Joe, I just spoke to my Russian friend, Anna and when I told her that I was told Dubinushka was a sledge hammer she laughed and said "Oo no no Dear, it es a pease off vood!" I hummed her the slow dirge like tune that I knew as a child as Volga Boatman and she assurred me that that was a song about people dragging barges on the Volga River and is entitled Dubinushka and the piece of wood was the equivalent here, she thought, to a pike pole. Don't know if this clarifies things, it hasn't for me, but when she writes the words out and I know we are speaking about the same song, I'll get back to you.