Crime and Punishment · Character
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
Raskolnikov's loud, warm-hearted university friend who talks too much, works too little, and shows up exactly when everyone else has vanished.
supporting
Also known as Razumihin
First appearance: part ii i
As a supporting figure in Crime and Punishment, Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Acts as loyal friend and protector; recounts his failed, angry visit to Porfiry; attempts to defend the family during the meeting and is ready to physically confront Luzhin.
Razumihin is poor but buoyant, translating German articles for kopecks and throwing parties on credit, the kind of man who makes friends in a tavern and keeps them through typhus. He nurses Raskolnikov through delirium, falls hard for Dounia, and refuses to believe the worst even as the evidence piles up. His unglamorous decency — and his stubborn detective work on Raskolnikov's behalf — keeps the novel's bleakest stretches from tipping into pure despair.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
23 connectionsA slice of how Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Friendship
- Romantic
- Other
Character groups
- Central Characters
- Police and Officials
- Protagonist
- Supporting Household Figures
+18 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the emotional peak where Katerina Ivanovna's desperate, final appeal for respect and protection is pub…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
friendship · positive
Razumikhin is Raskolnikov's fiercely loyal and practical friend, offering unwavering… How this plays out →
- Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova
friendship · positive
- Zossimov
friendship · positive
- Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
romantic · positive
- Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
friendship · positive
Razumikhin is Raskolnikov's fiercely loyal and practical friend, offering unwavering… How this plays out →
- Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
friendship · positive
Razumikhin is Raskolnikov's fiercely loyal and practical friend, offering unwavering… How this plays out →
- Zossimov
friendship · positive
- Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova
friendship · positive
- Zossimov
friendship · positive
- Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
romantic · positive
- Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova
friendship · positive
- Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
romantic · positive
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin in part ii iIn the story
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin unlock in the free preview.
See Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin in part ii i