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Arkadyevna is her maiden name.
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How can Arkadyevna be her maiden name, if Oblonsky is her brother's last name? Wouldn't she have been Anna Oblonska before she was married then? Russian names are confusing!
Ah hah! I think I can explain this one! Arkadyevna is
not her maiden name.
Russians have three names: forename, the patronymic and the surname.
For a woman, the patronymic is formed by the father's name plus an ending, usually 'ovna' (but in this case 'evna').
For a man, the equivalent is formed by the father's name plus an ending (usually 'ovich').
Thus, a woman whose father was called Ivan would be called, for example, Olga Ivanovna (plus surname). Her brother's name would take the form Pavel Ivanovich (plus surname).
Wow. I never thought that 'O' level knowledge would come in handy...
Chris
