Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin
Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin is one of the main characters in the novel, a very controversial figure. He is a participant in the key events of the novel on a par with Peter Verkhovensky, who is trying to involve Stavrogin in his plans. Has many antisocial features.
Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky
Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky is a teacher of Nikolai Stavrogin, father of Peter Stepanovich (the only son of his first marriage, was married twice). As the chronicler observes in his youth, under Nicholas I, he began read a lecture course at the university. However, after the police found his poem on a mythological plot that could be considered dangerous, and an inadvertent letter, he hastened to give up his short teaching activities and go to Varvara Petrovna's estate to train her son. At the same time he assured everyone that he was sent into exile and was under observation, and he himself so sincerely believed that he was offended by any attempts to dissuade him.
There Stepan Trofimovich brought up and taught little Nicholai, having managed "to evoke in him the first, still vague sense of that everlasting, sacred melancholy", which he did not exchange for "cheap satisfaction," but, according to the narrator, the student was very fortunate that at the age of 15 he was torn off from an inordinately sensitive and tearful teacher and sent to study at the lycée. After that, the former teacher remained in the position of a friend and apprentice in the estate of Stavrogin, later moved to his own house, but continued to see Varvara Petrovna often and depended financially on her. Initially, Stepan Trofimovich intended to spend his spare time studying the literature and history and writing scientific works, but as a result he grew old with maps, champagne and aimless liberal chatter.
Gradually, around him formed a circle, which included the Chronickor, Shatov, Liputin, Virginia, etc. In the late 1850s, after being remembered in a couple of publications along with Varvara Petrovna he traveled to St. Petersburg and tried to restore the former influence. At first it was accepted with success, but the former "celebrity" understood that none of those who were at that moment in the midst of social life, knew nothing about him and did not remember him. However, the attitude towards Stepan Trofimovich changed after on public evenings he began to extol art. Staying in Petersburg was pointless, and Stepan Trofimovich, having gone abroad for a while, returned to Skvoreshniki, unable to endure the separation from Varvara Petrovna.
Peter Stepanovich Verkhovensky
Peter Stepanovich Verkhovensky is the son of Stepan Trofimovich, a young man of about twenty-seven. Formed in the city "revolutionary five", the organizer and chief executor of the murder of Shatov. The master of intrigue, cunning, clever and cunning, while often portraying himself as a jester.
Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina
Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina is the mother of Nikolai. She is a daughter of a rich farmer, who left her a fortune and a large estate Skvoreshniki, and a widow of Lieutenant-General Stavrogin (he was just not wealthy, but also noble and with connections in society). By the time of the death of her husband (the last few years living in separation from his wife) Stepan Trofimovich has already settled in Skvoreshniki and even at first time, probably had the chance to marry Varvara Petrovna. During the reign of the former governor Ivan Osipovich enjoyed great respect and influence in the province, evil tongues even said that the real ruler was not Ivan Osipovich, but she. However, by the beginning of the novel's action, the widow "especially and consciously removed herself from any higher assignment" and focused on managing the economy, having achieved great success in this.
Anton Lavrentievich
Anton Lavrentievich is a narrator, on whose behalf the narrative is conducted. A young man who is a part of the city's higher society, of liberal beliefs. The closest friend of Stepan Trofimovich.
Lizaveta Nikolaevna Tushina
Lizaveta Nikolaevna Tushina is a daughter of Praskovia Ivanovna Drozdova, childhood friend of Varvara Petrovna, about twenty-two years old. A beautiful girl, in many ways unhappy, weak, but not stupid. Many attributed her an affair with Stavrogin; at the end of the novel we learn that it is true. In pursuit of his goals, Peter Verkhovensky brings them together. The night spent with Stavrogin opens Liza's eyes, she realizes that she made a big mistake, that he does not love her and never loved him. In a state of turbulent consciousness, she leaves his estate and, along with Maurice Nikolaevich, who was waiting for her in the rain, goes to the conflagration to the house of the murdered Lebyadkins, where she dies in the arms of a companion, beaten by a furious crowd, who consider her to be involved in a crime. Like many other heroes of the novel Liza perishes spiritually renewed.
Ivan Pavlovitch Shatov
Ivan Pavlovitch Shatov is the son of Varvara Petrovna's valet. In his youth he was expelled from the university and traveled extensively throughout Europe. A former member of the revolutionary movement, disbelieving in his ideas. According to contemporaries, Dostoevsky put his own ideas into his mouth. The prototype of him was Ivanov, who was killed by the "People's Massacre".
