The phrase «the roguish Moscow reveler» alludes to a well-known poem by Sergei Yesenin from his cycle «Moscow of the Taverns,» written in 1922:
I won't deceive myself,
a heavy care has settled in my clouded heart.
Why have I gained a reputation as a charlatan?
Why have I gained a reputation as a troublemaker?I'm no villain, I've robbed no one in the woods,
I've shot no wretched souls in dungeons.
I'm merely a street idler,
smiling at the faces I pass.I'm a roguish Moscow reveler.
All across the Tverskaya district,
in every back alley, every dog
knows my easy gait.
Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin (1895-1925) was one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century. The cycle «Moscow of the Taverns» was written during a period of spiritual crisis for the poet and reflects his bohemian life, full of longing and inner turmoil. In these poems, Yesenin shapes his lyrical persona — a dissolute yet vulnerable, deeply feeling poet.
In 1987, the band «Alfa,» led by composer Sergei Sarychev, released the hit «The Roguish Moscow Reveler,» built around Yesenin's poem. The song became one of the best-known rock pieces set to the verse of Russian poets and a signature number for the band.
«Alfa» is a Soviet and Russian rock band founded in 1983. After the release of «The Roguish Moscow Reveler,» the band gained wide fame. The composition fused melodic rock with classical Russian poetry, an innovative move for Soviet pop music of that era.
The novel's use of this allusion characterizes Zhorik's gait and general bearing as pointedly nonchalant, free, and even provocative, adding a distinctive, recognizable trait to his image by drawing on the cultural codes of Russian poetry and contemporary music.