation and trust and power and-
of course their names are deeply intertextual and require the context of russian literature. the very title of the film is the russian surname, that belonged to one of the prominent classical writers (actually, i don't think there is a significant connection between the figure of ivan goncharov and the film, because there were many other famous people under this surname, nevertheless)
let's dwell on katya's case
her full russian name is 'katerina', which is pretty similar to catherine. however! in russian culture there is an opposition between two versions of it: ekaterina vs katerina. whereas the first one belonged to the most famous russian empress and is considered 'high status', the second one is less formal, even somehow 'peasant'
the most famous owner of this name is the character of ostrovsky's dramatic piece 'the thunderstorm'. it explores the tragedwy of a faithful and truthful maiden in a provintial, hypocritical, illiterate and deeply rotten city. it is a story of her painful disappointment in her husband, falling into sin, finally confessing her adultery not out of repentance but out of shame and committing suicide by drowning in the volga river
moreover, there are TWO russian books about TWO katerinas cheating on their husband, seeing quasi-folkish quasi-religious visions and later getting drowned in the volga river. they are of very different temper and level of sin, but still
also 'ekaterina' comes from the greek 'eternally pure'. and 'katerina' is the same but without 'eternally'. by this sin she loses both purity and eternity
and now remember the time symbolism
and now remember how katya says to sofia: 'may it be the eternity of torment, but it will be eternity by your side'
and now remember the russian katerina's deep connection with water and how she as a young girl was trying to escape from home in a boat
AND NOW REMEMBER THE SCENE WITH THE BOAT FROM 'GONCHAROV'
and now remember the juxtaposition between the shorter and seemingly less formal 'katya', which is a diminutive in russian, but is applied to the character in the context of her relation to goncharov. something that should be intimate becomes the facade
and now remember how, on the other hand, during that one scene sofia calls katya 'ekaterina'. it is not her birthname. she will never be the same katerina. she just destroyed this version of herself. but somehow at the most confidential moment she gets called with a russian name. more status. more official. depicting her thirst for power and imitation of ekaterina the great (which also wasn't the empress's birth name). this name should be cried out by the cheering crowd, but it is whispered by sofia. and it is enough
it is also important how this film is about escaping the prison of the narrative and failing at these attempts. by changing her name she tries to change the pattern of the character's and her own fate
and now remember how the first birth name of ekaterina the great was sofia
p.s. as a russian major probably going to write something more about it. don't know yet
