Maximilian Andreyevich Poplavsky

• Berlioz's uncle from Kiev. Bulgakov was also from Kiev.
• There is a saying in Russian, “elderberries in the garden, an uncle in Kiev,” in response to someone who has performed illogical reasoning or drawn an illogical conclusion
• In M&M, Berlioz's uncle comes to Moscow for the singular reason of securing an apartment in Moscow. People could only live in Moscow if they were born there or was married to someone who had a permit to live in the city. It was common for a relative to try inheriting an apartment.