Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko (Fecker or Fecks) is one of the most enduring characters of the Clearwater and Larkspur series, and he began life as someone else.
As part of my online Clearwater Companion, a guide to the series with notes and other material that I didn’t use in the books, I am putting up a transcript of my bible notes. My ‘bible’ being the main notebook(s) in which I record character and other details so, in theory, I don’t contradict myself later. Today, I’m going to share my notes on Fecker, as he became known in ‘Deviant Desire.’
He started out as Andy, an East End lad, an Artful Dodger to Silas’ Oliver, but I soon realised that a) he wasn’t an Artful Dodger (if anyone, that was Silas) and b) he shouldn’t be an Eastender but an immigrant, and he shouldn’t be gay but straight. There were so many nationalities living in London’s East End at the time of the story, (1888) that the chances are, Silas’ best mate would be from abroad. So, I made him Russian, then German, then settled on Ukrainian, because it was slightly more unusual. As the stories progressed, so did his background because he was a character that formed as I went, rather than being one who arrived on the page fully formed. Creating as you go like this necessitates a well-kept bible, and I’m not always very good at keeping notes, so some of Fecks’ details got lost in my memory, which is one reason we never know exactly how old he is.
As the series progressed, so I wanted to understand more about him and Silas and how they met, and that’s how the prequel, ‘Banyak & Fecks’ came about. Now, after finishing two series during which Fecks goes from fleeing the Russian army in Ukraine, to moving into Academy House as an Austrian Baron, I realise that he is the backbone of both series. All 18 books are really only about him, except they are not, and he is only in the distance in some, while at the forefront of others. He’s my shadow character, the one whose life changes in an epic fashion though mainly in the background as we follow the lives of the others.
Still… Enough rambling. Below are my basic notes, and there are not many of them.
Andrej when he believed he was descended from the Cossacks, hence the long hair. This is one of the depictions created by my cover designer, Andjela, and it captures Fecker’s nobleness and stature.
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko (Fecker or Fecks)
I have to admit that Fecks always had a vague timeline, and no-one is sure of his exact age, including himself. I wrote an outline of his life when writing ‘Banyak & Fecks’, and some of the dates below do not now correspond with what is in the books. However, what is in the books is as accurate as it can be. In Fecks’ case, there are notes from my bible and from other files.
From the bible.
Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko, “Fecker” or “Fecks” nickname.
Born 1867. Ukrainian. Born around Easter.
In 1888, is 19, fix-foot-two (later six-foot-four), blond, long hair, built like a docker.
Strong, Blue eyes, on streets since 14 (1883), straight, quiet, loyal, wars a greatcoat, generous, dopey, doesn’t swim.
Can understand English and speak it okay, but chooses not to.
‘Big everywhere’ (massive dick).
Silas’ stone, taken from burnt house, was Danylo’s.
Khanjali, Fecker’s knife.
Shuska, Cossack sword.
From my other notes:
Born in March 1867
He thinks he is about 19, as does Silas, but he is actually 21 in 1888, and doesn’t know his exact birthday. He thinks it is around Easter as he remembers celebrations near his birthday and thought they were for him.
He was born inland from Odessa, towards Kiev, in the Mykolaiv region. (Serbka.)
Family
Parents Father Borysko 1840 to 1878 (Turkish War) Mother 1842 to 1869 (childbirth)
Poor farmers with five children:
Danylo 1859 possibly still alive
Vladsylav 1861 to 1879
Alina 1864 to 1876
Andrej (Fecker) 1866 (?)
Daria 1869 possibly still alive
His Names and meaning.
Andrej Andrew, manly, masculine
Borysko Fight/Battle
Yakiv James, Jacob, supplant
Kolisnychenko The longest Ukrainian surname I could find, lol.
Mykolayiv Region
The boundless fields of Pobuzhzhya and Ingul River region, green vineyards and wonderful flowering gardens under bottomless blue sky is Mykolayiv land.
The agriculture is the leading industry of the regional economy. Mykolayiv Region makes significance payment in strengthening of the country, producing almost seven percents of cereals and sunflower, three percents of gross milk production. The production of cereals and sunflower per capita in the region exceeds the proper indexes on average in Ukraine by three times as well as milk – 10 percents. (wiki)
| Year | Age | Real age | Events |
| 1867 | 0 | Fecker born Andrej Borysko Yakiv Kolisnychenko Danylo aged 8 (1859), Vladyslav aged 6 (1861) Alina aged 3 (1864) | |
| 1868 | 1 | ||
| 1869 | 0 | 2 | Daria born – mother died in childbirth Compulsory education introduced in Russia |
| 1870 | 1 | 3 | Father remarried much younger girl, Fecks considers her mother |
| 1871 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1872 | 3 | 5 | |
| 1873 | 4 | 6 | Fecker compulsory schooling. Farm working. Horses a particular love |
| 1874 | 5 | 7 | Poverty |
| 1875 | 6 | 8 | Danylo general conscription |
| 1876 | 7 | 9 | One sister died (Alina, aged 12 at hands of Russian soldiers) |
| 1877 | 8 | 10 | Vlad general conscription |
| 1878 | 9 | 11 | Fecker taught fencing by older brother Danylo and other military roles – tough life, local land skirmishes, learnt to look after himself. Father died, mother left with younger sister Daria, brother away so Fecker left alone to cope with farm. |
| 1879 | 10 | 12 | Vlad killed in a battle in Turkish War/Balkans; dad dead, step-mum and sister gone, other sister dead and then Danylo goes missing after Turkish War. (Possibly to turn up later in a story?) |
| 1880 | 11 | 13 | Fled Ukraine made his own way across Europe, through Austria-Hungary (Moldova, Romania) Working where he could, fighting off abuse and mistreatment when he joined a traveling group of circus horsemen. Killed a man who was trying to rape him and fled towards Hungary |
| 1881 | 12 | 14 | Across Hungary and Slovenia, working, looking after horses, taken in by an older woman and family Left there when woman’s husband returned from war, mad and angry. |
| 1882 | 13 | 15 | Arrived Italy. Crossing towards Med coast, had first experience of sex for sale. Stowed away on a ship not knowing where it was bound. He probably caught the ship in Genoa, but can’t remember the name of the place. Was discovered at sea and able to stay thanks to sexual favours; learnt his trade. Arrived in London in the autumn |
| 1883 | 14 | 16 | Met Silas (book one) Renting |
| 1884 | 15 | 17 | Renting/dock work |
| 1885 | 16 | 18 | Renting/dock work |
| 1886 | 17 | 19 | Renting/dock work |
| 1887 | 18 | 20 | Renting/dock work |
| 1888 | 19 | 21 | Deviant Desire – moves to Clearwater House |
Feck appears on more than one cover:
