Brothers Karamazov - Character Summary

The following is brief summary for the characters in Fyodor Dostoevksy's "The Brothers Karamazov." This list is not exhaustive but only serves to assist the reader at to the significance of all the many characters found in Dostoevsky's masterpiece.

Another frustrating feature of Russian literature is that Russian names can be difficult to understand and have many variants, this guide will be helpful. Russian names are composed of first name, a patronymic (from father's first name), and family name. Formal address requires the use of first name and patronymic. Diminutives are commonly used among family and friends and are for the most part endearing, but in a certain blunt form (Katka, Mitka, Alyoshka, Rakitka) can be insulting and dismissive. Stressed syllables are noted in italics.

Karamazov, Fyodor Pavlovich
- Old buffoon of which his murder is the central feature of the book
    Dmitri Fyodorovich
    - mother was Fyodor Karamazov's first wife, Adalaida
        (Mitya, Mitka, Mitenka, Mitri Fyodorovich)
    Ivan Fyodorovich
    - mother was Fyodor Karamazov's second wife, Sophia
        (Vanya, Vanka, Vanechka)
    Alexei Fyodorovich
    - mother was Fyodor Karamazov's second wife, Sophia
        (Alyosha, Alyoshka, Alyoshenka, Alyoshechka,
        Alexeichik, Lyosha, Lyoshenka)

Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov
- first wife of Fyodor Karamazov, a beautiful and intelligent girl with a dowry; she left him for a destitute seminarian

Sophia Ivanovna
- the second wife of Fyodor Karamazov, known as the 'shrieker' , she died eight years into her marriage

Kutuzov, Grigory Vasilievich (also Vasiliev)
- faithful and devoted servant of Fyodor Karamazov
    Marfa Ignatievna (also Ignatieva)
    - wife of Grigory; as a couple, they had no children of their
    own, save one who died when only 2 weeks old. They cared
    for all three Karamazov children after their mothers died;
    they also raised Smerdyakov.

Zosima (Zinovy before he became a monk)
- famous elder residing at the monestary in Karamazov's hometown; beloved mentor and father-figure of Alyosha

Khokhlakov, Katerina Osipovna
- met with Zosima to have him heal her daughter 0f paralysis
    Liza Katerinovna (Lise)

Verkhovtsev, Agafya Ivanovna
- daughter of a colonel Dmitri met while in the army; older half-sister to Katerina Ivanovna

Verkhovtsev, Katerina Ivanovna
(Katya, Katka, Katenka)
- Dmitri's fiancé and half-sister to Agafya Ivanovna

Svetlov, Agrafena Alexandrovna
(Grushenka, Grusha, Grushka)
- woman Dmitri caroused with while being the fiance of Katerina Ivanovna; both Dmitri and Fyodor say they are in love with her

Lizaveta Smerdyashchaya
(Stinking Lizaveta; no family name)
- holy fool around town; she was found unexpectedly pregnant, father of child unknown; she died in childbirth

Smerdyakov, Pavel Fyodorovich
- illegitimate son of 'stinking Lizaveta', raised by Grigory and Marfa Kutuzov; he was a servant to Fyodor Karamazov

Snegiryov, Nikolai Ilyich
    Arina Petrovna
    Varvara Nikolaevna (Varya)
    Nina Nikolaevna (Ninochka)
    Ilyusha (Ilyushechka, Ilyushka)

Krasotkin, Nikolai Ivanov (Kolya)

Miusov, Pyotr Alexandrovich
- cousin of Fyodor Karamazov's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna; briefly took care of Dmitri Karamazov when he was a young child

Ratkitin, Mikhail Osipovich
    (Misha, Rakitka, Rakitushka)

Paissy
- stern head elder at Alyosha's monestary

Ferapont

Ippolit Kirillovich (no family name)

Nelyudov, Nikolai Parfenovich

Fetyukovich

Herzenstube
- town doctor

Maximov (Maximushka)

Kalganov, Pyotr Fomich (Petrusha)
- friend of Pyotr Miusov

Perkhotin, Pyotr Ilyich

Trifon Borisovich (also Borisich)

Fedosya Markovna
(Fenya, also Fedosya Markov)

Samsonov, Kuzma Kuzmich

Makarov, Mikhail Makarovich
(also Makarich)

Mussyalovich

Vrublevsky

Maria Kondratievna (no family name)

Varvinsky

Yefim Pavlovich Polenov
- heir of Fyodor Karamazov's second wife Sophia Ivanovna's benefactoress the General's widow. He took care of Ivan and Alexei and provided for thier education 

While there are many different translations of The Brothers Karamazov, I highly recommend reading the Richard Pervear/Larissa Volokhonsky version (buy it in hardcover, you'll have it forever). It is much better translation than the Constance Garrett version and has many endnotes that serve to illuminate the text in very helpful ways.

This post has been adapted from: Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, trans. Richard Pervear and Larissa Volokhonsky (New York: Vintage Classics, Random House, 1991).

Professor Thomas Beyer from Middlebury College has a great online study guide for The Brothers Karamazov with summaries and character sketches much more detailed that what I have listed above.

Comments

[Eugene]

So you can read another roman. I mean "Idiot". And if you realy want to uderstand russian mind in "The Brothers" you must learn russian language:)
Good luck, brother!

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