Darya Pavlovna Shatova
Darya Pavlovna Shatova is Ivan Pavlovich's sister, a ward of Varvara Petrovna. At one time was Stepan Verkhovensky's bride, but the wedding did not take place, because he did not want to marry the "Swiss sins of Nikolai Stavrogin."
Captain Ignat Timofeevich Lebyadkin
Captain Ignat Timofeevich Lebyadkin is a drunkard, poet, neighbor of Ivan Shatov.
Maria Timofeevna Lebyadkina
Maria Timofeevna Lebyadkina is the mentally feeble sister of Captain Lebyadkin, the secret wife of Nikolai Vsevolodovich. Stavrogin once married her to a dispute, all his life he supplied her and Lebyadkin with money. Despite her lack of intelligence, she embodies the evangelical saint, childlike simplicity. Together with his brother she was killed by Fedka Katorzhny as a result of the intrigue of Verkhovensky.
Aleksey Nilych Kirillov
Aleksey Nilych Kirillov is a civil engineer, a young man of about twenty-seven, a friend of Verkhovensky, Shatov and Stavrogin, according to Shatov, was spiritually corrupted the last, turning into a misanthrope and fanatic. He developed a philosophical concept according to which a person who denies the existence of God himself becomes God, and therefore is free in all his actions. In support of this, Kirillov decided to declare the "highest point" of self-will to commit suicide. He was associated with revolutionaries, who offered to use his future suicide in the right for their purposes. He committed suicide after the murder of Shatov, at the request of Verkhovensky taking the blame on himself.
Sergei Vasilyevich Liputin
Sergei Vasilyevich Liputin is already a middle-aged man, a petty official, the father of a large family who "kept in fear of God and was locked up." Used in the city with a bad reputation he was involved in many scandals, willingly spread gossip and was punished for it more than once. A hypocritical, envious and mean, while a person who is intelligent and sincerely believes in the future social reorganization of society. He participated in the murder of Shatov, behaving quite cold-bloodedly. After the murder he left for Petersburg, but not finding Verkhovensky and Stavrogin there he did not flee abroad, started off to a halt and was arrested.
Virginskyi
Virginskyi is a quiet and serious young man of thirty years with a rare purity of the heart. He participated in the murder of Shatov, but tried to dissuade the other members of the "five" from him, after killing, without renouncing his social convictions, cursed the political path to which he was so keenly and frivolously carried away by a whirlwind of circumstances.
Lyamshin
Lyamshin is a postal official, he played piano well and had acting talent, as a result of which he actually played the role of jester in the city's high society, and along with Liputin was involved in various hooligan antics, which had a big resonance. Participated in the murder of Shatov, then was in a malfunctioning state and, finally, confessed to the crime betraying the other members of the circle.
Tolkachenko
Tolkachenko is an episodic character, one of the participants of the "five", he was assigned by Verkhovensky to recruiting "revolutionaries" among prostitutes and criminals. Participated in the murder of Shatov, then fled to the district.
Shigalev
Shigalev is the brother of Virginskyi’s wife, extremely gloomy and not too handsome. He developed his own system of social restructuring, which deserved the high appraisal of Verkhovensky, but refused to participate in the murder of Shatov, saying that it contradicts his ideas.
Erkel
Erkel is a very young man, an ensign artilleryman, who was influenced by Peter Verkhovensky and fanatically devoted to him. He was not a member of the "five", but participated in the murder of Shatov and behaved during and after it most coolly.
Semyon Egorovich Karmazinov
Semyon Egorovich Karmazinov is a famous writer. An elderly person, 55 years old, has a not very pleasant appearance and manners, amorous, pompous, envious and hypocritical. Karmazinov is a Westernist writer, but in modern political and social events he does not understand anything and is afraid of it, why he is at the same time fawning on both the authorities and the nihilists.
Fedka
Fedka is a thief, a murderer. Once there was a serf of Stepan Verkhovensky, but for a card debt is given in recruits. Later he was sentenced to hard labor, then escaped and committed murder and robbery. He is a murderer of Captain Lebyadkin and his sister. After the conflict with Peter Verkhovensky he was killed.
Father Tikhon
Father Tikhon is a former bishop who resides "at ease" in the Spaso-Efimyevsky Bogorodsky Monastery. Stavrogin visits him and gives him his confession.
